Mustangs Beat Up On Pecos
By Lew
September 25, 2004
Mustangs beat up on Pecos
By RON HOWELL/The Reporter Sports Editor
PECOS -- Much of the 2004 football season has seemed like a 1980s or 1990s time warp for Sweetwater.
Three-fifths of the Mustangs' schedule so far has been played against teams that Sweetwater used to face in district competition back when it was a Class 4A powerhouse.
And so far, the results have been quite satisfying for Coach Kent Jackson's Class 3A squad.
Sweetwater (4-1) is now a perfect 3-for-3 against its old rivals after Friday's 42-0 massacre at Pecos. The Mustangs' other "time warp" wins in 2004 have come against San Angelo Lake View (14-7) in Week 2 and Andrews (28-21) in Week 4.
This victory -- Sweetwater's 16th straight against Pecos dating back to 1982 -- was truly a team effort as five different players scored, while on defense the Mustangs forced six turnovers and recorded their first shutout of the year.
A rout seemed inevitable almost from the outset.
Sweetwater kicked off to start the game, but Pecos (1-4) fumbled and Justin Clowers recovered for the Mustangs at the Eagles' 17. Just three plays later Sweetwater was in the end zone as fullback Alan Copeland went in from 13 yards out with 10:44 left in the first quarter.
After the defense forced a quick punt, Sweetwater scored again to make it 14-0 on a 12-play, 71-yard drive capped by a 25-yard pass from quarterback Jeremy Thompson to halfback Kendal Carrillo.
After recovering another Pecos fumble, Sweetwater found the end zone again on its next possession. However, a holding penalty nullified the score, and Carrillo eventually punted. But the Mustangs didn't squander their next chance.
The defense held again and Pecos was forced to punt from its own end zone. The kick was returned 27 yards by Sweetwa-ter's Skye Green to Pecos' 18.
Green's return led to another three-play scoring drive, as Joseph Banyard went over from 10 yards out for the touchdown. Parker Morrow's third straight extra point kick made it 21-0 in Sweetwater's favor with 5:33 to play in the first half.
The start of the second half was delayed because of lightning which was detected in the area, but once it got under way, the Mustangs wasted little time picking up where they left off.
After returning the kickoff to near midfield, Sweetwater used up nearly half of the third quarter with a ball-control drive. It resulted in a 21-yard scoring run by Thompson (14 carries, 113 yards), who broke the 100-yard rushing barrier for the second week in a row and also had his best game throwing the ball, completing 3 of 5 attempts for 46 yards with no interceptions.
Trailing 28-0, Pecos made its most serious threat of the night. A 48-yard throw from quarterback Saul Pina to Rashad Terry gave the Eagles a first-and-goal at Sweetwater's 2. But the defense stiffened at that point, resulting in three straight incompletions and a four-yard loss on a fourth-down running play to give the ball back on downs to the Mustangs.
The defense also played a big part in Sweetwater's last pair of touchdowns in the fourth quar-ter. The first scoring drive was set up by Brittan Pittman's in-terception that gave the Mustangs the ball at Pecos' 42, and it resulted in a 15-yard TD run by Duone Cunnings. Morrow's fifth extra point made it 35-0.
Cunnings then became the second Sweetwater player this season -- and second in three weeks -- to score touchdowns on both sides of the ball. With Pecos threatening again to end the Mustangs' bid for a shutout, Cunnings picked off Pina's pass and returned it 83 yards to paydirt with 4:11 left in the game.
Sweetwater limited Pecos to 234 yards, and much of it came in the fourth quarter after the outcome had been decided.
Clowers recovered two fumbles, both in the first half, and caused another. He also had a pass breakup and five tackles.
Among the other defensive standouts in the contest for the Mustangs were Jacinto Rosas with eight tackles and one pass breakup; Justin Adames with seven tackles and one fumble caused; Edward Salgado, also with seven tackles; and Pittman with an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
Carrillo also had an intercep-tion and Green and Rosas also broke up passes, while Garrett Clayton also caused a fumble.
Sweetwater will play its final non-district game here Friday against Levelland.
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