Hi All. Admiration and Respect … those are the words that come to my mind when I think about our Mustang football team. Our Oakdale High School football team is made up of young men from throughout our area, including our Valley Home area. Wes Burford, Matthew Cooley, Grant Gardner, Rowdy Sphar, and my grandson Cooper Bartholomew all are a part of this amazing team. What a tremendous group of hard-working young men this football team is, each one of them. I have watched over the last few months as this team worked tirelessly to be the very best. Coach Martin and his staff expected 100 percent from this team and that is exactly what they gave. Each team member, no matter how much playing time they got, gave 100 percent. In the summer months they were up before the sun to head to the weight room. For many of these players that meant taking care of chores long before most of us even got out of bed. For many of these Mustang football players it meant keeping their grades up, going to classes, dealing with life situations, they were dealing with a lot. Many players have before school jobs and after school jobs. Not only did they rise way before the sun was up to hit the weight room, many of them had to take care of responsibilities before heading to school. Early morning jobs feeding livestock, and other responsibilities got them up extra early. Here at our house, most mornings would find grandson Cooper up way before dawn and out the door to one of many jobs he holds down during his high school days. I know many of you reading this can identify with holding down jobs during your high school years. Whether those jobs were on your home place or at a neighbor’s property most of you reading this know what it’s like to work hard. That’s exactly what our high school football players have done … each one of them; they work hard. It’s really not only our football players but so many of our students who participate in sports. Those who cheer, those who participate in school organizations such as band and other activities … many participate in FFA and church activities. Our young people are hard workers and dedicated to giving 100 percent. Thank you to every adult out there who has encouraged or helped a young person along the way. Our Oakdale football team is a team with an amazing past, and an amazing future. Like all the other folks at Oakdale High School, every adult on the campus is dedicated to the future of our young people. We are blessed. We congratulate our 2024 Oakdale High School football Mustangs. We are so proud of you. Your amazing work ethic and your determination to be the very best, is an inspiration. We salute your strength … we salute your perseverance. We appreciate the days that you were up before dawn, we appreciate the tireless hours of practice after school, in sweltering heat over 100 degrees many days. We appreciate those early mornings of getting up just recently in 30 degree weather, determined to give your 100 percent. God bless each one of you. I know many of you reading this will feel the pride that our champions, yes champions, have brought to each of our hearts. I know some of you have walked in the same shoes as these players have walked in. Whether you each still live in the area, or now call another town or state home … in reality our hearts will always be in Mustang Territory. We send a special “Thank You” to everyone who gave our players such an amazing send off to the Championship game this past Saturday, Nov. 30. Our young men and their coaches, the cheerleaders, the band, everybody connected with this team; school staff, the town of Oakdale, families and friends. It was an amazing sight to see the tremendous outpouring of support for our Mustangs. We appreciate the skill of the bus drivers who carried our Mustangs to Sacramento. As the buses pulled out of Oakdale carrying our players, cheerleaders, coaches and staff, downtown Oakdale came alive. Cheers, whistles, signs along with videos showed the support our town has for our Mustangs. It was a special sendoff indeed. Excitement was high as our Oakdale Police Department escorted our Mustangs out of town. Later that evening as the buses returned to Oakdale, our amazing Mustangs would be met at the edge of town by our Fire Department. The Fire Department escorted our Mustangs into town with lights flashing, sirens announcing their arrival home. It was a heartfelt “Welcome Home” by our fire department, parents, grandparents, friends and family, school staff, townspeople, so many came out to support these very special Mustangs. It was a night all of us will remember.

We send a huge “Thank You” to our amazing coaching staff; thank you for teaching our young men football but also teaching our young men to be responsible, to be gentlemen. To all the folks who provided our Mustang football team with delicious Thursday afternoon meals, you are deeply appreciated; thank you, those boys were so grateful. To our Mustang Boosters, a huge “Thank You” for everything you do.

*****

As always you may reach me by email at winniemullins51@gmail.com or by text or telephone at 209-985-5233.

Until next time, “Merry Christmas to All!”