Muskies finally snap two-year drought

With less than two minutes to play and down by one point to the Kelvin Clippers here Friday afternoon, the Muskie varsity football team drove 90 yards for the winning score to earn their first WHSFL victory in more than two seasons.
“I don’t want to be like a told-you-so, but I knew that we’d do it this year. I knew that we’d win at least one,” said Muskie quarterback Ty Griffith, who dove in from the one-yard line to give his team the 18-13 win (the two-point convert attempt failed).
Both teams entered the game with 0-2 records in the ‘AA’ conference of the WHSFL and were in desperate need of a victory.
After opening the season with losses to the Churchill Bulldogs (30-0) and Grant Park Pirates (29-17), the black-and-gold nonetheless was confident heading into Friday’s game against the Clippers.
“We had a good feeling that we were going to beat Kelvin today,” said offensive co-ordinator Shane Beckett.
The scoring started two minutes into the first quarter when Thomas Edwards scampered from midfield into the end zone. The extra point was converted by Craig McTavish.
The Clippers answered late in the quarter when Thomas Hall scored on a six-yard run, but their extra-point attempt was blocked by Jon Wood of the Muskies.
A good series by the Muskies in the second quarter set up a 14-yard field goal by McTavish, which gave them a 10-6 lead that held up until halftime.
After a sack by Jake Esselink in the third quarter pinned the Clippers to their own one-yard line, the visitors opted to concede a two-point safety rather than punt out of their own end zone.
But late in the fourth quarter, the Clippers capped a long drive with another rushing touchdown by Hall. The subsequent extra point gave them a 13-12 edge with less than two minutes to go.
“I’m just thinking there’s two minutes, so there’s lots of time,” said Beckett.
“And if we run the hurry-up and we call the plays in, we got to make sure that we get first down, first down, first down because there’s lots of time to run the field.”
Rather than starting at their own 35-yard line, the Muskies chose to return the kick-off, but only made it back to their 20-yard line.
“If I ever had a two-minute drill, this would be it right here,” said Griffith.
Griffith’s first pass attempt was dropped by Wood, but Joel Herbert was able to take a pass to the 42-yard line on the next play and a give his team a new set of downs with a minute-and-a-half left.
Larry Pham then gained nine yards to set up a second-and-one scenario, but Edwards was stuffed at the line of scrimmage to bring up a do-or-die situation.
Edwards’ number was again called and this time he didn’t disappoint, rumbling for the first down with less than a minute on the clock.
“I had the best seat in the house to watch him run,” Griffith said about Edwards. “It was beautiful.”
Griffith found Pham over the middle on the next play, who then streaked down the left sidelines to the Clippers’ one-yard line to set up the eventual game-winning touchdown.
“We were just all pumped up and just wanted it so bad and we got it. That was so beautiful,” said Edwards. “Ty made a perfect throw and Larry made a perfect catch, and it was just beautiful.”
The 1-2 Muskies go back on the road this Friday (Oct. 1) to face the defending WHSFL champion St. Paul’s Crusaders.