Category: Natalia Mustangs & Lady Mustangs

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Natalia Mustangs have had a rough two weeks as they battle to cement themselves as one of the top teams in the district. The Mustangs have dropped their last four games: Lytle they fell 30-81, lost to Hondo 56-58, lost to Crystal City 36-83 and then dropped their game to Cotulla 42-59. At time of press, the Mustangs are in sixth place in district with a record of 3-4. They are one game behind Cotulla who sits in fourth. With the season coming to an end, head coach Justin Welsh said the team is excited to climb back up the district standings and secure a spot in the postseason.  
“Our kids understand what’s at stake, but more importantly, they’re focused on competing the right way every night,” Welsh said. “If we take care of our preparation and play with energy and discipline, we like our chances to put ourselves where we want to be as we move into the final seven games of district.”
In their matchup against Lytle, Welsh said the Pirates played with more energy than they did and kept them out of rhythm.
“Lytle did a good job of jumping on us early and never really let us settle into the game,” Welsh said. “We rely on one end of the floor to build consistency on the other, and when you’re not getting stops or scoring, that can make it difficult to get anything going. This loss gives us something to learn from and the biggest thing is putting it behind us and attacking the next one with the right mindset.” 
During the matchup against Hondo, Welsh felt they had control over the game for…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 fell to Crystal City 28-76 and then dropped one against Cotulla 19-37. The Lady Mustangs are currently seventh in the district ranking with an overall record of 9-22. 
Despite the outcome, head coach Steven Spangler said he was pleased with the squad’s performance against Crystal City. Spangler tipped his hat to the Javelinas, stating “they are just a really good team, and sometimes that’s what you face.”
“Cotulla however, I felt like we fell into a rut and couldn’t get out of it,” Spangler said. “Nothing would fall and that just turned into quick sand on the court.”
Despite the rough stretch of games, the Lady Mustangs have continued to elevate their overall skill level each week. Their ball handling and ability to initiate the offense has drastically improved compared to the beginning of the season. Spangler attributes the team’s development to their diligent work in practice stating the “harder they go” during practice, the more confident they will be in the game.” 
“We have them work on it every day and encourage them to get out of their comfort zone in practice so that they can understand their limitations in games.”
With high school basketball on its last leg of the season, the Lady Mustangs’ playoff hopes are dim. However, Spangler emphasized that…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 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!