by Gunnar Davis

In the small town of Monroe, Iowa, the PCM Mustang football team has never had a problem
winning or making it into the playoffs. Out of the past five years, this is the fifth-straight time making the cut. But it is the first time since 2011 (Head Coach Greg Bonnett’s first year) that the Mustangs have hosted the first round of the IAHSAA 2A playoffs.
The Mustangs went 7-2 on the season and boast one of the best records in school history. The team also finished second in the district behind number-one ranked Albia with a 5-1 district record. This in fact is due largely to what Bonnett calls “a business approach” to football.
“I think the biggest difference is that this team has taken the ‘don’t waste time’ approach to football,” Bonnett said. “Practice sessions move along really smoothly, and they get from drill to drill. There’s not much downtime, and they take a little bit more of a business approach to practice.”
Bonnett calls it by how he sees his team in practice, but four-year starter and senior All-District quarterback Logan Gilman says it has a more to do with relationships.
“This year’s team is a super close knit group,” Gilman said. “If things are going bad in a game, nobody gets down on each other, and we stick together. This team has a true team mindset.”
The Mustangs worked hard to have the game at home. Having that right has many advantages for the players and coaches.
“It’s important to have a home playoff game because the first round happens on a Wednesday night,” Bonnett said. “So win or lose, but especially win, you don’t want to be getting home really late because you have to start right away on film, and the team that you’re going to face the next round since the game is on the following Monday.”
The home playoff game also has a big impact on the community. Fans have been packing the stands at home games all year, and that shouldn’t change in the playoffs.
“It’s such an awesome event to host on your home field,” Bonnett said. “You get a good crowd, and it’s a lot of fun for kids in elementary all the way up to grandparents.”
The Mustangs are undefeated at home on the year and look to continue that against the Hawks of Mid-Prairie Wednesday Oct. 26.
“At our home field, it almost feels like a totally different team because the friends and family on the sidelines are a big motivation to the team,” junior lineman Leevi Telfer said. “This team is a big deal to our community.”