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FOOTBALL ARTICLES
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Custer pounces on title!
Cougars blank Riverside for Blackbourn crown
Article tacken from the Journal Sentinal -- 10/19/00
For the past three football seasons, the Milwaukee City Conference Blackbourn Division title has come down to who wins the Custer-Riverside game.
The teams split the first two meetings, with Riverside having the latest laugh in 1999.
Custer senior running back Alvin Wilson has been around for all three battles and wanted nothing more than to go out a winner on Wednesday.
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Custer senior running back Alvin Wilson has been around for all three battles and wanted nothing more than to go out a winner on Wednesday.
"Last year we had a couple of new guys and they were kind of scared, didn't have the heart," Wilson said. "This year, the four captains all sat down and said, 'Hey, we've got a shot at it.' We had to take it back."
Custer did just that by beating Riverside, 17-0, at Pulaski Stadium.
The victory capped a 6-0 season for Custer in the Blackbourn and the Cougars head into the playoffs at 7-2 overall. Riverside suffered its first division loss and is also 7-2 overall.
The game was up for grabs until a game-breaking play in the third quarter.
Riverside was behind, 10-0, but took its first drive of the second half to the Custer 5.
Quarterback Isreal Santa Maria was then sacked by senior Mack Scott for a 12-yard loss.
On fourth and goal from the 17, Custer senior linebacker Nehemiah Carson stripped the ball from Santa Maria and strutted 83 yards the other way for a touchdown that ended all hope for Riverside.
"I just got done telling our guys that big-time players make big-time plays," Custer coach Barry Zmudzinski said. "Alvin Wilson has been a big-time player and Nehemiah Carson, who stole that ball, has been a big-time player for us. I think that was the play the whole game hinged on right there."
Strong defense turned this game into a cat fight between the Cougars and Tigers in the first half.
After a first quarter in which both teams played conservatively, Custer opened scoring with a field goal with 4 minutes 48 seconds left in the second quarter.
The key play of the 40-yard drive came on second and 9 from the Riverside 39.
Junior quarterback Julius Davis hit tight end Jeremiah Carson up the middle for a 14-yard gain.
The Cougars made it to the 6, but a botched play and false-start call pushed them back to the 14. Sophomore Stephan Huff booted a 30-yarder to give Custer a 3-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, a set of gaffes by both teams came out in Custer's favor.
After a short kickoff, the ball was muffed by a Riverside player and scooped up by Wilson, who returned the ball to the 32.
"I knew all along I was trying to get the ball," Wilson said. "Usually, I'm not on there and (coach) took a person off because his leg was messed up. He told me to go in, and since this is my last year, I said, 'Sure, I'll do it.' I got a little advantage and took it."
Facing first and 15 from the Tigers' 22, Davis attempted a pass to senior Jebari Craig, but Craig's arm was pulled, resulting in a pass interference call near the 10.
Soon after, Wilson sidestepped his way through a hole and reached the end zone 9 yards later for a 10-0 Custer lead with 1:00 left in the half.
"I've been doing this for a lot of years and sometimes you take advantage of (mistakes)," Zmudzinski said. "We mis-kicked the ball, their player mishandled it and our guy was in the position to turn the momentum. Once we got the momentum, we never let it go."
Riverside came out in the second half with fancy feet not seen in the opening session.
The Tigers started a drive from their 35 and moved to the 42 on a 7-yard pickup by junior Ayodeji Ijaola. Three more runs by Ijaola got Riverside to the Custer 39, but he hobbled off the field with ankle trouble on the next play.
Riverside had a first and 10 from the 22, but Custer's defense applied the pressure that would break open the game. The Tigers lost 6 yards on the next two plays, then gave up the 83-yard touchdown six plays later.
"Their defense kept coming at us and we couldn't pick up their blitz," Riverside coach Rick Johnson said. "They were a step faster than us tonight. That goes out to the defensive coordinator and Coach Z."
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