The West Orange-Stark Mustangs made it to the state championship game last season. Falling just short in that game is something Coach Cornel Thompson thinks the Mustangs can build on in 2015. Thompson spoke with ex-Mustang Earl Thomas saying the Mustangs and Thomas’ Seahawks were both coming off losses in the championship game and would be motivated to get there again this season and have a different result. Thompson admits the loss stuck in everybody’s craw, but he and the coaches will not speak about it to the players until a more appropriate time.
Most seasons it is a matter of just reloading for West Orange-Stark football and Coach Thompson. The coach looks at the ammunition he can load in the Mustangs’ gun and the main bullet is returning quarterback Jack Dallas who played in 15 of the 16 Mustang games on their run to the championship contest. Thompson is looking for big things out of Dallas, but says he and the coaches must find ten other guys to surround Dallas on offense. West Orange-Stark has two scrimmages and a tough non-district schedule with a lot of question marks on its football team to be ready for the district games.
The Chain Gang Defense at West Orange-Stark has been built on players that pursue the football and hit the other team’s guy with it. Thompson will be looking to find more of those kinds of kids during summer workouts. Thompson states that for a young man to play on the Mustangs defense they must run to the football and get after it when the ball’s snapped. West Orange-Stark returns four starters back from last year’s Chain Gang to give some leadership. Steven Tims is back at the Willie Linebacker, and Justin Brown returns at the Sam Linebacker. Cornerback Malick Phillips will be back for the Mustangs. Thompson has moved stellar defensive lineman Mandel Turner-King from noseguard to defensive tackle.
The primary task for the weeks leading up to the start of the 2015 football season at West Orange Stark is building an offensive line. Coach Cornel Thompson thinks the Mustangs’ offense starts with the O-line. Thompson knows the offensive line must be rebuilt with only deep snapper Tristen Scott back with any experience on the varsity. A couple of players got some spot time, but they have never played a full football game at West Orange-Stark. Thompson philosophies that they will find someone to run the football for the Mustangs and without a good offensive line all running backs look the same. The Mustangs have got to build that offensive line to be able to run the football and protect Dallas at quarterback.
West Orange-Stark returns four starters on defense leaving seven holes. The biggest holes on defense to fill for Thompson are the two safety positions. Thompson’s two safeties from last season are now going to be playing at Alabama and Louisiana Tech, that kind of talent is not easily replaced. Thompson thinks the coaches have their work cut out for them to find two safeties and five other starters to go with the four returning starters. Thompson does not know how good the Mustangs’ defense will be, but he knows how good he expects them to be, and the Mustangs will find some way to get that done by the time they get to the district.
Going into the season West Orange-Stark is always one of the favorites in district. Coach Thompson is not taking anything for granted in preparing the Mustangs for ten tough regular season games with expectations of making the postseason. Thompson challenges anyone to find as tough a non-district schedule as West Orange-Stark’s. He believes the rugged non-district opponents on the Mustangs’ schedule will prepare them for the district. Right now the focus is on the non-district according to Thompson, getting the offensive and defensive teams settled, stay away from the injury bug, take care of their grades, and then get ready for district. Thompson concludes that any weakness the Mustangs have their tough non-district opponents will point it out to them.
The West Orange-Stark Mustangs open the season at home against the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears on Friday, August 28. You can hear the game on KOGT.
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