WEED – The Delta Mustangs didn’t play error free football, but they made fewer mistakes than the host COS Eagles, and that translated into a 28-21 win for the visitors.

Delta began the first possession of the game on its own 40-yard-line, and quickly moved down the field, capping the drive with a 16-yard TD pass. The PAT was good, and the Mustangs took a 7-0 lead, with only 1:27 gone off the clock.

Following Delta’s kickoff, the Eagles started their first possession on their own 42. Patrick Lunney went 25 yards on the first play to move the ball to the Delta 33. The Eagles continued to give the ball to Lunney, and eventually wound up with a first down on the Delta 11. After Lunney gained a yard on first down, COS threw two straight incomplete passes. On fourth down, the Eagles attempted a field goal, which was wide.

With 1:27 left in the first quarter, the Mustangs attempted a 25-yard field goal and missed.

COS took possession on its 20, and took just over a minute to tie the score at 7-7. On second-and-14 from his own 30, Eagle QB Aqura Brown hit Anthony Young for a 70-yard TD strike, with 16 seconds remaining in the quarter.

The Mustangs, however, quickly regained the lead on their next possession, when they scored on a 5-yard TD pass. The PAT made it 14-7, with 13:06 left in the half.

COS manage to overcome two 15-yard penalties on its next possession to drive to the Delta 18-yard-line. After losing a yard on first down, the Eagles were hit with a 5-yard penalty to move them back to the 24. A six yard pas from Brown to Darius Davis made it third-and-9. The next two passes were incomplete and the Eagles tuned it over on down to the Mustangs.

Neither team mounted a threat again, until the final seconds of the half. After an Eagle punt, the Mustangs took possession at thier own 42. Aided by an Eagle holding penalty, the Mustangs moved to the COS 16. A field goal attempt, with 15.8 second remaining in the half, was blocked by Eagles Artez Faniel and Myron Johnson. The half ended with the Mustangs up 14-7.

On the opening drive of the second half, the Eagles started on their own 29. Brown hit Davis for 16 yards to move to the 45. Lunney ripped off a 9-yard run, and then a 4-yard run to give the Eagles a first down on the Delta 42. Seven more yards from Lunney moved the line of scrimmage to the 35. Then, a pair of holding penalties sandwiched around an incomplete pass appeared to doom the Eagles’ drive.

But, Raymond Neal came up with a big 16-yard run, to make it third-and-six.  A 3-yard run by Brown made it fourth-and-3 on Delta’s 34. Brown then found Kelsey Stevens for a 9-yard gain and a first down on the Delta 25. After the Eagles picked up a first down at the Mustangs’ 12, Lunney took it the rest of the way. With the PAT, the score was tied at 14-14, with 9:10 left in the third quarter.

Following a Delta punt, COS started the next possession at its 32. An 8-yard reception by Davis combined with a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Delta moved the ball to the Mustangs’ 42. COS again had to overcome penalties, a hold and a false start, to move the ball to the Delta 6-yard-line. Thirty-five yards of the advance came on a Davis pass reception.

With first-and-goal on the six, Neal lost a yard. Brown was sacked for a five yard loss, moving the ball back to the Delta 11-yard-line. An incomplete pass made it fourth-and-11. The Eagles missed a field goal, with 3:29 left in the third quarter.

A little over two minutes later, Delta’s QB sprinted 11 yards for a TD. The PAT was good, and Delta led 21-14, with 47 seconds left in the third.

Ten seconds into the final frame, Eagle QB Brown hit Klaus Geier for a 58-yard TD reception. Justin Ecklin hit the PAT to tie the contest at 21-21.

With a bit over seven minutes to play in the game, an Eagles’ fumble at their own 26 set up Delta’s game-winning drive. Delta’s QB went 12 yards to seal the deal. Delta added the PAT and led 28-21.

COS went three-and-out on its next possession, and had a desperation-pass picked off on its final possession with 6.6 seconds left in the game.