On Friday, Aug 30, football returned to Buell Stadium as Millard West hosted district rival Millard North to kick off their respective 2024 campaigns.
The biggest storylines within this game surrounded the Wildcat’s new offense featuring many of last season’s backups now getting their chance to shine against a very tough Millard North squad who hadn’t defeated them in over eight years. This was also the Mustang’s first game in nearly 41 years without former head coach Fred Petito, which meant an entirely new play style that the Wildcats needed to prepare for.
Things would start slow offensively for both sides on their opening drives as the defensive lines pressured both signal callers early. On the Mustang’s second drive, senior running back Caden VerMaas cut outside the Wildcat defenders and sped 71 yards for the game’s opening touchdown making it 7-0 Mustangs following the PAT.
“Our new defense knew there was going to be growing pains,” senior Jayden Sime said. “The biggest challenge was just not knowing what to expect, but as the game continued we figured it out and adapted. Making those early tackles was just me aligning to the right and knowing my assignment.”
The following drive from the Wildcats turned into a three-and-out which turned even further south as the snap on the punt sailed over the head of senior punter Josh Lima and out of the endzone adding a safety to make it 9-0 Mustangs after the first quarter.
To open the second quarter, the Mustangs would have a lengthy drive that was occasionally interrupted by false start penalties. Regardless of this, the Mustangs marched toward the end zone as junior quarterback Zion Rush found future Husker and senior tight end Pierce Mooberry in the endzone, extending the lead to 16-0.
The Wildcats quickly answered back with a single, explosive play. A reverse handoff to senior running back Jake Blackman caught the defense off guard, creating a wide-open running lane down the sideline. Blackman took full advantage, racing past the trailing defensive backs to trim the deficit to 16-7.
“I knew we were capable of coming back and scoring consistently,” Blackman said. “We were able to sell the fake so well because we had practiced it over and over again until we had it perfect. I knew with our backs against the wall, I had to step up and bring the energy back to our side.”
As momentum began to shift, discipline became an issue for the Mustangs, with two false start penalties and a failed third-and-18 conversion forcing a punt. A high snap to the punter added to their woes, allowing West to apply pressure, resulting in a shanked punt that went out of bounds near the Millard North 20-yard line.
A handoff to senior wide receiver Bradyn Johnson in motion created a wide-open lane as he raced to the pylon for the touchdown bringing Millard West within two; 16-14 Mustangs.
After picking up a first down and advancing to their own 36-yard line, the Mustangs responded with a 64-yard touchdown pass to VerMaas, extending their lead to 23-14 and concluding the first half.
Out of the break, a solid kickoff return by Blackman set the Wildcats up at their own 30-yard line. The running game continued to prove effective until the drive stalled near the North 40-yard line. The Wildcats attempted to go for it, but were stopped on a fourth-and-one run, turning the ball over on downs. On the ensuing pass, the ball slipped through VerMaas’s fingers, allowing the Wildcats to pounce and recover the fumble around the 25-yard line.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the drive went three-and-out, and their chance was further diminished when junior kicker Carter Chapp’s field goal attempt missed to the right. The remainder of the third quarter saw both defenses dominating the play and neither team was able to capitalize as the game remained with the scoreline 23-14 Millard North heading into the final quarter of action.
After receiving the ball on a punt to start the quarter, the Mustangs slowly marched down the field with little resistance. A 43-yard scramble from Rush would put the Mustangs at the eight-yard line which was followed up by a couple of handoffs to senior running back Colin Bogacz to top off the drive for the Mustangs. A failed two-point conversion from North left the score at 29-14 Mustangs with just over eight minutes remaining.
The Wildcat offense slowly began to find a rhythm, steadily gaining yardage and securing multiple first downs. Senior quarterback DJ Schiemann started to connect better with his receivers, highlighted by a precise completion near the sideline where he threaded the needle between a couple of Mustangs to deliver the ball perfectly into Johnson’s hands. As the Wildcats approached the 31-yard line, Schiemann took the snap, evaded a sack while rolling out to his left, and found senior wide receiver Michael Coleman around the 20-yard line who then scampered into the end zone for a touchdown. Another PAT cut the lead down to eight, making it 29-21 Mustangs.
“We knew that if the defense could hold the Millard North offense, we could still have a chance even though we struggled early,” Schiemann said. “That third touchdown didn’t really progress because I had to get outside the pocket and keep my eyes downfield. Luckily, I found Michael open over the middle which he caught and used his great speed to get us another touchdown.”
Millard West still faced a daunting task with just under six minutes remaining- they needed to stop the Mustangs’ next drive, score a touchdown, and successfully convert a two-point attempt. On the ensuing kickoff, Wildcat sophomore Gage Caudill delivered a massive hit that jarred the ball free from senior Desmond Dhaenens, allowing the Wildcats to recover just outside the 15-yard line.
Despite the favorable field position, the Wildcats were unable to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs. As the Mustangs took over, false start penalties continued to hinder their ability to close out the game. The Wildcats managed to force a punt deep in Mustang territory but at the cost of two of their three timeouts. Blackman fielded the punt and stepped out of bounds just shy of midfield.
With under two minutes left, Millard West began a final march toward the end zone. Schiemann led the drive, picking up a first down on a second-and-nine scramble. After an incompletion on first down stopped the clock at around 56 seconds, Schiemann connected with Blackman, who gained two yards and stepped out of bounds to stop the clock. On third-and-eight, a completion to Coleman moved the chains and was bolstered by a personal foul penalty against the Mustangs. Blackman then picked up five yards on a reverse handoff, leading to a Millard North timeout before the Wildcats spiked the ball to stop the clock.
With just 16 seconds remaining, Schiemann scrambled out of the pocket and was knocked out of bounds at the two-yard line. With five seconds left, he took the snap and raced toward the goal line as the clock expired. In a dramatic finish, it was determined that he fell short by mere inches, sealing a 29-21 Millard North victory.
“There’s always positives and negatives we can take out of this first game,” Schiemann said. “The positives we can take away is that we can never count ourselves out of a game. We can always make an effort to win the game. We count on the defense and the defense counts on us, to get the job done.”
As the Wildcats come out of week one, they’ll face a tough stretch of games at home. Some of their upcoming opponents include the top ranked Westside Warriors with a refreshed roster and the Creighton Prep Junior Jays. You can watch all the action on the Wildcat Sports Network.
