They may not be making millions of dollars like the professionals, but players on the Kosciusko County Mustangs semi-pro football team do have something in common with the big boys - the love for the game.
"I just enjoy playing the game for the fun of it," Mustangs receiver and defensive end Dave Robertson, 26, said.The Mustangs opened their fourth season Saturday with a 28-0 win over West Ohio Wranglers of Uniopolis, Ohio. In that contest, quarterback Mike Whitaker, a 1996 Warsaw graduate, recorded two rushing touchdowns and a pair of passings TDs to Todd Martin and Jeremy May.
May's score began his third season with Mustangs on the right note.
"I just keep playing football, and don't want to give it up," the owner of 19 & 30 Auto Body in Etna Green said.
At home, May has a wife and four kids, which actually pushes him to play the game.
"My son (Javan) is 2 years old, so when he gets a couple years older, he can watch me play and be able to remember seeing his dad play football," May said.
While Javan is intently watching his father play the game he loves, May's wife, Terri, is just hoping he stays healthy.
"She doesn't want me to get hurt," May said. "I still have to be able to pay the bills."
And that's a common concern among players in the Interstate Football League, which is home to seven other semi-pro teams.
"'Everyone has to get up and go to work on Monday', that's our league's motto," Mustangs general manager Sid Phillips said. "We try to keep everyone healthy and safe. If we see someone going beyond the limits, we have the right to pull him from the game."
Already this season, the Mustangs have had players suffer a broken leg, an ankle injury and other football-related mishaps. Because of that, each player carries his own insurance, but that's not the only cost the players incur to play the game.
"No one gets paid," Phillips said. "With the helmets and shoulder pads, each player's cost is about $400."
Ticket sales at games help to pay for field rentals and referee costs, but at this Saturday's 7 p.m. game against the Mercer County Cougars at Lakeview Middle School, half of the proceeds will benefit "Our Father's House", a food shelter in Warsaw. Admission into the games are $5 for adults, $3 for 13- to 18-year-olds and kids under 12 enter free.
Phillips said that the Mustangs receive support from family and friends, and more than 50 people traveled to last week's game in Ohio. But with a game in Warsaw, Phillips hopes the attendance can continue to rise.
"We've been here four years, and a lot of people still don't know about the team," the GM said.
Andy Crisp, a 1996 Warsaw grad, was one of the founding members of the Mustangs, along with Whitaker, Derrick Richardson, Damien Richardson and Billy West, and is optimistic this team can make the community proud.
"We think this is something good for the community," Crisp said. "These guys work hard each week. I don't only want to win a championship for these guys, but I also want the community to be proud of what we're doing out here."
In 2005, the Mustangs fell 20-7 to the South Central Broncos in Interstate II, the league's championship game, but hopes are high to bring home the championship hardware this season.
"This is one of our best teams," Crisp said. "This could possibly be the best we've had."
Crisp's prognosis of this team isn't just based on last Saturday's 28-0 win, but on an accumulation of four years of work. Last season, the Mustangs were one of the top defensive squads, posting five shutouts in 10 games, and coupled with an explosive offense, expectations are high.
"We've always been known as an offensive team," defensive coordinator Derrick Richardson said. "We have the best quarterback (Whitaker) in the league, hands down. Last year, we also had one of the top defenses."
With that combination, the Mustangs have only one thing in mind.
"We can win the whole thing, honestly," Richardson said. "We have the offense and the defense."
And if that offense can play up to its capabilities during Saturday's game, Crisp believes the crowd will be in for a treat.
"The future's going to be bright. There could be some real fireworks," he said. "They can definitely put on a show."
