Mustangs hold off Raiders in thriller

Trailing since early in the first quarter, and by two touchdowns for most of the game, Regis Jesuit’s Nicco Marchiol launched a gametying pass into the end zone that pinballed before falling incomplete with only 36 seconds left, preserving Mullen’s 2821 victory Friday night at Brother Bernard Kinneavy Field at De La Salle Stadium.

“Knock it down,” Mullen coach Vincent White said. “We got some good defensive backs back there. We’ll knock it down. They made the play.”

The Mullen defense surrendered backtoback scoring drives late to bring the score within one touchdown, but stood tall in the clutch. Mullen’s defense swarmed Raiders senior running back Kiahn Martinez on fourthandgoal from the 2yard line with 3:31 left in the game before its gamewinning stand.

Sputtering in threeandouts on their first handful of drives in the second half, the Mustangs turned to a heavy dose of Damien Cearns. The junior running back mixed large gains with bruising runs to put Mullen up 287 on his second shortyardage rushing touchdown just before the third quarter expired.

Regis Jesuit answered with a long march deep into Mustangs territory. Martinez turned a fourthandinches play at the Mullen 14 into a rushing touchdown at 9:57 of the fourth quarter. On their ensuing drive, Marchiol scampered down to the Mullen 2yard line, and Martinez pulled the Raiders to within 2821 with an untouched rushing score.

Mullen senior quarterback Dominic DePizzol’s first big strike was to Isaac White for a 62yard completion down to the Raiders’ 13. Following a roughingthepasser penalty, Cearns plowed in from 5 yards out to increase Mullen’s edge to 140 with 9:47 left in the first half. The Mustangs’ defense then forced a threeandout but stalled on offense, sunk by a thirddown fumble from DePizzol under heavy pressure and recovered by an offensive lineman at their own 44yard line.

Martinez took the ensuing punt 20some yards to midfield but the Raiders’ offense, under constant pressure from Mullen’s front seven, gained 1 yard on the drive.

Mullen then was pinned inside its own 10yard line and uncorked a punt to its own 22 at 3:44 of the second quarter that gave Regis Jesuit its best starting field position of the first half. The gift was given away when Martinez lost his fumble inside the 5yard line. DePizzol returned the favor on the next play with an interception at the Mullen 34yard line.

Regis Jesuit dug into its bag of tricks and ran a double reverse that ended with Martinez hitting Marchiol for a touchdown as the freshman glided behind the defense after making the first pitch for an easy catch to cut their deficit in half at 2:37.

Mullen regained its twoscore lead with seven seconds until halftime on a 27yard pitch and catch between DePizzol and Ben Marcoux, their second connection for points. Mullen led 217 at halftime.

Marcoux leapt and plucked the pass from just above and behind the defender’s outstretched arms at the goal line.

Mullen took its opening drive 74 yards for a touchdown. DePizzol found a wideopen Marcoux at the 5yard line on fourth down from just beyond Regis Jesuit’s 30 at 7:31 of the first quarter.

Regis Jesuit’s first drive, marred by offensive penalties, reached midfield and stalled. As did their second drive, minus the penalties.