Slocum MUSTANGS
TAYLOR HONEA Sports Writer sports @ palestineherald . com
The Slocum Mustangs are continuing to build their program , and this year pushed themselves to the brink of playoff contention . The Lady Mustangs , however , again established themselves as a dominant force in the 1A ranks , reaching the Regional Championship against district rival Neches .
The Mustangs finished their year with an 11-20 overall record , and 6-8 within district play , falling just one spot shy of reaching the playoffs . After starting just 1-6 through their first seven games of the season , the Mustangs started to gel as a unit toward the end of the season .
The signature win of the year for the young Mustangs was a 55-43 win over district rival Neches , defeating the Tigers in their building during homecoming . Sophomore guard Carter Sbrusch , a 2024 Palestine Herald All-Area team member , had 31 points in the game , including going 10-12 from the free throw line .
The Mustangs have young building blocks , such as Sbrusch and freshman Creede Kessel , and will look to make a big jump forward next season , maybe even vying for a district title .
The Lady Mustangs turned in another fabulous year , posting a record of 23-13 , and reaching the Regional Final
against district rival Neches . While the Lady Mustangs would fall to the state semi-finalist Neches , they held the Lady Tigers to their lowest scoring output of the playoffs , only allowing 33 points in a 33-23 loss .
The Lady Mustangs play a very team oriented brand of basketball , and their success as a team far outweighed their individual accomplishments . Even at that , senior post Lexi Bennett was a force to be reckoned with in her final season in the blue and white of Slocum . The 5 ’ 8 forward is an enthusiastic defender who rarely seemed to get out of position , and was a reliable scoring option on the offensive side , using her height and strength to score at will from within feet of the basket .
The Lady Mustangs will be losing key players to graduation this year , including Bennett and fellow seniors Audrey Leuschner and Addie Bowman . But , with the return of seven varsity players the Lady Mustangs should be poised to contend with Neches again next season for the top spot in district .
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