Written by: Casz Clayton
Delray Beach,FL— McArthur walked onto Atlantic’s field and set the tone from the opening whistle, building just enough of a cushion to survive a furious second half rally and escape with a 17 to 16 win in the second round of the playoffs.
The first momentum swing came early. Atlantic received the opening kickoff, but a short drive ended in a punt that McArthur blocked and recovered at the twenty. McArthur chose to stay disciplined and took a field goal to go up 3 to 0, setting the tempo without forcing anything.
From there, the defense and special teams kept stacking opportunities. After a long McArthur drive ended with an interception by Atlantic’s Dereion Darby, the Mustangs immediately flipped the field again with a big punt return and strong field position. One play later, Kenson Louis broke loose for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 10 to 0 and put Atlantic on their heels. “We came in this game strong, we have to play four quarters of Mustang football.” Stated Louis in a post game interview.
McArthur continued to control the first half. The run game moved chains, the defense stayed gap sound, and another scoring drive ended with Semaj Flowers powering his way into the end zone. Atlantic’s longest drive of the half was stopped on downs, and McArthur went into halftime up 17 to 0 with full command.
Atlantic, however, came out swinging in the second half. A quick defensive stop set up Mark Hanniford for a rushing touchdown that finally cracked the scoreboard. Minutes later, Atlantic forced a fumble that turned into a field goal and cut the lead to 17 to 10. McArthur’s penalties helped extend the next Atlantic drive, and Hanniford struck again out of the Wildcat to make it a two point game.
With all the momentum shifting, McArthur needed a play and the defense delivered. After Atlantic started driving again, the Mustangs forced a wild deflection that turned into a crucial interception with two minutes left. From there, the Mustangs leaned on the ground game, ran the clock out, and sealed the win.
McArthur now advances to face St. Thomas Aquinas next week in what will be one of their toughest tests of the season. But tonight, it was resilience, special teams execution, and late game composure that sent the Mustangs into the next round. “We found a way to win, a Championship team always find a way to win”, Head Coach Robert “Chop” Ortega.
