After almost five years and 43 consecutive losses, the Meadowcreek Mustangs, under new head coach Terrone Owens, are winners again. The Mustangs, in their home opener, beat the Duluth Wildcats 24-14 Friday night to snap a streak that began in early November of 2003 with a loss to Norcross. The scene on the field—for both players and coaches—was overflowing with emotion.
“There were really no words to be said,” Owens explained. “Everything was just … it was just a happy time. I don’t even know how to explain it. Right now I still get goose bumps thinking about Friday night. It was emotional because we worked so hard.”
The victory came on the strength of a great second half. Tied at 14-14 coming out of the halftime break, the Mustangs defense shut out Duluth for the remainder of the game. Owens was quick to give credit for the strong defensive effort in the second half to his assistants and the players.
“I have to put that one on my defensive coaches,” Owens said. “We saw things from the top, we came in at halftime, we made an adjustment, and then my kids listened to what was being coached. My coaches drew it up, they listened to it, came back, and held them to, what? I think it was 29 rushing yards in the second half.”
Quarterback Sean Frezell scored on a 1-yard keeper late in the third quarter ending a 91-yard drive, and kicker Mizret Mehic tacked on a field goal late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory (Meadowcreek’s first since beating Cross Keys 33-30 in October of 2003).
The win ensures that seniors on the Meadowcreek squad will not leave school without knowing what a win feels like. Owens was proud of the seniors, noting, “My seniors, if they hadn’t won, they would have gone their whole career at Meadowcreek without winning a high-school football game. And that was pretty big – to make sure that those kids were able to see what a high-school victory felt like.”
Owens, although happy about the win, was in no way surprised. He pointed out that his players prepare every week as if they are an undefeated team and that they expect to win every game they play. To keep his players focused on the future he refused to allow them to watch game film of last Friday’s victory. Said Owens, “The Duluth game is done and over with and it’s time to get ready for South [Gwinnett].”
The Duluth game is over, and so is the streak. In the past, the streak weighed on the minds of the players and fans. Owens was glad to have that weight taken off of his players. He pointed out that every high-school football fan in Gwinnett County was aware of what he now calls the “has-been streak.”
“You have people that write all these little reports about it; ‘You know Meadowcreek hasn’t won a football game since gas was $1.50 and Lord of the Rings was number one,’ and things like that. And it weighs on the kids. I understand that people have to report, but they’ve still got to think about those kids – and it weighs. And it really felt good to just be able to reach back and pull that monkey off (our backs).”
Overcoming the weight of the streak is an accomplishment in itself, but with the events that unfolded days before the Mustangs’ season started, this win was even more of a surprise. Leading up to the 2008 season former Medowcreek head coach Reggie Perry felt that this year’s Mustang football team could be the best team in years, but when an administrative position opened up at another school he left the program just three days before the season started. As a result, athletic director Jason Dopson was left scrambling for a head coach. Owens, a two-year assistant under Perry, was the man Dopson picked to take the helm. And Owens repaid Dopson’s faith with a win in just his second game as head coach.
Heading into this past week’s game against Duluth, Owens motivated his team by asking them, “What better way to end the streak than here at ‘The Creek?’” They team came through with a win, and now the Mustangs will look to turn their streak-snapping win into a streak of a different breed – a winning streak. They welcome South Gwinnett to “The Creek” Friday night.
This week, Owens might be asking the players almost the exact same question as he asked them last week, with a bit of a different meaning: What better way to start the streak then here at “The Creek?” What a difference a week makes. What a difference a win makes.
You can read the full interview with Owens here. Lentz can be reached at zlentz@scoreatl.com.
Loading ...
