The McCracken County Mustangs continue their season Tuesday night against Butler in the KHSAA Boys Soccer State tournament, representing the first region and keeping their season alive.
After the epic victory over the Marshall County Marshals in the regional championship, the Mustangs have more than just a regional title to be proud of this season. While succeeding on and off the field, head coach Michael Wiersema’s proudest moment of the season was discovering his team’s cumulative grade point average of 3.81.
“One of our core values is to strive for excellence in all areas,” Wiersema told The Sun. “And, you know the 3.81 GPA, when I found out I was blown away by how good these guys are. I knew they were smart kids and they worked hard, but it was probably the best I have ever had as a coach.
Most of the team faced high school in a global pandemic to add to their accomplishments, preventing them from living and learning in a typical environment.
In addition to their academic achievement, the team have won the last seven games played this season: Josh Kuntz, Jack Housman, Nathan King and Nehemiah Ivey, along with stoic Grayson Parish at net, kept the Mustangs alive.
As for the game against Butler, Wiersema has prepared the Mustangs for this moment since the start of the season. After last season, a team that has lost more than a handful of top executives have proven themselves to be a dominant force to be reckoned with on the pitch.
“We can play a good team on the road and prove that we belong, that we can take the next step as a program,” said Wiersema. “It’s a good challenge and it’s a talented team. Playing on the road, when you have three or four hours on the road, it can be tough, but these kids have been doing it all year round. We have prepared them for these times.
