GRIDIRON GLANCE ’22: Brookesmith Mustangs

August 15, 2022 at 6:43 am Derrick Stuckly

BROOKESMITH – The Brookesmith Mustangs captured a district championship in 2020 but slipped to just one victory in 2021. Now, new head coach Jack Graves is tasked with returning the Mustangs program to its recent winning ways, but he cautioned success shouldn’t be expected overnight.

“It’s something I’ve got a reputation for I guess, coming in and building up broken programs,” said Graves, who most recently coached at Santa Anna. “That’s exactly where we’re at. We’re extremely young, our numbers are going to be extremely low, and it’s going to take probably until year three or four for us to start seeing the fruit of our labor. The numbers will get better, but year three is really where the numbers will be where we have a solid scout team and are running with 14 to 15 kids.”

The Mustangs are coming off a 1-9 season with an 0-4 league mark and have been moved to District 16-A Division II with the likes of No. 4 Richland Springs, No. 10 Cherokee and Rochelle – which combined to win 24 games a year ago.

“It’s going to be extremely tough, but it’s just like coming from Santa Anna where we were going to be in with May and Jonesboro,” Graves said. “I jump from one tough district to another. It is what it is and we just have to rise up to the challenge. We know we’re not where any of those programs are. That’s where we aspire to get to, we’re just going to have to work extremely hard, develop this year, and grow from those games we play against them. How they do things hopefully is a model for these kids to see how to play on Friday nights, and why we push them as hard as we do – so they can compete one day with these types of programs.”

The Mustangs bring back just two lettermen from a year ago, so Graves will be relying virtually on an entirely new roster this season.

“It’s mainly going to be a freshman team, there’s no seniors, mainly freshmen and sophomores,” Graves said. “There’s just not a lot of high school boys right now. They’re mainly in the junior high where we have little bit better numbers.”

Despite the relative lack of experience at the high school level, Graves has been pleased with the work ethic the team has displayed.

“Their strengths I would say is they’re so willing to do whatever I’ve asked them to do,” Graves said. “They’re being very coachable, very moldable. They’re working hard, understand what hard work is and how to practice right, do everything right. They’ve been good. They’re getting more comfortable with how to do things and how to do them correctly and consistently. But it’s going to be a process.”

Among the players to keep an eye on are Isaac Haby and Adyn Ribble.

“All the kids have the right mindset, but those two have stood out of the most,” Graves said. “Isaac is a freshman who has some potential, he’s just raw. Adyn is a sophomore who’s got some ability and both of them really work the right way. They’ll get rewarded for that one day.”

Prior to the start of district competition, the Mustangs will attempt to find their footing against Mullin, Kopperl, Santa Anna, Veribest, Blackwell and Zephyr.

As for the early season goals, Graves said, “Learning how to take a game plan into Friday night and be able to execute it, and fundamentals. We have to learn how to tackle and block. That’s the whole focus of this year, learning how to hustle, take proper angles, play great team defense. In six-man you don’t want to be living on one-on-one solo tackling. And blocking correctly pays huge dividends if you learn how to do it correctly.”

District plays begins Oct. 14 at home against Lohn followed by a road trip to Richland Springs, the home finale against Cherokee, and the final game of the regular season takes place at Rochelle.

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BROOKESMITH MUSTANGS 2022 VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 26	at Mullin	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2	Kopperl	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 9	Santa Anna	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 16	at Veribest	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 24	at Blackwell	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 30	at Blackwell	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7	OPEN
Oct. 14	Lohn*	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21	at Richland Springs*	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 28	Cherokee*	7:30 p.m.
Nov. 4	at Rochelle*	7:30 p.m.