Gustin went 14-for-18 for 137 yards and two touchdowns and senior Aaron Mills ran the ball 13 times for 63 yards and a TD as Miami East improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2018.
“These kids fight,” said Miami East coach Hunter Folkertsma. “They give everything they’ve got. They have no quit in them. It’s just fun watching them play for each other because it really pays off in the end.”
Northwestern junior quarterback Ried Smith went 31-for-39 for 211 yards and a TD through the air and rushed 17 times for 112 yards and a TD for the Warriors, which fell to 2-1. Northwestern junior Preston Allen also carried the ball 15 times for 81 yards and a TD.
The Warriors scored on their opening drive as Smith hit sophomore Mason McDermott on a 30-yard TD pass to make it 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
Smith scored on an 18-yard run to make it 14-0 with three minutes remaining in the first half.
A week ago, the Vikings trailed Carlisle 20-7 in the first half, but fought back for a 52-36 victory.
“We’ve kind of been there before,” Folkertsma said. “We knew how to fight back a little bit. We knew that we had it in us to come back to where if we kept sticking to our plan and do what we do execution-wise, we could come away with a win.”
With about a minute remaining in the first half, Gustin hit Luke Hamaker on a 28-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 14-7 at the half.
The Vikings received the ball to start the second half and scored on a 3-yard run by Mills to tie the score at 14 with 7:44 remaining in the third quarter.
Northwestern’s Tyler Romine returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, but it was called back due to a holding penalty. The Warriors drove the ball to the Vikings 33-yard line, but Smith’s fourth down pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage, ending the drive.
Gustin hit senior Kaden Francis on a 43-yard pass to give the Vikings first-and-goal from the 9-yard line. A few plays later, Gustin hit Littlejohn on a 15-yard TD pass to give Miami East the lead for good.
Northwestern responded on its next possession, scoring on a 1-yard run by Allen to make it 21-20, but were unable to convert the extra point attempt.
“It’s on the coaching staff,” said Warriors coach Lance Lambert. “We had a holding call on (kickoff return), we had a botched extra point — that comes down to coaching. It’s playing undisciplined football. Our staff has to do a better job of getting our guys prepared.”
The Warriors forced a three-and-out on Miami East’s next possession, but senior Caleb Staley’s 51-yard punt was downed at Northwestern’s six-yard line with 4:12 remaining.
Northwestern drove to Miami East’s 22-yard line, but a holding penalty moved the ball back to the 32-yard line. With 33 seconds remaining, Smith’s pass on fourth-and-11 from the 22-yard line fell short, ending the threat.
“We controlled the game on both sides of the football, we just couldn’t execute at the right time,” Lambert said. “We had holding penalties — again that’s coaching. Holding penalties got the best of us there on that last drive, set us back a little bit and forced our hand a little bit. We’ve got to be more disciplined and get better next week.”
Northwestern travels to Clark County rival Kenton Ridge next week. The Warriors fell to the Cougars 23-13 last season. They’ll have to be “ready for another battle,” Lambert said.
“Our kids are either going to let (the loss to Miami East) define them or we’re going to respond in the correct manner,” Lambert said. “We’ve got to respond and hopefully look back seven weeks from now and this is just an afterthought.”
The Vikings will host Northridge next week, seeking a 4-0 start for the first time since 2014.
“We’re working on changing that culture to get to that winning culture,” Folkertsma said. “I think they’re really buying into what the preparation is and what it takes to be a winning team. They’re showing it on the field now.”
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