The St. Vital Mustangs have a proud history in the Manitoba Major Junior Football League (MMJFL). The club has won 14 MMJFL titles since 1983, winning at least once in every decade, including a run of six titles in eight years between 1987-94. The ‘Stangs most recent championship came in 2016, where they were near unstoppable. They scored 301 total points while giving up just 70 en route to an undefeated league championship.
Leading the charge in 2016 was Derek Mills, a 25-year-veteran as a coach who’s looking to bring the Mustangs back to the pinnacle in 2021. His roster for the upcoming season will look slightly different, with 2016 veterans such as Lucas Johnston (quarterback) and Korey Rous (offensive line) now aged out, however the core of the team remains.
“St. Vital has had a storied past. We’ve been successful year after year after year. It doesn’t matter who we have graduating from year to year. Looking at the group of guys we had in 2019, I think we’re looking good for the future,” Mills says.
“I’m excited about getting together with the guys again, and having that family dynamic that we seem to have. And being in the locker room again, looking around and seeing 40 guys having fun together and being on the same page and working as a team. Those are the things that I look forward to, it’s that building of friendships and seeing those things kind of bloom throughout the season.”
In terms of team priorities, Mills will be looking for a replacement for Johnston at the pivot position. He has a few athletes in mind, but won’t be able to comment in full until he sees everyone on the field. When that happens will be up to the provincial government. The hope is for a full campaign this year after 2020 was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Another position of need will be at offensive line, a common theme for every MMJFL squad. In 2019, an under-sized Rous led the group at centre, and his veteran presence will be missed going forward, however Mills has confidence that his roster can fill the void. They got better in every game, winning five of their last six, and nearly pulled off the upset against an undefeated East Side team in the championship.
“We had a very young, undersized offensive line. You could see it in our season opener. We got smoked by the Eagles. After that game, we were a little unsure of where we were headed, but the improvement that that young squad made throughout the season, and their work ethic and desire to get better and become better as a unit really showed up later in the season,” the head coach noted.
“In the championship game, we actually had the lead at half-time. That’s a testament to how hard that particular group worked all season long.”
A position of strength for the Mustangs last season was their receiving corps, which remains largely intact for 2021. Veteran Richard Wyss has one year of eligibility left, and could form the league’s top duo with Stanton Rempel, who led the squad in receiving yards a year ago. The future looks bright well past this year, with the likes of Bennet Finney and Ethan Thacker, who both saw time as 18-year-old rookies and are capable of playing in multiple positions.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team will be anchored by veterans such as Ray Cruz, Mackenzie Dueck and Robert Lussier. Cruz spent a year playing university ball in Ontario, and made a return to his club football roots in 2019. His presence was felt immediately as a two-way starter. Dueck, a former standout at corner for the Steinbach Sabres, has been described as a “smaller version” of all-time great linebacker and 2016 champ Chris Brown-Fillion, while Lussier is the brains of the operation, not only in the secondary, but the defence as a whole. He’s in his final year of eligibility in 2021 and knows what it takes to win, as he was also on the 2016 roster.
“[Lussier] is probably the guy I’ve been in contact with the most, and he has said that he’s interested in coming back for one more season. He just graduated from university, he’s working full-time so his life has taken on a new dynamic, but he did say if we do have a season this year, he would like to play,” says Mills.
“Robert has played a big role over the last few years as far as formulating our defensive schemes, our playbook, our game plans – he’s been an integral part of that. Just to have his knowledge and his foresight, the way he knows the game and can read an offence, it’s really important.”
As they always do, the Mustangs will welcome in some new faces from the Winnipeg High School Football League who are looking for a place to play. A minor benefit of the pandemic is that the club will have two years of athletes to potentially recruit, rather than one in a normal year. Newcomers to the roster will quickly see what makes Mills and his group consistently strong — a keyword being “fun.”
“I allow the players to be themselves, but keep them in check at the same time. That’s something that I just try and promote with my players,” says Mills.
“It’s quality football. We work hard. It’s not beer league football like some might think it is. I put my guys to work, and they have to compete in order to get playing time, just like at the higher levels, but they have fun doing it.”