A gut-wrenching defeat for Metea Valley
Metea Valley came within seconds of a historic win in its first varsity game but instead left the field Friday night with a loss tougher than any ever experienced by many veteran programs.
The Mustangs, playing without any seniors, drove 88 yards in just 6 plays to take a 26-21 lead on visiting Plainfield East with 1:31 left to play. The Bengals then drove down to the Mustangs' 33-yard line but faced a fourth-and-13 with just 14.5 seconds left on the clock. That's when Metea showed its youth at just the wrong time.
Plainfield East senior quarterback Brad Goffinet lofted a pass near the right sideline that Dustin Demumbrum somehow hauled in and then managed to dive into the end zone just inside the pylon as he was being knocked out of bounds.
All the excitement and energy that was present on the Metea sidelines and in the bleachers just moments before was gone in an instant. Demumbrum's 33-yard touchdown with 5.3 ticks left on the scoreboard gave the visiting Bengals a 27-26 victory and left the Mustangs with a gut-wrenching loss and a tougher schedule ahead of them in this inaugural campaign.
"Just like dust, it vanished," Metea Valley coach Ted Monken said of his team's late lead. "Sometimes that happens. You've gotta finish. You've got to find a way to hammer that nail and get it done."
The tough last-second loss will stick with the Mustangs awhile, but junior quarterback Jarrett House flashed a lot of promise and the young Mustangs showcased a slew of weapons on offense. The Bengals defense loaded up on the line of scrimmage, and speedy tailback Tre' Sean Mackey carried the ball just 6 times for 11 yards - and also turned a screen pass into a 20-yard gain.
But House, who completed 21 of 38 passes for 301 yards and 4 TDs, hooked up with Raysean Parker for three scoring strikes and also connected with tight end Zach Wood on a fourth-quarter TD that cut the Bengals' lead to 21-20. Alex Hagemaster, meanwhile, didn't find the end zone but caught 8 passes for 145 yards and it was his 57-yard catch that set up Parker's third score and gave the hosts a 26-21 lead late.
On the play Hagemaster grabbed a pass in traffic and broke three or four tackles on his way to the Plainfield East 3-yard line. From there Parker snagged a lob with Bengals corner Anthony Michalowicz unable to stop the 6-foot-1 receiver from leaping up and coming down with the score.
"That (drive) was crazy," House said. "That run by Alex, that wasn't me, that was all him. That was a great play by him and the line. I can't say enough about them. I had time to find our weapons. It hurts right now, but we know we definitely have the talent."
Plainfield East coach Mike Romeli, whose young program went 1-8 last fall, knows having a few seniors around can make all the difference in the world. He also knows that the Mustangs have solid program in the works.
"It just came down to a senior quarterback who played nine games last year making a play," he said of Goffinet, who was 18 of 28 through the air with 198 yards and 3 TDs. "Our guys are fighters. We went through the same thing last year that they went through. But that's a good football team. I don't want to play them anymore. We'll have to get them off our schedule."