On Campus: Midland Valley Mustangs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GRANITEVILLE |</strong> Midland Valley head football coach Brent Dorn glanced toward the end zone as his players huddled up in between drills,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then, one by one, he started summoning the Mustangs he considered to be the leaders he and his program are counting on to set the tone for their teammates during March organized activities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not one, not two, not three - but 10 of them, and then he admitted he could've called over several more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each one stepped up, and each one talked "we" over "me," each circling back to a common goal of a 15-0 season and the belief that the Mustangs' family mentality is the way to stay on track to reach that goal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spirits are high in the Valley as the Mustangs look to build on a 7-4 season, and that much was obvious in the way they attacked simple drills several months before the 2026 season begins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"It's a great feeling. We've been grinding this whole offseason to get ready to work, get ready to play," starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='644030' first='Xavier' last='Geter'] said, adding that he's doing everything he can to eagle-eye film from last year to find every tiny thing he can to correct to help put his team in that position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That, coming after a season in which he surpassed 2,000 yards passing while rushing for 481 more and accounting for 28 total touchdowns. During the workout he was focused intently on his teammates' every move as they dialed in their footwork, following closely behind running back [player_tooltip player_id='1820474' first='Preston' last='Smith'] as Smith led everyone through every drill and whose voice was just as apparent as Dorn's while coaching them through them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I love being a leader here. Since day one, I just wanted to come in here and be a leader," said Smith, who wasn't far off from that goal by being named a captain last year as a sophomore. "That's just what I've always been since rec ball. I've always wanted to be that leader and just keep everybody in check, because you always need that one guy on the team that's going to keep everybody in line. That's the only way you're going to win, is to have everybody keep each other accountable."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith is the kind of player Dorn will point to about carrying a 4.0-plus GPA and being a leader in the weight room without even mentioning his 1,262 yards on 7.8 yards per carry last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The same goes for tight end/wide receiver matchup nightmare [player_tooltip player_id='1010338' first='Cameron' last='Gleaton'] in that the statistics and major college attention are secondary to the way he carries himself - and promotes his teammates - while receiving those accolades.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was Gleaton who was showing some of the less-heralded Mustangs receivers how to improve their balance to get through drills quicker and to win every snap, and that's something that will only help as players like [player_tooltip player_id='1824057' first='Terrance' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1821370' first='Kaleb' last='Hester'] prepare to take on expanded roles this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We've all got the same goal. We all want to go to the next level, go to state, win 15 games. Stuff like that," said Gleaton, adding that a playoff loss to longtime local rival North Augusta has been a driving force for the players to get back to work together on their own before coach-led activities could begin. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The same can be said for the leadership of linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1508020' first='Issack' last='Staley'] as he takes over as the veteran leader on the defense after leading the Mustangs in tackles last year as a sophomore. [player_tooltip player_id='1824066' first='Brayden' last='Gerard'] was not terribly far behind in that department from his outside linebacker position, and now he's ready to make a big leap of his own in an elevated role. [player_tooltip player_id='1821369' first='James-JJ' last='Shephard'] is another rising junior ready to take a big step forward, and the same goes for classmates [player_tooltip player_id='1821367' first='Triston' last='Garrett'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1824071' first='Tristen' last='O'Neal'] on the same side of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs broke the huddle one last time for the day and all headed for the gate, all heading in different directions but doing so together. Another family night of video games or basketball will soon be in the works, as the team continues to find ways to stay together off of the field while further forging the character and camaraderie that keeps them together on it,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->