Mustangs prepare for H-J after bye

To say this has not been a typical football season for West Orange-Stark would be stating the obvious. The Mustangs have their bye this week in preparation for the regular season finale in two weeks.

West Orange-Stark entered this year with the highest winning percentage of any program in Texas high school football. The Mustangs have won over eighty percent of their games since the school began in the late 1970s and annually go several rounds deep into the post season.

Last Friday the Mustangs lost 34-14 to the Jasper Bulldogs. The loss dropped WOS to below .500 for the season at 4-5 and in the district with a 2-3 record.

The game was played at Jasper and was the fourth loss of the season for the Mustangs on the road. The only road win for West Orange-Stark this season was actually at Bridge City in the game with Little Cypress-Mauriceville as the Bears were getting their new artificial turf field installed at Battlin’ Bear Stadium.

The playoffs are still a very strong probability for the Mustangs with their two wins already in the district. There are two teams Liberty and Hardin-Jefferson with a single district victory and Bridge City is winless in district action.

The Mustangs play the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks in two weeks. A win would clinch a playoff berth for them but as a very uncharacteristic fourth seed in the district standings. Another loss by West Orange-Stark would create the possibility of a three-way tie for fourth place with Hardin-Jefferson and Liberty if each team finishes with two district wins.

Point spreads in games between the three teams would be the tiebreaker in case of a tie. The Mustangs beat Liberty 53-8, and Liberty defeated Hardin-Jefferson 42-29 in games played so far between the three schools.

In two weeks the West Orange-Stark Mustangs play the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks. The game will be at 7:30 PM on Friday, November 4, in Dan R. Hooks Stadium.