Bronco wrap-up: A tale of three teams in Mustang
If I had to pick one word to describe Mustang’s 2009 football season, it would be this:
Odd.
I’ve never seen a team have dramatic offensive success, completely change styles midway through the year, and have just as much success, which is exactly what happened with the Broncos this year.
But 2009 was a tale of three teams in Mustang.
First, there was the team that began the season. The team quarterbacked by Jacinto Biorato that focused on its play-making receivers David Glidden and Braden Wiseley. The run game was solid, but not outstanding, and the passing game was as efficient as any around.
Halfway through the season, two things happened. Biorato hurt his shoulder and RB Daniel Farrow became eligible. With sophomore Brandon Taylor at QB, and Farrow next to him, the second Mustang team emerged. Passing became option No. 3 — Farrow was options No. 1 and 2. And the offense kept chugging. Farrow put up nearly 600 yards in a two-week span as he showed himself as one of the top players in the state.
Then came the playoffs and the arrival of the Broncos’ third edition.
Hard to explain where that squad came from. After a couple of first-half miscues left them in a 21-0 halftime hole in the first-round game against Edmond Memorial, Mustang never produced the intensity needed to come back from a three-TD deficit. Even the early third-quarter TD that cut it to 21-7 didn’t light a fire. The defense gave up its second-most points of the year and the offense scored its fewest.
Mustang had the talent to still be playing this week in the Class 6A semifinals, but instead, Glidden is working on his cross-over dribble, Bronson Irwin is preparing himself for his football career at Oklahoma, and Farrow is trying to get his grades in order so he can play major-college football, too.
Here’s what’s positive about this season for the Broncos: they were a top-10 team after reloading in the offseason. They came into this year with only four returning starters and came four points short of a district championship.
Three offensive linemen, their second-best receiver in Wiseley, as well as Farrow are all seniors. And most of the defensive line and linebackers, along with a couple DBs were in their final seasons.
So it’ll be another reloading year, with some good building blocks in place, starting with Glidden, Taylor and OL Caleb Schompert and Elliot Malanca.
Taylor Sparkman and Tyler Webster showed they can impact either side of the ball, and RB Tyler Arnett will be a senior after having his junior season cut short because of a shoulder injury in the first quarter of the season opener. And sophomore receiver Derek Garvin came on as the season progressed, including the four grabs he had in the playoff game — more than any other Mustang receiver that night.
Defensively, players like DL Justus Elliott, LB Zac McKay and DBs Jon Luckey and Cale Witter played major roles and will be seniors next fall, even though they’ll lose key players like DE Alex Dowty and LBs Blake Wood and Blake Moss.
Taylor was able to get some good experience in big games, which should benefit him throughout the offseason and into next year, because he’ll have a better idea of what it takes to play varsity football when he steps on the field next September. He’s got the body and the arm to be a big-time player, and his future is bright.
Overall, 2010 should be business as usual for a Mustang program that has built itself into one of the most consistent on this side of the state.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
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