Written by: Will Hoenike
The Horseshoe Bend Mustangs have qualified for the 1A Division 2 state playoffs each of the past four years and come into the 2023 season looking for a breakthrough moment.
The Mustangs are 1-4 in postseason play during that timeframe; their only win was an opening-round defeat of Castleford in 2020. They’ve been the recipient of some bad luck the last two seasons – drawing eventual state champion Kendrick in the opening round of 2021 and playing the eventual runner-up, Dietrich, in the opening round of 2022.
All of this is a way to show that Horseshoe Bend has established itself as a solid, consistent program coming out of the 1A Division 2 Long Pin Conference and should always be considered a threat.
“The ‘X-factor’ to this season is the same as every season,” said long-time Horseshoe Bend head coach Craig Elliott. “If we can stay healthy, we will be able to compete. If we have any injuries, we will struggle.”
One thing the program has done consistently well in recent years is produce quality playmakers in the skill positions. Colten Meyer to Blayne Meyer, and now Blayne Meyer to Kaelun Jones.
“With Blayne Meyer graduating, Kaelun will get the bulk of this carries,” Elliott said. “Kaelun is a second team all-conference running back who has worked extremely hard in the weight room this off season and I expect him to have a great season.”
Jones played alongside Meyer last season, providing plenty of big plays of his own. He ran for over 250 yards and four scores in an early-season matchup last fall against Idaho City. But, despite his big-play ability, he won’t be asked to carry the load completely on his own. Junior Trey Bauer returns to the field after missing last season due to an injury and senior Carson Drake returns to handle the quarterback duties for the team.
The Mustangs appear solid upfront, led by returning first-team All-Long Pin performer Nic Cooper. As the team’s center on offense and interior lineman on defense, he’ll be a key piece of the puzzle for Horseshoe Bend this fall. He’s joined by fellow returning two-way lineman Jared Wolsleben and the two seniors will be asked to help get the team’s young linemen up to speed.
Elliott and his staff are excited about the size along the defensive front but feel that the communication and overall physical play on that side of the ball need to continue to improve. In the Mustangs’ five wins last season, they allowed less than 25 points per game (one win was a forfeit). However, in Horseshoe Bend’s losses, that number jumped to more than 50 points per game.
The team isn’t afraid of a challenge on the field as evidenced by its non-conference schedule. In the season’s first three weeks, the Mustangs will face 1A Division 1 foe Wilder, a rapidly-improving Hagerman team, and then back to the 1A Division 1 ranks to tangle with Idaho City. Then comes rival Council for Homecoming on September 8, the team’s fourth consecutive home game to open the season.
That’s the good news. Four straight home games to open the campaign gives the team a chance to start fast. The flip side of that coin, however, is that Horseshoe Bend has just one home game after that, but it could be a pivotal one. The Tri-Valley Titans will come to town on October 13 in a game that could have major post-season implications.