Mustangs united for common goal

It’s a team sport they say. One player supports the other. A well-oiled machine. We have heard all the old sayings when it comes to defining a team. In many cases, a team is made up of a group of people with different talents and different specialties, and it takes a special kind of coach to be able to bring those talents and personalities together, to make the aforementioned “team”. Hughes Springs football has just that. This year’s version of Mustang football will bring some changes; some will be visible and have been seen on the football field already. A well-documented and talked about offensive change is being implemented and rigorously practiced. For those fans that are unaware, the Hughes Springs offense for the past eight years has been the Slot-T, predominately a rushing offense based on precise blocking and physical running backs and their ability to find the hole created by the lineman. This year the offense will move to a “spread” offense. Behind the leadership and genius mind of Stephen Barnes, the offensive coordinator, the young men from Hughes Springs have been busy installing the new offense for months now. What began at the end of the last school year, and continued in the fall practices, this year’s groups of “kids” are quite busy and their heads are full of new plays to keep their minds busy into the wee hours of the night. The spread offense is an offense designed, of course, to “spread” out the defense and use the speed of the running backs and receivers to create havoc on the opposing defenses and wear them down. Coach Chris Edwards believes that a strength this year is team unity. “I feel like this group is unselfish, and will play hard for each other,” said Edwards. This year, Hughes Springs made the jump from “small” 3A classification to “big” 3A. Enrollment numbers dictate which classification a school will be placed in every two years, and with enrollment in Hughes Springs rising every year seemingly, a change in classification was necessary. But Ed didn’t think that moving up is that big of a deal, stating, “We may struggle with the depth issue but overall not much different.” He also feels that Hughes Springs has a great chance to compete for the district title, specifically mentioning, White Oak and Redwater as chief competitors, but made it clear also that Jefferson will be in the discussion, too. With no starters returning from last year, the Mustangs have a new “stable” of players to soak up the offense. A few players that will be asked to shine this year are a big crop of juniors who many of you readers heard their names last year. Junior, and new starting quarterback, Alex Bruce, will guide the offense, and will be joined by an impressive corps of backs. Bo McEntire, Bryce Johnston, and Ty Menefee will be asked to shoulder the load at running back, while Tradarian Craver, Chandler King, Jacobi Craver and speedster Dedrick Hill will be the receivers. According to Coach Barnes, he believes that the change to the spread is a good because it fits the kids real well. Barnes was also asked about what to expect in game one against the Daingerfield Tigers, he stated, “ It will be exciting for the kids, and there will be more balance,” as opposed to the last eight years of running the Slot-T offense. Defensively, the Mustangs return four starters, and also have some familiar names that Mustang nation will recognize. Zach Pilgrim, Hunter Brabham and Clark Black are just a few of the names that return. Along with Tradarian Craver and Tony Kemp, senior Zac Anderson will be a major player and is a rising star, who is eager to show Hughes Springs his ability to shine. Thursday is the season opener for Hughes Springs and Daingerfield. It also marks the first time since 2009. Historically, the Tigers hold a 25-13-2 advantage in the series. The Tigers and Mustangs haven’t played each other on a regular basis as of late, with the two teams playing each other four times from 2006-2009, three times in the 80’s and before that way back in the 50’s and 60’s. With only six miles separating the two towns, it goes without saying that Thursday’s game is a big one. But it is also the first game in a long season. For now, show up Thursday night at Tiger Stadium, and get there early, as it is sure to be a standing room only event. Best of luck to both teams throughout the season.