By Devin Hasson
If Sachse goes on to win the District 9-6A championship, it might look back at one play in a mid-September game that was never supposed to happen.
The Mustangs lined up for the extra point after a Brendon Quinn 75-yard touchdown run, but the kick never got off the ground when the ball got loose between the snap and hold.
Chase Barstow picked up the loose ball and ran right, where he saw no open room. He reversed course back to the left side and somehow found his way into the end zone to make it 44-36 with 3:54 left.
That would prove pivotal, as Wylie marched right back down the field, with Daylon Gordon scoring his sixth touchdown of the night to bring the Pirates within 44-42 with 1:54 remaining.
But because of Sachse’s two-point attempt and the little time remaining on the clock, the Pirates had to go for two themselves. The Mustangs were able to get the stop and walked out of Wylie ISD Stadium with a 44-42 victory.
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By David Wolman
(Click on the link to view the photo gallery from last week’s match between Sachse and North Garland: https://www.dotphoto.com/viewalbum.asp?AID=6888887)
After dropping its district opener to Wylie East, Sachse (13-16) has responded with back-to-back wins over North Garland (25-13, 25-13, 25-10) and Garland (25-15, 25-17, 20-25, 25-12).
Senior Ella Smith had a big night offensively with 17 kills. Erin Patton and Fallin Whitmore each finished with six kills. The Lady Mustangs were balanced as a whole, with 13 players recording at least one kill.
Sarah Naidoo set up the offense well, finishing the evening with a team-high 24 assists, followed by 14 from Laney George. Jacey Gibbs logged 18 digs to power Sachse’s defensive efforts in the back row, followed by 14 from Anh Tran.
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By David Wolman
(Click on the link to view the photo gallery from the game: https://www.dotphoto.com/viewalbum.asp?AID=6888888)
Brendon Quinn scored the go-ahead 27-yard rushing touchdown with 1:02 remaining, and Sachse held on to earn a 15-11 win over L.D. Bell at Homer B. Johnson Stadium on Friday.
The Mustangs trailed 11-0 entering the fourth quarter, but their offense finally started to click.
Jonathan Fuentes got Sachse (3-0) on the board with a 22-yard field goal.
A 54-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Christian McCaffrey to D.J. Doyle with 5:11 left in regulation brought the Mustangs within 11-9. Sachse went for a two-point conversion but was unsuccessful.
However, the Mustangs’ defense held firm and gave the offense a chance to win the game, leading to Quinn’s go-ahead touchdown run with just over a minute remaining.
Before the final 10 minutes, Hurst L.D. Bell (1-2) controlled the scoreboard, led by its two feature running backs. Roland Taylay ran for 135 yards, while Jeremiah Houston added 93 yards.
But two consecutive kickoff recoveries by Sachse helped turn the momentum in favor of the home team.
McCaffrey threw for 195 yards on the lightning-delayed night, with Doyle hauling in 101 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Sachse will visit Wylie next Friday in a battle of 3-0 teams to commence District 9-6A play.
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By David Wolman
Sachse’s cross country teams have high expectations.
One goal that Sachse has set is winning the District 9-6A title for the second consecutive season.
The Mustangs showed at last Saturday’s Crandall Pirate Cross Country Invitational that they are already in championship form.
Sachse swept the team titles in dominant fashion and captured the top individual finish in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions. The Lady Mustangs’ 25 points was more than double that of host Crandall (51 points). Sachse’s boys totaled 31 points, well ahead of second-place North Forney (64).
Sachse accounted for the top three individual finishers in the boys’ race. Senior Samuel Ledbetter captured first place with a time of 14:31.4. Junior Dominic Richardson was second in 14:45.18, senior Ozzy Heredia placed third in 15:14.81 and junior Sadiki Mburu took fifth in 15:18.61.
Sophomore Brave Cook took 21st in 16:59.04, Ryan King was 22nd in 17:01.23 and sophomore Joseph Castaneda placed 27th in 17:35.06.
Junior Arora Dinh Ngo won the girls’ individual title in dominating fashion, with her time of 17:57 being 26 seconds faster than the event’s second-place finisher, teammate Alicia Payne, who clocked a time of 18:23.53.
Juniors Adeline Moss (sixth, 19:59.54) and Brisa Morales (ninth, 20:35.47) also cracked the top 10. Senior Brighton Cook (12th, 20:51.69) and junior Colette Leonard (13th, 21:18.56) rounded out the efforts for the Lady Mustangs in Crandall.
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By David Wolman
PLANO — The Sachse football team has looked like a dominant force through the first two weeks of the season.
The Mustangs continued to deliver in all three phases Friday, earning a 45-3 rout of Plano at John Clark Stadium.
Sachse (2-0) out-gained Plano (0-2) 382-90 in total yardage, forced three turnovers, got four passing touchdowns from senior quarterback Christian McCaffrey and two rushing touchdowns from junior running back Ladainian Jones. McCaffrey completed 15 of 27 through the air for 196 yards. Jones finished with 109 rushing yards on 18 carries.
