2013 Senior Mustangs rock scrimmage exhibition against Cranbrook

Touchdown for Sr. Mustang Justin Albert 
C. Davis photo

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Pincher Creek's Senior Mustangs football team hosted Cranbrook at the Matthew Halton field on Saturday afternoon, May 25 for a scrimmage exhibition.  Cranbrook brought cheerleaders and a fair amount of determination and grit.  The Mustangs brought bagpipes courtesy of Hayden Varley, drumming courtesy of Thane Buckingham, and most importantly a highly disciplined approach to the game that has increasingly become a hallmark for the team over the last three seasons.  Several bantam level Mustangs also contributed to the effort.

Another touchdown for Justin Albert
C. Davis photo

The day was more about testing skills against skills than it was about points, so nobody seemed to be paying much attention to keeping track of the score.  Suffice it to say that by midway through the afternoon it was obvious that this year's Senior Mustangs are going to be real contenders.  They have broad shoulders to stand on, because the last two versions of the team earned the league trophy for their respective seasons, making them the most successful Senior Mustangs squads ever.

Gayle MacIntyre photo

This year's team has the potential to be even better.  

Justin Albert scored two touchdowns for the Mustangs in two back-to-back plays early in the first half of the exhibition. Inspirational.  Austin Parker left everyone in the dust for a beautiful touchdown in the second half.  From the sidelines it seemed to me that everyone was contributing.  In fairness, I'll say exactly the same thing for Cranbrook.  Both teams appear to have the "band of brothers" concept figured out.  

Gayle MacIntyre photo

Touchdown courtesy of Austin Parker
C. Davis photo

To be frank, I'm not a football expert.  I'm not a sports expert.  If I was either one of those things I'd probably be a coach.  I am however a guy who goes to several hundred sporting events a year and attempts to communicate what went down.  From that set of experiences I've taken away one firm belief: the team that thinks and acts like a team is a winning team.  That's a cliche in team sports because it is so consistently true.  I watch teams closely as they take to and leave the field or the ice or the court, because that's when the true character of a team is least cluttered by other factors that clamor for attention.  In this year's Senior Mustangs I see a unity of purpose that implies potential greatness.  They are disciplined, they support each other, they challenge each other, and they're focused.  There are standout players, for sure, but their standout plays are the result of a dedicated team effort that creates opportunities for them to capitalize on.  

I think we're in for some surprises this year.  I've seen these guys coming up over the last 3 years, and I truly believe they've made something special of themselves, both individually and collectively.

Moving on up

In other Mustangs news, at least two former Mustangs are moving up once they graduate this year.  Cord Delinte (Safety) and Stephen Hochstein (Linebacker) have both been selected to join the Okanagan Sun, a Junior team based in Kelowna, after impressing the Sun coaches at spring training earlier this year.  Hochstein has apparently also been selected by the Calgary Colts, so he might have a tough decision to make.  I'll tell you all about another rumour regarding another former Mustang if/when it's been verified as fact...

Canmore Jamboree

The Senior Mustangs are scheduled to play at the Canmore Jamboree next Saturday, June 1 at Millenium Field where they will be scrimmaging against Canmore, Bow Valley, and Springbank and competing in various skills competitions.

Related link:  Pincher Creek Duo Joining Sun