To say that the Sutton Mustangs are stampeding into the 2024 football season would be a mighty understatement, as through three games thus far, Sutton has outscored their opposition 175-34, averaging 58.3 points per game to just 11.3 points per game.
Last week, during the Mustangs’ 2024 homecoming battle, Sutton unleashed its offensive furry on the Southern Valley Eagles, plucking the Eagles to the tune of an 81-6 win, to improve to 3-0 on the year with the 75-point win.
Sutton opened the game with a 22-0 first-quarter run, scoring three times in the opening quarter.
Senior Harrison Herndon started the offensive onslaught of the Eagles with a three-yard touchdown run just a minute and a half into the game.
With an added Griffin Bergen two-point conversion run, Sutton led 8-0.
Sutton’s second score of the game was set up by a Billy Marshall fumble recovery at the 3:46 mark of the first quarter, setting up the first of two Bergen touchdown runs in the first quarter.
Bergen carried his 200-pound frame up the field for a 44-yard touchdown run at the 2:56 mark of the first, while quarterback Wyatt Pollet added the conversion points for a 16-0 Sutton lead.
Bergen then capped the first quarter with a nineyard run into the end zone, but a failed two-point conversion left Sutton with a 22-0 lead going into the second quarter.
Sutton nearly burned out the Sutton scoreboard in the second quarter, scoring 37 points in the quarter to claim a 59-0 halftime lead.
Pollet started the scoring in the second with a 25-yard run and then hit Weston Ohrt for the conversion for a 30-0 lead at the 9:52 mark of the second.
Sutton then jumped on another Southern Valley fumble to set up the Mustangs’ second score of the quarter, a 24-yard run by Bergen, but a missed conversion left Sutton with a 36-0 lead at the 9:07 mark of the second quarter.
Pollet then chewed up 58 yards for the Mustangs’ next score at the 7:58 mark, to lift Sutton to a 44-0 lead after Herndon added the two-point conversion, before Pollet and Gabe Gwennap connected for a 30-yard touchdown pass play with 3:19 left in the first half, giving Sutton a commanding 52-0 lead.
Junior Keith Kliewer had an apparent 60-yard touchdown run called back because of a penalty with 1:18 left in the first half, but despite the negated score, Kliewer etched his name in the scoring column with 28 seconds left in the half, scoring on a 17-yard run. Simon Lambert added an extra-point kick to set the game at 59-0 going into the halftime break.
The Mustangs outscored Southern Valley 24-6 in the second half to post the 81-6 win.
Aidan Banta, with 7:29 left in the third quarter, scored on a four-yard run, with Juan Reyes adding the two-point conversion for a 67-0 Sutton lead.
Kade Jones then set up the Mustangs’ second score of the quarter with a fumble recovery at the 6:25 mark, before Banta scored from nine yards out just 35 seconds later, to give Sutton a 75-0 lead following a Javin Jordan two-point conversion.
In the final quarter, both teams scored once, Southern Valley on a three-yard run just 49 seconds into the fourth quarter to set the game at 75-6, Sutton.
Banta then added his third score of the game at the 9:43 mark of the quarter to set the game at the eventual 81-6 final.
BY THE NUMBERS
While the Mustangs were rolling up the points, Sutton totaled 434 yards of total offense, while holding the Eagles to just 116 yards in the game.
On the ground, Pollet gained 108 yards on seven carries, while Kliewer added 77 yards on four carries, and Bergen, 64 yards, also on four carries.
Adding to the rushing total was Herndon with 54 yards on four carries, Banta 41 yards on five carries and Reyes 19 yards on one carry.
Pollet was 5-7 passing for 64 yards, while Kliewer was 1-1 for seven yards.
Gwennap led the receiving charts with 63 receiving yards on six catches. David Fonseca made one catch for six yards, while Ohrt had one catch for three yards.
Jacob Huxoll led the tackle charts with 10 stops in the game, six of which were solo tackles. Connor Hinrichs and Reyes both had eight stops, while Marshall was in on six, Ohrt, five, and Brayden Griess and Creighton Jones, four each.
Score by Quarters
Sutton........................................ 22 37 16 6 -81 Southern Valley.......................... 0 0 0 6 -6 Sutton SV
Rush Att-Yds...................... 25-363 41-107 Pass Comp-Att-Yds.............6-8-71 3-9-9 Total Offense........................ 434 116
