The Tri-Valley Mustang football had their 2021 season come to an end in the quarterfinals on Thursday, October 28th. The Mustangs fell to the Vermillion Tanagers 21-7.
Vermillion scored on the first drive of the game. The Tanagers had a nine-play, 79-yard drive that lasted 4:04 giving them a 7-0 lead with 7:56 in the opening quarter. The scored remained 7-0 at the quarter break. The Tanagers scored again in the second quarter with 7:35 in the half after a 49-yard drive. Vermillion led 14-0 at halftime.
Tri-Valley scored on their first drive of the second half. They had a seven-play, 64-yard drive that ended on a six-yard touchdown run by Jaden Siemonsma. Reese Smith made the extra point to make the score 14-7 with 8:29 to play in third quarter. The score was still 14-7 heading into the final quarter.
Vermillion got a big score just thirty seconds into the fourth quarter. A big pass play followed by a four-yard touchdown run with 11:28 to go in the game put the Tanagers ahead 21-7. Tri-Valley only had one possession in the fourth quarter, which ended in a turnover on downs. Vermillion was able to run out the clock over the last final 8:54 of the game.
Siemonsma had five carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Isaac McFarland had five carries for 21 yards, and Eli McFarland finished with a 13-yard carry. Owen Besmer was 4-8 passing for 40 yards and an interception. Austin McNulty had a 32-yard catch, and Siemonsma had three catches for eight yards.
Siemonsma led the team with seven tackles. Tyson VanDerVliet had six tackles. Besmer had five tackles and an interception. Logan Ellison, Colby Carruthers, and Caden Reuter all had five tackles each. I. McFarland, Mason Hendrixson, Connor Christensen, and Zach Powell all had four tackles. Lawson Loiseau also had an interception.
Tri-Valley finished the season with a 5-5 record.