As I left the SyDome on Friday night following the Mustangs total domination over the St. Patrick Saints, I said Goodnight to Edwin Schultz who was busy cleaning the stands and preparing the gym for Saturday Morning Grade School League. He and I reminisced briefly about how in the Mustangs past games like this would be the norm and we would be on the losing end.
While introducing the 1,000 Point Club before the Lloyd game, I announed that Brian Ficker was the MVP of his 72-73, 73-74, and 74-75 teams, what I intentionally failed to mention was that his 72-73 team didn't win a game. Playing a Division III schedule we went a whole season without winning - 0-25 to be exact, with many games resulting much as the Brossart-St. Patrick games had transpired last night.
While that was even a year or two before even I joined the Mustang staff, I remember those days clearly, and while that winless 72-73 team would jell into a 21-11 team by the time those guys were seniors, I remember clearly the frustration of going Ofer.
Actually, the St. Patrick program is in much better shape, having four wins and lots of competitive games on their schedule and it wasn't long ago, 1999-2000 to be exact that they were among the elite in the 10th Region and probably only a 61-60 10th Region Semi-Finals lost to these same Mustangs deprived them of playing in their only 10th Region Championship game and taking their first ever trip to Rupp. St. Patrick had defeated Mason County by 12 points in their District Tournament finals.
The direction the two programs has taken since then is directly related to the quality of athletes Brossart has been able to assemble vs the player base of the Saints. Much as Brossart is forced to recruit our own district grade school students to keep them in the Brossart family and not lose them to NCC or Campbell County, some former die-hard St. Pats families have now defected to the hilltop and the glory of the Mason County Royals program leaving a limited talent base down on Church Street from which to compete.
That is why it is so important to promote our program wherever possible, conduct things such as Grade School Team Recognition Nights, have Open Houses, make Grade School visits as constructive as possible, take the potential Mustangs to the Cintas Center to watch the varsity play, to stop into locker-rooms to promote our projects and to encourage players on a one-on-one basis to become Brossart Mustangs. While watching our present Mustangs dismantle the presently downtrodden St. Patrick Saints lets appreciate what we have and work diligently to maintain the quality of athlete, coach, and environment that we all sometimes take for granted.
There but for the Grace of God and a hard working program - go we!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
