Natalia Classic tournament on the horizon for Lady Mustangs

The varsity Lady Mustang bench getting hyped after a big play during Natalia’s first home game of the season against George West High School. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
Coming out of Thanksgiving break, the Lady Mustangs’ record is 3-8 with a packed schedule ahead of them. Starting on Thursday Dec. 4, the Natalia Classic tournament will begin and the Lady Mustangs will play five games over a three day span. Head coach Steven Spangler said this is a good opportunity for the squad to try new things, stating that “sometimes you just have to play games to see how things are working.”
“They have to be able to adjust on the fly when something isn’t working and push ahead when it is,” Spangler said. “I’m hoping that we can use this tournament to figure out what’s going to work for us scoring wise.”
Spangler said the Lady Mustangs have had some scoring.
“Our defense is doing pretty well, but we have to match that on the offensive side of the ball,” Spangler said. “We have to improve in that area if we want to be competitive in district.” 
With any team…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!

Mustangs eager to get back on the court

Varsity Mustang #4 Peyton Alderete reads the defense at the top of the key against Sabinal High School. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Natalia boys varsity team are back from Thanksgiving break and ready to get back on the court. The Mustangs’(1-2) next matchup will be against McCullen County(6-1) and head coach Justin Welsh is relishing the challenge of taking on a tough team that is well-coached and has a rich history. 
“We want to come out focused, compete on every possession and use this game to prepare us for district play,” Welsh said.
Early in a season, it’s important to establish winning habits. Winning habits are…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!

Mustangs Basketball looks to improve with each game

A varsity Mustang prepares to pass the ball on the baseline during Natalia’s first home game of the season against Sabinal. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
Varsity Mustangs basketball has officially began with Natalia sitting at an overall record of 1-2. They won their first game of the season against Stockdale 47-40, but dropped their next two against Navarro and Sabinal. Head coach Justin Welsh said the key difference between their wins and losses has been putting together complete games. Meaning Welsh wants the squad to bring the same effort throughout all four quarters of basketball.
“Against Navarro, we played a great first half taking a two point lead into halftime, but in the second half…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!

Lady Mustangs take another step towards team identity

Varsity Lady Mustang #24 Mia Loza shoots the freethrow while Mustang Aryanna Ramirez boxes out in Natalia’s game against Uvalde. Photo by Mable Byrd

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Varsity Lady Mustangs have wrapped up their first leg of the tournament season and enter Thanksgiving break with a record of 3-7. Since the first game, the Lady Mustangs have looked more comfortable on the court, most notably on the defensive side of the ball. Head coach Steven Spangler said limiting turnovers will be the next step in the development for this team. 
“As we slow things down offensively to try and control the ball better, we’re seeing our offense start to take shape,” Spangler said. “We have to be able to slow fast teams down, and they are starting to find a way to do that for the most part.”
With each passing game, the Lady Mustangs…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!

Lady Mustangs gallop past Nixon-Smiley 37-28

Varsity Lady Mustang Kaylee Uviedo fights for the rebound during Natalia’s first home game of the basketball season against George West.Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Natalia Varsity girls basketball squad picked up their first win of the preseason against Nixon-Smiley High School, 37-28. The Lady Mustangs are now 1-2 in the preseason, dropping their first two games against Pleasanton and George West. Head coach Steven Spangler said the key difference in this win compared to their first two games was just a couple more baskets made and their defense was a lot more disruptive which led to more opportunities on offense.
Spangler said…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!

JV Lady Mustangs secure first win of the year over Nixon-Smiley

JV Lady Mustang Alyssa Esquibel pushes the ball in transition as the George West players converge on her during Natalia’s first home game of the season. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The JV Lady Mustangs secured their first win of the preseason in a dominant win against Nixon-Smiley High School, 25-12. Coach  Monica Spangler said Natalia’s strong defense and balanced scoring helped the Lady Mustangs take control early and…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!

Mustangs end season with big win over YMLA

The Natalia Varsity Mustangs standing for the pledge before their game against Poth. Photo by Moose Lopez.

atthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Natalia Mustangs took their last snaps of the season this past Friday with an overwhelming victory over Young Men’s Leadership Academy, 56-15. The Mustangs end their season with an overall record of 5-5 and a district record of 3-4. The Mustangs had their best season, record wise, in two years. Every time the players stepped on the field they played with grit, passion and unwavering trust in their teammates, despite a season marred by injury and constant adjustments.
Head coach Jason Reynolds said he was happy with the way the players performed. Reynolds said the offense did a good job pushing the ball vertically and making big plays while the defense made timely stops.
“We got to send the seniors out with a big win,” Reynolds said. “All in all, I was just really pleased with our effort and finishing the season the right way.”
Reynolds credited…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!