Mustangs crush Cut Bank

The Malta Mustangs football team increased their chances of making the 2017 Class B Football Championship Series by defeating the Cut Bank Wolves 43-13 last Friday, October 6, at Mustang Field.

“I think we want to do a lot more than we did last year,” Malta senior defensive end Tel Jenson told the PCN, referring to their 2016 loss to Eureka in the opening round of the playoffs. “We are not really satisfied with how things ended up last year. Coach (Jim) Benn is really positive with us and talks to us consistently about the bigger goal and how we need to take things day-by-day.”

The Mustangs (4-2) were led by a defense that forced four turnovers and a special team unit that set up Malta to go up by 14 points early in the game.

The Mustangs will square off against the Harlem Wildcats in Malta, as the team also hosts the Malta High School football Senior Night on Friday, October 13, at 7 p.m.

The Wildcats recently lost 49-6 to the Fairfield Eagles and is currently 1-5 this season. Their lone win came by way of a forfeit by Poplar earlier this season.

In Malta’s win over Cut Bank, the Mustangs opened things up early by scoring on their first possession. The touchdown was a 34-yard connection from senior Trace Simonson to senior Konner Kuehn.

After the made extra point kick by Trey Simanton, the Mustangs were able to retain the ball as Cut Bank allowed the middle length kick to be scooped up by junior Kevin Henry.

The kick set Malta up at the Cut Bank 38-yard-line. Another Kuehn catch would set Malta up at the one-yard line, where junior Andres Lopez would punch in another score. A run from Simanton would give Malta a two-point conversion, putting Malta up 15-0.

Cut Bank would eventually respond, moving the ball efficiently on the ground with quarterback JR Seewald. Seewald would end the drive with a 25-yard throw to Justin Crone. The score at the end of the first quarter was 15-7.

“(Seewald) is really fast,” Henry said. “You can’t let him get outside or he is going to break away and definitely score if you can’t catch him.”

Malta’s defense would eventually respond to Cut Bank’s rushing attack and would silence Cut Bank in the second and third quarter. Jensen would sack Seewald on back to back plays before Henry would make another heads-up play to intercept Seewald and return it 55 yards for Malta’s third touchdown.

“I was just reading the quarterback,” Henry said of the play. “Just watching him and reading his eyes.”

Henry had two interceptions that night, one in zone coverage and the pick six in man coverage.

Malta would score again in the third quarter on a four-yard run from Simonson.

In the fourth quarter, Simanton would score on a 42-yard run and Simonson would find sophomore Tanner Smith on a 20-yard pass connection.

Cut Bank would have the last touchdown on an 81-yard keeper from Seewald late in the fourth quarter.