Mustangs keep hopes high

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!