By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
If there was ever a game where one team took advantage of another team’s miscues and penalties, it was Friday’s game between Wetumpka and Stanhope Elmore, which the visiting Indians won 27-13.
Four Mustang penalties in particular were game changing, and the Indians took advantage of each one.
After scoring a 1st quarter safety, the Indians were driving deep in Mustangs territory when SEHS corner Jay Stone intercepted a pass in the end zone. A face mask penalty against the Mustangs kept the Wetumpka drive alive, and the Indians later got three points with a 21-yard field goal.
The second huge penalty came later in the 3rd quarter. The Indians led 13-10 but faced a 4th and long. A deep pass in the back corner of the end zone resulted in a late pass interference called against the Mustangs’ defensive back. The Indians again turned it into points. A few plays later, Wetumpka running back Jimmy King scored a 6-yard touchdown to give the Indians a 20-10 lead.
The third penalty was the first play of the 4th quarter, when the Mustangs faced a 4th and goal from the Indians’ 1-yard line. The Mustangs were called for a false start, and moved 5 yards back, so they settled for a field goal, coming away with 3 points when 7 points were likely without the penalty. Wetumpka led 20-13 after the first play of the quarter.
The final SEHS penalty that Wetumpka converted into points was the backbreaker. Leading 20-13, the Indians faced a 4th and long when the Mustangs rushed the punter. Contact was made with the punter in what appeared to be a running into the kicker penalty, but the head ref called roughing the kicker. Instead of the Mustangs getting the ball back down one touchdown with a chance to tie the score, the Wetumpka drive was extended. The irate Mustang coaches were then penalized an additional 15 yards. And again, the Indians turned the SEHS penalties into points, with King rushing for another Wetumpka touchdown to put the game out of reach, 27-13.
Other than Wetumpka taking advantage of the Mustangs’ mistakes, the other big headline of the night was All-State caliber running back Arthur McQueen was unable to play due to an injury suffered during the week. A week after setting the school’s single game record for rushing yards in a game, McQueen had to watch his team play Wetumpka from the sideline. His replacement, Dee Barnes, performed admirably, rushing for 132 yards and 1 touchdown. Senior Kam Anderson had two sacks and 5 tackles for loss.
For Wetumpka, King rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns. Quarterback Tyler Johnson threw a touchdown pass for the Indians.
With the win, the Indians improve to 6-3 and have won 5 straight games. They have clinched a playoff berth for the 12th consecutive season. Wetumpka Head Football Coach Bear Woods has led the Indians to the playoffs and #3 seed in each of his three seasons.
They will travel to Demopolis next week for the regular season finale before the Class 6A playoffs begin on November 8.
With the loss, the Mustangs record drops to 4-5. They will miss the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season. Next week, the Mustangs will travel to Calera for their season finale and a chance to even their record at 5-5.
