Prosser Mustang recap |
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Mustangs roll to first-round victoryNovember 15, 2008 by Scott Spruill PROSSER — Miguel Godinez almost waited too long. But with Prosser’s football program, there’s always more time, always another game. In his first year of football as a senior, Godinez put in a season’s worth of hard work and enjoyed the reward Friday night, rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown in each half as the top-ranked Mustangs rolled to a 53-14 victory over Selah in the first round of the 2A state playoffs. Godinez, who had only 10 previous carries for the season, took over in the second quarter and got the call 12 times. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound bruiser scored on runs of 18 and 15 yards. “It was a shock. I never got to run the ball that much before,” said a wide-smiling Godinez. “I’ve been working hard and waiting for my chance. To get it here, in the playoffs, feels awesome. It’s hard to describe.” How does a kid in Prosser with Godinez’s size and athletic talent wait this long to join the state’s premier football program? “We’ve been working on him for a long time because we see him in school conditioning and weights,” said Prosser coach Tom Moore, who rarely has to sell his sport. “We knew he would be a hard worker and with a year left, we said, ‘Look, give it a shot. It would be a shame not to try it one year.’” Godinez’s first score came during a 28-point second quarter that essentially broke Selah’s back. And his second touchdown came five plays after the Vikings fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half. Prosser’s more well-established stars had stellar games as well as the Mustangs improved to 15-1 in first-round playoff games since 1991. In his last home game, Kirby Moore put on a show, hauling in 12 passes for a career-high 264 yards and two touchdowns. His only catch of the second half went for a 77-yard touchdown and tied his state record of 29 in a single season. Moore also had one of Prosser’s three interceptions. Quarterback Jordan Durbin completed 21 of 30 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns to three different receivers. Selah’s defense committed to pressuring Durbin as much as possible in the first half and he kept his poise on the run. While the offense was taking care of its business, Prosser’s defense was in lock-down mode, allowing only three first downs in the first half. And one of those came on a run that ended with a fumble, one of five turnovers for the Vikings. “Prosser’s defensive line took us completely out of what we wanted to do,” said Selah coach Jeff Jamieson. “We wanted to run the ball more and they took that away.” After playing the Mustangs fairly tough last month in a 33-13 conference loss, Selah’s chances for keeping it close this time were compromised by injuries. Travis Luke was out with a foot injury and Sheldon Lommers played but was hobbled as well. “It’s a tough way to end,” said Jamieson, whose team finished 8-3, equaling the program’s most wins since 1983. “We had three losses — two were to the No. 1-ranked team in the state and the other was to No. 3 (Othello). The guys had a great season and they played hard for each other.” Awaiting Prosser (11-0) in next week’s quarterfinals at Kennewick’s Lampson Stadium is possibly another CWAC team. Othello, which at 9-1 has lost only to Prosser, hosts Colville (7-3) today at 2 p.m. “Looking back, I sure regret not coming out my first three years,” Godinez said in the post-game celebration. “But I’m here now and I see what it’s all about. It’s the best feeling ever.”
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'Month of fun' begins for ProsserBy Ben Reynolds, Herald staff writer
Kai-Huei Yau/Herald The Prosser Mustangs defeated the Selah Mustangs 53-14 Vikings during the first round of the 2A state playoffs Nov. 14, 2008 at Art Fiker Stadium in Prosser. PROSSER -- Some of the Selah players stood on the sideline with their hands in their pockets cringing when they heard and saw some of the hits Prosser was dishing out. The Mustangs defense made a loud statement to complement an explosive offense in the opening round of the 2A state playoffs Friday night at Art Fiker Stadium. Prosser forced five turnovers and allowed just 44 yards of total offense in the first half on its way to a 53-14 romp over its CWAC rival. "We wanted to come out and make a statement to the other 16 teams out there," said Prosser quarterback Jordan Durbin. Next in line for the defending state champion is the winner of today's Colville-Othello game next weekend at Lampson Stadium.Prosser (11-0), which beat Selah 33-13 just three weeks ago, had a little extra spring in its step Friday and led 53-0 before shuffling in its reserves. "The kids were pretty fired up," said Prosser coach Tom Moore. "They are so excited to get to the playoffs." Friday was the first episode of what Moore calls a "month of fun" that he hopes ends with a second straight state title. Fun for Prosser, which has won 25 straight games. Not so fun for its opponents. Just ask the Vikings (8-3). Prosser erupted for 28 second-quarter points to lead 34-0 at halftime and left little doubt about the final outcome. Selah, which has not beaten Prosser since 1990, had just two first downs in the first half and had its biggest offensive play negated by a penalty. The Vikings tried to run, but managed just six yards on 13 carries in the first 24 minutes. When that didn't work, their passing game could not make enough consistent plays. Justin Windsor was just 5-of-17 passing for 72 yards and three interceptions. He was sacked three times. "We knew if we stopped their run, we stopped their offense," said linebacker Spencer Bagge. Bagge had one of the three Mustangs' interceptions, returning it 35 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter for Prosser's biggest margin. With Selah unable to run the ball and move down the field, the Prosser offense spent a lot of time on the field. The Mustangs scored on four of their five second-quarter possessions, the final coming on a Durbin 33-yard touchdown pass to Matt Young with one second left on the clock. Durbin had another big night, throwing for 346 yards on 21-of-30 passing and four touchdowns in just over two quarters. Kirby Moore tied his single-season state record with his 29th touchdown reception of the season in the third quarter. The senior, who has committed to Boise State University, snatched the ball out of the air between two defenders and raced to the end zone for a 77-yard scoring play. Moore finished with 12 catches for 264 yards and his two scores. Back-up running back Miguel Godinez gave the Mustangs' running game a shot in the arm in the second quarter with a 17-yard touchdown run and finished with 12 carries for 103 yards and two TDs. "It kind of turned out how we thought it would," Tom Moore said. Prosser 53, Selah 14
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