By Trevor Wright

November 23, 2015 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, The final score Spirit Lake 70 Mt. Vernon 56, the end of the Mustangs Hoosier season, with a final record of 11-3. “You know I had to think it was a normal day,” Ian Bootsmiller said.
The Mustang season of greatness started Aug. 17, 2015, the first day of camp. Little did the Mustangs know they were going to have a season to remember, a season to test the record book and a season to test each other.

Bootsmiller, a junior, started to play football in first grade when it was flag football. “I kept playing because I was pretty good,” he said. He kept playing through his first tackle football experience in fifth grade with YSF and into middle school football. Bootsmiller was moved to offensive and defensive line in middle school, where he plays on the varsity team today.

Through the 2015 football season the Mustangs got off to a good start, winning the opening game against Marion after a one day rain delay. The Mustangs were defeated by the Solon Spartans, but soon after they won the next four games, until they played their conference game against Anamosa, falling to the Blue Raiders 45-42. After the loss the Mustangs never suffered another loss for the rest of the regular season.

Though winning every game from Anamosa forward, on Nov. 2, 2015 when the second quarter ended the Mustang fans had a mind of doubt with the Mustangs down two touchdowns. “It was a little scary, we couldn’t get much going on offense and our defense didn’t get enough stops,” Bootsmiller said. He said during half time coach switched the defense to a six man front to stop the run.

But it wasn’t Coach Pedersen who gave the speech to inspire the great comeback; it was senior defensive back and tight end Connor Herrmann. “I don’t want this to be my last half of high school football,” Herrmann said. And it wasn’t, the Mustangs came back and won 41-28.

They quickly found out they had to play Anamosa again to go to the UNI Dome. “That week we watched a lot of film, and worked on a lot of run off the tackle defense drills,” Bootsmiller said. So when Nov. 6, came around the Mustangs were seeking revenge. They gave up 20 points to Anamosa, while the Mustangs scored 33 points, not allowing Anamosa to ever take the lead in the 48 minute game. After that game the ‘Stangs were headed to the Dome.

The first game at the UNI-Dome the Mustangs just sneaked past Albia to go to the championship game. “It was really loud in the Dome, we practiced in the gym and coach would turn up the music really loud to simulate the Dome atmosphere. The offensive line actually came up with hand signals to communicate between each other,” Bootsmiller said.

The Mustangs got off to a rocky start allowing the opening kickoff to be returned back for the game’s first score. With the half time score Spirit Lake 42 Mustangs 14, but the Mustangs didn’t stop there. They outscored Spirit Lake in the second half 42-28, but unfortunately that wasn’t enough. The Mustangs lost the final game of the season 70-56. This game made USA Today because of the bizarre score and the game stats. “Anyone who thinks they might want to play football next do it,” Bootsmiller said.