Category: Natalia Mustangs & Lady Mustangs

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Natalia Lady Mustangs fell to the Lytle Lady Pirates after a heated rivalry matchup, 47-31 then dropped the game to the Hondo Owls 53-26. The Mustangs are 1-6 in the district and have an overall record of 9-20.
Vs Lytle
No matter the sport, Lytle versus Natalia is always going to be an entertaining matchup. In the first half, both teams displayed hard-nosed defense and fought for every point on the other end. After closing the first half 15-16, Lytle would pull away in the second to secure the win over the Lady Mustangs.
Head coach Steven Splangler felt their match up with the Lady Pirates left a lot to be desired but knew a loss like this would invigorate the team and spark a renewed sense of purpose.
“I felt like we had a good heart to heart the next day at practice and worked out a lot of our issues,” Spangler said. “I think it showed in our next outing versus the #10 ranked Hondo Owls.”
Stats:
Scoring: #0 Jade Mata- 6 pts, #1 Aryanna Ramirez- 8 pts, #2 Leyla Saenz- 10 pts, #3 Ashley Lopez- 1 pt, #22 Alexys Rodriguez- 6 pts
Rebounding: #0 Mata- 5 rebs, #1 Ramirez- 2 rebs, #2 Saenz- 6 rebs, #3 Lopez- 3 rebs (all offensive), #10 Keyla Velasquez- 3 rebs, #12 Kaylee Uviedo- 6 rebs, #15 Lilliana Vasquez- 1 reb, #20 Selyene Gallegos- 1 reb, #22 Rodriguez- 4 rebs
Assists: #0 Mata- 1 ast, #10 Velasquez- 1 ast, #22 Rodriguez- 1 ast
Steals: #0 Mata- 1 stl, #1 Ramirez- 1 stl, #2 Saenz- 2 stls, #15 Velasquez- 2 stls, #22 Rodriguez- 1 stl

Vs Hondo
Spangler was extremely proud of the way his team performed against the Owls. Despite the score, Spangler said this felt like a bounce back game.
“We played hard the entire game no matter what the score was or if our shots were falling or not,” Spangler said. “We didn’t give up at any point and got back to playing hard defense which is what we have become known for.”
Spangler highlighted how keen the team was on the finer details of the game. Spangler noted that the Lady Mustangs offense flowed better than it had in previous games as they looked to share the ball and set up their teammates in a merit of ways. Spangler hopes this game can catalyze a strong finish to the season.
“The Girls focused more on the things that they could control and looked for each other offensively more than in previous games,” Spangler said. “We are going to continue to work at finding different ways to score as…”…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The varsity Natalia Mustangs have ascended to 3-0 in district play , securing the number one seed in the standings. This week, the Mustangs took down the Dilley Wolves in dominant fashion 59-27 then protected home court against the Poteet Aggies, 53-36. 
The Mustangs dismantled Dilley on both sides of the ball. The Wolves had no answer for Natalia’s constant rim pressure, shooting a whopping 51% in the paint. The Mustangs took away all three levels of scoring for Dilley, turning 24 turnovers into 28 points. The Wolves could hardly get the ball up the floor, let alone score. 
“Our rotations were sharp, we forced turnovers, and that led to easy points in transition. We have to continue finding ways to do those things,” Head coach Justin Welsh said. “The focus has to be consistent every night in district play. I do think this group understands that and their ability to lock in when needed is a big reason we were able to earn a couple wins last week.”
In their win against the Aggies, Natalia immediately fell into their flow of consistent defense, supplemented by steady shotmaking. The Mustangs forced Poteet to cough up the ball 29 times, hindering the Aggies from establishing any kind of foundation offensively. Every time Poteet swung the ball, they were met by a slew of white jerseys and waving arms. Guard Damian Aguinaga led the charge defensively collecting a game-high of six steals. Taking away their opponents offensive rhythm is how the Mustangs dictate the pace of the game and force their opponents to take tough shots. Welsh said the poise and focus comes from their connectivity as a seasoned unit. Their roster is filled with players who have seen their share of battles on the hard wood.
“That experience shows in how they communicate, how they respond when things don’t go our way and how they stay composed throughout the game,” Welsh said.  “They’ve put in the time, they trust each other and they understand the moment.” 
The win was stamped by senior guard Peyton Alderete scoring the 1000th point against of his high school career. Payton led all scorers with 25 points. Welsh said an accomplishment like this speaks volumes about the impact Alderete has had on Natalia’s program throughout the years and the dedication to the team began his first day on the floor.
“He’s been a major contributor for us for a long time and that consistency is what makes the milestone so meaningful,” Welsh said. “He puts constant pressure on the defense with his ability to shoot and be a playmaker, but he also understands how to get others involved and make the game easier for his teammates.”
The Mustangs look to remain undefeated in the district as they travel to Lytle on Tuesday, Jan. 13 to take on the Pirates then will defend home court against the Hondo Owls on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7:15 p.m. 

