SMQ: Mustang vs. Southmoore…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Well, this outsider had a heck of a fun time watching two of the best teams in the state duke it out. And duke it out is appropriate as it was a hard-fought, much more physical game than I envisioned.
Think everyone would have said over/under on points in this would be around 70. We barely hit the 40-point mark as both defenses came up huge time and time again.
In the end, it was Southmoore earning its first district title in school history with a clutch outing by Austin Haywood.
Southmoore 22, Mustang 19
I have a new “my boy,” and that’s Mustang’s Daniel Farrow. I was extremely impressed with how hard he ran. His runs weren’t flashy. They were the tough, gritty ones.
After Farrow’s third touchdown gave Mustang a 19-14 lead, I was amazed Mustang threw for the two-point conversion instead of letting Farrow try to take it home again.
Mustang had Southmoore and QB Kendal Thompson completely flustered in the second half. But all it takes is one big play, and that’s what it was when Thompson found Haywood wide open for the game-winning touchdown.
And Southmoore isn’t just stacked for this year with sophomore running back Andrew Long. There is another special talent who will find Division I offers sooner than later.
I knew it was a big game, but I had to be relaxed. I play a lot better when I’m relaxed, and Mustang was every bit tough they thought they would be.” – Long
And how about that first touchdown for Southmoore? Haywood took the snap and handed it to Long, who pitched it back to Thompson (who started out lined up wide) and found Nyko Symonds for a beautiful touchdown.
Mustang quarterback Brandon Taylor likes to go for the big one. There were several times he could have possibly dumped it off. That’s not his game. He looks for David Glidden and Braden Wiseley and tries to get the home run.
Both defenses played much better than I thought. Not too many missed tackles out in open space.
Either way, Southmoore puts itself in great position while Mustang is going to have one tough road, starting with a battle Friday at Edmond Memorial.
The regular season is done. Now the real fun starts.
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Comments
I surely agree with you…mustang had the same problems with the Del City game…and just so happens that the ump was the same as the one for the Del City game..The real fun begins now and I know the Broncos will pull together and get every bit of the job done…GO BRONCOS!!!!
Agreed. The refs are there to control the game. When their poor calls impact the outcome, it’s a shame. Let the players determine the outcome. Who knows what the final score would have been without the ridiculous interference and roughing the punter calls, but let the kids determine it. Not the refs.
Sour grapes about the calls! The roughing penalty in question was correct. A fumbled snap can still be kicked and a roughing the kicker can be called. Only if he tries to run does it make a difference. He picked it right up and kicked and was roughed. Coaches always tell you to block the punt not the punter. It was poor form on the Mustang player. If he would have gone for the ball he probably would have blocked it. I watched the play as a disinterested outsider from the Broncos side. It always looks to be one-sided when it goes against your team. The difference to me was the conduct of a few of the Mutang fans. Now, that was the shame and embarrassment!
“Raven” read the rules… if a punter drops the ball he is fair game and can be tackled! And BTW I do agree with you about a few select fan’s behaviour, it didn’t set a very good example for the younger folks in attendance. I’d say “Sour Grapes” are in order!
“Mike” read the rules… if a punter drops the ball he is fair game and can be tackled! And BTW I do agree with you about a few select fan’s behaviour, it didn’t set a very good example for the younger folks in attendance. I’d say “Sour Grapes” are in order! Sorry Raven
Dave, I don’t know where you’re getting your rules. He is fair game if you make contact with the ball. If he gets the punt off clean, he still cannot be touched. If he tries to run or rugby kick that is another story. That was not the case. A simple bobble does not make you fair game to be hit with impunity. If it was there would be chaos and numerous injured punters. Again, it was a very blockable punt. Why hit the man when you should go for the ball?
I am a college official and an observer for the state. Please make sure that you understand that the high school rules are different than the college rules which are different than the NFL rules. Buy a copy of the hs rule book from the NFHS on-line and you’ll finally understand the rules, which are very different.
On your comments:
1) In high school football, the punter is protected as long as he is attempting to kick the ball. It does not matter if he was trying to run, or bobbled the snap, or anything else for that matter. If in the act of kicking, he is contacted by an opposing player (and that opposing player does not touch the ball), then it is roughing the kicker. Period. Like the rule or not, that is what it is so Mike, Dave Dunn and Buckaroo, you are flat our incorrect.
2) Officials never receive assignments for teams in back to back weeks. This officiating crew had had both Mustang and Southmoore earlier in the season (Mustang versus Ed Santa Fe and Southmoore versus PC North). So, Andrea you are wrong as well.
3)The defensive pass interference was a correct call because the defender was face guarding and he contacted the receiver while the ball was in the air. Watch the replay from Cox on that one. It clearly happens. Shoukld it have been called….was their an advantage gained by the defender? In my personal opinion, no. But, by the rule, it was correct.
4) The penalties were even between the two teams and most of them were false start or offsides penalties. it hardly seems fair to say the officials controlled the game when only two calls are in question and both of them were called correctly.
In general, understand the rules before you try to sound like you are some sort of rules expert. Just because your team wins or loses should not determine your opinion on how well the officials did working the ballgame.
Steve Smith, I said he had to contact the ball so my reply would be correct, not ‘flat out incorrect’. My point about the rugby kick or if he takes off running is that it makes the roughing not so cut and dried and open for judgement to the officials. Such as, “Was he in the process of being tackled before attempting to kick the ball?” As for understanding the rules, I never claimed to be a ‘rules expert’, but being an official, you know everything has some gray area to it; even you quibbled with a call in your #3 comment. If you call me out by name, you should read my entire comment. I said that I was a disinterested observer and had no leaning to either team. I believe the game WAS well called. As an official, maybe YOU should pay closer attention to detail.
It was a great game! I do however think the officiating crew really blew it and should be personally embarrassed and professionally reprimanded! They made several very questionable calls that were game changing. These things happen at this level but this seemed excessively one-sided and untimely. That’s my personal rant, but what shouldn’t happen is crews who don’t know the rules! I believe if a punter drops the ball on the snap he becomes a runner and can be tackled, if you attempt to block the kick it can’t be ruffing the kicker! I could go on and on! Let the kids play the game.