RICHMOND HILL — The South Effingham Mustangs rode into Richmond Hill and refused to leave without a victory, galloping out of Wildcat Stadium with a hard-fought 15-14 win.
The Wildcats knew they were in for a battle when, on the Mustangs’ second offensive play of the game, running back Patrick Brown broke through for a 42-yard run that put the ball on the Wildcat 16-yard line. Six plays later, Corey Horne scored on a 2-yard run. The point-after was good, and the Mustangs took an early 7-0 lead at 8:31 in the first quarter.
“I knew this would be tough. They are big and strong up front. I told the guys to keep believing and they did,” said Mustang coach Donnie Revell.
The Wildcats finally drew blood with 1:28 left in the half, scoring when running back Ronnie Harris broke a 61-yard run to score. The Wildcats, whose kicking game has been a work in progress, went for a successful two-point conversion, taking a temporary 8-7 lead. A successful onside kick by the Wildcats gave them the ball back at their 47-yard line. Despite the good play and field position, the ‘Cats couldn’t put points on the board, turning the ball over on downs to the Mustangs six plays later.
A scant three plays later, South Effingham quarterback Tyler Pullum put up a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Taylor Donovan. A successful two-point conversion run by Horne put the halftime score at 15-8 in favor of the Mustangs.
The first half saw Pullum’s passing game go 6 for 13 for 96 yards. By contrast, the Wildcats’ first-half passing game gained 7-yards when quarterback Xavier Bryant-Long completed one pass. Mustang running back Patrick Brown gained 64-yards on 10 carries while Wildcat running back Ronnie Harris gained 100 yards on 10 carries. The Wildcats were assessed six penalties in the first half while the Mustang were hit with two penalties.
Wildcat coach Josh Eads said after the game that the penalties were the difference between winning and losing.
“I told them to look in the mirror to see who beat them tonight,” Eads said.
The Wildcats scored with 9:56 left in the third quarter on a 7-yard keeper by Bryant-Long. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the score at 15-14 in favor of the Mustangs. Those would be the last points the Wildcats would score.
The ‘Cats gambled on a fake punt late in the third but were unsuccessful when the errant pass skidded harmlessly along the ground.
The Mustangs started the fourth quarter with a long drive, but found themselves with a fourth and 21 because of penalties, including two for holding.
They were forced to punt and got the ball back when the Wildcats fumbled on their 10-yard line. Four plays later, the mustangs tried an unsuccessful field goal.
With the final seconds ticking off the clock, the Mustangs took a knee to end the game.
Pullum went 4 for 7 in the air for 53 yards in the second half and gained 35 yards on five carries.
“We’ve lost a few close games lately. This was a big win for us,” Revell said.
The win gives South Effingham a 3-4 record, while the Wildcats drop their fifth straight to go 2-5 on the year.
Richmond Hill 0 8 6 0 — 14
S. Effingham 7 8 0 0 — 15
SE—Corey Horne 2 run (Hodges kick)
RH—Ronnie Harris 61 run (2-point conversion)
SE—Taylor Donovan 42 pass from Tyler Pullum (Horne run)
RH—Xavier Bryant-Long 7 run (run failed)