Varsity Men’s Basketball vs. Folsom: Mustangs Will Soon Amaze DRL

Four points away from knocking off a team that was nationally ranked as recent as last February, the Mustangs gave their obligatory handshakes to the Folsom Bulldogs, and begrudgingly trotted back to the locker room. A bittersweet game from start to finish, the Mustangs recovered quickly from a first quarter onslaught of offense, courtesy of Kori Babineaux, the Bulldog superstar, who would finish with a 31 of his team’s 59 points in an ‘04 Kobe-esque performance; or, perhaps an ‘06 Dwyane Wade performance, as Babineaux received a number of phantom calls as he seized the free throw line throughout the second half. Regardless, the game would only show as a loss in the standings, and coming from a former basketball player, there’s no bigger headache than the awkward quiet in the locker room after a hard fought loss that slipped through your fingers.

But somewhere amid the din of muttering voices and slamming lockers, a lingering thought remained that this performance may have been a peek into the future of Monterey Trail basketball, and the potential promise of a team that’s comprised of almost all underclassmen. Brandon Ogle, a junior with a year of varsity experience already under his belt, finished with 15 points. Ogle leads the team with 10.4 points a game, and has hit a blistering 46 threes in the year. Jaylen Brown turned in his best performance of the year, as the shifty guard hit 4 threes on his way to a season high 20 points.

Brown and Ogle are just a part of a young group that has shown flashes of brilliance amidst a mediocre season, as Coach Ken Manfredi has carefully crafted a varsity team to fit his two year plan, that counts on suffering these tough losses this year in order to be better prepared for next year. Brandon Ogle is a testament to Manfredi’s  plan, as a year of varsity experience last year has no doubt resulted in his becoming a more capable player this year. Along with Ogle and Brown, juniors like Cameron Smith and Ashanti Jackson, as well as Ota Okungbowa and sophomore Stedman Saunders, lead a team that’s willed to use this year’s tough losses as fuel to next year’s fire. And who’s to doubt the potency of the young squad, as close losses against notable teams like Valley and Folsom have already proven the veiled strength of the young team.

Although heart wrenching, the secret of getting ahead is getting started, and the Mustangs have gotten an early one with their young team. Not quite elite but nowhere near irrelevant, the Mustangs’ showcase of dormant ability is quite evident, and when the team rises from its silent slumber next year, the entire Delta River League is in for a rude awakening.

JV Football vs. Folsom

The Mustangs started the game with a quick and flawless touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion during the first quarter. Folsom then tested the Mustangs defense, as they ran the ball to the end zone multiple times, giving the Mustangs a challenging gap to meet in the score

The Mustangs managed to slightly close the wide gap with a touchdown by #7, followed by a two-point conversion, setting the score to 16-20 With two minutes left on the clock, Folsom pushed the ball towards the Mustangs end zone, for a touchdown and two-point conversion. Thus, the score for the first half ended at 26-20.

With the start of the second half, Folsom kicked off to the Mustangs, and #24 landed it at Mustang 21-yard line. The Mustangs kicked the ball off as they came to a fourth down. While Folsom had possession, Monterey stripped the ball, but Folsom recovers it.

Folsom didn’t let the play hold them back, as they continued to push forward for a touchdown and a cleared kick. The Mustangs again punted off to Folsom – once more, Folsom slowly pushed in for a touchdown.  The extra-point kick is set, and the score stood at 16-42 as the third ended. Throughout the game, #37, Taylor, gave his best effort, becoming Monterey’s key player. With the fourth quarter upping the stakes for Monterey Trail, he increasingly displayed his skill at the game.

Four-minutes into the fourth quarter, Folsom ran in a touchdown and make the kick. While Monterey held possession, the ball fumbled for a recovery by the Bulldogs. Folsom took the fumble in for a touchdown and cleared the kick, ending the game at 16-56 with anticipation for Varsity to redeem the Mustangs’ name.