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Mustangs have some adjustments to make

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By RICK HARMON

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 20, 2009

TRINITY - Mitchell doesn't face the same obstacles its sister school Anclote will face this fall. But despite a spring football turnout of 66 players, things will be very different for the Mustangs.

Brian Wachtel takes over as coach, replacing Scott Schmitz. Schmitz, the only football coach Mitchell ever had, retired at the end of last season. Wachtel was a player for Schmitz at River Ridge and an assistant under Schmitz last year at Mitchell.

The Mustangs went 5-5 last season but were 0-3 in Class 5A-District 5 play. With the opening of Anclote this fall, Mitchell, along with Gulf, will send students to the new school. The reduction in students at Mitchell, expected to be near 1,000, has dropped the Mustangs to Class 3A for the next two years and they have been placed in District 7 with Anclote, Gulf, Land O' Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

"I like our new district," Wachtel said. "Don't get me wrong, Gaither and Wharton were always fun games. They are top-notch programs. You look at our new district - Gulf was 9-1, Pasco was 9-1. Land O' Lakes is always tough. But I honestly believe we have a chance to compete for a district championship. That's our goal. We set the bar high going into this thing."

Schmitz left some key players for Wachtel to build around. Running back Ricky Trinidad will be a junior when the season begins and is coming off a 915-yard sophomore season. Quarterback Cody Van De Boe also return for his senior season, along with running back Brandon Mundy, tight end Anthony Moore and wide receiver Cory Smith.

"Right now, we're working on fundamentals," Wachtel said. "Our whole spring is based on competition. When we go into spring football, it's 100 percent open competition. Right now, we've got a lot of position competition going on. We've shifted some players to other positions to benefit the team. We've had some new guys come out for football, which has fostered the competition level."

Wachtel was impressed with the number of new faces he has seen at practice, which ends today. The annual Black and Gold game is Thursday at 7 p.m.

"We've had a lot of kids come out for football this spring that hadn't played in the past," he said. "That's really exciting and good news. We've had a great turnout so far."

Some of those new players have forced the returning players to step it up a notch.

"The returning players are being pushed." Wachtel said. "We have a lot of competition going on. We have a really good competition going at wide receiver. Last year, our wing back Brandon Mundy was hurt most of the season. He's back as a senior."

A couple of newcomers are forcing that competition at wide receiver. Juniors-to-be Dylan Buono, a transfer from Hudson, and Matt Michaels, who came from River Ridge when his father, Jim Michaels, became Mitchell's principal in April, have made an immediate impact. Buono had 57 catches for 769 yards for the Cobras last year as a sophomore.

SCHEDULE

Aug. 27 at Hudson (Classic)

Sept. 4 River Ridge

Sept. 11 at Ridgewood

Sept. 18 OPEN

Sept. 25 at Anclote *

Oct. 2 Wesley Chapel *

Oct. 9 Zephyrhills *

Oct. 16 at Gulf *

Oct. 23 at Sunlake *

Oct. 30 Pasco *

Nov. 6 Land O' Lakes *

*-Class 3A-District 7

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