Fueled by their team motto, Mustangs gallop towards a title
Galloping into the 2022-2023 season after corralling a 15-4 record last year, the Surrey Mustangs look to lasso a North Dakota Class B boys’ state basketball title by applying the principles of the motto “Play Hard. Play Smart. Play as a Team.” during their drive to the championship.
Riding high after putting together a strong 2021-2022 campaign, the Mustangs welcome back two players pivotal to Surrey’s success, returning starters Lucas Vollmer and William Mayo.
According to Mustangs head coach David Jackson, Vollmer and Mayo “come in with the ability to score, but their defensive roles will be the key to our team’s success.”
Aiding Vollmer and Mayo in Surrey’s quest for a title this season are Ayden Amunson, Trevyn Christanson, Dalton Walker, and Collin Vollmer, all of which are expected to shoulder larger roles on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball for the Mustangs.
Speaking on what specifically the team expects from these contributors, Coach Jackson stated, “Each one of these guys is going to have to step their games up and give us quality minutes night in and night out, because we intend on being a very different kind of team than we were last year.”
Also, interweaving what he perceives to be Surrey’s team strengths into the team’s motto this year, Coach Jackson made it a point to emphasize that the Mustangs will focus heavily on controlling what they can and implement that philosophy into their daily and long-term gameplan.
He explained, “Even though I would like to, we can’t control what the referees call. We can’t necessarily control how well our opponents are playing or how well we shoot the ball, but we can control if we play hard, play smart, and play as a team.”
While making note of a number of ways the Mustangs have improved in the off-season, the example that Coach Jackson had the most praise for was the unselfishness of his players and how they have sacrificed their personal goals for the good of the team and to continue in helping to build a successful Surrey program.
Highlighting his team’s unwavering dedication to the winning culture that the program has fostered, Coach Jackson pointed out, “Our guys have worked all summer to ensure they understand our team philosophy and what is expected of them. This season is going to be about continuing the work that the last two Surrey Mustangs’ teams have started.”
The Surrey Mustangs will open the 2022-2023 season at home against Garrison on Dec. 10.