Plainsmen Prevail Over Mustangs in Rivalry Showdown

It was homecoming night for the Mustangs, who took to the field eager to secure their first district win of the season. However, their hopes quickly faded. After a lengthy drive downfield, a couple of incomplete passes turned the ball over to the Plainsmen. With 7:44 left in the first quarter, Monterey's senior quarterback, Luke Arrington, connected with senior Dezmond Williams, who sprinted 33 yards into the end zone for the game's opening touchdown. The Plainsmen struck first and took an early lead 7-0.

The action slowed due to penalties and a string of rushing plays that ate up the clock. Just a minute into the second quarter, the Mustangs were determined to put points on the board. A series of successful first downs brought them to the 7-yard line, where quarterback Isaiah Vazquez connected with Demarion Finch for his first touchdown of the night. A fumbled snap on the extra point extra-point attempt saw the Mustangs scramble to the end zone without converting. They found themselves trailing 7-6.

On their next drive, the Plainsmen took over at their own 46-yard line. Arrington tossed a perfect pass to senior Kyree Baxter, who sped down the right sideline for a fantastic 54-yard touchdown, pushing the Plainsmen’s lead to 14-6. But the Mustangs quickly fought back. Quarterback Vazquez handed off to Demarion Finch, who broke free for an incredible 72-yard touchdown, marking his second of the night. The Mustangs went for a two-point conversion, but it didn’t go as planned. Despite their strong comeback, they still found themselves trailing 14-12.

With just 1:11 left before halftime, the Plainsmen added another score. A couple of holding penalties against the Mustangs pushed Monterey all the way to the 1-yard line. Arrington handed the ball off to Williams, who punched his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night. As both teams headed to the locker rooms, the Plainsmen held a solid 21-12 lead.

As the 3rd quarter began, the Mustangs knew they needed to shake things up. But after a series of turnovers on downs, the Plainsmen found themselves in a prime scoring position once again. From the 29-yard line, Arrington connected with Williams, who charged into the end zone for his third touchdown. The score extended the Plainsmen’s lead to 28-12.

The fourth quarter began, and the energy on Monterey’s sideline was electric. A quick pass to Williams sent him back into the end zone, adding yet another touchdown to his impressive night. With the clock winding down, both teams focused on running the ball, but the Mustangs, feeling defeated, struggled to find their rhythm. On the opposite end, the Plainsmen pushed their way to the 37-yard line to seal the victory. Arrington connected with junior running back Darron Moore for another touchdown, capping off the game. The Mustangs faced a scoreless second half, leaving a shadow over their homecoming night as the Plainsmen triumphed over Coronado, 42-12.

Judd Thrash, head coach of the Monterey Plainsmen, highlighted how proud he is of his team going through adversity training and taking ownership on and off the field. Catch the full interview here:

Head coach of the Coronado Mustangs, Andrew Roy, spoke on how the Mustangs need to get back to the drawing board and evaluate what went wrong tonight through film. Watch that interview here:

The Monterey Plainsmen are back in action at home, taking on the Lubbock High Westerners at Lowry Field on Friday, October 11th, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the Coronado Mustangs will hit the road to face the Abilene Eagles at Shotwell Stadium on Friday, October 11th, with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m.