ESTELLINE — For the second straight season, a great start by the No. 2 Estelline Redmen has ended with a disappointing finish. Standing in their way this year was the Mount Vernon Mustangs, who were just seven points away from being undefeated this season.

The Mustangs ended Estelline’s run for a state title while starting their own run Tuesday night in Estelline as Mount Vernon picked up the 20-8 win in the opening round of Class 9A Region 2 high school football action.

“They executed very well,” said Redmen head coach Chip Sundberg. “They were able to do things they needed to do and you got to give them all the credit in the world. They took it to us, we tried everything we were capable of doing and the better team won tonight.”

Prior to the game, Mustang head coach Ryan Kristensen challenged his undersized team to play with a chip on its shoulder and make the nearly three-hour trip worthwhile.

“I told the guys you’d be outsized by them and to play with a chip on your shoulder,” said Kristensen. “We hit hard and were aggressive tonight, and my guys stepped up to that challenge. Our guys stepped up to the trip and made the trip worthwhile.”

That chip on the shoulder was evident after Estelline (8-1) found the end zone first. Blake Saathoff, who was 7-of-11 for 73 yards and an interception, found Josh Licht on a 13-yard strike. But the Redmen were not allowed to get closer than 15 yards from the end zone the rest of the way by Mount Vernon’s tough defense.

“We’d get a drive going and have a penalty or let someone get a tackle they shouldn’t have,” Sundberg said. “We just missed a block here and there. It just snowballed on us and we got our chins hanging a little bit when we shouldn’t have.”

The Mustangs found themselves down 8-6 after quarterback Brian Kluth ran through Estelline’s defense with 2:38 to go in the first.

Being down motivated Mount Vernon (7-2), as Kristensen’s squad was able to overcome the deficit in the second quarter. Kluth, who went 2-of-9 passing for 78 yards and two touchdowns on the night, hit Jarod Deinert in stride for the 48-yard touchdown catch to give the Mustangs their first lead of the game.

“We were down 8-6 at the quarter, but knew we shot ourselves in the foot,” Kristensen said. “They kept telling me they could run this and that, and so I trusted my guys out there and they got the job done. When those guys want something they’ll go get it hard. Getting the lead before halftime really got our motors going and it showed in the third quarter.”

Kluth put the game away late in the third as the senior quarterback found tight end Kyle Weiss for the game’s final score on a 30-yard pass play. The tough Mustang defense held strong from there on out forcing turnovers on Estelline’s final two possessions of the games.

Mount Vernon will travel to Hanson Monday to determine who will be among the final four teams to play for a trip to the Dakota Dome. Hanson knocked of the Mustangs earlier in the season, 8-6.

“We got Hanson and they beat us 8-6 in the regular season,” said Kristensen. “We’re excited to get another day of practice and another game to play. We’re excited.”

Sundberg’s squad has some holes to fill next season as seven key seniors graduate.

“We have some big shoes to fill in,” said Sundberg. “We talked about that in the locker room after the game. The boys coming back next year have some big shoes to fill. Next week we start hitting the weight room and see what happens.”