HSFT Stop #17: Mantachie

MANTACHIE, Miss. (WCBI) — Last season was a learning experience for Mantachie. The Mustangs only had three seniors, so the younger players had to step into important roles right away.

“We didn’t play a lot our first two years of high school and coming out last year was a jump, but we’ve learned a lot since then and are ready to move forward,” senior cornerback Chanton Spigner said.

For quarterback Caleb Jones, the difference between last year and this season is like night and day. He’s ready to help the Mustangs lead their final season.

“I’ve really settled in well and we’re starting to get along better,” Jones said. “Last year we had to learn a lot. The varsity team is a lot faster and I’m the leader of a 10-man team, so I just have to make sure everyone is where they need to be.”

The Mustangs have made the playoffs for the past four seasons. This consistent success has created a passionate community that supports their team every Friday night.

“It’s awesome to see all the fans Friday night and everyone’s excited when we come out,” senior Landon Holcomb said.

But the whole team knows that the victory is not just about their own. They are perpetuating Mantachie’s rich history.

“For all the teams before us, we want to continue their legacy by making the playoffs and this gives us something to look forward to,” senior Colten Baxter said.

Every year when the Mustangs make the playoffs, they hang a helmet in the stadium to commemorate the year’s accomplishments, forever cementing the team in school history with so many players who came before them.

“There are kids on this team that can look at the wall and see the years their dad played here and their uncles played here and that’s special,” head coach Ken Adams said.

The technical staff hopes to encounter a serious problem very soon.

“The goal is to run out of helmets, we take old helmets, cut them in half and make a plaque. So we’d like to have a problem trying to find some more helmets so we can finish this wall,” assistant coach Scott Booth said.

Mantachie begins his journey to a fifth straight helmet on the wall at home against Holly Springs.