Victory comes after the battle
DEL CITY — Brennan Mullins has been thinking about playing Del City for 364 days.
On the second play of the opening game against Del City last season, Mullins went down with a torn ACL. Since then he has become a coach on the sideline and a smarter quarterback by studying film.
All to prep him to face Del City again.
McGuinness defeated Del City 32-23 at Robert Kalsu Stadium after a furious fourth quarter that saw a pick six and a Hail-Mary bomb from Mullins.
“It wasn’t our best, but I’m so glad to be coming out of here with a win,” Mullins said. “I’ve been so ready to get back on the field and tonight was hopefully just the first step.”
Things couldn’t have started worse for the Fighting Irish.
After an opening drive that went three-andout, McGuinness had its first punt blocked by Del
City linebacker LeAndre Turner.
Del City then took four plays to go 45 yards for the game’s opening touchdown on a 2-yard Ochai Boykins run.
McGuinness fumbled the following kickoff to set Del City up with prime field position to go up two scores. Following two pass interference calls on McGuinness that helped Del City escape thirdand-long, the Irish held on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
But then Mullins tried to sweep left on McGuinness’ first play, he was tackled by Del City’s Turner in the end zone for a safety to go down 8-0.
After such a calamitous start, the McGuinness defense turned things up a notch and forced starting Del City quarterback Quinlan Ganther into several mistakes, including a late first quarter interception to set up McGuinness first touchdown, a 28-yard run by sophomore Dominic Richardson.
“Anytime you get a win in this league it’s good, but we have a lot to work on,” McGuinness coach Justin Jones said. “It was a sloppy night and now we need to figure out how to get better from here.”
After a scoreless third quarter, things got crazy in the fourth.
McGuinness defensive back Will Puiggari intercepted Ganther again and ran 32 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.
After a Del City threeand-out, the Eagles defense answered right back with a pick six of its own as junior defensive back Jeff Foreman stepped in front of a Mullins pass and took it 24 yards for a score.
“After the pick six everybody just told me to forget about it and have amnesia,” Mullins said. “I’m just glad we executed in the end.”
After a three-and-out from McGuinness, Del City put backup quarterback Jerrod Wood into the game, and Wood delivered with a 58-yard bomb to Foreman to give Del City the lead 23-20 in the fourth quarter.
McGuinness answered again though with a drive that saw them facing fourth- and-11 from the Del City 28-yard line. Mullins rolled to his left and found wide open receiver Carter Moody for a touchdown that gave McGuinness the lead for good.
“I have a great quarterback in Brennan Mullins,” Moody said. “I knew the game was on the line, I knew this was our destiny. Just don’t drop it.”
Mullins finished 9-of16 for 102 yards and a TD, while sophomore running back Dominic Richardson scored two touchdowns for McGuinness.