By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
THIS WEEK IN MULLEN FOOTBALL
WEEK 9: Vs. Arvada West Wildcats
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Brother Bernard Kinneavy Field at De La Salle Stadium
Status: Class 5A Metro West League
Records: A-West (0-8, 0-3); Mullen (2-6, 0-3)
Head coaches: Brad Pyatt, 6th year with A-West; Stanley Richardson, 1st year with Mullen
History: Over the past 15 seasons, Mullen owns a 4-1 edge over the Wildcats with A-West taking a 37-16 decision last year in league to halt the slide. Mullen had taken the previous four meetings by an aggregate 178-80. In addition, some of the previous meetings (all in nonleague) were among the high end of big schools, including in the 1990s.
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Players to watch for Mullen:
2, C.J. Smith, Jr., RB-DB, 5-9, 180
10, Ben Marcoux, Sr., WR, 5-10, 175
22, Damien Cearns, Sr., RB, 5-11, 184
42, Jaxon Heil, So., DB, 5-8, 165
44, Luke Malone, Sr., TE-DL, 6-1, 230
53, Trevor Kirking, Sr., LB, 6-2, 240
92, Aidan Keanaaina, Sr., DL-OL, 6-3, 300
Notable: This will be Mullen’s 867th game since first playing in 1936 in the old Parochial League. The Mustangs are 587-261-18 in their history. ...
Mullen is coming off a 42-7 loss on the road at the NAAC in league to Pomona. It was the Mustangs’ sixth consecutive loss, a rare program skid of that length. … Still, the Mustangs can at least match 2018’s regular-season mark of 4-6. …
Held to minus-1 yard rushing last week on 21 attempts, the Mustangs also could muster only seven first downs. … Marcoux, Mullen’s top receiver, had two catches for 78 yards, including a 61-yarder. …Only a 20-yard scoring catch by Cearns on the final play kept Mullen rom being shut out. …
On the season, Cearns has rushed for 583 yards and four TDs. he also has 17 catches for 202 yards and four TDs. … Marcoux is tops in receiving with 23 receptions for 408 yards and two TDs. … On the injury front, senior place-kicker WIlson Yee may be relegated to punting because of a hip problem and the Mustangs will welcome back senior Ryan Hearty, a rugged RB-LB who has been missed. He returns after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Game 3 against Cherry Creek. …
Pyatt is an Arvada native who played with the Indianapolis Colts (as a WR) and in the Arena Football League. … A-West is fresh from a 49-14 whipping against Lakewood. The ‘Cats were held to 53 yards passing (by sophomore Xavier Nail, a great football name) and 72 yards rushing (71 by senior Oliver Petelo). …
Mullen is 31st in 5A scoring (138 points) and 34th in defense (267).
Next up for Mullen: It will host Lakewood on Friday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m., in the Metro West at Brother Bernard Kinneavy Field at De La Salle Stadium.
Coachspeak from Richardson
On facing a winless A-West: “To be honest, I think the guys have a sense of relief. You can tell they’re out of the gauntlet (of facing top teams). However, we’re not letting them relax. This could be a trap game if we’re not careful.”
On assessing the ‘Cats, who haven’t had much success: “Our mindset will be that we have to play, we have to step up and play our best game. We had a chance to watch (the ‘Cats) play and they’re scrappy, a young team that lost a lot of guys from last year and are playing with a lot of young guys, and it kind of shows. But they play hard and it gives you a chance.”
On what he expects from this week’s opponent: “Arvada West is trying to do everything … running it, throwing it, running power, anything in search of an identity.”
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Week 9 Class 5A Schedule and Results
Thursday’s results
Front Range League
Fairview 56, Poudre 28
Metro East League
Eaglecrest 28, Arapahoe 0
Metro West League
Pomona 34, Columbine 33
Ralston Valley 42, Lakewood 0
Metro 10 League
Smoky Hill 42, Mountain Range 9
South League
Chaparral 34, Douglas County 18
Friday’s Schedule
Front Range League
Legacy vs. Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m.
Rocky Mountain vs. Horizon, 7 p.m.
Metro East League
Cherokee Trail vs. Cherry Creek, 7 p.m.
Grandview vs. Overland, 7 p.m.
Metro South League
Highlands Ranch vs. Mountain Vista, 7 p.m.
Rock Canyon vs. Castle View, 6 p.m.
ThunderRidge vs. Valor Christian, 7 p.m.
Metro West League
Arvada West vs. Mullen, 7 p.m.
Metro 10 League
Northglenn vs. Denver East, 4 p.m.
Adams City vs. Prairie View, 7 p.m.
Boulder vs. Far Northeast, 7 p.m.
Rangeview vs. Westminster, 7 p.m.
South League
Fountain-Fort Carson vs. Regis Jesuit, 7 p.m.
Legend vs. Doherty, 7 p.m.