The Mustang Broncos took care of business and captured their third district championship in the last five seasons with a 4-2 win over Bishop McGuinness on Friday, April 19 at Connelly Field in Oklahoma City.
The Broncos (13-2, 5-1) entered the matchup riding a four-game win streak and had the goal of hosting the first round of the Class 6A Playoffs. With goals from Aiden Jordan (Jr.), Wyatt Karber (So.), and Aiden Hale (So.), coach Jared Homer’s squad notched the top seed.
“That was a goal of ours from the beginning of the season,” Homer said of capturing the district title
“I’m just proud of the guys and how they battled all season. We have had to overcome several obstacles this season and that didn’t deter us from success.”
The Broncos and Irish played close early in the game with each team missing opportunities to take a 1-0 lead. Mustang received an extra spark defensively as Jacob Ringo (Sr.) made his return after an injury he suffered on April 2 against Edmond North.
With 3:45 remaining in the first half, Jordan put the Broncos on the board. He converted on a penalty kick after Hale was fouled in the box for a 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Goalkeeper Nolan Beller (Jr.) was strong in net for the Broncos, finishing the game with eight saves. He helped pitch a shutout until early in the second half.
The Irish (5-3, 3-3) put pressure on Mustang out of the break, playing with a “win-or-go-home” mentality. They tied the game 1-1 less than three minutes out of halftime with a backdoor goal that snuck past keeper Beller.
Dillon Clymer (Sr.) battles for a ball during a match earlier this season at the Mustang Soccer Complex. Clymer and the Broncos defeated Bishop McGuinness 4-2 on April 19, 2024, to seal their third district championship in the last five seasons. (Photo by Trey Hunter)
Jordan seemed to take McGuinness’ first goal personal, answering with a score at the 36:07 mark to take a 2-1 lead.
“Our guys are seasoned players and have been through a lot over the course of their careers,” Homer said of his team’s quick response to McGuinness’ first-half score. “We just stuck to the plan and continued to battle.”
The Irish answered again, tying the game at 2-2 after a foul in the box resulted in a penalty kick. However, tempers began to rise, and McGuinness went a man down after receiving a red card with 25 minutes remaining.
The Broncos connected the dots in the 23rd minute of the second half. Karber put one past the McGuinness keeper off a throw in from Hale for a 3-2 advantage. The goal seemed to take the wind out of the sails for the Irish as the Broncos cruised the remainder of the game.
Mustang iced the contest with an electric breakaway goal by Hale with four minutes left on the clock.
NEXT UP: PLAYOFFS
The Broncos will be the top seed in the Class 6A Playoffs, starting with a first-round matchup against Putnam City Original (6-9, 4-3) tonight.
Homer’s squad has now rested for over a week, preparing mentally and physically for the Pirates. With a win, Mustang would face either Bedlam rival Yukon or Bartlesville in the second round on Thursday.
“It’s a long season and we demand a lot from our guys on and off the field,” Homer said going into playoff preparations last week. “We will get ready like normal and prepare for a deep playoff run.”
The Broncos and Pirates kick off at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Mustang Soccer Complex.