Stats
Vs. Dilley
Scoring: #1 Damian Aguinaga- 16 pts, #4 Peyton Alderete- 12 pts, #12 Mason Giera- 2 pts, #14 Juan Gonzales- 4 pts, #20 Maddox Corker- 1 pt, #23 RJ De La O- 6 pts, #30 Andrew Monreal- 18 pts
Rebounds: #1 Aguinaga- 2 reb, #4 Alderete- 6 reb, #11 Sebastian Soto- 1 reb, #12 Giera- 7 reb, #14 Gonzales- 7 reb, #20 Corker- 2 reb, #23 RJ- 11 reb (5 offensive), #30 Monreal- 5 reb
Assists: #1 Aguinaga- 3 ast, #4 Alderete- 3 ast, #12 Giera- 1 ast, #14 Gonzales- 3 ast, #30 Monreal- 2 ast
Steals: #1 Aguinaga- 5 stl, #4 Alderete- 6 stl, #14 Gonzales- 3 stl, #23 RJ- 1 stl, #30 Monreal- 3 stl
Blocks: #23 RJ- 1 blk

Vs. Poteet
Scoring: #1 Aguinaga- 11 pts, #4 Alderete- 25 pts, #14 Gonzales- 8 pts, #23 RJ- 7 pts, #30 Monreal- 2 pts
Rebouds: #1 Aguinaga- 6 reb, #4 Alderete- 6 reb, #12 Giera- 5 reb, #14 Gonzales- 2 reb, #23 RJ- 7 reb, #30 Monreal- 1 reb
Assists: #1 Aguinaga- 4 ast, #4 Alderete- 1 ast, #14 Gonzales- 2 ast
Steals: #1 Aguinaga- 6 stl, #4 Alderete- 3 stl, #14 Gonzales- 2 stl, #23 RJ- 4 stl, #30 Monreal- 3 stl
Blocks: #23 RJ- 2 blk
 

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Natalia Lady Mustangs secured the first win of district play in an overtime road game against the Dilley Wolves 38-37. Natalia has moved up to seventh in the standings and is eager to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Head coach Steven Spangler said the win over Dilley was a tough one. Spangler noted the Wolves are a much improved team and their ascension as district rivals will continue. Spangler said the team stayed the course and made the simple plays when it mattered most…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Natalia Lady Mustangs dropped their third district game against the Jourdanton Squaws, 22-68. Natalia has an overall record of 8-17 and sits at the eighth spot in the district standings. 
Head coach Steven Spangler noted that while the team lost, he believes they performed better than in recent games. Spangler said they knew…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Natalia varsity Mustangs started district and 2026 undefeated with a 48-31 win over Jourdanton. The Mustangs have an overall record of 5-9 and hold the second place spot in the district standings. Although district play just began, the Mustangs have started off on the right foot.
Head coach Justin Welsh said the win over the Indians began before their team even hit the floor. Welsh said the team was…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!