Sutton wins battle of the Mustangs

Sutton rolls up 409 total yards in 62-34 dominating win over McCool Junction

A year removed from a tense 30-28 win over the Mc-Cool Junction Mustangs, the Sutton Mustangs made their 2025 rematch in the battle of the Mustangs a no-doubt decision. Sutton, behind 70 rushing attempts and 406 rushing yards, rolled up a 62-34 dominating win over McCool Junction Friday, Aug. 29.

The win featured two big running nights for a pair of juniors, as Connor Hinrichs and Griffin Bergen combined for 356 of Sutton’s 406 rushing yards. Hinrichs toted the ball 34 times for 256 yards on the ground, while Bergen bulled his way for 100 yards on 23 carries.

Sutton opened the game with a 16-6 first quarter run, paced by a pair of Hinrichs touchdown runs, the first coming with 10:07 showing on the first quarter clock, scoring from 26-yards out. The second touchdown came after McCool Junction scored on a 57-yard hook and ladder play, which earned Hinrichs a nine-yard jaunt into the end zone with 5:19 to play in the opening quarter.

Taking the 10-point lead into the second quarter, Sutton again outscored McCool Junction 16-6 in the second frame to take a 32-12 lead into the halftime break.

Senior Keith Kliewer scored on a one-yard run at the 8:26 mark of the quarter for a 24-6 Sutton lead.

McCool then struck on a 49-yard touchdown pass to trim the Sutton lead to 24-12, before Kliewer again made McCool Junction pay, scoring on an 11-yard run with 1:15 left in the first half, and ultimately taking the 20-point lead into the break.

Sutton started the third quarter with a defensive score, as senior Jacob Huxoll picked off a McCool Junction pass and rolled into the end zone for the Mustangs’ first score of the second half, giving Sutton a 38-12 lead with 10:26 left in the third quarter.

Bergen expanded the Sutton lead to 46-12 with 3:36 left in the third, scoring on a five-yard run, with Hinrichs adding the conversion.

McCool Junction, however, returned the ensuing kickoff for a score to trim the Sutton lead to 46-20 at the 3:17 mark of the third.

Moving into the fourth quarter, Sutton held a 16-14 scoring edge, with McCool Junction scoring first in the final stanza on a 15-yard pass.

With Sutton leading 46-26 after the McCool score, Bergen added a four-yard score with eight minutes left in the game, to give Sutton a 54-26 lead. McCool Junction again answered the Sutton score with a 65-yard touchdown run just 10 second later, to cut the Sutton lead to 54-34. With 5:33 left in the game, Hinrichs sprinted 27 yards into the end zone to lift Sutton to the 62-34 lead and eventual win.

Following Hinrichs and Bergen on the ground was Kliewer with 40 yards on nine carries from his quarterback position. Chase Clark added six yards, with Juan Reyes and DJ Hajny finishing with four and three yards, respectively.

Jacob Huxoll, Hinrichs and Aydin Banta led the defensive charts with five tackles each, while Kliewer finished with four, and Bergen with three.

Hajny, Reyes, Max Huxoll, Creighton Jones, and Rexx Meyer wrapped up the game with two stops each.

Score by Quarters

Sutton.................................16 16 14 16 -62 McCool Junction.................. 6 6 8 14 -34 Sutton McCool

Rush Att-Yds.................. 70-406 12-51 Pass Comp-Att-Yds......... 0-0-0 11-18-193 Total Offense.................... 406 244