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Freshman Christopher Jackson scrambles for yardage in the first half of Menwith's homecoming game against the visiting Rota Admirals. Menwith Hill jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead and held on to hand Rota its first loss of the season, 16-14.

Freshman Christopher Jackson scrambles for yardage in the first half of Menwith's homecoming game against the visiting Rota Admirals. Menwith Hill jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead and held on to hand Rota its first loss of the season, 16-14. (Geoff Ziezulewicz / S&S)

Freshman Christopher Jackson scrambles for yardage in the first half of Menwith's homecoming game against the visiting Rota Admirals. Menwith Hill jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead and held on to hand Rota its first loss of the season, 16-14.

Freshman Christopher Jackson scrambles for yardage in the first half of Menwith's homecoming game against the visiting Rota Admirals. Menwith Hill jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead and held on to hand Rota its first loss of the season, 16-14. (Geoff Ziezulewicz / S&S)

Rota quarterback Scott Curtin carries the ball during the first half.

Rota quarterback Scott Curtin carries the ball during the first half. (Geoff Ziezulewicz / Stripes)

RAF MENWITH HILL, England — Menwith Hill needed a victory Saturday to keep its Division IV tournament hopes alive, and got it with a 16-14 nail-biter over previously unbeaten Rota.

The outcome was doubly nice because the Mustangs (3-2) were playing their homecoming game against a team that whipped them 56-14 last year and 26-8 earlier this season.

"This is a huge game," Mustangs coach Pete Resnick said.

Andrew Breeding stopped Rota quarterback Scott Curtin on a two-point try with about 3½ minutes left in the game after the Admirals (4-1) scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to reduce the Mustangs’ 16-0 halftime lead to two points.

Rota failed to recover an onside kick, and Menwith Hill held on.

It was all Mustangs in the first half, as the offense clicked and the stingy defense shut out the Admirals to produce a rare low-scoring game in the nine-man-team division.

The Mustangs scored on junior Jeremey Smith’s 35-yard run with about seven minutes left in the first quarter. Quarterback Scottie Setzer zipped into the end zone for the two-point conversion.

After Rota failed to convert on a fourth down at the Mustangs’ 20, Menwith Hill moved downfield on a 25-yard pass from Setzer to senior Anthony Woodcock and a 25-yard run by freshman Christopher Jackson.

The Mustangs made it 16-0 early in the second quarter when Setzer connected with Smith on a TD pass and Jackson barreled into the end zone for two.

The Mustangs’ defense remained tough, snuffing out Rota’s hope for a first-half score by sacking Curtin in the final seconds of the half.

Although Rota chewed up most of the third-quarter clock, it could not score. But senior fullback RJ Curley ripped off several big rushing plays on a drive that ended with his 4-yard TD run and a two-point conversion by Curtin halfway through the final quarter.

The game’s final score came on a 44-yard pass from Curtin to James Stovall. The first attempt at a tying two-pointer was foiled by offsetting penalties and the second by Breeding when he caught Curtin on a rollout.

Setzer said the pressure was on the defense when Rota got its second shot at two points.

"Whew, we were thinking ‘Please don’t cross that line,’ " said Setzer, who added that his team "felt good" about the victory. "We had injuries last time we played them, and Rota’s a good team."

Rota clinched a D-IV playoff berth last week with a 28-21 victory over Alconbury. Menwith Hill visits Alconbury on Saturday to determine the other finalist.

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