The Lipscomb Mustangs will head into their first playoff game of the 2019 season playing Boyd-Buchanan this weekend after a tough and enthusiastic year.
“I’m excited for the playoffs,” coach Trent Dilfer said. “I think the regular season has hardened us in a good way.”
Before the season opener, there were a lot of changes to the program.
Dilfer, a former Super Bowl winning NFL quarterback, was named head coach and over 30 coaches were added to the program. Not only were there many coaching changes, but there were also over 20 transfers suiting up in purple and gold for the start of the 2019 season.
The Mustangs finished with a 5-5 overall record as they prepare to face Boyd-Buchanan in round one.
Dilfer says: “I think you have to judge the season somewhat contextually. A program that had won three games in two years — and we added 20-something new players to the program — and I think for all those reasons to be .500 is a big deal. I think, more importantly, I judge the season on the mentality, culture, and mindset and I think we made some radical changes.”
Dilfer also shared his thoughts on how this season has shaped these young athletes into young men. The Mustang motto, “Be Set Apart” became a cruical part of the teams culture this year.
“I think the boys have learned to invest a ton into something they are passionate about. They have learned a lot about becoming young men, how to overcome adversity, how to handle success, and how to sacrifice for one another, and so, for all those reasons, I think this season so far has been a wild success.”
Boyd-Buchanan, the Mustang’s first opponent in the playoffs, finished its regular season with a record of 8-2.
“Our first opponent Boyd-Buchanan has had a similar season to ours where they turned their program around, but I’m looking for a spread offense which is pretty dynamic, but our job is to contain it — a defense that we should be able to take advantage of. They are not as big or as physical as us so we have some advantages offensively that we should be able to take advantage of.”
The Mustangs are heading to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they’ll face the Buccaneers at 7 p.m. Friday, November 8.
Gallery of the Lipscomb v. Battle Ground Academy game last week by Mckenzi Harris.