4th quarter surge lifts Sutton to 36-18 triumph over Doniphan-Trumbull

Sutton's outstanding junior QB, Cole Wiseman

It was a classic rematch between two of Class C-2's best, and it was the stifling defense, plus the running of junior quarterback Cole Wiseman that lifted the Sutton Mustangs to a 36-16 repeat win over Doniphan-Trumbull Tuesday evening in Sutton. Playing in front of a huge crowd and a classic playoff atmosphere, the Mustangs found a way to put the clamps on 2000 yard rusher Jordan Slough and rode a dominating 2nd half to earn a trip to Memorial Stadium to play for it all.

In a game that went back and forth, it seems like Sutton was always in control, yet Doniphan-Trumbull never stopped battling. The Cardinals though, were whistled for an ungodly 11 penalties for a 100 yards and in the end were unable to answer the two 4th quarter touchdowns that sealed the win for Sutton. When I thought I had witnessed one of the finest offensive lines in class C-2 in Doniphan-Trumbull, the home town Mustangs proved they had one just a cut above when the game was on the line.

It looked like Doniphan-Trumbull was right on track to open the game when the Cardinals stopped Sutton, then marched 61 yards on only 5 plays to score on a Riley Wiltfong to Nathanial Armon 7 yard TD pass. Sutton answered right back, going 60 yards on 6 plays, culminating with a 13 yard scamper by shifty QB Cole Wiseman. Wiseman added the 2 point conversion on a run and the Mustangs had an 8-6 lead after one quarter.

The Mustangs drove 10 plays and 65 yards to start the 2nd stanza, and it was once again Cole Wiseman that slipped through the D-T defense for a 16 yard dash for the score. The Sutton offensive line surge was outstanding on the 5 minute drive. The Mustangs have a unique way of coming out of the huddle. They appear to be ambling toward the line of scrimmage, then suddenly rush up to that line, get set, and snap the ball in an instant. How much that confused their opponents during the year is unclear, but it certainly is something you do not see every day.

The Cardinals came right back and drained nearly every remaining second off the clock on their next possession, going 81 yards in a time killing 14 plays. Jordan Slough crashed in from the one with :24.7 ticks remaining and the Cardinals closed to within 14-12 at the halftime break.

It didn't take unbeaten Sutton to make a statement in the 2nd half. After holding D-T to a 3 and out, it took only 4 plays to shake Cole Wiseman loose on a tackle breaking 44 yard TD run. All night it would appear that Wiseman was being contained, only to see him burst out of a pile of defenders and use his speed to outrun the defense to the house. Wiseman ran in his 2nd 2 point conversion to give Sutton a 22-12 lead with 8:45 left in the 3rd quarter.

At that point, Doniphan-Trumbull decided to insert Lorenzo Williams, who ran for 684 yards a year ago as a sophomore, and move Jordan Slough into a slot/WR position. The move proved to be a wise decision on the next drive because QB Riley Wiltfong found the fleet 2000 yard runner for a 33 yard pass completion that advanced the ball to the Mustang 1 yard line. Williams went the final yard for the score. The two point conversion try failed again, but the Cards were within 22-18 entering the 4th quarter. What Doniphan-Trubull didn't realize at the time was that would be the final touchdown they would score in 2012.

As the 4th quarter penalties begin to mount for Doniphan-Trumbull, so did the frustration. In the midst of all that, the Sutton defense kicked it up a notch, and Mustang coach Steve Ramer saw some opportunities. With D-T playing the run, QB Cole Wiseman found 175 pound senior tight end Reed Stone for 2 touchdowns in that money quarter to put the game away. Wiseman nailed Stone for a 7 yard scoring pass on a 3rd and 6 play to stretch the lead to 30-18 with 10:28 left. Just 2:26 later, Wiseman caught a blitzing Doniphan-Trumbull defense and hit Stone again on a lightening quick 33 yard score. That play extended the Mustang lead to 36-18 and the road to Lincoln had just become a lot shorter.

Doniphan-Trumbull advanced the ball from their own 37 all the way to the Sutton one yard line with over 5 minutes left, but a rash of penalties moved the ball back to the 23 and the drive died there when a swarming defense crunched Wiltfong for a 4 yard loss.

Sutton moved the ball all the way to the Cardinals 9 yard line, but the Mustangs took a knee on the final play of the game.

Sutton advances to the Class C-2 championship game in Lincoln next Tuesday to face another unbeaten team in defending state champion David City Aquinas. The Monarchs stopped a Lutheran High NE 2 point conversion in overtime to hang on to a thrilling 42-41 win.

Cole Wiseman, who entered the game as a 1,545 yard rusher, led the Mustangs with a 171-22 carries and 3 Tds. Wiseman also threw for 2 scores. The Mustangs held super back Jordan Slough to 83 yards on 20 carries for the night. Doniphan-Trumbull quarterback Riley Wiltfong did have an excellent night passing though, hitting on 19 of 27 of those throws for 207 yards and a score. The Cardinals finish an incredible season at 9-3 and return Jordan Slough next season.