The Mustangs’ defense was stout against the run, holding the Wildcats to 45 rushing yards on 31 carries, an average of 1.45 yards per tote.
Sachse led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter before exploding for 21 second-quarter points to take a 28-3 lead going into the locker room.
McCaffrey made it 14-3 Sachse with a 48-yard passing touchdown to Julian Madison and connected with Colin Deleon on a five-yard strike just over three minutes later for a 21-3 Mustangs advantage.
That lead grew to 28-3 after Jones barreled in from the 1-yard line with 2:47 remaining in the opening half.
Sachse will host LD Bell (1-1) at Homer B. Johnson Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11 in the final non-district game for the Mustangs.
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By Devin Hasson
RICHARDSON—Sachse and Richardson are no strangers to the playoffs.
The Eagles are currently in the midst of a 10-year streak of postseason appearances, and have qualified in 16 of the last 18 attempts.
The Mustangs have been even more consistent, having never missed the playoffs since their inaugural campaign in 2004.
On Tuesday, the two teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle that felt like a postseason match-up.
Both had their chances to walk away from the night with a victory, but in the end, it was Richardson that was able to rally late for a 25-17, 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 17-15 victory at Richardson High School.
The teams traded blows all night, and the fifth set was no different.
Riding the momentum of having won Game 4, the Eagles took an early lead in the decisive set only to have the Mustangs come right back, using an ace from Sarah Naidoo to take a 4-2 lead.
Sachse maintained the advantage for much of the game, getting three kills from Fallin Whitmore, and additional points from Natalie Rainey and Khloe Ellis to take a 12-9 lead.
The Mustangs were poised to claim a road victory in a loud environment after a nice play by Naidoo made it 14-11.
But Richardson refused to go away.
Taking advantage of a couple of Sachse mistakes, and getting a tip from Mackenzie Ratcliff, the Eagles fended off three match points to knot it at 14-14.
The Mustangs had another chance to close it out after a kill by Ellis, but Richardson had the final answer, getting a pair of kills from Leighton Felder, including one on match point, to earn a 17-15 victory in the fifth, and secure the victory.
Richardson’s closing surge mirrored the start of the match, where behind a five-point service from Aubrey Tennell, highlighted by two aces, it raced to a 6-0 lead.
Sachse continued to battle for the remainder of the set, but never quite get over the early hump.
A kill from Whitmore capped a 7-3 run that got them back to within two, but the Eagles were able to keep them at arm’s length.
The Mustangs cut the deficit to a single point on three occasions in the middle stages of the set, but a pair of kills by Ratcliff helped Richardson keep its cushion.
Later in the game, the Eagles spread the wealth, getting kills from Ratcliff, Rebecca Schmidt and Tennell, and then an ace from Marlo Bunch to close out a 25-19 win.
In the second set, it was Sachse that came out strong, getting kills from Ellis, Rainey and Jayla Butler to take the early advantage.
Though it remained tight, the Mustangs never trailed, getting a late kill from Whitmore and an ace from Kate Guinn to even the match at a set apiece with the 25-22 victory.
The teams traded points through much of Game 3, with Sachse able to maintain a slight edge on the scoreboard.
Richardson briefly took a 16-15 lead on a kill from Ratcliff, but the Mustangs answered with a six-point run, getting a nice service run from Jacey Gibbs to take a 21-16 advantage.
Ellis then closed it out, delivering a pair of kills and an ace to finish off a 25-19 win to put them one game away from the victory.
The Eagles were determined to not let that happen.
Behind strong early play from Ratcliff and Felder, Richardson raced to a 16-6 lead.
Sachse made a push, getting as close as 22-20 after a kill from Whitmore, but the Eagles were able to close out the set and ultimately win the match.
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By David Wolman
Sachse turned things around in a big way last week in Bryan, winning six of nine matches for 17th place out of 56 teams in the Legends Invitational.
Sachse began pool play with a resounding 25-22, 25-10 victory over Cedar Creek. The Lady Mustangs lost 25-23, 26-28, 25-16 to Victoria West in their next match, responded with a 25-19, 17-25, 25-22 win over Hardin-Jefferson, fell 25-13, 25-7 to Stratford and lost 25-27, 25-12, 25-15 against Klein Cain.
However, Sachse finished pool play with a 25-23, 25-16 victory over Wylie Prep.
That victory was the first of four straight triumphs for the Lady Mustangs to close out the three-day event – a 25-13, 25-20 sweep of Harker Heights, a 25-11 demolition of Manvel and a 25-23, 25-22 win over Kingwood.
Sachse was balanced offensively, with Khloe Ellis (49 kills), Ella Smith (48), Jayla Butler (44), Natalie Rainey (38) and Fallin Whitmore (36) each recording more than 30 kills. Rainey (13 blocks), Amyah Davis (11) and Butler (10) each had double digit totals in blocks. Sarah Naidoo tallied 17 service aces and dished out 101 assists.
Earlier in the week, Sachse cruised to a 25-7, 25-19, 25-17 win over Mesquite.
