A lot has changed since 2012, but one thing hasn’t in Andrews, Texas: Ralph Mason’s postseason success.

The Mustangs have been to at least the second round of playoffs in each of Mason’s nine seasons as the head coach. They have reached the third round twice and have also won a district title in five out of the last seven years.

With the Mustangs coming off an 8-4 season, where a 47-35 defeat to Fort Stockton left them as the second placed finishers in District 2-4A Division I, TexasFootball.com caught up with Coach Mason to reflect on last year and talk about the Mustangs’ prospects for the upcoming season.

Q: In a season unlike any other, your team finished 8-4, second in its district, and defeated Clint Mountain View 67-0 in the bi-district round. What are your thoughts on how last year went for your team amidst the pandemic?

“COVID was something that we obviously had to deal with, and I really felt like it probably cost us a couple of games that I think we would’ve won otherwise. You lose some key people and lose a ball game by a close margin. I really think that was a factor for us. I felt that, overall, we were very fortunate. We didn’t have to cancel any games at any level, didn’t lose any coaches through the season and only lost a few players in the process. It was just some key individuals against some really good opponents that really kind of cost us at times. But other than that, it was a successful season. I really felt like we had the potential to maybe go a little further in the playoffs, but if you’re missing players, it really affects the outcome of a game.”

The Mustangs compete in District 2-4A Division I alongside Fort Stockton, who won the district last year, San Angelo Lake View, and Big Spring. With only four teams in the district, each team is guaranteed a playoff spot. However, it can make it difficult to find opponents in weeks six and seven when most other teams are already competing in district play.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages that come with competing in a four team district where there are so few district games but each team is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs?

“I don’t know how many pros there are unless for some teams, they already know they’re in the playoffs. We kind of like to know that we earned our way to get there. The difficulty with four team districts comes with finding game six and seven because other teams are sitting there in six team district and whatnot. Fortunately, there are other four team districts, which give you those games. We play Canyon and Hereford [this season], but the problem with that is that you could likely meet them in the second or third round of playoffs again because they are 4A Division I as well. One of the other pros is if you can find the games, it allows you to seek out some stronger opponents. That’s what I’ve tried to do the last several years is to play some really tough people in non-district to get yourself ready for district and more especially the playoffs.”

Q: How is your district shaping up this year?

“Last year, Fort Stockton snuck up on us. We were missing a key player due to injury, but we just weren’t ready to play that game and they were. They did a great job. The thing about it is their football team is very young, so they’re going to have a lot of kids back off that team, which is going to make for a very interesting final game. [Andrews will travel to Fort Stockton on November 5 for the district finale]. I think that it’ll come down to us and them again. Big Spring has got some returning kids. Their quarterback [Gabriel Baeza] is back, and he’s a pretty good athlete. They seem to be making a little bit of headway. But again, I think one of the things that we learned last year from the Fort Stockton game is the importance of being mentally ready against every opponent. I know that our kids already have that game pinpointed on their calendars.”

The Mustangs were led by an explosive offense last year that averaged 43.8 points per game. Junior quarterback E. J. Lopez (4,174 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns) and senior running back Brock Tijerina (592 rushing yards and seven touchdowns) are among the key returners on that side of the ball for Andrews this season.

Q:  What are your expectations for your offense this season and what players do you expect to play a key role?

“We’ve had a lot of good years offensively and a lot of that goes to that quarterback that’s your leader. E.J. had a fantastic sophomore year. He’s been working hard to improve little things getting ready for the season, so I know he’s going to have a big year. We feel like right now that we’re probably three deep at most of our receiver positions. We’ve got some kids that have really come along in the offseason and some that got some time last year. We feel like Anthony Trevino and Shawn Parker are going to make an impact and Manny Rojo [too]. I’ve got a couple of kids that emerged in the offseason that I think are going to surprise some people as well. We’ve got a lot of kids coming back. Off the top of my head, we have 21 lettermen coming back. We had a lot of sophomores on our team last year. [Running back] Brock [Tijerina] is the ultimate leader. He’s one of those kids that stays on the field a lot for special teams, offense and defense. He doesn’t want to come off the field. We’re excited about our offensive line coming back. Zeke Rivera is coming back as a three-year starter at center. We have Sebastian Rodriguez and Cole Flora that started at tackle for us last year, and we have other kids that played a lot for us. We feel like we’re about four deep at running back, so we have three of our running backs also working at some receiver positions just so we can get them on the field. We’re excited about our depth”

Defensively, leading tackler Luis Cervantes is back after leading the team with 134 total tackles, earning co-defensive MVP of the district in 2020. There’s plenty of talent alongside Cervantes, which has Mason excited to see what his defense can do this season.

Q: What are your thoughts on your defense and what players are you looking to have a big season on that side of the ball?

“Defensively, I think this may be one of the best defenses that I’ve had since I came to Andrews. Luis Cervantes has been starting at linebacker since he was a freshman. Both of our linebackers were sophomores, and they were both excellent linebackers.  Jaxon Lawdermilk was the other one. Our defensive front was extremely good last year, and they’re all back plus we have the depth that was there from last year as well. Out of our four linebackers, we lost one to graduation. But, we have others like Anthony Trevino and Shawn Parker that got a lot of playing time, so we’re going to come in with four very solid linebackers this year with some depth behind them. We feel good about our secondary as well, so I’m really excited about the defensive side of the ball this year.”

Q: Are there any positions that you’re concerned about heading into the season?

“Our secondary is still a little on the young side even though we feel good about the people that we’ve got there. That’s an area where we will hopefully see some gradual improvement. But we’re pretty solid. Honestly, I really feel like this may be the best junior/senior combined group that I’ve had since I’ve been at Andrews. The biggest reason is that we have some kids that can play, but the leadership and work ethic is over the top. In all the offseasons that we’ve had, our strength and conditioning coach keeps track of [our gains]. Our offseason strength gains this last year ranked number one, and we were number two in speed improvement. I’m really excited. Even special teams, we’ve got all our punters back and Manny Rojo has an explosive leg as a kicker. We just feel like we’re real well-rounded, if we can stay free of injury.”

As aforementioned, the Mustangs have been to at least the second round of playoffs the past nine seasons. Last year, a 31-20 loss to Dumas knocked the Mustangs out in the area round, but hope is high in Andrews heading into the season.

Q: Is there a sense this could be a special season? What are your expectations for 2021?

“I really think it could be. Of course, thinking and talking about it doesn’t get it done. I really think that we have the leadership, which I felt like last year we were a little lacking in that area. I think that’s going to be the number one thing that may help us to get on down the road in the playoffs. In fact, one of the coaches in our region last year said, ‘I’ll be ranking y’all number one in our region no doubt next year.’ Blake Bryant just retired at Canyon, and he made a comment as well. He said, ‘Coach, I don’t think I want to play you anymore.’ It may have been because he was retiring, but we played them extremely well and kind of the dam broke at the end of the game last year [Canyon scored 34 unanswered points in the second half in a 45-14 victory]. Canyon had one of their best teams they’ve had in a long time a year ago. If we can stay healthy, I just really feel like with the leadership and camaraderie of our team, I think we could have a special year. But that’s just talk, so you’ve got to prove it on the field.”

The first step of the Mustangs turning those expectations into reality will take place on August 27 in Lubbock when they square off against Cooper in what they hope will be the beginning of a very memorable season.