Mustangs fall in first-ever home game, 29-26

By Jeff Holmes

CEDAR RAPIDS – It was nearly the perfect ending.

Mount Mercy University dropped a heartbreaking 29-26 non-conference contest to William Woods, 29-26 on Saturday afternoon. It was the Mustangs’ first-ever home football game, played in intermittent rain before a packed Busse Field.

Coach MD Daniels’ Mustangs spotted the Owls a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Mustangs came back in the second with a vengeance.

With 10:35 to go in the first half, MMU capped a 14-play, 85-yard drive as Alex Estrada hit Byce Phillips with a 14-yard touchdown pass. Paco Lira hit the extra point, and the game was tied at 7-all.

It only took five minutes for the process to repeat itself. Estrada scrambled out of trouble from the nine to give the Mustangs the lead, 13-7 with 5:34 left in the half. Lira came in for the extra point attempt, but it was blocked, and the Owls scooped and scores a two-point conversion return. What would have been a seven-point lead was four.

It stayed that way into the late stages of the third quarter. William Woods re-took the lead, 16-13 when Estrada’s pass was intercepted and returned 71 yards by the Owls’ Carter Holloway with 5:14 to go in the third.

Again, the Mustangs fought back. Before the quarter ended Estrada found Diallo Washington on the end of a 14-yard scoring pass, and with 13:59 to go in the game, Estrada flipped one the the big tight end, Kaysn VandenBerg for 19-yards and the lead was 10, 26-16.

But the Owls came back with two late scores to pull out the 29-26 win.

William Woods 7 2 7 13 – 29
Mount Mercy 0 13 7 6 – 26

WW – Jalen Beccera 1 pass from Coleson Baum (Ryan Mendoza kick).
MM – Bryce Phillips 14 pass from Alex Estrada (Paco Lara kick).
MM – Alex Estrada 9 run (kick blocked)
WW – 97 yd extra point return.
WW – Carter Holloway 71 interception return (Mendoza kick).
MM – Diallo Washington 14 pass from Estrada (Lara kick).
MM – Kasyn VandeBerg 19 pass from Estrada (kick blocked)
WW – Baccera 9 pass from Baum (kick blocked)
WW – Baccera 39 pass from Baum (Mendoza kick)