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SWEET VICTORY!!!!!

By Lew
December 3, 2005

Sweet Victory

Mustangs topple Monahans, earn semifinal berth

By Jason Weddle / Reporter-News Staff Writer
December 3, 2005

MIDLAND — The quarterfinal curse is over for Sweetwater.

After coming up short in state quarterfinal games in 2002 and 2004, the Mustangs outscored Monahans 21-6 in the second half and advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1991 with a convincing 35-16 win Friday night in Midland’s Grande Communications Stadium.


After being held to just eight yards on 11 carries midway through the fourth quarter, Sweetwater running back Joseph Banyard finally made his move.

Banyard, Sweetwater’s leading rusher on the season, scored twice in the fourth quarter, including a 54-yarder that sealed the game.

"It feels awesome," Banyard said of the win. "We haven’t got this far in a long time and it just feels great to accomplish something that we haven’t done in a while."

Sweetwater got off to a slow start, despite the one-sided final score.

Monahans took the game’s opening kickoff and went 58 yards in 11 plays — nine of which were runs — before the Sweetwater defense could slow the Loboes at the 17-yard line.

T.J. Brooks capped the drive with a 31-yard field goal to give the Loboes an early 3-0 lead.

Sweetwater’s offense went three-and-out on the ensuing drive and the Loboes offense took over just 43 yards from the Sweetwater end zone. The Mustang defense rose to the occasion though, stopping Monahans running back Sam Graves short of the first down marker on fourth-and-1 and the Mustangs took control of the ball with the score still 3-0.

"That was definitely big," Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson said. "Our defense has been very opportunistic all season long. They made some big stops tonight and those were some of the biggest."

Seven plays later, Sweetwater did something Monahans could not and converted a fourth down. Skye Green took a handoff of fourth-and-2 from the Monahans 21-yard line and not only found the first down marker, but found the end zone.

Two plays after Sweetwater took the lead, it took complete control of the game’s momentum when Brittan Pittman intercepted Monahans quarterback Chase Cornelius and returned the ball 23 yards to the Loboes’ 15-yard line.

The Mustangs couldn’t turn that field position into points, but the Pittman interception was a sign of things to come. The senior safety finished the night with three interceptions — just one fewer than he had in the Mustangs’ previous 11 games combined.

"Being in the right place at the right time is what that was," Pittman said. "I was just reading the quarterback and was in the right place at the right time."

Monahans kept Sweetwater from turning Pittman’s interception into points, but gave the ball back to the Mustangs, fumbling a snap on the drive’s second play to give Sweetwater prime field position at the 10-yard line.

The fumble marked the second Monahans turnover in a four-play stretch and this time, the Mustangs took advantage.

Sweetwater used a pair of 5-yard runs to stretch their lead to 14-3 when Green found the end zone for the second time.

Monahans punted the ball back to Sweetwater after the Green touchdown and the Mustangs looked poised to add to their lead when Kendall Carrillo returned the punt 49 yards to the Monahans 15-yard line.

The Sweetwater offense couldn’t capitalize on the short field, however, losing 13 yards on the drive before giving the ball back to Monahans with a pooch punt that was downed at the 6-yard line.

With just 39 seconds remaining in the half, Monahans got right back into the game with a 49-yard screen pass from Cornelius to running back Chris Roberson that cut Sweetwater’s lead to 14-10 at the half.

"I don’t know that we blew it there," Jackson said. "That screen pass was just executed as good as it could have been."

The Mustangs got that touchdown back on the first drive of the second half when Sonny Birdwell darted 50 yards for a touchdown on third-and-7.

After getting the ball back on a Monahans punt, the Mustangs made their lone mistake of the game when Birdwell fumbled to give Monahans the ball at the Sweetwater 22-yard line.

Cornelius hit Isaiha Alford for a 10-yard scoring strike to get within five at 21-16. Monahans coach Mickey Owens elected to go for two, but Cornelius’ pass was intercepted by Justin Adames.

The teams traded punts following the Monahans score before Joseph Banyard darted 54-yards on a draw play that had nearly the entire stadium thinking it was a pass.

"He’s a horse," Jackson said of his running back. "He just knows that he’ll get a chance and get a big break."

Down 12 points with less than five minutes remaining, Monahans was forced to pass — and that didn’t go well for the Loboes.

Cornelius was intercepted by Pittman on the first play of the Loboes’ drive. That set up another Banyard scoring run — this one from 2 yards out — to turn what was a close game for three quarters into a blowout.

For good measure, Pittman got his third interception of the game on Monahans’ final desperation drive.

"It’s amazing," Pittman said. "This group has never been to the semis and I can’t even explain it: It’s just the best feeling in the world right now."

With the win, the Mustangs advance to face Tatum, a 45-21 winner over Canton.

Contact sports writer Jason Weddle at weddlej@reporternews.com or 676-6771.

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