1A Team of the Week: Olfen Mustangs
In 2017, Olfen added 9-12 grades. Football soon followed with JV games in 2018 and 2019.
Finally, in 2020, the Mustangs played their first three varsity football games.
Fast forward to this year, and they were still waiting for their first win as a program. Still, second-year head coach Reese Wilson sensed it was close.
“Before the Moran game, it was raining pretty hard in pregame, and the guys were just out there having fun with it,” Wilson said. “That’s been the real battle: getting them to let go of the losing streak and all the nonsense. It had become almost a physical weight on them. Once they relaxed and just played play to play, they started enjoying the game.”
Well, the weight is off their shoulders forever now. After 39 consecutive varsity losses, the Mustangs finally earned their first-ever victory with a 45-14 romp over Moran last Thursday.
“This is my second year here, but the program has been building toward this. Last year, we had three games in a row we probably should have won and just couldn’t finish,” Wilson said. “The difference now is the kids are used to how I do things; they’re more comfortable just playing. Last year, if we called a timeout, you’d see a lot of thousand-yard stares. This year when I’m talking, they know exactly what I mean and they’re trying to execute.”
Execute they did. Zander Martinez threw for 141 yards and four touchdowns. His favorite target was senior Avian Bell, who had four catches for 109 yards and three touchdowns. Luke Bean led the rushing attack with 94 yards, while he also added a scoop ‘n score on defense.
Galihja Stambaugh also had a touchdown catch, while Grant Halsell had a passing, rushing and receiving score.
After waiting six years for a win, Olfen will hope the next win won’t take as long. The Mustangs will try for back-to-back victories this Friday when they host Lohn.
Previous 1A Teams of the Week
Week One: Eden
Week Two: Silverton
