The West Orange-Stark Mustangs are making a third straight trip to the state championship game. This game has been the goal all season long for the Mustangs, and now Coach Cornel Thompson can talk about it. This is not just another game it’s the one everybody has been focused on since the start of the year. Thompson has been after the players not to even mention it, but to play one game at a time throughout the season. Thompson admits, “We’re on the fifth rung of the ladder reaching for the sixth. This is the game we’ve all been waiting on, and we’re excited about being a part of it.”
Going into the final game of the season West Orange-Stark will be without the services of two players. Backup running back Justin Sibley dislocated his elbow against Navarro last week, and he will not play this week. Demorris Thibodeaux will miss the game with a broken collarbone suffered three weeks ago in the Bellville game. Otherwise the lame shall walk in this game for all the marbles according to Coach Thompson.
The championship game will feature two teams with the same nickname as the opponent is the Sweetwater Mustangs. Thompson points out Sweetwater runs the Spread when they have the football. The two teams do many of the same things on offense in fact the coach says they are mirrored images of each other. Thompson adds, “They run and throw the football with good accuracy.”
At quarterback for Sweetwater is Chris Thompson who is their leader on offense just like Jack Dallas is for West Orange-Stark. Thompson has thrown 34 touchdowns and for over 3,000 yards. He spreads the ball around, but the top receiver is Kobe Clark with 71 receptions good for 12 touchdowns. Thompson does not move the Sweetwater offense with just his arm. He has run for 1,115 yards and 24 touchdowns. Joining him in the backfield is Jacoby Hunt who has tallied 11 rushing scores and gained 1,148 yards on the ground.
On defense Sweetwater uses the same defense employed last week by the Navarro Panthers. Coach Thompson analyzes Sweetwater’s 3-3 Stack Defense. Sweetwater is led by the coach’s son Hunter Mobley at outside linebacker. Mobley stands over six feet tall and leads the team in tackles for the second year in a row. Noseguard Tate Rainey anchors the middle of the Sweetwater defense and is very disruptive. The defensive secondary is manned by a talented group which also makes up their swift receiving corps. “I think they are, in fact, I know they’re pretty good defensively or they wouldn’t be where they’re at. They’ve got a good football team, but so do we,” compliments Thompson.
West Orange-Stark dominated all three phases of the game last week against Navarro. Thompson says his Mustangs played better in certain areas on offense, but there is still room for improvement in the championship game. The Mustangs’ guards played much better last week after being singled out by the coach for needing to up their game from the previous week against the Giddings Buffaloes.
Thompson wants to control the ball in the championship game, but emphasized that West Orange-Stark must do a better job of running the ball than it did last week in the semi-final game. He wants a better performance in the passing game as well since there were two passes dropped in the end zone that would have been touchdowns and there were a few passes overthrown to open receivers. “This is a championship game, 48 minutes left, and there’s no tomorrow,” Thompson reminds.
The defense had a strong game for the Mustangs against Navarro, however, the coach indicates it has to be done for the full 48 minutes on Friday. The Chain Gang will be playing in space this week as opposed to bunched together like it was against Navarro’s Slot-T Offense. Coach Thompson comments that it was a bit of a challenge against the Panthers since they switched later to a Spread formation forcing the Mustangs to make adjustments.
After a great first half the coach was not pleased with how West Orange-Stark came out in the second half at half speed and exhibited some poor tackling in the third quarter. “I commend us for coming back in the fourth quarter and playing Mustang football to finish it up,” Thompson exclaims.
The kicking game was almost perfect last week. Kicker Chad Dallas converted all seven kicks after each touchdown with good snaps from Ryan Ragsdale and holds by K. J. Miller. Miller also returned a punt for a touchdown while the West Orange-Stark cover teams held the Panthers to minimal returns.
Thompson thinks going into the title game West Orange-Stark has the advantage in the kicking game with Sweetwater. In the games the West Orange-Stark coaches have scouted Sweetwater they have only tried to kick one extra point and the kick was missed. Sweetwater will go for two-points every time after a touchdown lined up in the Spread formation. Comparing the kicking of extra points and returning kicks for the two teams Thompson states, “I’ve got to give our Mustangs an edge right now.”
The West Orange-Stark Mustangs play the Sweetwater Mustangs for the state championship on Friday afternoon in AT&T Stadium. The game will be carried live from Arlington beginning with the pregame at 11:45 AM and the kickoff at noon on KOGT. A rebroadcast of the contest can also be heard Saturday morning at 7:00 AM on KOGT.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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