Montabella’s wrestling team finished second in their own dual-meet tournament Saturday, but only because of a lost tie-breaker. The Mustangs went 4-1 in the tournament, with their only loss coming to Mason, who is ranked 10th in the state in Division 2 by MichiganGrappler.com.

So far so good for Montabella’s wrestling team.
The Mustangs are 16-4 this season, which includes a perfect 3-0 mark in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference.

So close. The Montabella girls basketball team was five seconds away from handing Lincoln Alcona their first loss of the season, but a three-pointer at the buzzer by Karina Cole gave the Tigers a 40-38 win Saturday night.

The Lakeview Wildcats started quick, but in the end it was the Montabella Mustangs’ defense that took over to lead a comeback win on the hardcourt. Montabella found themselves down 29-21 at the half, but outscored the Wildcats 41-24 in the second half to open the boys basketball season with a 62-53 win.

BLANCHARD — The Montabella Mustangs boys basketball team will be looking to carry over its recent regular season success into a district title this year.

Montabella’s football team found out how a two-time state champion operates. The Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central Panthers routed the Mustangs 62-6 Friday night in a Division 7 district final game.

First the Montabella Mustangs set a school record for most wins in a season with eight. Then they earned the school’s first ever football playoff victory on Saturday.

The Mustangs dominated the second half of a 38-22 victory over Burton Bendle in the first round of the MHSAA football playoffs.

A 2010 season-ending four game winning streak set the wheels in motion for a record breaking Montabella Mustang football season in 2011. Finishing 4-5 overall last year ended the Mustangs run of two straight playoff appearances and was the first missed postseason under coach David Clay. The losing record gave the Mustangs new motivation and dedication to return to the playoffs.

The Montabella Mustangs football team qualified for the postseason for the third time in four years this season. In 2008, the Mustangs traveled to St. Louis and Saugatuck for games. In 2009, they made the northeast trip to Whittemore-Prescott for a game. This year the Mustangs head southeast to face the Burton Bendle Tigers near Flint.

Montabella’s football team could very well set a school record for most wins in a single season. Receiver Jemikal Papendick knows this. “We’re on the verge of doing a lot of things that haven’t happened before,” Papendick said. If the Mustangs knock off St. Louis on Friday, they will have won eight games in a single season for the first time in school history.