Mustangs Enter 24th Season

Feb. 1, 2020

Mustangs (CA) - 70 AAA

The Mustangs, a Men’s 70 AAA team based out of Southern California, is currently in its 24th year together.

Below is a history on the Mustangs, written by team member Paul Dahlgren.

In September 1996, I had just turned 50 and I received a call from Butch Smith who asked if I would like to play on an over-50 tournament team. I jumped at the chance.   

I learned that our team was the Mavericks II, and I met Don Cuzick and Doug Peterson, who would remain may teammates for 23 years and still counting.   The next year Al Gingerelli and Bill Stirton joined the team. We realized at this point that the team name was inappropriate, and we changed it to the Mustangs.

By 2000, Dan Hill, Pepe Siniard, Ernie Stucki and Mike Swearingen had joined the team.  Jerry McIntyre, John Miller, and Bob and Dave Westphal joined in 2001.

Although we had many more players who made solid contributions to the team over the years, this group of 13 men has represented the core of the Mustang team right up until today.

In the early years, Butch Smith was managing the team. During that time, the Mustangs played in the national championships in Salt Lake City and Chicago. Don Cuzick managed the team for the 1999 season, Butch Smith again for the 2000 season and for a short stint Don Martin managed in 2001.

In the summer of 2001, Ernie Stucki became the manager and still is today.

During Ernie’s tenure, the Mustangs won five major tournaments: the 2004 Winter World Championship, the 2007 California Cup and the 2010, 2013 and 2015 Spring World Championships. The Mustangs played in the Tournament of Champions over the years, as we have played together and moved up in age groups together as a team.   

We have enjoyed a cohesiveness unmatched by any other team. We've had more wins than losses - at least that’s the way I remember it, and always shared a beer or two afterward regardless of the outcome.  As different as we all are, we come together on and off the field as teammates and friends.

Here we are, some two decades later, still able to enjoy being Mustangs and attracting new players. 

This year the Mustangs have moved up to the over-70 division and are still going strong.  We will celebrate our 24th anniversary this season.