Mustang Team Preview

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day as we release more individual team previews as we get closer to the start of the 2021 football season. In case you missed it, you can check out our Preseason Rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/06/2021-preseason-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RIGHT HERE</a>. Overview (Class 6A-D1 Preseason Ranking: #7) So it really depends on if you're a positive thinker or a negative thinker when you look at the Mustang Broncos' 2020 season. On the bright side, the Broncos made it to the playoffs and won a playoff game. On the down side, they still finished with a losing record at 5-7. Either way, it's now in the rear view mirror and the focus is on rebounding from last year. They come in at #7 in our preseason rankings and on paper, they look like a team that could not only make the playoffs but cause some damage once they get there. They will return five starters on both sides of the ball and talent-wise, they have some of the top prospects in the 2022 and 2023 classes. Mustang, on paper, looks like a team that could end up being a dark horse in 6A-D1. There's no doubt in our mind that head coach Lee Blankenship is building something that is not only special but more importantly is something that will last. That's been the biggest difference between the teams in the east and the teams in the west when it comes to 6A-D1. A west side team can have a good year or two but then graduation hits and they end up having to rebuild as opposed to reload. You can tell that the culture is being changed in Mustang and the Broncos are close to becoming one of those teams that don't have to rebuild, they just reload. The biggest question will be whether or not 2021 will be the year that they break through and make that run to the semifinals or championship game. They look like a team that could on paper. But as everyone is well aware, football isn't played on paper. The Broncos will have to earn it on the field. <hr /> 2020 Results (5-7 Record - Lost In 6A-D1 Quarterfinals) Sept. 4 - Beat Yukon 35-21 Sept. 11 - Lost To Stillwater 62-21 Sept. 18 - Beat Norman 34-33 Sept. 25 - Lost To Norman North 42-14 Oct. 1 - Beat Southmoore 50-36 Oct. 9 - Lost To Union 66-10 Oct. 15 - Beat Edmond North 35-6 Oct. 23 - Lost To Owasso 43-14 Oct. 31 - Lost To Putnam City 47-44 Nov. 6 - Lost To Moore 51-21 1st Round - Beat Yukon 42-21 Quarterfinals - Lost To Owasso 45-7 <hr /> Players To Watch [player_tooltip player_id="38670" first="Andre" last="Dollar"] - 2022 Tight End We mentioned Mustang having a rocky season with injuries and this is what it’s all about. They missed their star tight end and Oregon commit [player_tooltip player_id="38670" first="Andre" last="Dollar"] for the entire 2020 season. Dollar had a back injury that kept him from making an impact during his junior season but all indications are that he’s ready to go for his last season with the Broncos. Dollar, when healthy, is one of the top tight ends in the country, not just the state. He’s a top ten prospect and has been recruited by programs all over the country but committed to Oregon and has stayed committed to the Ducks. [player_tooltip player_id="38777" first="Jacobe" last="Johnson"] - 2023 - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back One of the best overall prospects in the state is Mustang’s [player_tooltip player_id="38777" first="Jacobe" last="Johnson"]. He’s not only being recruited by Power Five programs all over the country for football, he’s also getting dual-offers for basketball from those schools. Several schools have offered him scholarships for both sports. We tend to think his future is brightest on the gridiron and specifically on defense. Don’t get us wrong, we like Johnson at wide receiver because he has the ability to break a game wide open. But at his size with his speed and quickness, he has all the tools to be a shutdown corner. [player_tooltip player_id="38794" first="Kaden" last="Jones"] - 2023 Defensive Lineman We’re very excited to see Mustang 2023 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38794" first="Kaden" last="Jones"] this fall as he goes into his junior season. At this time last year, we thought Jones had the potential to be a breakout star for the Mustang defense. That didn’t necessarily happen because of the team’s struggles but you could still see the potential within Jones. Going into this season, if Jones can continue the momentum he’s had this offseason, he will be that breakout player. Mustang has some talented players on defense but it all starts up front and Jones can be an absolute game wrecker on the D-Line. More Names [player_tooltip player_id="38793" first="Chaz" last="Bradley"] - 2023 Athlete [player_tooltip player_id="160662" first="Christian" last="Rowland"] - 2022 Defensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38795" first="Keegan" last="Bass"] - 2023 Wide Receiver Tristen Russell - 2023 Quarterback Tyler Whitely - 2022 Offensive Lineman <hr /> Notable The Broncos made it to the playoffs for the second straight year in 2020. However, under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t have been playing after the regular season. Because of Covid, the OSSAA made a special ruling that all teams would be eligible for the postseason, not just the top four teams in each district. Because of that, Mustang made it in after finishing fifth in their district. They took advantage of the opportunity and got another rivalry victory over Yukon and ended the season for their rival. Ultimately, the Broncos would lose the following week to Owasso in a rematch of a district meeting in October. It didn’t happen very often that a team that normally wouldn’t have made the playoffs scored a victory over the higher seeded team. However, Mustang was able to be one of those teams and made back to back playoff appearances for the first time since the stretch from 2013-2016. They’re hoping that it’ll be three in a row this fall and that they can earn their way in by finishing in the top four of a very competitive district. <hr /> 2021 Schedule/Games To Watch Sept. 3 - Yukon - Mustang will once again open the season against their rivals from Yukon. The neighboring communities will renew their rivalry in the opener. Mustang faced Yukon twice in 2020 and got the best of the Millers both times. Yukon will certainly be out for some revenge as they had their season ended by the Broncos. Mustang has a tough schedule in 2021 when you combine the non-district and district schedules. Getting out to a good start will certainly help the Broncos before they have to go on the road in three consecutive weeks. They at least get the benefit of hosting this rivalry clash. Sept. 10 - AT Stillwater Sept. 17 - AT Norman Sept. 24 - AT Norman North - When it comes to district play, things open up in week four and this district is very competitive. It’s easy to talk about week six and week eight when the Broncos travel to the east side to face Union and Owasso. Those two teams are the heavy hitters in the district. However, this district opener will prove to be critical and it’s important for Mustang to avoid the district record they had a year ago. The T’Wolves handled the Broncos a year ago and the loser here will be in trouble when it comes to the playoff standings later on in the year. This will be a big opener for both teams. Oct. 1 - Southmoore Oct. 8 - AT Union Oct. 14 - Edmond North Oct. 22 - AT Owasso Oct. 29 - Putnam City Nov. 5 - Moore <hr /> Championship History 0 State Championships