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Mullen (Denver, Colo.) it is no secret that a huge amount of their school pride and passion is invested in their football team, The Mustangs. On the heels of their 3rd consecutive Colorado 5A state championship and ninth national ranking in 2010, they were an obvious stop for the 6th Annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the National Guard.
Upon entering the school there was no doubt that this year's 3-peat celebration was going to be different then in the years past. A long red carpet had been rolled out across half the gym floor, which passed by tables that displayed the team's state championship trophies and the past years Army National Guard Minutemen trophies. Seeing that about 300 chairs were set up in addition to the two full bleachers, it was apparent that we were in for a big crowd.
Mullen's Athletic Director, Tony Schenbeck, proudly welcomed MaxPreps Representative, Brandon Bowling, and Sergeant Major John Lee of the Colorado Army National Guard, who were on hand to present the Honors. Tony Schenbeck explained that this year we would be celebrating the Mustangs special honor with not only the student body, coaches and athletes, but their parents as well. Given that this 3-peat team had extended their winning streak to 33 consecutive games and accomplished their 2nd straight 14-0 season, Mustang fever was an epidemic in the Mullen community.
Just after 2pm a loud rumble of excited students entered the gymnasium, and the presentation was set to begin. After a few rounds of rally calls from the Mustang cheerleader, the Athlete's parents were invited to the special seating section on the gym floor. In the midst of thunderous applause, the Mustang athletes streamed down the red carpet, receiving the Tour of Champions shirt from the Guard representatives, and seating themselves next to their parents. Tony Schenbeck turned the mic over to MaxPreps representative Brandon Bowling, who highlighted the accomplishments of the team. Bowling made a point to note that the Mustang's 9th national ranking was out of more than 15,000 teams in the US, which acted as more fuel on the fire for the already boisterous crowds. He then introduced Sergeant Major John Lee from the Colorado Army National Guard, who took the mic and chided the crowd by asking "Now what was your ranking?" and was met with a hyped up response of "NINTH". Sergeant Major Lee expressed his pride in the team, coaches and school and invited Coach Dave Logan up to accept the "Minuteman Trophy." Coach Logan graciously accepted the honor on behalf of the team and school. He then turned the presentation over to Tony Schenbeck, whose closing words went something like "We were here in 2008, 2009, 2010, and we will be back next year, and the year after that, and the year after that!"
It appears that driving down Hampden Avenue towards Mullen High School, amid the backdrop of the snow capped Rockies, will continue to be a tradition for the MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard.
