Mustangs football defeated in head coach's debut

New Lakewood Ranch High football coach Christopher Culton didn't start his tenure with a win, but did bear witness to a classic finish.

Down 21-14 to visiting Ida Baker High with 1:53 left, the Mustangs forced a fumble and recovered it on their own 45, giving themselves a chance to tie (or win) the game at the buzzer. 

They got as close as the two-yard line with three seconds left. Then, senior quarterback George Davis, who earlier left the game with a hand injury, was sacked, and the game was over. 

The team had a chance at all because the Mustangs got a touchdown pass from senior backup quarterback/wide receiver Cooper Corley, who found sophomore Jake Turner streaking to the end zone with 3:43 left, to make it 21-14. Lakewood Ranch scored on its first possession, but between that score and Corley's late TD pass, the unit struggled to move the ball. The triple-option offense Culton installed still has kinks to work out, Culton said. 

"When it was working, it was beautiful," Culton said. "That's what you want. But kids have to trust what they see. We're asking 17-year-old kids to make quick decisions 60 times a game. It's hard." 

The Mustangs had their opportunities. A first-and-goal situation in the second quarter turned into four up-the-middle bursts; none of them reached the end zone. Culton said he has no regrets about going for the touchdown and said post game that "as long as I'm the coach here and we have the ball on the one, we're going for it." The Mustangs also turned the ball over three times. 

Despite a lightning storm that delayed the game approximately an hour, Culton said he didn't change his game plan because of the weather. The offense's issues were mainly self-inflicted. The hope for the Mustangs is that less wounds will be opened as the team grows together. In that sense, Culton said he's proud of the way his team fought back and gave itself a chance at the end instead of quitting. 

That doesn't change the final result, though. Lakewood Ranch is now 0-1 on the year. 

"Every great game has a loser," Culton said. "Tonight we lost. We got what we deserved, and Ida Baker got what it deserved."

The Mustangs will play at host Bayshore High (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.