FORT COLLINS — Friday night at J. Ray French Field was an offensive lineman’s dream come true.
The Mullen coaching staff repeatedly called the same running play, and the Mustangs controlled the line of scrimmage against Rocky Mountain, rushing for 420 yards in a 38-21 Class 5A quarterfinal victory over the Lobos.
The Mustangs (10-2), in the semifinals for the sixth consecutive season, will play the winner of Saturday’s Douglas County-Poudre game next week. Rocky Mountain suffered its first loss of the season and finishes 11-1.
“When you are doing that well just running the same play, it doesn’t get much more fun,” senior right guard Dalton Fox said. “We were running the same play over and over and they couldn’t stop it. . . . Any team is going to get frustrated when you do that.”
Mullen carried a 17-14 lead into the break and knew the guys up front — Matt Allen, Dwayne Pecosky, Joe Carroll, Fox and Charles Ragland — would have to flex their muscles in the final 24 minutes.
After the Rocky defense used a goal-line stand to end Mullen’s first drive of the second half, it took the Mustangs just two plays to extend their lead the next time they got the ball. Josh Ford, who had 107 yards in the first half and finished with 176 on 24 carries, scored his second touchdown from 34 yards out after breaking the run to the sideline and then cutting back for the score.
“What we wanted to do (Friday) on offense is predicated on what we knew about their offense,” Mullen coach Dave Logan said. “We wanted to try and stay on the field as much as we could. The offensive line was very good tonight, and the back ran hard.”
Mullen’s defense held the potent Rocky offense, led by quarterback Brian Peters — who Logan said was “about as good as I’ve seen, and I’ve coached a long time” — and wideout Jake Stewart on each of its two third-quarter possessions. The 11-play, 69-yard drive that ensued ate up over six minutes of clock, and after Kevin Brady’s 18-yard end-around score, the Mustangs were up 31-14.
The Peters-to-Stewart connection that was good for 132 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, in the first quarter was limited to just two catches for 25 yards over the final three quarters.
“In the second half, they just kept double-teaming me and then sliding that linebacker out as well,” Stewart said. “It was just a little harder for Petey to get the ball out there, but he still spread it around and did what he had to do to keep us in the game.”
Peters’ 17-yard fourth-quarter scamper cut the Mullen lead to 10, but a costly fumble after a Mullen three-and-out took the wind out of the Lobos’ sails.
Mullen 14 3 7 14 — 38
Rocky Mountain 14 0 0 7 — 21
RM — Peters 1 run (Conti kick). M — Ford 1 run (Lane kick). RM — Stewart 80 pass from Peters (Conti kick). M — Ameen-Moore 25 run (Lane kick). M — FG Lane 27. M — Ford 34 run (Lane kick). M — Brady 18 run (Lane kick). RM — Peters 17 run (Conti kick). M — Ameen-Moore 33 run (Lane kick).
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
