Shane Mobley has the Mustangs in a familiar place to those who follow Texas High School football history. It’s been a long time, but Sweetwater, where legend Sammy Baugh played, is finally back in it for the first time since the ’80s.
Baugh was born in Temple, but his family moved to Sweetwater when he was 16. Before he was “Slingin’ Sammy Baugh,” he was a young kid in Sweetwater, Texas, throwing a ball through a tire swinging like a pendulum through a rope. He was easily the best player of the Great Depression Era of football, and might be one of the best players of all time.
The history of Sweetwater football doesn’t begin and end with Baugh, however. The Mustangs won a title in ’85, and still sits at 4th in all-time wins in class 4A with 652. They’ve had some struggles in the modern era of football, but thanks to Mobley and players like dynamic quarterback Chris Thompson, defensive back Kiante McCoy, and wideout Jordan McGee, the Mustangs are back on top of the football world again.
Many counted Sweetwater out of it, first against a solid team from Krum, then most recently against a really talented Gilmer team. Every time, the Mustangs have proved to be up to the challenge. Now, they face a West Orange-Stark team that might have one of the best defenses of all time in class 4A, and that is in no way a typo.
The Mustangs are the underdogs, but they aren’t sailing in uncharted waters. Mustangs of the past have been here, and will likely converge on AT&T Stadium on Friday to watch their beloved team take on the world once again. Sweetwater is one of the kings of the Big Country, and they’re one improbable win away from reclaiming their throne.
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Sweetwater plays West Orange Stark on Friday at noon
Thanks for reading. That has been corrected in the article.