Photo by Daniel Mohrmann
A timely score and an onside kick ruined a potentially solid start to the season for the Manitou Springs football team.
The Mustangs’ first game came sooner than expected — they picked up a game against Rye on Aug. 28, thanks to St. Mary’s having to drop its program for the year.
The Mustangs led by 13 points late in the game, but a furious rally from the Thunderbolts resulted in a 21-20 Manitou loss. It was a devastating loss that the team has to learn from as it pushes forward through the season.
“That was a big message Monday when we watched film,” coach Stu Jeck said.
“The one thing that we took away from it was that a lot of the stuff that we felt we did wrong were mistakes that can be fixed. As long as we can learn from what we did wrong on Saturday and get better from it, this team has a lot of potential.”
That potential was on full display early the game. Senior Ethan Boren certainly stood out as he scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, and even grabbed an interception on defense.
Junior Tyler Maloney and sophomore Nathan Gentzel also had good games at running back and quarterback, respectively.
Maloney rushed for a touchdown and Gentzel found a way to get the ball into his playmakers’ hands while driving down the field. He also connected with Boren for a touchdown pass.
“I’m hoping that the success we had motivates the rest of the team to get going and have that same success,” Boren said. “It was good for us.”
The Mustangs now turn to the Saturday, Sept. 4, home opener against University. The Bulldogs are coming off a big win over Kent Denver and the Mustangs (0-1 overall) know that they’ll have to be sharp on the defensive side of the ball.
“They’re going to be a good team,” Boren said. “We have to commit to stopping their run game, which we know we can do.”
The Mustangs will be under the lights on Saturday as kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.