The Delta College Mustangs football program opened its season with a Sept. 1 game against the Chabot Gladiators.
The Gladiator team let its presence be known in the first quarter, taking an early 7-0 lead.
But, the roles quickly changed at the start of the second quarter when Delta’s Theo Wofford pulled in a 57-yard reception.
“It did not work out the first run, but I was lucky enough to get a big catch that helped me set the tone for the rest of the game,” said Wofford.
With the momentum changed, the Mustangs were able to maintain the lead until the end of the game.
Despite not scoring any touchdowns, running back Wofford led the Mustangs in rushing and receiving yards. He ended the game with a total of 134 yards divided into 56 rushing and 78 receiving.
Mustang De’Marieya Nelson displayed his versatility as he played tight end, running back and quarterback during the game.
Nelson led the mustangs in scoring with two rushing touchdowns, ranking him ninth in scoring in Delta’s conference.
“I feel good about the win; we as a team still need a little more improvement. We need to put in the work to take us where we want to go,” said Nelson.
Quarterback Sam Hutsell led the team in passing with 174 yards. Behind him in numbers was Cody Weinzheimer with 106 yards.
The two together threw for a combined total of 280 passing yards assisting towards the 28-20 victory over Chabot.
Notable Chabot players include Hunter Rockwell who rushed for 117 yards and Brandyn Eckhart who had a total of 208 passing yards.
“Chabot played hard but in the end, our kids in the second half matched and exceeded their intensity,” said Coach Gary Barlow.
The Mustangs next game is 7 p.m. Saturday at Reedley College.
Barlow starts 12th season
This year, Gary Barlow started his twelfth season as head of the Mustang’s football program.
During the past 11 seasons, Barlow has achieved numerous milestones, including being named Conference Coach of the Year for the 2002 and 2004 seasons.
Barlow ended the 2011 football season with a 7-4 record and is 1-0 this season so far, giving him a combined record of 61-37.
Last year Barlow’s long hours and hard work paid off when the football program competed in the 2011 Delta Togo’s Bowl against De Anza College.
Under Barlow’s leadership, the 2011 Mustangs were victorious against De Anza College with a score of 63-16. This bowl victory gave Barlow a forth bowl championship to add to his list of accomplishments.
“We are not even thinking about last season we are staying focused on the 2012 season and this year’s players,” said Barlow.
Off the field, he’s also helped 82 athletes receive athletic scholarships in his tenure at Delta.
