Mustangs spell R-E-L-I-E-F with much-needed blowout

 

Ready, repeat after head coach Stanley Richardson and the Mullen Mustangs …

Rinse and repeat …

Seriously, in their minds the Mustangs’ 47-0 blowout of Arvada West on Friday night at Brother Bernard Kinneavy Field at De La Salle Stadium was needed like a drastic drop in apartment building for the Denver area. Mullen was coming off a six-game losing streak, the program’s worst in decades, and its hopes, outlooks, attitudes, participants and followers were being as taxed as the local highway system.

Never mind the Wildcats were 0-8 overall, 0-3 in league and having obvious problems entering the game. Mullen improved to 3-6, 1-3, and remains in serious consideration to host a Class 5A preliminary-round playoff game in a couple of weeks.

Richardson and the Mustangs could have faced a Pop Warner team and it wouldn’t have mattered – it won and it won decisively. It’s almost as if the statistics and barrage of points weren’t that relevant ... the Mustangs are back in the win column.

“I told everyone when we got over here,” Richardson said of his team’s postgame huddle, “to go, ‘A-a-a-a-a-h-h-h-h-h-h!’ And then ‘A-a-a-a-a-h-h-h-h-h-h!’”

Really, he added, “this was a necessary win. We treated this like a playoff game and every game from this point forward is a playoff game. That’s our approach.”

Surprisingly enough, and thanks to an RPI-qualifying system that so many across the state mention with, ahem, winks and head scratches, if the Mustangs can handle Lakewood at home in Week 10, the final round of the regular season, they may earn a home game for the first of five postseason rounds.

But that’s in the future. On Friday and into at least Saturday morning, Mullen wanted to enjoy it a bit, feel good about it and certainly talk about it.

“I’m very proud of our team,” senior running back Damien Cearns said. “We worked together and deserved it. (The losing streak) was just a learning experience. Everybody has ups and downs. It’s a rollercoaster season and now we’re having ups.”

Senior lineman Aidan Keanaaina said “it was much-needed, definitely much-needed. We should go celebrate it and get ready for next week.”

The victory, linebacker Trevor Kirking said, “will probably get us back on track. It was tough on the team, losing the six games, but this was a confidence builder and everybody can relax … it was good, but we have to win next week.”

Mullen also welcomed back running back-linebacker Ryan Hearty after he had to deal with a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 3.

“It felt good and was nice to get back on the field and be back with the team,” he said. “We’re looking forward to practice.”

And outside linebacker Silas Daffin called it “sweet. Those six weeks were rough, but we didn’t fold. We felt the energy.”

Mullen also didn’t blink after a momentarily rough start on Friday. The Mustangs forced a three-and-out, but Cearns threw an interception on a halfback-option pass on their first snap.

However, not much else went wrong for the Mustangs other than a few penalties when they got close to additional scoring. Cearns rang up 292 yards rushing on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns, two to lead Mullen to an 18-0 halftime advantage. In all, Mullen had a season-high 435 yards on the ground.

Mullen broke it open and had the ‘Cats under the mercy rule (a 40-or-more-point lead) with a 22-point fourth quarter. Cearns, Ben Marcoux and C.J. Smith added TDs, so did Michael Brouillette in the fourth quarter.

“We pretty much did what we wanted to do all night,” Richardson said.

Lakewood, Hearty said, “is a big game and it’s Senior Night. We’ve put four years into it.”

Richardson, admittedly relieved, added: “It’s a big game for us next week. I think we’ll be ready.”

Mullen – Damien Cearns 64 run (Cearns run), 9:03.

Mullen – FG Aidan Lehman 42, 1:59.

Mullen -- Cearns 18 run (Lehman kick), 4:58.

Mullen – Cearns 40 run (Cearns run), 11:26.

Mullen -- Ben Marcoux 35 pass from Kyle Remington (Lehman kick), 9:47.

Mullen -- C.J. Smith 1 run (Lehman kick), 4:58.

Mullen -- Michael Brouillette 14 pass from Kaleb Valdez-Lemos (Lehman kick), 4:27.