'Stangs staring at big-school opportunity
Mullen, as the No. 13 seed, will host (20) Douglas County in the 5A preliminaries; head coach Bennett says Mustangs will be ready for extra football.
No apologies are necessary.
And Jeremy Bennett won’t be offering any.
Mullen, despite a 3-7 regular season, is the No. 13 seed in the Class 5A bracket and will get to host a first-round playoff game, Friday, Nov. 5, against No. 20 Douglas County at Brother Bernard Kinneavy De La Salle Stadium.
Certainly, Bennett, the Mustangs head coach, said, his cell phone has been ringing with questions along the lines of ‘How does your team make the field and get to host?’”
No matter, he said, as “here’s a chance to go and win some football games.”
The Mustangs, fresh from a 42-0 victory over Lakewood, will be hosting a first-rounder for the third consecutive season under the 24-team, big-school format (the top eight seeds receive opening byes) and yearn to erase the past two season-ending victories as well as the current regular season.
“I think these kids are excited to rewrite the script,” Bennett said.
Mullen was fifth of six teams in the 5A Jefferson County League.
Concerning quarterback, sophomore Blake Palladino and junior Kaleb Valdez-Lemos have handled snaps despite both being injured at various points. They have thrown for nearly 1,600 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Kyle Krebs needs 2 yards for 1,000 for 2021; Michael Brouillette and Nick Carje each have 23 receptions.
Defensively, Jaxon Heil and Ishmael Aceves each have 85 tackles and Hunter Lay 56.
Up front, the Mustangs have been competing regularly.
In its history, Mullen is 593-274-18, 63-24-1 in the postseason.
Douglas County, 6-4 and fifth in the 5A-4A South League, won its first six games before going winless for the past month.
The Huskies have won 12 of their past 20 playoff games and haven’t faced Mullen since 2007, when they won 21-14 in the postseason.
Friday’s winner will be at No. 4 seed Grandview at Legacy Stadium in Aurora next week.
The big-school feeling throughout the bracket, Bennett agreed, “is it’s anybody’s ball game.”
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