Correspondent photo / Michael G. Taylor Mathews’ Drew Spagnoletta (3) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter of a game on Friday in Vienna.

VIENNA — The Mathews’ run game kept things in control for the Mustangs, and the defense withstood Windham’s counterattack in a 40-14 victory over Windham on Friday.

“We went in at halftime, regrouped and told them that we cannot let off the throttle,” Mathews coach Matt Polta said. “We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing right, and there you have it.”

Mathews (2-4) got off to a hot start off the back of Drew Spagnoletta, who rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter. Spagnoletta’s second touchdown came on the first play from scrimmage after a fumble recovery inside Bomber territory.

Before the halfway mark of the second quarter, the Mustangs were two two-point conversions away from a 30-point lead.

Londyn Deak and Dane Brubaker each added to Mathews’ early offensive onslaught with touchdowns of their own. Those scores came in quick succession, just 18 seconds of game time.

On the first play of Windham’s ensuing drive, Mason Eagle intercepted a pass from Bombers quarterback Bryan Smithberger and set the Mustangs up nicely in the red zone. One play later, Brubaker scampered into the end zone to extend the lead.

But Windham wasn’t laying down. And it wouldn’t take very long for them to find some life. Sixteen seconds after Brubaker’s touchdown, Windham junior Dejuan Ramsey took the kickoff all the way back to give the Bombers their first points of the evening.

In the waning seconds of the first half, Smithberger found senior Ethan Thorton on a long ball, quickly turning a 26-0 Mathews advantage into a much more manageable 26-14 deficit at halftime.

Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter until an interception from Spagnoletta stalled a Windham drive with less than a minute to go. As the clock hit zero in the third frame, Deak crossed the goal line for his second score of the night.

Just past the halfway point of the final quarter, Deak found the end zone again. Then for extra measure, bulldozed his way in on the two-point conversion.

“Londyn Deak in the middle, played fullback tonight for real,” Polta said. “It was really nice to watch him just open it up.”

Unfortunately for Windham (1-5), they’d have no answer for the Mustangs this time.

The Bombers are young, and have been battling some growing pains this season. After a game like this, Windham coach Jake Eye wants his inexperienced team to reflect and use this as a chance to grow.

“They were just better than us tonight,” Eye said. “Flat out they were better than us. They out-coached us, they outplayed us, they were more physical. Kudos to them.

Up next, Mathews plays host to Cardinal, while Windham takes a trip up to Ashtabula to take on St. John.