Huntingdon can’t overcome mistakes
HUNTINGDON - It was in the third quarter of Huntingdon’s 34-14 loss to Wayne County on Friday when a pass play broke down for the Wildcats and quarterback Preston Rice was forced to scramble.
He ran to the left sideline on about the Huntingdon 30-yard line, dodged a couple of would-be Mustang tacklers and looked to the other side of the field.
Two of his receivers were in the end zone, open and ready to catch a pass. Unfortunately for the Wildcats the receivers didn’t see each other and one pushed the other out of bounds for an incompletion.
But the Mustangs’ seemingly fruitless effort in the backfield was a microcosm of how the night went for the home team.
“It was one of those nights when every time we did anything positive, it was almost always taken away,” said Huntingdon head coach Eric Swenson.
Swenson said his front seven did a good job of getting through the line and into the Wayne County backfield, but tackling an athlete like Rice is easier said than done.
“He’s not just a great athlete, but he’s a great leader,” Swenson said. “How he goes, the team goes, and I saw them rallying around him in pregame.”
Rick Rice, Wayne County’s head coach and Preston’s father, said eluding tacklers is something his son has become accustomed to.
“He almost wants the play to break down so he can run around back there and try to get some yards,” Rick Rice said. “But he works hard and does a good job of seeing what we’re getting from the defense and trying to take that.”
Official calls at inopportune times also hurt the Mustangs throughout the night.
Huntingdon’s defense had Wayne County in third-and-long in the second quarter and momentum swinging its way when the Mustangs were called for roughing the passer and a first down for Wayne County.
It was in the third quarter when Huntingdon had forced Wayne County to punt, and the Mustangs were called for roughing the kicker and an automatic Wildcat first down.
Then in the fourth quarter, a long touchdown run for Huntingdon what would’ve kept the game within reach with about six minutes remaining was negated by a holding call on the Huntingdon sideline when the play had weaved to the other side of the field.
“Calls like that just take the wind out of your sails,” Swenson said. “When the kids are out there working so hard and everything it looks like they’ve earned is taken away from them.
“That roughing the passer call in the second quarter really hurt because I felt like we were about to take the ball, march and cut their lead to seven.”
Preston Rice finished with five touchdown passes.
Rice connected with Brayden Johnson for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Huntingdon responded with a touchdown when Kade Pearson connected with Zach Dodson for a 14-yard score early in the second.
Rice hit Brilee Harris with a 19-yard pass a couple minutes later for the 14-6 lead, and Rice hit Joe Birchnett for a score and a 21-6 lead in the final minute before halftime.
Wayne County extended its lead late early in the third when Rice connected with Blaine Bevis for a 33-yard score.
Huntingdon cut into the lead with an 11-yard run by Dylan Johnson and a 2-point conversion when Pearson passed to Dodson for a 28-14 score.
But Wayne County scored on the opening play of the fourth quarter when Rice connected with Birchnett again for a 21-yard pass. The Wildcats went for two and failed.
Wayne County clinches the Region 6-1A championship with the win, and Huntingdon will travel to Bruceton next week to settle second and third place.
“We’ve got to have a short memory and get back to work,” Swenson said. “But Bruceton is a big game, and we’ll fix things defensively we need to fix and get better and maybe see Wayne County again down the road.”
Brandon Shields, 425-9751