A new season of football is upon us and the Los Medanos College Mustangs football team is looking for veteran sophomore players to take the next step this season.
Coming into this 2024 season, LMC looks to continue their offensive success they’ve garnered over the past two seasons. In the last two seasons, the Mustangs have had one of the top offenses in the state, including last year when receiver Marques Singleton led the state in yards per game and quarterback Brenden Bush led in passing yards and was third in touchdowns.
“Over the last couple of years our offensive numbers have been in the tops in the state because of the players,” head coach Chris Shipe said. “We’ve had a lot of great talent on that side of the ball and they’ve executed in the past few years to really be one of the top in the state. Consistency is huge because it starts with our sophomore leaders each year.”
Despite the success garnered from the air attack, the rushing side of the offense was very inconsistent last year. In week 3 of last year against Merced College the team rushed for 250 yards, however the next week against San Jose City College, LMC gained just 34 yards on the ground. Shipe said the rushing attack is something the coaching staff and players have been working on during the offseason.
“We have a solid group of running backs and are looking for them to really showcase their talent this season,” Shipe said. “The offensive line, tight ends and wide receivers are also a huge part in our running game being successful so we’ve been working on that part collectively as a group.”
Close games have been the thorn in the side of the Mustangs in recent years and just a few plays in those games have been the difference of LMC getting that added win to qualify for a bowl game, or losing and having their season cut short. Shipe acknowledges this, and wants the team focussed on the task at hand instead of looking at the big picture so early on.
“It’s been a couple plays here and there over the years that have prevented us from an opportunity for postseason play,” Shipe said. “We know that our focus is one game at a time and making sure we’re on the positive end of those close games.”
The Mustangs open their season on the road in Aptos against Cabrillo College Sept. 7. Shipe said scrimmaging them last season helped his group gain an understanding of what they could see this Saturday at kickoff.
“They are well coached,” Shipe said. “They have a lot of talent across the board on their team and I’m expecting a really good game on Saturday. It’s our first game and first road game of the season so I’m excited to watch our team perform on Saturday and for this upcoming season.”
The biggest factor Shipe is excited to see this year is the growth from his returning players from their freshman season last year, to their sophomore year.
“I’m excited to see our freshman contributors on last year’s team take the next step and become our leaders and playmakers for this upcoming season,” Shipe said. The group has been working hard since January and I’m excited to see their hard work pay off.”
