by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow – Halloween isn’t for another six nights. But it came early for the Wellington Crusader football team.

Wellington lost to Mulvane 30-14. Yet the Crusaders generated 361 yards of offense. Mulvane had 266 yards offense.

The Crusaders ran 73 offensive plays to Mulvane’s 56 and had 27 first downs to Mulvane’s 25. Yet lost by 16 points.

A most certain touchdown was called an interception. Twice Mulvane got huge lengthy touchdowns to start and end the first half.

In the end, Wellington police officers had to guard the victory bell because Mulvane is the only town/school that ever wants to ring it. And on a night when former players gathered to pay tribute to longtime assistant coach John Gifford who is going to retire at the end of the season, such a bell ringing prank wouldn’t have been a pleasant scene.

And just to top it all off, Clearwater beats Winfield 18-15. That means District 12 is in a four-way tie at 1-1. Throw out the tie-breaker scenarios. This is easy. The two teams that win Thursday are in. The two teams that lose Thursday are out. Wellington is at Winfield.

For Mulvane really four plays defined this game. The Wildcats didn’t have a drive longer than 62 yards all evening. The Wildcats first touchdown came after Mulvane got the ball at midfield after the Crusaders were called for a face mask and a false start right off the bat. It was a sign of things to come. Wellington was going to have a long adversarial relationship with the game officials all night.

Mulvane’s Michael Mason romped 41 yards up the middle for a touchdown on the third offensive play of the night to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.

Then, came the play everyone was talking about afterwards. After Wellington drove down field with a mixture of Austin Dunn running and Trevor Nance passing, Wellington got inside the 20.

Nance then hit Colin Reichenberger on a 19-yard rollout pass to the end zone which appeared as if it was a Wellington touchdown. But the officials ruled it a Mulvane interception.

People in the vicinity said Reichenberger most certainly had the ball and brought into his chest while going to the ground, and the Mulvane player ripped it out of his hands afterwards. The official though said it was strip and Mulvane had the ball at the 20.

Mason scored his second touchdown on a 28-yard run and with 6:24 to play in second quarter to make it 14-0.

Mulvane added a field goal on the next drive. Then before the half, Wildcat Austin Bell found an opening in Wellington’s zone defense on a dump-off pass, and scrambled 50 yards for a touchdown

“It wasn’t the right defense to run in that situation,” Ryan said. “I take responsibility for that.”

Wellington trailed 24-0 and was clearly in trouble at the half.

But Wellington fought back and made this a game again when Dunn scored from the 7 and then Connor Phelps nabbed a two-point conversion pass that was a one-hander. Wellington may lead the state in one-handed catches. The game was 24-8.

The Crusaders then were driving deep in Mulvane territory midway through the fourth quarter, when on fourth down Nance lined up as a punter, grabbed the ball and threw to a wide open Dunn who dropped the ball.

Wellington eventually would get a huge score when Nance hit Reichenberger on a 82 yard touchdown pass to make it 24-14 with 9:19 to play after the missed PAT run.

But starting from its own 38, Mulvane used three good runs by Mason and then quarterback Cole Cottrell snuck in from the 1 to lead 30-14.

Wellington had one last gasp and it would drive downfield with impressive passes to Phelps and Reichenberger. But a Mulvane defender made a sensational interception at the goal line and that sealed the game for a Wildcat victory.

Thursday is simple. Wellington wins it goes to the playoffs. If it loses the season ends.

Mulvane 30 Wellington 14

Mulvane 7 17 0 6— 30

Wellington 0 0 7 7— 14

M-Mason 41 run (PAT kick).

M-Mason 28 run (PAT kick).

M- 22 yard field goal.

M-Cottrell to Bell 50-yard pass (PAT kick).

W- Dunn 7 run (PAT pass Nance to Phelps good).

W- 82 pass from Nance to Reichenberger (PAT run no good).

M-Cottrell 1 run (PAT pass no good).

Rushing: W— Dunn 25-140 1 TD. Nance 11-35. Reichenberger 1-2 Phelps 2-12. Total 39-189. M— Mason 25-160. Cottrell 11-13 Dempsey 1-4.

Passing: W— Nance 8-12- 130 yds, 1 TD. 2 int. M— Cattrell 3-5-97 yds.

Receiving: W— Phelps 2-24, Reichenberger 4-100, Dunn 2-6.  M – Bell 1-50, Whitaker 1-19, Dempsey 1-3.