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By Justin Thomas
(editor’s note: check out game photos here — https://csmediatexas.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=6888586)
It was just the first game of the season, but already Sachse’s offense appears to be in midseason form.
The Mustangs scored touchdowns on five of their first six possessions Friday, cruising past Dallas Jesuit to kick off their 2026 campaign, 52-24, at Homer B. Johnson Stadium on Friday.
Quarterback Christian McCaffrey threw for 198 yards and four touchdowns, while running back Ladainian Jones gained 99 yards on 14 carries with a score.
Wide receiver DJ Doyle, meanwhile, hauled in three receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
The Mustangs forced five Rangers’ turnovers, including a Jason Aniede 67-yard interception return for a touchdown with just 17 seconds remaining in the game.
Sachse (1-0) will travel to John Clark Stadium next Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff against Plano Senior (0-1).
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By David Wolman
For the second time this season, Sachse’s boys captured first place, this time coming on Saturday morning in Tyler.
Placing four runners in the top 10, the Mustangs won the team title at the Tyler Legacy Invite at Lindsey Park. Sachse’s 43 points were well ahead of Tyler Home Education Athletics’ 71 points.
Samuel Ledbetter ran a 35-second personal record and took first place in the individual standings with a time of 15:35, beating his previous PR of 16:10. Dominic Richardson captured fifth with a 16:13. Ozzy Heredia placed eighth in 16:31. Sadiki Mburu also cracked the top 10, taking 10th in a time of 16:36.
Brave Cook placed 26th with a 17:28, Ryan King clocked a time of 18:30 for 48th place, Joseph Castaneda placed 61st in 18:53 and Johnathan Alemayehu took 64th in 18:59.
The Lady Mustangs earned fifth place with 135 points and were led individually by Alicia Payne, who captured 17th place with a 21:10.
Adeline Moss placed 38th in 22:44, Brighton Cook took 40th in 22:51, Colette Leonard finished 44th in 22:59 and Brisa Morales was 48th in 23:05.
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By Devin Hasson
Sachse has been a perennial district contender, and often champion, and playoff team since its inaugural campaign in 2004.
The Mustangs understand that the early stages of the season are not what matters most, but there are still frustrations when things do not go the way they hoped, and that has been the case against some of the top competition in the state, as they brought a 4-11 record into Tuesday’s non-district clash with Mesquite (5-7).
Sachse took out some of those frustrations on the Skeeters.
The Mustangs roared to a dominant win in the opening set, and while Mesquite made some adjustments, it did not matter in the end, as Sachse earned a 25-7, 25-19, 25-17 sweep at Sachse High School.
“In the first set, we looked really solid, we were hitting our positions, and it was our first home game, so they were pretty excited,” Sachse head coach Rikki Jones said. “It was a great start, honestly. We’ve been trying to focus on having fewer unforced errors, and we did a pretty good job on that. And second set, third set, we didn’t necessarily get sloppy, but we missed some plays that we need to get. But that gives us something to focus on. Still some stuff to work on, but nice to get the win.”
The Mustangs set the tone from the start, reeling off the first seven points of the match, a run that includes a nice service run from Sarah Naidoo and a pair of kills from Jayla Butler.
It did not get any easier for Mesquite from there, as Harper Holt served a pair of aces and Khloe Ellis and Amyah Davis added kills to make it 14-4.
With a commanding lead, Ella Smith took over down the stretch, recording four of her six kills in the game to help close out a 25-7 win.
The second set was tight at the start, and in fact, Mesquite actually took a 13-11 lead after a kill from Janessa Orozco.
But Sachse had an answer, as it would close on a 14-6 run. The Mustangs spread the wealth, getting points from Smith, Ellis, Butler, Davis and Natallie Rainey to rally for the two-set lead.
Looking to close out the sweep, Sachse grabbed an early lead and never relinquished it. Freshman Addyson Cheatham provided a spark with three kills in the middle stages to open an 11-7 lead and the Lady Mustangs pulled away from there, with Fallin Whitmore capping the night with a kill to finish off the win.
While the Mustangs’ record is still not flashy, Tuesday represented progress, as Jones has been focused on things other than the win-loss column during the first month.
“It’s always ball control, serve-receive, so I need to make sure I have more personnel stepping up defensively and with serve-receive, and then offensively, we just need to improve our hitting percentage a little bit, we’re making some untimely mistakes, but both of those things are on us and we can control that,” she said. “They are doing a good job, they are being coachable, they are listening, they are a really good group of kids and they are doing a good job of trying to soak in everything and improve every day.”
After playing their first home match of the season, Sachse returns to the road later this week for a tournament in College Station, a trip that Jones is hopeful will be a good bonding experience.
And while like every season, the Mustangs feature some new faces, their two-plus decades of excellence has set the bar high, and this group is not shying away from that.
“The standard is the standard, and I may have had to change approaches since 25 years ago. Some of my kids come back and said, ‘You are so easy on them,’ but the approach changes. Different kids need different things, but the standard is the standard,” she said. ” And they want that, too. They want to make the number proud and the school proud and the community proud, like they always have, and they are doing a good job.”
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