'Stangs' skid reaches a half-dozen

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Mullen rocked 42-7 by Pomona; falls to 2-6, 0-3.

ARVADA -- It keeps happening and it happened again on Friday night.

“It’s consistent, it’s very consistent,” Mullen head coach Stanley Richardson said.

It is – the wave of Mustangs’ mistakes and problems remains real and has reached six weeks. A 42-7 blowout loss to host Pomona at a quite cold-and-windy North Area Athletic Complex pushed the Mullen’s losing streak to six games.

They now stand 2-6 overall, 0-3 in the Class 5A Metro West.

All told, Mullen has been outscored by an aggregate 250-60 during the skid and its season totals of 138 points scored is 30th among 40 big-school teams and 267 permitted is 36th. And for what it’s worth, the combined won-loss record of the six teams is tremendous, an impressive 43-5.

“It’s the same thing week in, week out,” Richardson said.

The pattern has become familiar – the Mustangs show life early, even hang around for a bit in a few instances, then either gradually or quickly fall behind. And it’s over.

On Friday, there was some of everything that has plagued them. The Panthers (5-3, 3-0) took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards on six plays for a 7-0 lead. Mullen followed by going three-and-out, but came up with an interception, only to have it lead to a missed field goal by Aidan Lehman.

A short punt a couple of series later led to a short field and a 14-0 deficit.

In the second quarter, the Panthers scored twice in 39 seconds into the final minute before halftime to make it 28-0; a blocked punt set up another short field to advance the deficit to 35-0 in the third quarter; and, on a series that particularly bothered Richardson, a 54-yard connection from Kyle Remington to Ben Marcoux was squandered after two sacks of nine yards in losses each.

Pomona scored on the first play of the final quarter and the mercy rule again was in place against the Mustangs.

Only a diving, 20-yard scoring catch by Damien Cearns on the game’s final play avoided a shutout.

“I’m frustrated,” Richardson said. “I know these guys have something in them that we haven’t been
able to bring out. I’ve tried a lot of different things to motivate them to play their best and try to win.

“We have flashes, but there is no consistency.”

The Mustangs will be back at it on Friday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m., at home and the opponent will be quite different – they will meet Arvada West, which is winless at 0-8, 0-3.
 
POMONA 42, MULLEN 7

Mullen -- 0 0 0 7 -- 7

Pomona 14 14 7 7 -- 42

First quarter

Pomona – Dominick Nichols 3 run (Ian Dexter), 10:06.

Pomona – Jack Pospisil 32 pass from Brady Ritzmann (Deion Maes kick), 1:08.

Second quarter

Pomona -- Pospisil 23 pass from Ritzmann (maes kick), 1:08.
'
Pomona -- Dexter 2 run (Maes kick), 0:27.

Third quarter

Pomona – Dominic Orona 5 run (Maes kick), 4:45.

Fourth quarter

Pomona -- Orona 7 run (Dexter kick), 11:51.

Mullen -- Damien Cearns 20 pass from Kyle Remington (Aidan Lehman kick), 0:38.

STATISTICS

TEAMS

               Pomona Mullen

Total plays 49 56

Total yards 130 357

Passing yards 131 191

Rushing yards Minus-1 156

First downs 7 14

3rd-down eff. 1-9 11% 0-6 0%

4th-down eff. 1-5 20% 1-2 50%

Turnovers 1 1

Fumbles lost 0 0

Interceptions thrown 1 1

Penalties-yds. 6-27 7-26
 
MULLEN INDIVIDUALS

Rushing – Smith 13-20, 9 long; Krebs 1-0; Ceaqns 2-minus-1; 2 long; Ells 1-minus-2; Remington 5-minus-18; 9 long.

Passing -- .Remington 7-21, 131 yards, 61 long, 1 int.

Receiving – Ben Marcoux 2-78, 61 long; Brouillette 2-31, 28 long; Cearns 2-18, 20 long; Ells 1-4, 4 long.

Tackles (T-A-S-TFL) – Heil 6-2-0-0; Villanueba 5-1-0-0; Keanaaina 4-2-0-1; Daffin 3-2-0-0; Cearns 2-2-0-0; Aceves 2-2-0-0; Malone 1-1-0-1; Warren 1-0-0-0; Ells 1-0-0-0; Kirking 1-0-0-0.

Interceptions – Ells.

Fumble recoveries – None.

Kickoff returns – Cearns 4-21 avg. 40 long.

Punt returns – Marcoux 1-9.

Kicking – Lehman 1 XP, 1 point.

Punting – Lehman 5-25 avg., 46 long, 1 inside 20.
 
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