Olfen Enjoys First-Ever Victory Against Moran

MORAN, TX — The Olfen Mustangs earned their first varsity win in program history Thursday with a 45-14 victory over Moran.

Olfen began playing varsity football in 2020, and it has been an uphill climb for the six-man team to try to find its footing.

The Mustangs came close last year with three losses by 10 points or less, and they finally broke through in their third game this season with the historic win.

“You could just sense the joy,” Olfen head coach Reese Wilson said of his players’ reaction after the game. “Before the game started, it was pouring rain, and the kids just started having fun, and I felt like that just made a difference once the game started. They were loose and having fun, and they remembered football’s supposed to be fun.”

Freshman quarterback Zander Martinez threw for 141 yards and four touchdowns on 6-of-10 passing, while Avian Bell had four catches for 109 yards and three TDs.

Luke Bean had five carries for 94 yards.

Grant Halsell had a trifecta with a rushing TD, receiving TD and passing TD. Galijha Stambaugh added a receiving TD.

Wilson said some injuries and a couple kids moving out forced the Mustangs to switch to a new offense, but things started to click against Moran.

“We’re kind of having to go to a no-lineman offense, and we have a freshman quarterback, so he’s having to run something’s brand new, but he was effective,” Wilson said. 

“Against Mullin was our first game where (Martinez) really had to run it, and the game was a little too fast for him that game. But after watching film, he was like, ‘I’ve just got to do this and do that,’ and his first game to his second game, it slowed way down for him, and he made a huge jump.”

The win propels Olfen into homecoming this week against Lohn.

“They’re fired up,” Wilson said. “Just getting that first win was huge. Now they actually have belief that we can win a couple.”

Friday’s game against Lohn, which begins at 7 p.m., is a rematch of a memorable meeting last year when Lohn scored on the final play of the game to steal a 19-16 win.