In recognition of the Mustangs break out season, a number of our players have been selected to the train-on squad for the NSW Wolpack. Congratulations to Nathianal Bartlett, Brad Golledge, Mitch Hunt and Elijah Nasr. Nathianal has been selected to play Offensive Line, Brad has been selected at Saftey, Mitch at Wide Receiver and Elijah at Linebacker. Final cuts are still to come so good luck with making the final squad and hopefully a starting role.

wollongongmustangs.com has been down for a while now due to technical difficulties with the site, these issues have been resolved as of today and we look forward to providing you with fresh content over the coming weeks.

The 2011 Mustangs squad showed improvement in their week 5 clash against a more experienced and numerically superior UTS team. With numerous starters out due to injuries or prior commitments several Mustangs would have to play all 3 phases of the game this resulted in a very tired squad however that did not show at all on the field with the team pulling together to play with intensity and aggression for a full 60 minutes.

The game started promising for the Mustangs, after electing to receive the football the opening drive moved along steadily on a combination of runs and short passes however would ultimately stall after some issues with long-snaps and a false start penalty, new WR #24 Wayne Peoples would like up as punter and boom a kick down-field and out of the end-zone for a solid start to the game.

UTS would take the ball on their 20 and methodically march the ball down-field and in for the first score on the back of their running back #9 Jean Prill. The extra point however would be denied by a block from Mustangs rookie #48 Lewis Hardaker. Leaving the score at 6 – 0.

The ensuing kick return yielded great field position for the Mustangs after RB #20 Scott Kirkwood took the ball deep back into UTS territory, however once again a promising drive was cut short after a high snap sailed over the top of the Quarterbacks head and resulted in  a 20 yard loss. The drive was revived with some solid running however would ultimately end in an interception which upon review of the game film was unlucky not to draw a defensive pass interference penalty.

The next possession UTS would again rely heavily on their run game to drive the ball downfield. The Mustangs defence showed flashes of brilliance stopping the UTS runningbacks in the backfield on numerous occasions however were not able to do so on a consistent basis which ultimately allowed the Gators to score on a fullback Dive and easily convert the 2 points on another run by #9 Jean Prill. Score 14 – 0

Unfortunately nature would swing against the Mustangs with lightning forcing an early half-time shortly after the kickoff, taking the ball out of the Wollongong teams hands and into the hands of the UTS Gators.

The first three possessions of the second half would become a defensive back and forth with the Mustangs D finding the consistency they had previously lacked forcing 2 punts in a row. After their second possession of the half the Mustangs offence took the field with confidence that their newly established run game would get the job done if they could just eliminate mistakes. Their patience would be rewarded with an 8 play drive resulting in a touchdown to rookie RB #35 Pete Traynor. The extra point would be denied by the Gators leaving the score at 14 – 6.

The defence again showed flashes of brilliance however was taken advantage of by the same UTS pass play multiple times when they needed it most. the 14 play UTS drive would end with another score from #9 Jean Prill on a swing pass from QB #7 Simon Irrgang. A 2 point conversion run by #9 Jean Prill would make the score 22-6.

The Mustangs offence would rely heavily on the run game again in the next possession making good yard but would ultimately be forced to punt. UTS would do a good job at grinding out the clock trying to leave as little time as possible on the board for the Mustangs to get back in the game with a ground based drive consisting of 14 plays culminating in another score to UTS this time off a QB keeper by #7 Simon Irrgang. the 2 point conversion was stuffed in the backfield leaving the score at 28 – 6.

The Mustangs would receive the ball on their own 20 with 1:30 left and end the game in style. Two plays into the drive the UTS defence surrendered the left half of the field and QB #4 Mitch Hunt took off on a 30 yard scramble out of bounds stopping the clock. The following posession Mitch would connect with WR 24 Wayne Peoples for a 40 yard touchdown pass. The conversion attempt would be tipped away and the defence would hold strong on the following posession leaving the final score at 28 – 6.

Key positives to take out of the game was the vast improvement of the offensive line both on pass protection and run blocking as well as the further development of the young defence.

Game honourable mentions; Pete Traynor & Wayne Peoples on Offence for their  first touchdowns of the season as well as Jordy Stalker who had a menacing game at left tackle. On Defence Michael Goor, Tom Vatovec and Lewis Harkaker who made some great tackles for losses in addition to the PAT block by Lewis and Seb Pennisi who all played great all round defensive game.

The Mustangs kicked off the season on Saturday at Cranebrook Park with a 26-6 loss against a vastly improved Predators Squad. Saturday’s game was the very first chance for the Mustang’s many rookies and newly graduated juniors to get a taste of senior football.

As well as the loss the Mustangs team suffered a further setback with an injury to starting centre James Caputi who, as well as being a team captain and starter is also a key member of the Mustangs organisation. The team and Wollongong community wishes James a swift and total recovery.

