Category: Natalia Mustangs & Lady Mustangs

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sport Editor
The Natalia Lady Mustangs battled hard this week but fell in both matches to Lytle and Crystal City. Head coach Hannah Farruggia said despite coming up short, the girls are continuing to learn how to push through adversity.
“We are working on staying together, keeping a positive mindset, and continuing to compete even when things get tough,” Farruggia said. “Every match is an opportunity to learn and grow.”
The Lady Mustangs are facing two familiar opponents in Devine and Hondo this week. Farruggia said since they’ve played these squads before, they have a better understanding of what to expect. 
“We need to focus on limiting our mistakes, communicating, and playing together as a team,” Farruggia said. “If we stay aggressive, trust each other, and compete for every point, we can give ourselves a chance to finish strong.”
With Natalia’s last game of the year dawning its head…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Natalia competes in the District Meet today, October 14, in Carrizo Springs on the same course they ran a district preview a week ago.
At the preview, the Lady Mustangs placed fourth with 86 points, three points behind third place Crystal City who had 83. Devine won with 57 points followed by runner-up Cotulla who had 58 points.
Lady Mustang results were 10th Gianna Rodriguez 13:49.59, 18th Eliana Guadalajara 14:11.61…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Varsity Mustangs Jacob Banda and Sebastian Soto.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Natalia Lady Mustangs had two hard fought matches this week against Carrizo Springs then a non-district match against San Antonio Memorial High School. The Lady Mustangs continue to gain continuity as they improve with each match. Natalia is now 4-26 on the season and is currently ranked seventh in the district standings. 
The Lady Stangs will rematch Lytle this Tuesday, Oct. 13 then travel to Crystal City to take on the Javelinas Friday, Oct. 16 at 5 P.M.
Vs Carrizo Springs
Kills:…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Natalia Mustangs dropped a close one against Jourdanton in a thrilling 49-38 game. This football matchup was a slug fest, both teams showcasing wicked offense and hardnosed defense. Sparks were flying all over the field this last Friday and despite the outcome, head coach Jason Reynolds was pleased with how the team performed. 
“I felt like we did a good job in pass protection and our receivers didn’t drop a single pass and all receivers caught a touchdown pass,” Reynolds raved. “We knew going into this game that they were going to load the box so being able to throw the ball a little helped us in the run game.”
Everyone was stepping up on both sides of the ball. For example, senior Xander Crouch had both a touchdown catch and an interception. With Eduardo Lopez, Mason Giera and Maddox Corker stepping up in similar ways. 
“It’s no secret that we play iron man football and our kids play on both sides so we challenged them to go make a play and play complimentary football,” Reynolds said.
Giera also found himself in a familiar position, quarterback. After starting QB Leo Cortinas went down…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Natalia Mustangs are coming off a bye at the midway point of the season. Right now the Mustangs are 2-3 overall and 1-1 in district (undefeated at home). Natalia is currently tied with Hondo, Lytle and Carrizo Springs in the district standings so I believe the real playoff contenders will emerge from these next three games. This year, the Mustangs’ caught their rhythm earlier than last season. In their two wins they have put up 50+ points(50-6 over YMLA and 60-43 against Lytle). With a five game sample size to look through we can assess what has been working for the Mustangs and how they can sustain that for the rest of the season and hopefully into the playoffs.
In their last three games Natalia has put up 106 points. Natalia’s offense is straight forward football, running the ball to get 4 yards here and 6 yards there to open up the passing game. Last year, the team was really balanced with keeping it on the ground and saving the big passing plays for when they need them most. This year, the team looks a lot more comfortable running a variety of schemes and actions, keeping opponents on their toes. Now they’re bread and butter is still the run game, and it’s been working really well, but they are more comfortable taking to the air when need be. Through five games the Mustangs have rushed 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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Natalia Lady Mustangs Volleyball squad dropped their last two games entering the final month of the regular season. Natalia fell to Hondo and Cotulla in straight sets. The season may not go as some would hope but the coaching staff and team is committed to competing at their best while continuing to progress on the court. Head coach Hannah Farruggia said she has seen a lot of growth from the team as a whole. “We’ve learned more about each other, what our strengths are, and what we need to continue working on. We’ve also learned how important it is to…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!