The McCool Junction Mustangs will square off against the Deshler Dragons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as McCool Junction comes in on three and Deshler on eight.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Mustangs on Thursday. McCool Junction blew past Meridian 68-29. With McCool Junction ahead 33-11 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Carson McDonald
| 01/08/26 vs Meridian | 21 |
| 01/06/26 vs Lawrence-Nelson | 24 |
| 01/03/26 @ H&H | 22 |
Carson McDonald and Colby Yates were among the main playmakers for McCool Junction as the former went 9-for-13 on his way to 21 points along with six assists and three steals and the latter shot 60% from the field en route to 15 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. McDonald's big performance that morning made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 21 points. Another player making a difference was Dylan Gonnerman, who posted eight points and three steals.
McCool Junction smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. They are a perfect 6-0 when they hit their own glass that hard.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Deshler's strategy against Pike Valley on Saturday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Dragons blew the Panthers out of the water with an 86-33 final score. The Dragons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 24 points or more this season.
McCool Junction better keep an eye on Kaden Kleen. He was instrumental in Deshler's win, going 11-for-17 to rack up 28 points along with five assists and three steals. Those 28 points gave Kleen a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Easton Nash, who shot 55% from the field on his way to 13 points and six boards.
McCool Junction's victory bumped their record up to 8-4. As for Deshler, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest-scoring teams around. McCool Junction hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 56.2 points per game. However, it's not like Deshler struggles in that department as they've been averaging 66.7 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can put up more.
McCool Junction strolled past Deshler when the teams last played back in January of 2025 by a score of 68-51. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Dragons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