The Mustangs won the toss and feeling the energy in the huddle Captain Mitch Hunt elected to receive the football. The offense rewarded Mitch’s courage by driving methodically down the field and into the red zone with a well constructed combination of hard runs by Peter Traynor and well directed passes. The Wollongong team had a good chance to start the game with points however the drive stalled with the end zone in sight.The Predators took over in their own 20 and their run game proved tough to stop, marching methodically down-field on the next possession for the score with a scoring run from bruising Fullback Raneen Shamoon capping the drive. Their 2 point conversion attempt was successful off a run by Tailback Jay Johnson bringing the score to 8-0.

The next possession saw the Mustangs offence go 3 and out after a few uncharacteristic mental errors which allowed the Predators to once again march efficiently down field for another score on a Quarterback keep by Mark Shoebridge. The Mustangs Defence however rallied to deny the Predators the extra points to hold them it 14-0. On the following possession the Mustangs were again moving the ball but a botched snap led to a Predators recovery,  however after a long drive the Defence would hold strong and give the Offence one final chance to come back in the final two minutes. Led by quarter back Mitch Hunt’s ability to scramble under pressure and completing key 3rd down opportunities the team was able to take advantage of a mismatched secondary by capping off the drive with a 30 yard TD strike to wide receiver Brad Golledge with 35 seconds left on the clock. With their minds well and truly thinking about half time the Mustangs let their guard down and were punished by a kick return touchdown to Predators’ returner Alex De Pyper. The Mustangs after a good return would again have a chance to close the lead of the Preds but were unable convert where it counted most with an improvised throw from QB Mitch Hunt and Slot Receiver Colin Edwards falling just out of reach leaving the score at 20-6 going into the second half.

After the break and some fired up half time speeches both team’s defenses came out ready to play. From the outset the 2nd half was a defensive affair with the Mustang’s making effective adjustments and allowing only a solitary TD in the entire second half on another run by the Predators Tailback Jay Johnson. The young Mustang’s team can be pleased with their efforts, recording a number of 3 and outs as well as multiple turnovers caused by the tenacious and gritty play of Nat Bartlett and Eli Nasr. as well as recording a number of 3 and outs and a fumble recovery. The Predators defence however also made adjustments bringing a lot more pressure from different looks, this combined with the loss of Centre James Caputi put pressure on the QB all night. The final score would be 26-6.

Mustang’s MVP for the game was defensive tackle Nathianal Bartlett who, showing much improved speed and fitness, played outstandingly. In addition to his stellar work on the defensive front line Nat put his hand up to fill in for the injured center James Caputi and by all accounts performed well. Solid efforts were also observed from senior player Brad Golledge who, as well as scoring the Mustang’s only points of the day and was asked to play wide receiver, line backer and punter as well as the team’s kick/punt returner while the rookies find their feet. Special mentions also to recently graduated junior player Seb Pennisi who stepped seamlessly into the senior team and showed intelligence and coverage skills well above his years as well as second year Linebacker Eli Nasr who made a number of key plays on the night and has vastly improved with a year of experience under his belt.

Coming into the bye week the Mustangs have a full 2 weeks to iron out the remaining mental errors that unfortunately cost them on a number of plays over the weekend. However talking to many of the players following the game it’s easy to see the dedication and passion that still burns brightly within them. The Mustangs would also like to thank the friends and family members who made the long drive out to Cranebrook to support the team as well as the medical staff for, once again, keeping the players safe.The Mustangs now look forward to their week 3 game at home against the Sutherland Seahawks who suffered a 20-8 first week loss to the perennially strong UTS squad. Both teams will be hungry for a win and having faced each other twice last year with each team coming away with a win, this contest will be sure to be hard fought game with a strong rivalry slowly brewing between the Mustangs closest competitor.

Starting Quarterback Mitch Hunt represented the Mustangs in the 2011 14km City 2 Surf this past Sunday in order to raise funds for Telstra Child Flight. Mitch dressed in full game kit for the run in order to boost his funds raised for his chosen cause and he has so far managed to raise over $500 with donations still able to be received for two weeks time.

“This is my second year running the city 2 surf in full gear and I plan to continue running and raising money for charity as long as I am able. It’s a great cause and a really fun day, it’s cool to be able to get on the television and newspapers to support the sport and Child flight as well as bring smiles to countless kids that got a Hi 5 or a ball thrown to them along the way. It was tough work backing up afterwards and playing in our pre-season scrimmage with the Outlaws and UTS, my legs are definitely feeling it today.” Mitch said.

For those that think that Mitch put in a worthy effort we encourage you to get behind his cause and donate at http://www.fundraise.city2surf.com.au/gridironrunner.

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