The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

The top-ranked Fleming Wildcats traveled to New Raymer where they faced off with the fifth ranked Prairie Mustangs in 6-man action last Friday night. Both teams sought to maintain their undefeated season as they entered the contest at 2-0.

The Wildcats kicked off in the opening quarter to start the game and Prairie fielded the ball just shy of Fleming's goal line and returned nearly 25 yards before being caught up by Fleming's defense. The Mustang offense chewed over six minutes off the clock in their opening possession of the game, but turned the ball over following a 12-play drive.

With just under four minutes on the first quarter clock, Fleming took over on downs at their own 23-yard line to begin their offensive campaign. Their first possession of the contest proved fruitless after two running plays and an incomplete pass and they were forced to punt on fourth down with 2:30 left in the period.

The first quarter ticked away as Prairie chipped away at yardage and the score remained zero all. The Mustangs started the second quarter with the ball, but a delay of game penalty on fourth down pushed them back far enough to force a turn over on downs.

Fleming's second possession of the game came a couple minutes into the second quarter at around mid-field. After three plays, the Wildcats were forced to punt for a second time in the game.

Prairie got the ball back with just over six minutes to play in the half deep in their own territory. The home team's offense continued to eat the clock running 10 plays on the drive before a failed hail marry on on forth and 10 gave Fleming the ball back at nearly mid-field with 1:06 left in the first half.

The Wildcats looked to their passing game to cover some ground in an effort to put points on the board before the end of the half. Comstock completed the first pass of the drive, but a long throw on the second play resulted in a Mustang interception with 52 seconds left on the first-half clock.

Prairie let the clock wind down to two and half seconds before calling their final time out giving them time for one last snap. A short pass gave the Mustangs around 20 yards, but Fleming's defense stopped the run and ended the first half.

A Prairie penalty on an on-side kick to open the second half pushed Prairie's kicker back five yards where they attempted a second on-side kick. Joel Muller fielded the ball at mid-field giving the Fleming offense good field position. Chris Goss got the call on the second play of the drive and ran the ball 34 yards to the end zone. A successful points-after kick by Kenneth Bandy put the Wildcats up 8-0 with just 30 seconds off the clock in the third.

A few short plays later, the Wildcats forced a fumble and Muller recovered it giving the Wildcats the ball back 15 yards into Mustang territory. Comstock found Brady Kuntz on the play that immediately followed and Kuntz found the end zone. Fleming's offense found their second TD of the quarter with less than a minute off the third quarter clock bringing the score to 16-0.

Fleming's defense held the Prairie offense in their own territory and forced a punt with seven and a half minutes left in the third. Comstock returned the ball over 20 yards, but a Fleming penalty brought that back 20 yards to the four-yard line. Prairie forced a fumble on the opening play of that drive and recovered to take over at Fleming's four-yard line. Two short Mustang plays later put the home team on the board, but Fleming remained up 16-8 after the points-after kick.

Prairie would regain the possession that followed after an on-side kick was recovered by their own team. Failure to complete passes on the part of the Prairie Mustangs brought up a fourth and nine situation where Charles Hobbs earned a sack for a one-yard loss.

Fleming once again took over on downs with 5:42 on the third-quarter clock, this time two yards inside Mustang territory. A Fleming fumble on the first play gave Prairie a recovery and the ball at the 40-yard line. Prairie came within 14 yards of the end zone before a penalty pushed them back 25 yards to Fleming's 29-yard line on third down. The long pass on fourth down failed and gave the Wildcats the ball back at their own 29 with just under two minutes left in the third.

Fleming gained some quick ground yards earning their first first down of the contest before the fourth play of the fourth quarter put them in the end zone. Bandy's kick for two went through the uprights and put the Wildcats up 24-8.

A turnover on downs gave the Wildcats the ball back once again at mid-field before a first down conversion by Goss for 23 yards put Fleming deep in Mustang territory and the kept the drive alive.

Three plays later found the Wildcats on the 16 yard line at fourth down and five when a Comstock pass found Kuntz for a touchdown with 4:31 left to play. Bandy's kick sailed through the uprights and put Fleming up 32-8.

The two teams would trade possessions again in the remaining minutes of the final quarter with neither team tacking on points and the game would close at 32-8, Fleming.

Fleming's offense compiled 193 yards on the night while Prairie accumulated 278 yards. Comstock completed five of eight passes for a total of 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Kuntz and Goss were Fleming's only two recievers to catch passes in the game. Kuntz led with three catches for 39 yards. His grabs put him in the end zone for two touchdowns.

Goss caught two passes for 28 yards, while leading the Wildcats' rushing game. He carried the ball 12 times for 76 yards and ran the ball into the end zone twice.

Hobbs, along with sophomores Nolan Japp and Blake Feather, followed Goss in the carry category with four apiece. Hobbs and Japp ran the ball for 17 yards; Feather tallied 10.

The Wildcat defense out-tackled the Prairie Mustangs by 13 tackles for the night. The senior trio of Goss, Comstock and Kuntz led the team's defense. Goss made the leading contribution with 17 tackles in the contest. He brought down six solo and 11 assisted tackles. Comstock followed with seven solo and six assisted for 13 total. Kuntz also added double digits with 11 tackles; four solo and seven assisted. He brought down two sacks for nine lost yards and Hobbs added an additional sack for a loss of six yards.

Goss and Kuntz both saw end zone time twice in the game. They led on the scoreboard with 12 points each off two TDs. Bandy, the Wildcats' kicker, followed with eight points after going four-for-four on his points-after attempts.

The Wildcats are set to host the Peetz Bulldogs this week in a Thursday contest. Peetz rolls into Fleming at 2-1 on the year with wins over Weldon Valley and Flager. They suffered their lone loss at the hands of the Briggsdale Falcons in week three's contest. Kickoff on Thursday at Fleming is set for 6:30 p.m.