Flat start leads to blowout

 

ARVADA – The full gamut of emotions was there for Mullen on Thursday night and it was split nearly exactly in half, much like the game itself.

Ultimately, the Mustangs got spanked 42-21 by Pomona at the North Area Athletic Complex in Class 5A Jefferson County League play. They dipped to 1-3 overall and in league. The always good Panthers advanced to 5-0, 4-0.

It was believed to be the first varsity football game in Mullen history in which no fans were on hand for either team. Jefferson County Health decreed no crowds after the continuing spike of cases in the coronavirus (COVID-19). Diehard Mullen fans may recall a distant likeness to the Class 3A championship game in 1978, when the Mustangs beat host Montrose and had their buses carrying parents and fans arrive afterward because of a strong snowstorm.  

In a nutshell, Pomona owned the first half and Mullen the second.

As it was, the Panthers grabbed the lead immediately – they returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, scored three times in each of the first two quarters and had the Mustangs under the mercy rule (a running clock with a 40-or-more-point lead) 1 minute, 52 seconds before halftime.

As for the second half, Mullen switched freshman quarterbacks, scored three times and felt much better overall after what had been a horrendous 24 minutes.

Certainly, the Mustangs’ flat beginning was inexplicable and they didn’t care that their resurgence was against Pomona substitutes.

They just needed something positive.

Head coach Jeremy Bennett found himself both shocked and relieved, indicative of the game.

“You know what,” he said, “we’re just young and you have to turn the dial full blast from the get-go. And we didn’t do that.

“Jay (Madden, the longtime Panthers head coach) is one of the best in this craft for a reason. His kids are always ready to play. I think we learned some good lessons. But, again, with youth sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to get – we get some mistake sin the first half and then you get some youth that does some great things and puts up three touchdowns in the second half, albeit against their junior varsity, but, again, we’re young.”

With the running clock, time over the last two quarters became that much more valuable and Mullen acted accordingly. Blake Palladino, who came on for another ninth-grader, Ben Krza, completed scoring throws to Jake Jolstad, Connor Warren and Nick Carje.

Bennett said his guys needed all of them and the three touchdowns they scored are one more than they totaled in the first three games.

“I’m proud of our kids,” he said. “They could have very easily thrown in the towel and said ‘We’re not going to win.’ … They came back in the second half and played hard.”

Warren knew what was going on and didn’t mince words.

“It was kind of a dignity thing,” he said. “Obviously, we were frustrated with that first half. We didn’t come out and play the game like we know how to play. So in that second half, we were down 42-0. We’re not winning this game, but we salvaged some pride, we salvaged some dignity. I think we did that in the second half.

“I’m happy we didn’t give up.”

Palladino, who also appeared late in the previous week’s loss to Columbine in relief of Ryan Schmitt, said “we came out positive (in the second half), ready to get out there and make a difference. I think we felt good. We came out with what we should have come out with … we were just flat, without the fire we need to win.”

Bennett said “I don’t know why we came out flat. That’s a coaching thing and it’s on me. We have to figure out our kids. When we had some success (after halftime), I think our kids got excited. I’m looking for effort and that’s what we need.”

The Mustangs will wrap up their shortened regular season on Friday, Nov. 13, at home against Lakewood in league. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m.

 

Pomona – Jack Pospisil 99 kickoff return (Joevannie Rosales kick), 11:44.

Pomona – Pospisil 22 run (Rosales kick), 4:56.

Pomona – Ian Dexter 7 run (Rosales kick), 0:42.3.

Pomona – Dexter 1 run (Rosales kick), 6:33.

Pomona – Juju Howard 35 return (Rosales kick), 5:43.

Pomona – A.J. Zamora 5 run (Rosales kick), 1:55.

Mullen --  Jake Jolstad 19 pass from Blake Palladino (Aidan Lehman kick), 4:27.

Mullen – Connor Warren 21 pass form Palladino (Lehman kick), 10:19.

Mullen -- Nick Carje 16 pass from Palladino (Lehman kick), 1:54.