Mustangs cross the line ... into football

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Thursday's official beginning of football 2020 came with 88 players, optimism, relief, social-distancing, promise, joy and relief, lots of relief. The season is here.
 
Of course, Jeremy Bennett is busy. It’s Thursday (Sept. 24), and in this makeshift season in fall 2020 during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it’s also the first official day of football practice and the first-year Mullen head coach is demonstrating his ability to be some combination of parts involving Gumby, Goodwill Ambassador, your uncle you only see once a year or so, juggler and disciplinarian.

“This is great,” he says.

As he leaves his office, Bennett has to get his children out to the parking lot, where Mom awaits. But as he gets there, Bennett has football hopefuls flying around the Spirit Center. One needs shorts. Three need helmets. Another, who obviously is panicking that he’s late for first drills, needs a key to the gear room (but it was already open). Another searches for a screwdriver. And still another requires a small, plastic piece to keep his facemask intact on his helmet.

Assistant coaches gradually show up, Bennett briefly meets with prospective student managers and new Director of Sports Performance Candice Walls is about to instruct approximately 88 candidates and show them she’s professional as well as demanding. Obviously, she’s seeking players’ attention as well as effort.

As his cell phone rings regularly – it goes off to the tune of Notre Dame’s Fight Song (Victory March) – he asks help with tape at the end of the sidewalk that leads to the Mullen practice area. With a background in construction, his lines are pretty darned true without the aid of a yard stick or straight edge and he spray-paints a gold line that must be crossed before reaching the spot where the Mustangs will begin their 2020 season.

“Once they cross this line,” Bennett said while finishing it so it doesn’t look uneven, “there’s no turning back. If you cross this line, you’re committing to playing for a championship.”

And so Mullen began its 85th season of the most-popular game for schoolboys here in the Rocky Mountains and nationally … and the Mustangs seemed completely thrilled on Day 1. While the school’s students may be relegated to coming to campus for classes in Phase 2 of the school’s plan, virtually every Mustang who wants to put on pads and a helmet was there on Thursday.

There were seniors and juniors, the upperclassmen. The sophomores hoping to make the jump to varsity play. The freshmen, mostly wide-eyed and a bit apprehensive. There were all kinds of body shapes, heights and weights.

And there was intelligence and following guidelines, as in social-distancing, masks and individual water containers.

And joy.

“Oh, man, it feels so great,” senior running back C.J. Smith said. “I’m so glad to be out here. I didn’t want to wait until spring ball (in-state teams were given the option of starting Thursday or Feb. 26) … you know, it’s not real football season.”

Connor Warren, a junior wide receiver-linebacker, said he’s “so happy, I love it out here. The energy’s great and I missed it a lot. I’m glad we’re finally getting to play after a hard summer of work.”

And, no, he said, “I couldn’t wait six months to play in the spring. It would have been freezing and terrible.”

Sophomore lineman Hayden Woodruff said being out on the practice field on Thursday “was awesome. It’s nice. It was a rollercoaster, but now, finally, to have a football season, it’s so nice to be out here.”

Tyrese Johnson, a freshman tight end-defensive end in his first prep practice, added: “I wanted to come here and play. And I’m very excited. I was almost preparing to play in February,”

Bennett standing in back of his newly panted gold line, the gateway of sorts to his team’s first practice and his first with the team, warned his guys that being careless when they’re not playing can’t – and won’t – be tolerated. No parties. No big groups. No not using their heads and common sense.

“This is the greatest game in the world, and for that reason, you have to worry about the other guys,” he said. “You’re just a piece of the puzzle. I’m asking you for 10 weeks to not go do that.”

Furthermore, as Bennett shouted:

“IT’S TIME TO GO TO WORK. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

“YES, SIR!”

“THERE”S NO LOOKING BACK WHEN YOU CROSS THIS LINE. IF YOU”RE NOT READY TO BE A MUSTANG CHAMPION, DON”T CROSS IT.”

“YES, SIR!”

“LET’S GO TO WORK!”

And with that, more than 100 players and coaches on the 2020 Mullen Mustangs stepped across the gold line and began their season.

Mullen Mustang football is back.
 
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