Sep 19, 2010 By Zach Shoaf for The 3 min read

Laurel Highlands quarterback Jake Riddell’s coaches shouted from the sideline to throw the ball away at the Derry 30 yard line with 30 seconds remaining in the game and the Mustangs trailing 20-17. However, as Riddell prepared to throw the ball, he spotted Matt Shull in the right corner of the end zone and threw the touchdown pass that would give the Mustangs a 24-20 win.

“The coaches were yelling for me to throw it away,” said Riddell. “I saw Shull downfield and threw it to him. As soon as I released it I knew he was going to catch it.”

Mustang’s coach Jack Buehner said he was pleased with his team’s performance.

“Anytime you win a close game it’s great for a team’s morale,” said Buehner. “I give all the guys credit and we have some really great wide receivers, so when we are in those types of situations we know we can get it done.”

The Trojans, on what was one of only three second-half possessions, marched 56 yards on 12 plays to take a 20-17 lead, following a Tyler Matusak 23-yard field goal with 1:23 left in the game.

“It’s always a close game between these teams,” said Trojans coach Ron Polinsky. “We go ahead and they come back, but it was back in forth all game. We just have to learn from this and move on.”

The Mustangs began their final drive on their 35-yard line with 1:20 remaining in the game following a poached kick.

With Riddell going 0-3 on three straight passes things looked dire for the Mustangs, but on fourth-and-10 Riddell connected with Mike Mason who drug a foot at the Mustangs’ 46-yard line for the first down.

Riddell hit Mason Ziegler for a 12-yard competition to move the ball to the Derry 42-yard line with Riddell connecting with Shull for a seven-yard gain to the Mustangs 30-yard line after a Derry encroachment penalty.

Derry got the ball back at its 14-yard line, but after driving to their 44-yard line, quarterback Talon Kriebel connected with Matusak for a 25-yard gain as time expired.

The Mustangs rallied from an early 10-0 deficit after Trojan kicker Tyler Matusak drilled a 23-yard field goal with 7:29 left in the game.

Mustangs running back Marcus Mains cut the lead to 10-7 with an 87-yard gallop at the 2:58 mark of the first quarter after Matusak missed a field goal on the previous possession.

Mustangs’ kicker Kevin Provance nailed a 44-yard field goal with 9:48 left in the first half to tie the game at 10-10.

Danzel Beasley put the Mustangs ahead 17-10 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter, capping the Mustangs’ 12 play, 63-yard opening second half drive.

The Trojans tied the game with a Noah Varrato 5-yard run at the 9:21 mark of the fourth quarter.