All-around effort: Mustangs turn in solid performance in 21-6 win over Ringgold
Rich Kolesar was looking for a more complete effort from his football team on Friday night against Ringgold.
The Mustangs obliged with a solid 21-6 victory over the Rams in a Class 4A Big Six Conference game at Mustang field.
Antwan Black had 17 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown, Noah Lion threw a pair of scoring passes and LH无毛视频檚 defense came up with three turnovers as the Mustangs improved to 1-1 in the conference and 4-2 overall.
无毛视频淚 was pleased with how we played,无毛视频� Kolesar said. 无毛视频淲e fixed a lot of mistakes that we无毛视频檝e been having. We weren无毛视频檛 perfect but we did enough to win the game.
无毛视频淚 thought Antwan and Parker ran the ball really well. Noah made some really good decisions down by the goal line. The whole offense played really well. The defense was kind of how it无毛视频檚 been all year, bend but don无毛视频檛 break. We try to rally to the football, we make teams drive and be opportunistic.无毛视频�
Laurel Highlands无毛视频� defense got interceptions from Black and Jonah Coleman and a fumble recovery by Parker Hoff.
无毛视频淎ntwan and Parker both had really good games on defense for us,无毛视频� Kolesar said.
Hoff also ran the ball 11 for 57 yards.
Ty Anderson completed 10 of 22 passes for 148 yards for Ringgold (0-2, 1-6) with Demetri Lowe hauling in eight receptions for 127 yards. Szyair Dungee led the Rams无毛视频� rushing attack with 59 yards on nine attempts and also completed a pair of passes for 33 yards, and Austin Pehowic scored the visitor无毛视频檚 lone touchdown on a 2-yard run.
Ringgold forced two turnovers with an interception by Lowe and a fumble recovery by Tyler Jones.
Ringgold first-year coach Robert Heller voiced his displeasure with the officiating after the game.
无毛视频淭hey had one flag all night,无毛视频� Heller said. 无毛视频淚t seemed like they got every call.无毛视频�
Laurel Highlands was actually penalized four times for 35 yards but the Rams drew 11 flags for 90 yards.
无毛视频淓ven though the calls didn无毛视频檛 go our way, at the end of the day they beat us,无毛视频� Heller said. 无毛视频淭hey smacked us in the mouth. We had our opportunities and just didn无毛视频檛 capitalize. Props to them.无毛视频�
Heller pointed out the Rams were using a lot of young players against LH.
无毛视频淲e had at one point five freshmen in the game,无毛视频� Heller said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e getting thrown into the fire, but they无毛视频檒l be alright.无毛视频�
The Mustangs broke from the gate quickly, forcing a three-and-out and then putting together a nine-play, 60-yard touchdown march capped by Lion无毛视频檚 12-yard pass to Tristen Baker with 6:04 left in the opening quarter.
The drive included runs of 12 and 11 yards by Black and a 12-yard completion by Lion to Josh Reed.
Ringgold answered with an impressive 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive on its second possession that included a pair of fourth-down conversions. Lowe had two 24-yard receptions in the series, including one on a fourth-and-11 pass from Anderson from the LH 31. Pehowic scored the TD on fourth and goal from the LH 2 on the second play of the second quarter.
William Cameron无毛视频檚 extra-point attempt, pressured by a diving Hoff, wound up short, leaving the Rams down 7-6.
After an exchange of punts, Laurel Highlands went on a six-play, 45-yard touchdown drive that included consecutive tough runs by Black of 7, 16 and 11 yards down to the Ringgold 3. Lion alertly took advantage of a Rams mix-up on defense on first and goal and found Reed wide open on the right side for the TD.
无毛视频淭he play was an RPO (run-pass option), the bubble was open so Noah decided to take it,无毛视频� Kolesar said.
Tanner Bruzda kicked the second of his three extra points to give the Mustangs a 14-6 lead with 4:35 remaining in the half.
Hoff recovered a Rams fumble at the Ringgold 46 with 2:30 left in the quarter which led to a 50-yard Bruzda field goal attempt that came up short for a touchback with 38 seconds remaining.
The Rams took advantage of a 15-yard penalty against LH and got Anderson completions of 10 yards to Lowe and 34 yards to Shavon Madeus for a first down at the Mustang 21 with eight seconds left. Anderson hit Lowe again around the 5-yard line but he fumbled the ball reaching for the goal line as Black tackled him with Dungee pouncing on the ball inside the 1 with no time left on the clock.
无毛视频淚 thought we recovered it in the end zone,无毛视频� Heller said.
Hoff returned the second-half kickoff 21 yards to the LH 42. The Mustangs then took control of the game with a 58-yard, nine-play touchdown drive for a 21-6 advantage. Black powered his way into the end zone from 3 yards out for the score.
Coleman foiled Ringgold无毛视频檚 next drive with an interception off a tipped pass at the LH 40 and returned it 42 yards to the Ringgold 18.
无毛视频淛onah started as a freshman tonight and came up with a really big play for us on that interception,无毛视频� Kolesar said.
The Rams got the ball back three plays later, though, when Lowe, one play after breaking up a potential touchdown pass, intercepted a Lion throw in the end zone for a touchback.
The Mustangs defense would stand tall the rest of the way, however, as Ringgold无毛视频檚 next three drives ended in a turnover on downs, a punt and then an interception by Black with 2:42 left in the game.
无毛视频淲e worked really hard all week and tonight to get this win,无毛视频� Kolesar said. 无毛视频淲e doubled our win total from last year now. A lot of things are going good but we无毛视频檝e got three big opponents coming up the next three weeks so we have to get back to work in the morning.无毛视频�
Laurel Highlands closes its regular season with games at Belle Vernon and Trinity before hosting top-ranked Thomas Jefferson.
Heller felt his team got away from its rushing attack too quickly.
无毛视频淭he whole thing going into this game was to run the football,无毛视频� Heller said. 无毛视频淚t just wasn无毛视频檛 there. But I think we should无毛视频檝e stayed with it in the second half. After they scored to go up two touchdowns we got a little anxious. We should无毛视频檝e probably stayed on the ground a little bit more.无毛视频�
Ringgold threw the ball on 15 of its 25 plays in the second half.
Laurel Highlands ran the ball 37 times for 192 yards and Lion completed 5 of 14 passes for 38 yards as the Mustangs totaled 230 yards.
Ringgold had 29 runs for 131 yards and 279 total yards.
Both teams had 17 first downs with time of possession being almost equal with LH controlling the ball for 24:50 to 23:10 for the Rams.
Ringgold returns home for three straight home games against Thomas Jefferson, Belle Vernon and Chartiers Valley.