Mustangs out do something program hasn’t in over three decades

Grapevine wants more than to just eradicate its boys basketball postseason history. It wants to create something historical.

The annals of the program will show that the last time the Mustangs won a playoff game, the Internet didn’t exist, social and media were two words that were mutually exclusive, and CDs were recognized more for being certificates of deposits for your bank than compact discs.

That was 1985, when Grapevine beat Everman. Ever since then, Grapevine has had its share of solid teams that advanced to the postseason. But that’s all they did.

With 11 seniors and returning four starters from last year’s 20-15 squad, the Mustangs (20-13, 7-4 in District 8-5A) are on the verge of returning to the postseason for the second consecutive season. Head coach Jeremy Mills knows the history and wants his team to understand the history and then exceed it.

But first things first. That starts Tuesday at Colleyville Heritage, which is fighting for its playoff life. It continues Friday with a very important home game against Fort Worth Eastern Hills, the program closing in on the district championship.

Grapevine needed to win at least one of its last three to clinch a tie for a playoff spot. However, playing for ties isn’t the goal.

“Our goals really haven’t changed,” Mills said. “We want to win district and want to win a state championship. We’re in a good position to achieve all of our goals. But we have to be consistent and look at nothing more than the next game.”

There are always going to defining moments during a season. On Jan. 28, the Mustangs had fallen into a 17-0 deficit to start their game against Fort Worth Dunbar. Game over, right?

Nope. The Mustangs erupted for a 27-point second quarter, ironically held a 17-point lead in the third quarter and finished off the 70-59 victory. It demonstrated how this team rallied from an 0-2 start. That included an 84-51 loss to the Flying Wildcats on Jan. 3. Prior to Tuesday, Grapevine had won seven of its previous nine and held five of those opponents below 50 points.

“Going 0-2 in district and getting beat badly by Dunbar early was a wakeup call for us to start playing well,” Mills said. “We had some injuries but our guys really did a great job of focusing.

“When we’ve been down big, we’ve just kept chipping away. It’s just about winning the next possession. If we’re down 10 to 12 points, we’re not defeated.”

Grapevine’s experience complements its balance. Senior 6-7 post Andrew Lasting, a four-year starter, has been consistent, averaging 13 points and eight rebounds. Ethan Tabor provides the marksmanship at 17 points per game, shooting at 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Mills also has a pair of point guards per se between Dalton Novotny and Hunter Holloway. There is more work to do for this team and many challenges awaiting. Mills believes this team is ready for it all.

“For us, it’s all about offensive efficiency and getting better shots,” Mills said. “I’ve had a couple of coaches tell me that they think we have one of the best passing teams in the area. That’s a complement to our kids and what they’ve been able to accomplish.”

This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Mustangs out do something program hasn’t in over three decades."