The Mineola Mustangs varsity football team defeated the Roosevelt Roughriders 47-38 on Saturday, Sept. 20.Senior quarterback James Gerstner led the Mustangs (2-0) to victory by rushing 212 yards and securing five touchdowns on 23 carries. He also completed 11 of 13 passes for 229 yards and one touchdown.
“This was a big game—we were ready and pumped up all week,” Gerstner said. “We came in ranked third but we knew we could beat them.”
Having dominated Valley Stream South (0-2) 21-0 one week earlier, the Mustangs were motivated from start to finish to prove themselves against Roosevelt (1-1), then the number one seed in the league.
Roosevelt put up the first points with an 85-yard touchdown run. Mineola responded with a 35-yard touchdown, opening up a 20-12 lead by the end of the first quarter.
At 27-24 by halftime, the Mustangs chalked up another touchdown in the third quarter and were relentless defensively, preventing Roosevelt (1-1) from putting anything on the scoreboard. In the final quarter, with 11:04 remaining, Gerstner charged up the middle for a 43-yard touchdown run to give the Mustangs a 41-24 lead.
Roosevelt then struck back with a 63-yard touchdown run on the ensuing possession, moving their deficient up to 41-30. Gerstner threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Chris Lockwood for a 47-30 lead at 6:22
Senior wide receiver Brian Smith had four catches for 136 yards, and senior running back Michael Eccher had one touchdown on 11 carries.
“Roosevelt is a good team, ranked as the best in the league – we just had to keep scoring more than they did,” head coach of the Mustangs Dan Guido said. “That’s what makes this such a big win for us.”
