ASIJ’s Shou Murakami-Moses couldn’t quite catch up to this pass, but he did have a 20-yard TD reception for the Mustangs. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
TOKYO — Practice makes perfect. But last-minute wrinkles can sometimes work in football as well.
That was the case Friday as American School in Japan got on the scoreboard first via a hook-and-lateral run of 58 yards by Micah Eickbush en route to a season-ending 36-15 win over Humphreys at Mustang Valley.
“We thought we had nothing to lose. We just put that in yesterday,” coach Ron Schnell said of the trick play. Quarterback Isreal Rodriguez tossed to receiver Shou Murakami-Moses, who pitched to Eickbush, who took it the distance 3 minutes, 24 seconds into the first quarter.
The touchdown helped lead the Mustangs (2-4 overall, 1-4 league) to a season-series victory over the Blackhawks via point differential. Humphreys (2-3 overall) beat ASIJ at home two weeks earlier 36-20, but the Mustangs with the win were five points better than the Blackhawks.
Eickbush closed out his Mustangs career with 215 yards on 21 carries, including a 68-yard TD run with 5:59 left in the third quarter.
“He’s been our leader on both offense and defense,” Schnell said of Eickbush, who along with Rodriguez and Murakami-Moses have been key to the Mustangs’ fortunes dating back to last season’s Far East Division II championship.
Rodriguez gave the Mustangs a 12-0 lead, running 12 yards for a score with 1:28 left in the first period. That score held up at halftime. ASIJ scored again 3:59 into the third period on Oskar Vermiere’s 1-yard plunge to make it 19-0.
Humphreys' Joshua Canion tries to avoid ASIJ's Alex Moores and Ammon Summers. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
ASIJ’s Micah Eickbush closed his high school career with two lengthy touchdown runs and 215 rushing yards. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys' Joshua Sahagun can't find the handle on the ball as ASIJ's Oskar Vermiere watches. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys got on the scoreboard soon after, as Joshua Canion broke free down the left sideline for a 91-yard TD. But on the ensuing play, Eickbush responded his lengthy touchdown run that proved to be the backbreaker.
Murakami-Moses later caught a 20-yard touchdown pass with 2:58 left in the third quarter and Jack Draper added a 30-yard field goal with 1:28 remaining in the contest.
Bradley Miller gave Humphreys its last points with a 9-yard scoring pass to Joshua Ward 4:22 into the final period.
Humphreys came to ASIJ minus three of its key starters, Dominic Meno, Von Tucker and Matthew Nubin, coach Reggie Meno said.
“We’ve tried to instill in the players that the next man has to step up,” Meno said. “It didn’t happen today.”
Based on Friday’s D-I game results going into next weekend’s semifinals, Kubasaki owns the top seed followed by Kadena, Humphreys – which beat Kinnick 33-20 on Oct. 4 – and the Red Devils, with the Mustangs fifth and last.
An official announcement regarding the D-I semifinal pairings will be made on Tuesday, DODEA-Pacific athletics coordinator Tom McKinney said.
ASIJ closed with its second straight victory, coming on the heels of the Mustangs’ 26-6 win Oct. 5 over Waseda University High School.
“Good way to end it,” Schnell said.
