By Milla Butler
Coming out on a 2-0 record, the Mustangs were hoping to maintain their winning streak competing against the Axtell Wildcats. Head coach Shaun Fisher was hoping for the same; he shared his thoughts prior to the third game of the season, “My thoughts, along with the other coaches, were that Axtell was going to be a tough game. They have a great coach who’s had a lot of success in putting together some solid teams. We knew they were going to be physical and give us their best shot, so we needed to make sure we were locked in for a battle. Axtell has some excellent rebounders so the key to the game was to win the battle inside and limit offensive rebounds. We just needed to slow things down to see what they were giving us and execute, which we did.” The first three quarters’ scores displayed the tone for the high-intensity, closely-scored game. The Mustangs took the first two quarters, ending with proximate scores of 21-20 in the first and 31-29 in the second. Turning the game around in the third quarter, Axtell took the lead and finished with a 48-49 lead. Tied 54-54 in the fourth quarter, both teams were anxious to get ahead. A shot made by senior Casey Conway allowed the Mustangs to break the tie and the score improved 56-54. After this shot, the Mustangs’ tough defense allowed the Wildcats no opportunities to put another point on the board, and the game ended with a final score of 62-54 with the Mustangs taking the win.
The team’s offensive leader for the Mustangs was junior Landon Duester with twenty-three points. Duester also led the team in offensive rebounds, obtaining four. Seniors Lane and Casey Conway were also major contributors in offense, gathering twelve and thirteen points, respectively. Leaders in defense include Duester, Lane Conway, and senior Blake Cantrell. Each of the three players gathered four defensive rebounds. Commenting on the Mustangs’ ability to take the game back after falling behind, Fisher says, “I think the composure they had to turn the game around came from playing time experience. We were able to get a lot of games this summer where the boys were challenged quite a bit. They’ve played together for a long time and having that understanding of one another really helps when those games are close. What’s great about this team is they all have the will to win. They understand that sometimes we as coaches need to make some adjustments which might alter playing time, but they all share the same end goal, which is to win as a team.” As the team’s season continues, Fisher says they’ll continue to work on their transition game and value each possession on the offensive end. “We want to be a team that can run it but also slow it down and beat teams down inside. We will continue working on becoming a well-disciplined defensive team as well. A team that can play three close games like this and come out on top says a lot about these young men.”
After coming out on top against the Wildcats on Tuesday, the Mustangs traveled to Elba on Friday in hopes of defeating the Bluejays. Head Coach Shaun Fisher comments. “My thoughts going into the Elba game were to try and get an early lead and sustain it throughout the rest of the game. I was hopeful that the boys could come out strong and execute so we could get some of the other varsity players time on the court. My challenge to the group was to focus on the little things and work on some of their individual techniques- which they did great on.” The Mustangs sailed through the beginning of the game, allowing not a single opportunity for the Bluejays to score. The first quarter went quickly and ended 26-0. By the second quarter, the starters sat and let the rest of the team take over the game. Fisher says, “ I thought they played great stepping into the Elba game. With the majority of our games being so close, it’s been difficult getting everyone in. I thought this game was very beneficial for them as they were able to showcase what they could do. It’s always tough to see what they can truly do in practice when they go up against one another. This allowed them to play more freely and go up against a different opponent. They did an excellent job!” The Mustangs kept up the good work and let the second and third quarters end 44-8, and 61-14, still keeping the lead. The momentum continued in the fourth and final quarter, and the Mustangs came out on top with a final score of 70-25. Offensive leaders for the Mustangs include senior Cody Plambeck with eleven points, and seniors Clay Plambeck, Lane Conway, and junior Jaxon tenBensel with seven. Duester and sophomore Xander Journey also helped lead the team in offense, acquiring four and three offensive rebounds. Leading in defense for the Mustangs were Clay Plambeck with five defensive rebounds and Lane Conway with four. Fisher comments, “This week we wanted to bring intensity to practice and games. This is going to be a tough week with C-1 Gibbon and a conference opponent, Kenesaw. I want the boys to understand that they do have what it takes to make a great run this year. Playing games of this caliber will help them throughout the season and make them a better team late in the year. Our biggest main point right now is staying healthy, so we also need to make sure we’re doing all that we can to keep them well rested.”