Mustangs Pull Away in Second Half for 34-10 Win Over Scotts Hill

By We Are Loretto

LORETTO — After a frustrating first half filled with missed opportunities and turnovers, Loretto found its rhythm after the break Friday night and pulled away for a 34-10 win over Scotts Hill.

The Mustangs scored 27 points in the second half and piled up 324 rushing yards on the night to earn their first victory of the season and improve to 1-3.

Loretto could not have asked for a better start.

On the Mustangs’ first offensive play of the game, Asher Sharpe took an end-around 78 yards for a touchdown. Henry Chambliss added the extra point, and just 3:33 into the game Loretto held a 7-0 lead.

From there, though, the first half became much more difficult.

Turnovers and special teams miscues repeatedly gave Scotts Hill opportunities, but the Loretto defense kept answering. One of the biggest stands came late in the second quarter when the Lions drove inside the Loretto five-yard line. Scotts Hill reached third-and-goal near the two before losing the football, with the Mustangs recovering to keep the Lions off the scoreboard.

Loretto was unable to take advantage offensively, and a mishandled punt snap soon gave Scotts Hill possession deep in Mustang territory. The defense held again, forcing the Lions to settle for a Curtis Williams 26-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining in the half.

Despite the mistakes, Loretto went to the locker room still holding a 7-3 advantage.

The Mustangs looked like a different team after halftime.

Loretto quickly stretched its lead on its opening possession of the third quarter. Facing third down, quarterback Ben Lyles turned a difficult play into a big one, breaking free for a 34-yard touchdown run with 10:27 remaining. Chambliss’ extra point made it 14-3.

Scotts Hill answered less than two minutes later when Mylan Wilson broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown run. Williams added the extra point to pull the Lions within 14-10.

That would be as close as Scotts Hill would get.

Loretto responded with one of its few passes of the night — and made it count. Lyles connected with Sharpe for a 30-yard touchdown with 4:41 remaining in the third quarter. Sharpe’s second score of the night restored an 11-point Mustang advantage, 21-10.

The Mustangs continued to control the game on the ground as the third quarter wound down and carried that momentum into the fourth.

Elijah Chapman, who provided a spark out of the backfield, broke free for a 23-yard touchdown just 55 seconds into the final quarter. Chambliss again converted the extra point, pushing Loretto’s lead to 28-10.

The defense then forced Scotts Hill to turn the ball over on downs, and Loretto needed only one play to capitalize.

Caden Hagan took the handoff, found an opening and raced 34 yards for the touchdown with 9:48 remaining. The extra point was unsuccessful, but the Mustangs had broken the game open at 34-10.

Hagan led a balanced Loretto rushing attack with 110 yards on 15 carries. Sharpe finished with 83 yards on just two rushing attempts, including his 78-yard touchdown, while Chapman added 56 yards on five carries.

Loretto finished with 324 rushing yards on 36 attempts, averaging nine yards per carry. The Mustangs attempted only five passes all night, with Lyles completing one — the 30-yard touchdown to Sharpe.

While the offense produced five touchdowns, Loretto’s defense played a major role in keeping the game under control despite the Mustangs losing three fumbles.

Scotts Hill managed just seven first downs and 155 rushing yards on 42 attempts. Quarterback Huntley Hanna completed 4-of-14 passes for 83 yards, and Chapman put an exclamation point on the victory late in the fourth quarter by intercepting Hanna and returning the ball into Scotts Hill territory.

Wilson accounted for the Lions’ biggest offensive play with his 52-yard touchdown and finished with 71 yards on three carries. Khadi’Dyn Bedwell was limited to 35 yards on 18 attempts as the Mustang defense consistently bottled up Scotts Hill’s inside running game.

The victory was especially encouraging for a Loretto team that had battled through a difficult opening stretch of the season. After managing only seven points in the first half Friday night, the Mustangs scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half and four times overall after halftime.

Sharpe accounted for two touchdowns, while Lyles, Chapman and Hagan each found the end zone once as Loretto turned a four-point halftime lead into a convincing 24-point victory.

The 34-10 win improves Loretto to 1-3 on the season.

The Mustangs will return home on Friday, Sept. 18, when they host Collinwood at L.M. Forsythe Field at Butch Toner Stadium.