Mustangs win second half, but lose game

St. Vincent High School’s varsity football Mustangs, winless going into the game, out-scored small-school power St. Helena, 21-7.

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, that was in the second half and discounted the 20 points St. Helena scored in the first half for a 27-20 victory.

But, for the Mustangs and their fans, it felt like a win. “After the game, the parents ringed the team and high-fived the players. That tells the story,” said St. Vincent coach Gary Galloway.

“The players could easily have thrown in the towel after the first half, but they didn’t. They stepped it up and played hard. We definitely out-hit them in the second half,” the coach observed.

The first half was pretty much all St. Helena.

John Wheeler broke a 28-yard touchdown run mid-way through the first quarter to give St. Helena an early lead.

In the second quarter, the Saints marched 76 yards in 11 plays. The drive culminated with Jahaiver Otero scoring from the 7-yard line.

Before the half ended, the Saints struck again, counting from 13 yards out on a pass connection between quarterback Jack Preston and Davon Browne.

When St. Helena struck with a 54-yard bomb from Preston to Browne, it appeared that the outcome was a done deal.

Someone forgot to tell the Mustangs.

With George Sammon running and Dominic Pedersen passing, the Mustangs galloped back into the game.

Sammon put St. Vincent on the scoreboard with a 2-yard run late in the third quarter, culminating an impressive 80-yard, 12-play march.

Michael Gross’ PAT attempt was blocked, but now momentum was in a St. Vincent jersey.

Midway through the final period, Pedersen and Sammon teamed up on a 22-yard touchdown pass. It was Pedersen’s fist TD throw of the season.

Sammon made up for the PAT block by running in a two-point conversion.

Pedersen and the Mustangs weren’t done.

With time winding down, Pedersen hit Gross with a 48-yard scoring strike. By then, there was just over four minutes left and St. Vincent didn’t have enough time to complete the comeback.

Sammon rushed for 125 yards on a workhorse 25 carries. It was the fourth 100-plus rushing game of his varsity career.

Pedersen had a strong game, completing 12 of 23 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

St. Vincent’s team totals of 138 rushing yards, 139 passing yards and 271 total yards were all season’s bests. St. Vincent gained 68 yards in 21 plays in the first half before rolling up 203 yards in 30 plays in the second.

Defensively, the Mustangs were led by Sean Healy and Jacob Farinha with 10 tackles each.

Neither team turned the ball over.

St. Vincent played without three injured starters, but did benefit from the return of two-way lineman Paul Gregorian, who returned after missing two games with an injury to record nine tackles.