Willdcat Football Team Drops Another One

The football team suffered a 53-19, non-conference loss to visiting Lutheran of Rockford, IL. Friday night.

The Crusaders pulled away from a close game by scoring five unanswered touchdowns in the second half.

"We are a first half team," lamented USM's head coach Brian Sommers. "We just don't have the numbers to sustain a full game, yet."

Sommers' “yet” implied that the hot and sticky weather everyone endured Friday night would soon turn to cooler fall football weather and make it easier for the players to play.

The first half was close, ending at 21-19 in Rockford Lutheran’s favor.

The Crusaders scored the game's first touchdown on the opening drive of the first quarter. After five runs of short yardage, the Crusaders tallied a touchdown on a 36-yard pass from Jake Milbourn to Teyvious Montgomery. Adam Pearson kicked the extra point

The Wildcats also scored on their first drive. In seven plays, most of them runs by Kenny Servis, the Wildcats moved down to the Rockford Lutheran 3-yard line.  From there, USM’s senior quarterback Tommy Pennington threw a pass to his freshman brother Joey Pennington in the end zone. USM missed the extra point and the score was 7-6.

The Crusaders made it 14-6 on their next possession. Tarence Roby made three runs of 15 yards and 3 yards to get Rockford Lutheran to the USM 45 yard line.  After an incomplete pass, Roby ran the all 45 yards for the Crusaders second TD.  Pearson’s point after kick was successful and Rockford led 14-6.

USM moved to within one point in the early part of the second quarter. Servis galloped into the end zone on a 64 yard run. Tommy Pennington kicked the extra point.

Kyle Vangsness quickly increased Rockford Lutheran’s lead when he returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown. Pearson’s extra point kick made it 21-13.

There was no more scoring until late in the first half. With little over a minute remaining, USM got the ball on their own 18-yard line, and quarterback Tommy Pennington went to work. After two running attempts into the middle, Pennington threw a 29 yard pass along the left sideline to Lane Stanford. The two seniors connected again on a similar pass play to put the Wildcats at the Rockford Lutheran 24 yard line. After a running play, Pennington found Stanford along the sideline again, and the completed pass put the Wildcats at the Crusaders’ two yard line with less than 30 seconds left. Two plays later Servis ran across the goal line for a USM TD. The extra point try was no good.

Rockford Lutheran made quick attempts to score again before the end of the half.  The Crusaders got the ball to the USM 4-yard line, but they ran out of time. So, at the end of the first half, the score was 21-19.

Things changed quickly in the second half. Rockford Lutheran scored on five of its first six possessions.

Brandon Esparza scored on a 12-yard run and Pearson kicked a successful extra point to make it 28-19.

Milbourn made a 29-yard pass to Montgomery for a another touchdown, but USM’s Alex Tanner blocked the extra point kick.

Jetaviel Miller broke several tackles during an 82-yard run for a touchdown. Once again Tanner blocked the extra point try.

Roby made a 62-yard run for a Rockford Lutheran touchdown. Pearson made the kick and it was 47-19.

Finally Jaylen Foster made a 1-yard run for another Crusader touchdown. Pearson missed the extra point kick, but the score was 53-19 in favor of the visitors.

In the game Rockford Lutheran had 565 yards of offense, gaining 388 yards on the ground and 177 yards on 14 of 20 completed passes. USM gained a total of 227 yards, 73 of them on the ground and 154 on 13 of 23 completions through the air.

Individually, Roby led all runners with 168 yards gained for Rockford Lutheran, followed by Miller with 94 yards rushing. Servis led USM with 79 yards rushing.  Milbourn completed 14 of 19 passes for 177 yards. USM’s Tommy Pennington completed 13 of 22 for 154 yards. Montgomery was Rockford Lutheran’s leading receiver with 107 yards on 7 catches.  Stanford led USM with 116 yards on seven receptions.

USM’s record is now 1-2. The Wildcats play their Homecoming game at 7 p.m. on Friday against Dominican.