March 29, 2024

Top-ranked Mustangs roll past Chariton

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MONROE — Eight plays.

That’s all it took the Class 2A top-ranked Prairie City-Monroe football team to gain a 21-0 advantage over Chariton on Friday night.

The Mustangs scored on their first play from scrimmage, and never looked back during a 42-0 triumph in the home and district opener.

On homecoming, PCM out-gained the Chargers 446 to 122 and the defense forced three turnovers and pitched a second consecutive shutout.

“I feel really good about where we are at right now,” PCM coach Greg Bonnett said. “Homecoming is always different. I always have an odd feeling about it because of the distractions and stuff, but we came out and beat an undefeated team pretty handily. The game was always in our hands so that was great to see.”

Senior Reed Worth threw for 248 yards, rushed for 100 more and had four total touchdowns on the night. His 76-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage jump started the offense.

“Seth Greiner made a heck of a block picking up the blitzing linebacker on that play,” Worth said. “That opened up the hole. I made one guy miss, and Brayton (Van Dyke) had a great block on the outside, too.”

PCM is now 5-0 for the first time since 2011. The Mustangs are 1-0 in Class 2A District 8.

Senior Wes Cummings rushed for 86 yards and two scores and reached paydirt on both of his receptions in the first half. He caught two screen passes and gained 115 yards.

Cummings’ week also included homecoming king. He played a big role in the senior class skit on spirit night and led the team in the post-game huddle after Friday’s win.

“He’s a bright light and a source of energy for everybody,” Bonnett said about Cummings.

“He’s a kid where you know if you need him in an emergency he’d be there, he’s a kid that you would take to a fight because he’s tough and he’s also someone who would read your son a bedtime story.”

Cummings isn’t all about statistics, either. He tried to make the most of his final homecoming week off the field, too.

“Coming into the week, knowing it was my last homecoming, I had nothing else to say except to have fun,” Cummings said. “That’s what I tried to do. I dressed up every day, I had fun with my friends and went to spirit night.

“It didn’t matter if Jarron (Trausch) got king or Isaac (Telfer) or anybody else. Getting that was just a cherry on top.”

After PCM scored on its first play from scrimmage, the defense forced a Charger fumble on their first offensive play.

The Mustangs couldn’t take advantage though as their only punt of the game came early in the first quarter.

After a Chariton punt, PCM started with the ball on its 1-yard line. It only took two plays to go 99 yards though.

Senior Isaac Telfer got loose down the middle for a 44-yard catch from Worth. After he was flagged 15 yards for a face mask on a stiff arm, Worth dropped a screen pass to Cummings. He went 70 yards to put the Mustangs up 14-0.

“A lot of the credit goes to the offensive line,” Worth said. “We executed those screen plays pretty well. The line made their blocks and then Wes just made a play after that. It was as simple as that really.”

Cummings got loose again on another screen pass a few possessions later. PCM started the scoring drive on its own 36-yard line. Senior Jarron Trausch gained 14 yards on two carries to open the drive and Cummings scored three plays later on a 45-yard TD pass play.

“It doesn’t matter who is scoring the touchdowns as long as we are putting points on the board. It takes everybody to score on every play,” Cummings said. “This was the biggest crowd I have ever seen here, and it was fun to be making plays and being a part of this win.”

Chariton picked up a first down on its next drive, but gained only one yard after that. The drive stalled out when senior Nick Dredge picked off a Graden Arnold pass inside the red zone.

The Mustangs began their final drive of the half on their own 10-yard line. That didn’t matter though as they scored in eight plays.

The first big play was a 44-yard catch from Worth to Telfer. After an incompletion, Worth connected with senior Preston Van Wyk for a 30-yard touchdown. It came with no time on the clock.

Worth scrambled away from pressure on the play, then signaled to Van Wyk to make a break to the end zone. Worth lofted the pass into the air, and Van Wyk hauled it in for a 28-0 lead.

Van Wyk had 45 yards on three catches in the game. Telfer collected 88 yards on two receptions.

“It was just instincts. We have been playing together, practicing together and playing catch for two years now,” Worth said. “He saw me point, there was zero seconds on the clock so I just gave him a chance, and he went up and made a play.”

PCM scored twice in the second half. Both were touchdown runs by Cummings, who was held to 22 rushing yards in the first two quarters.

Cummings’ first rushing TD of the game came in the third quarter. It capped an 11-play, 37-yard drive. He scored from 1-yard out with 4:38 to play in the quarter.

With the continuous clock already running, the Mustangs capped the victory with a 30-yard TD run by Cummings.

The PCM defense held Chariton to 122 yards. The Chargers gained 46 of those yards on their final drive, and two pass interference calls against PCM set the visitors up at the 1-yard line for one untimed down.

The Mustangs’ backup defense held the Chargers out of the end zone for the shutout win.

“It was important for our 2s that we kept the shutout,” Dredge said. “I think we have the best scout team in the state. It was important for them to make that key stop and give them some confidence. That just makes our 1s better.”

PCM’s starters have now played the majority of the snaps in four of its five wins. That didn’t happen last year when the Mustangs took two forfeits and played only first halves in every other game but one.

Cummings knows being challenged during the regular season will only help them come playoff time.

“I think playing four quarters is huge for this team,” Cummings said. “A lot of our mishaps have to do with focus and playing these full games allows to work out the kinks. It will help us in the long run.”

PCM’s starting defense has only surrendered 16 points in five games.

Senior Olin Meinders had nine tackles for the Mustangs, while Telfer had five and Trausch finished with 4 1/2. Dredge had an interception and seniors Brycen Rogers and Chance Palm each recovered a fumble.

“We are all ballers. Everyone one of us,” Dredge said. “Ask Brycen to make a play, he makes a play. Ask Telf to make a play, Telf makes a play. Anyone can make a play any time we need it.” ​

Next up for PCM is a road game with Saydel (0-5, 0-1) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Des Moines.

Chariton 0-0-0-0 — 0

PCM 14-14-7-7 — 42

PCM — Reed Worth 76 run (Andrew Mitchell kick)

PCM — Wes Cummings 70 pass from Worth (Mitchell kick)

PCM — Cummings 45 pass from Worth (Mitchell kick)

PCM — Preston Van Wyk 30 pass from Worth (Mitchell kick)

PCM — Cummings 1 run (Mitchell kick)

PCM — Cummings 30 run (Mitchell kick)