Escort Service win league's first game
Beat Mustangs thrilling 106-103 contest
April 18, 2004
Sothey Long had 6 rushing TDs and 3 receiving ones--including the game winner with time expired as the Escort Service overcame a 25 point deficit to defeat the Mustangs 106-103.  It was Sothey's first game on the Reservoir field since he was injured in the December 28th, 2003 Big Game III.  He joined team captain Greg Ouellette, who took almost all of the snaps at QB, Daniel D., Ron Sim, and Nicky Ostis.

The game started off with both teams answering each other score for score.  The Escort Service received the ball first after Ron Sim beat Steven Ostis in the scramble for the ball.  Greg completed a 7 play, 52 yard scoring drive with a 1 yard rushing touchdown.  After the subsequent PAT, the Escort Service lead 7-0.

That lead would not last long however as on the very next kickoff, Team Animosity member, Ryan Shockley, who was filling in for one of the three absent Mustangs, returned Greg's kickoff 60 yards for a touchdown. Steve passed to Corey for the PAT and the game was tied.

Greg would pick up his second rushing touchdown on the Escort Service's second possession to bring the score to 13-7, but the Mustangs answered right back as Steve connected with Corey for the first passing touchdown in league history.

Sothey Long caught the first passing touchdown in his team's history when he caught a 22 yard pass from Greg on fourth down to make the score 19-13. 

Then came the game's first turnover on the next drive by the Mustangs. Steve converted a fourth down pass to Corey Pinkham, but the four-time HFT champion made the mistake of trying to do too much as his lateral was caught in the air by Ron.    However, the Escort Service would hand the ball back three plays later after Ryan recovered Greg's fumble and returned it to the Escort Service 10 yard line.

Steve would then find Matt Hurley open in the end zone and the Mustangs once again tied the score 19-19.

The Escort Service's next possession resulted in the first turnover on downs in the game as Greg's fourth down pass went incomplete.  The Mustangs capitalized as Steve threw another TD to Matt, this one for 43 yards and the first lead of the game for the 'Stangs, 25-19.

But after the Mustangs missed their PAT, the Escort Service needed only one play to regain the lead.  Sothey had his first carry at running back and took it 43 yards for the TD, Greg ran in the PAT and the Escorts again led 26-25.

Matt caught his third TD pass of the game (PAT missed) and the Mustangs went up by 5, 31-26.  Greg's first pass on the next possession was intercepted by Ryan, and returned to the 35 of the Escort Service.  Steve threw three incompletions and then was picked off by Dan who returned it to the original line of scrimmage.  Three plays later Greg was intercepted again, this time by his own brother, Keith.  Steve ended the string of interceptions by throwing a 55 yard pass to Matt for the TD, the longest pass of the game for either team. and the Mustangs opened up the first double-digit lead of the game, 38-26.

Greg scored on a 25 yard TD run on the first play of the next drive to cut the lead back down to 5.  Following a 15 yard gain on their first play, four straight incompletions in the next possession by Steve, allowed the Escort Service to retake the lead, 39-38, after Sothey ran in a 60 yard touchdown (he was over 100 yards rushing after two carries).

With the half drawing near a close, Corey caught a TD pass from Steve and the Mustangs went up by 6, with 46 seconds left. They would not trail again until the 4th quarter. After a deep kickoff that resulted in the Escorts starting at their own 15, Greg fumbled the ball on 2nd down.  It was recovered by Matt and following a 17 yard TD pass to Keith the Mustangs were able to open up a 50-39 lead heading into the half, with the ball coming back their way in the 3rd quarter.

The Mustangs started the second half with a 9 play, 65 yard drive, culminating with a 1 yard TD pass to Corey to increase their lead to 57-39.  Things got worse for the Escort Service when they went 4 and out on their next possession.  The Mustangs then went up by 25 on the very next play as Steve again found Corey in the end zone for a 30 yard TD pass.  It appeared that the Mustangs were going to run away with things, now leading by almost 4 TDs.

The Escort Service shook things up on their next possession, and Sothey took over at QB and immediately completed a 25 yard pass to Ron.  A couple of incomplete passes and a couple of running plays set up a surprising 4 yard TD pass from Sothey to Nicky, who was completed uncovered.  The PAT conversion cut the lead back down to 18.

Perhaps the biggest play of the game would come on the next possession.  With the Mustangs again trying to add to their lead, Greg intercepted Steve's pass and returned it all the way back 65 yards for the TD.  A successful PAT followed and in a few short moments, the Mustangs' lead went from 25 to just 11.

The Mustangs were able to answer back with 6 more of their own as for the third straight time, Corey caught the TD pass.  But Greg, re-inserting himself at QB, had a go-to guy as well, Sothey, and he caught another TD himself.  The PAT would bring the Escorts back within 10.

Steve would struggle again on the next possession, completing only 1 out of 6 passes on the drive before being intercepted by Sothey, who returned it for a TD, and all of a sudden, the game that the Mustangs once led by 25 points, was only a three point affair.

Greg wasted no time in completing the comeback.  Seeing that the opposing team was not ready and far too deep to defend an onside kick, Greg kicked the ball to just about the 40 yard line where it was picked up by Sothey.  Despite some controversy over the play, the ruling went in favor of the Escort Service.  On the first down play Sothey scored his third rushing TD in as many carries, this one for 40 yards, and the Escort Service completed their improbable comeback.  The score was now 73-70, Escorts!

The teams would now begin a back and forth battle that would see the lead change nine more times before the Escort Service got the ball in the game's deciding drive with 7 seconds left in the 4th quarter.

Keith caught a 40 yard pass from Steve and the Mustangs reclaimed the lead. 77-73.  The Escort Service responded when Dan caught his first TD of the game to make the score 80-77.  Steve responded with yet another TD pass to Corey to make it 84-80.  Sothey received his 4th handoff and turned it into his 4th rushing TD, and the Escorts went up 86-84.  Steve and Corey hooked up for a 6th time on the next drive and it was 90-86 Mustangs.  That would be the score as the teams headed towards the Two Minute Warning.

The back and forth only got more furious inside 2:00 to go.  Sothey got his amazing 5th TD run on 5 carries to make it 93-90, but Steve rediscovered 1st quarter target Matt and the Mustangs went up by 4 97-93.  Sothey would score his sixth and final rushing TD on the next drive, and 18 yard score that put the Escorts one point shy of the century mark, 99-97. 

With time running short, the Mustangs faced a must-score situation.  Greg's kickoff went back to the Mustangs' 20, but Ryan was able to return it to the Escort 30, setting up a dramatic TD pass from Steve to Corey that gave the Mustangs the lead and put them into triple-digits, 103-99, with 8 seconds left to play.

The kickoff from Matt went out of bounds meaning only 1 second ran off the clock, as the Escort Service started at their own 30 with 7 seconds left in the game.  What happened next was a source of great controversy.  A pre-game decision not to put cones on the opposite sideline lead to confusion.  Sothey fielded a handoff from Greg, but for the first time all game, he did not score as a result.  However, the question was did he step out of bounds or was he tackled?  The controversy was heightened when referee Wilson Rith did not stop his watch on the alleged out of bounds play.  The officials ultimately ruled that Sothey did step out of bounds with 2 seconds left. A video replay showed that he actually stepped out with one second left.  Either way, the Escort Service had one last play.  With time expired, Greg hurled the ball towards the endzone 35 yards away and Sothey made a beautiful grab to win the game for the Escort Service.  Greg would later run it in for an uncontested (and meaningless) PAT to make the final score Escort Service 106, Mustangs 103.