It was a fitting debut on the Municipal Stadium’s new field.
The Iola Middle School eighth-grade Mustangs shut out the Girard Trojans 36-0 and earned Coach Scott Ellis his 100th career victory.
Mustang running back Elijah Irby racked up more than 100 yards on the ground while rushing for three touchdowns.
Throughout the night the Mustang offense seemed unstoppable.
“I knew we had a solid team, but we’ve never seen Girard,” Coach Ellis said. “The guys stepped up from the beginning. It was a very good start for us.”
The Mustangs’ opening drive culminated in a 2-yard burst by running back Greyson Skahan. But the follow-up 2-point conversion came up short.
On the next possession, Irby’s 74-yard run accounted for his first TD, then quarterback Landon Desmarteau and Skahan connected for a 35-yard pass for a touchdown.
By halftime, the Mustangs were ahead 22-0.
Thanks to solid defensive play, the Mustangs’ next two TDs on Irby carries seemed more than enough to keep the Girard Trojans at bay.
With a bye next week, the Mustangs will not return to the gridiron until they host Anderson County Sept. 17.
Seventh-grade falls 30-6
The seventh-grade Mustangs remain a work in remain a work in progress as they fell to the Osawatomie Trojans 30-6 Monday night. After going into halftime down 8-0, returner Bentley Pratt brought the opening kickoff back for a 65-yard touchdown.
It was the Mustangs’ only score of the evening. The Trojans scored 22 unanswered points to hold on.
The seventh-grade Mustangs return to the gridiron Thursday on the road against Fort Scott.
“We saw some stuff we can build on,” Coach Ellis said. “We’re just learning the fundamentals and taking little steps to get better.”
Ellis reaches 100-win milestone
