By Allen Hamrick
The Clay Middle Mustangs had an up and down week beginning with a match against Geary. It is absolutely in your face kind of basketball each time they take to the court. They are under new management with new head coach Dean Rogers at the helm. The boys hit the floor running against the Geary Panthers and didn’t look back; it was like watching a lion consume a water buffalo as the Mustangs went to work, nothing short of a massacre. The Panthers felt the Mustang tsunami early in the game as the Mustangs held school on how to play basketball. They were up and down the court, and the Geary Panthers just couldn’t get a handle on the speed of the Mustangs. There is not much that can be said other than the Mustangs came, they saw, they kicked butt offensively and defensively and opened up the tissue boxes. At the end of the half, it was the Mustangs on top 29-5. The Geary Panthers had to break out their book of plays at the half to make a game of it. The plays didn’t work and the Mustangs came out on top by the score of 59-11. The week just started and the Mustangs had two more games to play before they closed out the week.
Next up was Walton. This game usually ends up another Mustang win, but voodoo struck the Mustang team early in the match. This was definitely a barn burner and one of those games you just have to scratch your head. The Mustangs found themselves playing catch-up early as they couldn’t seem to find the boards and racking up only five points in the first half. Walton wasn’t having that same problem and put 18 on their side. There’s one thing you don’t do and that is let your guard down against the Mustangs. They don’t break out the marshmallows and chocolate when the chips are down, they break out a can of whip butt and start taking names. Still playing catch-up, the Mustangs were behind in the 3rd by the score of 14-31. Then it was as if the team got a dose of Michael Jordan B-Ball elixir and played like their life was on the line as the offense hammered 20 points on the board in the 4th period. The defense bellied up to the chow line and ate a whole meatloaf holding the shooting Tigers to just three points. This, of course, tied the ball game and it went into overtime. In the end, it was the Tigers scoring seven points in overtime to the Mustangs five with the final score 39-41. It was on to the final game of the week against Braxton. Once again, the Mustangs had a hard time getting points on the board early in the game and fell back. However, they picked it up in the 3rd period, but it was too late as they lost the game 32-49. In the game, it was Bryson Peters with the top shot award hitting for 14 points. Joel Elliot was top shot in the Walton game with 13 points.
This week the Mustangs will play Spencer at home on Tuesday and away at Webster on the 19th. If you like good basketball, you won’t want to miss these two games as they will be brawls. Go Mustangs!