Cougars score 47 straight points to improve to 5-1, Mustangs fall to 4-2
Friday night’s annual Clay County clash between the Sandy Creek Cougars and the Sutton Mustangs, in Sutton, was to say the least a battle for the first 18 minutes of game time, with the two teams deadlocked in a 14-14 tie. The final final 30 minutes of game time, the Cougars, for the fourth straight year, took control, scoring the final 41 points of the game to claim a 55-14 win over Sutton.
On average, in their past four wins over the Mustangs, Sandy Creek has averaged a 56 to just under 17-point win, winning last year 59-0, claiming a 64-20 win in 2023, and a 46-33 win in 2021. Sutton had previously owned an eightyear winning streak, lasting from 2014 through 2021, and after a two-year series hiatus in 2012 and 2013, as Sandy Creek’s last win came in 2011, a 35-28 win. Sutton last beat the Cougars in 2021, 45-16.
Friday night’s county confrontation, on the Mustangs’ home field, started with a very methodical, slow-the-game-down pace for Sutton. The Mustangs burned off the first eight minutes and 54 seconds of the first quarter clock, before Sutton broke the scoreless tie with a Griffin Bergen one-yard run into the end zone, to take a 6-0 lead with 3:06 showing on the the first quarter clock, after a missed two-point conversion.
In contrast, Sandy Creek’s first offensive possession wasted little time to break the zero on their side of the scoreboard, paced by a 45-yard run by sophomore quarterback Kamerin Sealey with 2:19 showing on the first period clock.
Sealey, just a minute and 34 seconds later, with 45 seconds showing on the opening period clock, scored on a tough up-the-middle run into the end zone to give Sandy Creek an 8-6 lead, following the added Kaeden Schmidt two-point conversion, all but ending the first quarter.
Sutton wasn’t about to go away as the first period ended and the second quarter began, as the Mustangs’ Juan Reyes hit paydirt early in the second quarter, scoring on a strong 50-yard run up the gut of the Sandy Creek defense with 9:05 to go in the quarter. Reyes then added the twopoint conversion to lift the Mustangs to a 14-8 lead. From that point forward, Sandy Creek took over, controlling the pace of the game, and reeled off 47 straight points, including the final. 14 points of the second quarter, to give Sandy Creek a 22-14 halftime lead. Sandy Creek then outscored Sutton 33-0 in the second half to post the final 47 points of the game and claim the 41 point win over the Mustangs.
In the third quarter alone, Sandy Creek shredded the Sutton defense for 26 points and setting the tone was Schmidt scoring on a 55-yard run just three seconds into the second half. Schmidt also added a two-point conversion run to follow, giving the Cougars a 30-14 lead.
Just under four minutes later, with 7:50 showing on the third quarter clock, Logan Tomky caught a 17-yard pass from Sealey for a score to give Sandy Creek a 36-14 lead following a failed two-point try.
Sandy Creek then scored twice in the final 3:38 of the third, with Alston Clark ripping off a 25-yard run to give Sandy Creek a 42-14 lead, again after a missed two-point try. The final score of the third by the Cougars came on a 34-yard pass play from Sealey to Wes Biltoft, with an extra-point kick by Ben Burger missing to the left to give Sandy Creek a 48-14 lead.
In the final 12 minutes of the game, Sutton’s defensive back and quarterback Keith Kliewer gained an interception of Sealey, which pinned Sutton at their own eight yardline. The Cougars managed to hit paydirt one more time, as Schmidt sprinted 26-yards into the end zone with 4:08 remaining in the game, and with a Burger extra-point kick gave the Cougars the eventual 55-14 win, as a running clock finished out the final four minutes of the Sandy Creek victory.
THE GAME BYTHE NUMBERS Sandy Creek held a distinct offensive advantage in the game, out-gaining Sutton 405-168 throughout the night.
The Cougars rushed for 271 yards on 17 carries, while Sutton ran the ball 35 times for 145 yards.
Through the air, Sealey completed 11 of 15 passes for 134 yards, with Kliewer completing two of five passes for 23 yards for the Mustangs.
On the ground, Sealey and Schmidt combined for 246 yards, with Sealey running for 145 yards on 11 carries, and Schmidt chewing up 101 yards on just five carries. Clark added 25 yards on his third quarter score.
Leading Sutton’s rushing attack, that was left without their leading ground game runner, Connor Hinrichs, was Reyes with 56 yards on four totes, Bergen gained 52 yards on 18 carries, while Kliewer gained 24 yards on seven carries.
Creighton Jones had 10 yards on five carries, while Jacob Huxoll gained three yards on one carry.
Tomky, Biltoft, and Alex Watts led the Sandy Creek receiving corps with a combined 117 yards, with Tomky leading the way with 50 yards on three catches, Biltoft hauled in the one touchdown pass for 34 yards, while Watts came down with four catches for 33 yards. Schmidt made three catches covering 17 yards in the win.
Score by Quarters
Sandy Creek.................................................... 8 14 26 7 -55 Sutton............................................................. 6 8 0 0 -14 SC Sutton Rush Att-Yds.................................................17-271 35-145 Pass Comp-Att-Yds.................................... 11-15-134 2-5-23 Total Offense.................................................. 405 168
