The Sutton football team, after three straight losses to Thayer Central, EMF, and Sandy Creek running their record to 3-3, got back into the winning column in a big way Thursday night, Oct. 10, as the Mustangs dominated the Southern Raiders 56-18 in D1-7 District play.
The win, however, didn’t come easy for Sutton, as the Mustangs opened up with a 16-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game. The Raiders battled back to score 18 points to cut Sutton’s lead to 24-18 with 3:03 left in the first half.
Sophomore Griffin Bergen, however, helped Sutton right the ship with a threeyard score with 2:35 left in the first half, giving Sutton a 32-18 lead, a lead that held up to the final seconds of the first-half clock.
Junior Jacob Huxoll scored Sutton’s first two touchdowns, the first from three yards out at the 5:03 mark of the first quarter, and then added a 54-yard touchdown jaunt to give the Mustangs the 16-0 first-quarter lead.
Quarterback Wyatt Pollet and senior receiver Harrison Herndon connected for the two-point conversion after Huxoll’s first score, while Pollet added the two bonus points following Huxoll’s 54-yard scoring run.
A Pollet fumble just a minute-and-a-half into the second quarter gave Southern some life, as the Raiders scored one play after the fumble from 52 yards out, missing the conversion to set the game at a 16-6 Sutton lead, with 9:39 to play in the second.
Bergen boosted Sutton’s lead with his three-yard score at the 7:40 mark of the second, and with the added Pollet to Weston Ohrt conversion, Sutton led 24-6.
Southern then shocked the Mustang defense for the next 12 points, scoring on a 65-yard run and a twoyard run, to set the game at a 24-18 Sutton lead before Bergen’s second three-yard score, before the end of the first half gave the Mustangs the 14-point halftime lead.
The second half of play was all Sutton, riding the momentum of Bergen’s score to end the first half.
At 8:22 left in the third, Pollet and Herndon hooked up for a 38-yard pass play into the end zone to give Sutton a 40-18 lead, following Gabe Gwennap’s conversion.
Just over four minutes later, at the 4:19 mark, Pollet and Gwennap connected for a 54-yard touchdown pass play to extend the Mustangs’ lead to 48-18.
Huxoll then set up the Mustangs’ final score of the night late in the third quarter, as Huxoll’s 42-yard run took the Mustangs to the Southern 27 as the third-quarter clock expired.
Just 51 seconds into the fourth period, Bergen gained his third score of the game from five yards out to set the game clock in “constant running mode” as Bergen’s score and a Pollet to Ohrt conversion pass, gave Sutton the 56-18 lead. This score held up throughout the remainder of the game, pushing Sutton’s season record to 4-3 with the 38-point victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
Pollet had a monumental night on the ground and through the air, combining for 288 total yards. The sophomore signal caller ran for 120 yards on 18 carries, while completing six of nine passes for 168 yards.
Two other Mustangs surpassed the 100-yard mark on the ground, as Huxoll ran for 110 yards on 10 carries, while Bergen bulled his way to 100 yards on 19 punishing carries.
Gwennap hauled in four of Pollet’s passes to cover 95 yards, Herndon made one catch for 38 yards, and Ohrt one catch for 35 yards.
DEFENSE SHINES
Not only was Huxoll a bruising running back for Sutton, he also punished the Southern offense on defense with a team-high 11 tackles. Sophomore Connor Hinrichs had seven stops, which included a team-high five solo tackles.
Senior Aidan Jones was in on six tackles, senior Billy Marshall made five, while seniors Brayden Griess and Ohrt both had four tackles.
Griess also gained two quarterback sacks, with Marshall adding one.
UP NEXT FOR ‘STANGS The Mustangs will remain at home again this week, hosting the Tri County Trojans for the regular season finale Friday, Oct. 18, beginning at 7 p.m.
Sutton will then wait to see their fate with the post-season, as the Nebraska School Activities Association will officially announce the Class D-1 first round playoff field Saturday, Oct. 19.
Playoff games will start on Thursday, Oct. 24.
Score by Quarters
Sutton............................. 16 16 16 8 -56 Southern........................... 0 18 0 0 -18 Sutton Southern
Rush Att-Yds.............. 52-348 Pass Comp-Att-Yds.... 6-9-168 Total Offense................516 -
