Mustangs take up 15 spots in 2B honors list

The Malta Mustangs football team finished their 2020 campaign in the quarterfinal round of the State B Football Championship Series.

The Mustangs were able to land a conference-leading total of four athletes on the 2020 All-State list. The All-State List includes seniors Pierce Mortenson and Beau Simonson, and juniors Cash Salsbery and Rex Williamson.

"It is quite an honor to get on that list and is a reflection of the team success we had this season," Malta Coach Nick Oxarart said.

For the Northern B All-Conference list, the Mustangs filled a total of 11 spots between the first and second teams.

During football games, it was common to hear "Mortenson with a tackle in the backfield." Brothers Pierce and Parker Mortenson both earned first-team honors at defensive end.

Coach Oxarart said that he wasn't sure of the last time two Mustang defensive ends earned first-team honors but, he knows the feat is rare.

"Parker and Pierce made a lot of plays on defense because of their physicality, athleticism, and experience," Coach Oxarart said. "They worked hard in practice to get better every day and it really paid off for our defense. They were a big reason we had a lot of success this season."

The Parker brothers were not alone in their dominance, as Simonson made the list as a defensive lineman this season.

"Beau made a lot of tackles for loss this season and was a big reason our defense kept other teams from putting up big numbers against us," Coach Oxarart said. "We are going to miss Beau's athleticism, intelligence, and leadership next year on the offensive and defensive lines."

Coach Oxarart said that Simonson will leave big shoes to fill and that he was grateful for the endless miles and countless hours that Beau committed to Mustang Football by commuting to Malta from Whitewater every day.

The trio of Pierce, Parker, and Beau were also named to the All-Conference list on offense as lineman.

Linebackers Salsbery and Williamson earned first-team honors on defense.

Salsbery earned first-team honors at running back, while Williamson earned second-team honors.

"Cash Salsbery had a phenomenal season," Coach Oxarart said. "His off-season work in the weight room really paid off this fall. Rex is a dynamic player that can make big plays not only on offense but on defense as well. Rex has a great combination of speed and athleticism and he understands the game of football really well."

This season, the Salsbery-Williamson duo fought through ankle injuries but they were able to pick up the slack for each other, allowing each other time to rest throughout the season, according to Coach Oxarart.

"They are a great duo to have at running back and are vital to the success we had both offensively and defensively this season," Coach Oxarart said.

Senior Kooper Oxarart, who played quarterback and defensive back, earned honors defensively, making the second team list this season.

"Kooper Oxarart was another Mustang that had a phenomenal season both offensively and defensively and a large part of the success we achieved this season." Coach Oxarart said.

Coach Oxarart said that the team asks a lot of the quarterback to execute their Wing T offense, which features a lot of play-action.

" Kooper did a great job of running our offense and worked hard at getting better each practice and game and was playing his best football at the end of the season," Coach Oxarart said.

Coach Oxarart named several other seniors that were a part of the team's success despite not being named to the All-Conference list. Those athletes include Jeramiah Benson, Colt French, Peyton Jones, and RC Skiff.

"Without those guys, none of the other players mentioned above would've had the success that they did," Coach Oxarart said. "Some juniors that gained a lot of experience this year and will be fighting for all-conference recognition next year are Dwight Werk, Connor Tuss, Darrow Messerly, Shawn Gilkerson, and Eion Estill."

Like all other football teams around the country, the Mustangs were tasked with navigating around the COVID-19 virus, a virus that had caused two game cancellations this year for the Mustangs.

"We were very thankful for the opportunity to play football this season and our players did a great job of following the protocols to keep everyone as safe as possible," Coach Oxarart said.

He said that the team's athletes and coaches did a great job overcoming the adversity of having two game constellations, along with practicing daily, not knowing if any other games would get canceled.

"It was definitely a memorable season and we are thankful for the great memories we created," Coach Oxarart said.