Mustang dynasty

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2001 | 11:01 a.m.

Coleman Hutzler nearly had his bags packed when he began re-thinking his decision to move from Las Vegas to Southern California last summer.

Set to join his father, Jeff -- former Meadows defensive coordinator and newly hired as athletic director at La Jolla Country Day -- Hutzler tried to imagine a senior year away from The Meadows School and, more significantly, apart from his Mustangs teammates.

"I was pretty much committed to go, but I sat down and thought about it," Hutzler said. "I've been with most of these guys since the sixth grade. I went back and forth (with my decision) until the day he left."

In the end, the Mustangs' star two-way player opted to stay behind, moving in with a nearby aunt. Seven games into the 2001 football season, Hutzler has no regrets.

His Meadows squad is 7-0 and on target for a fifth straight Class 2A state title. And on Friday night at 7 p.m., the Mustangs will try to break Nevada's all-time record for consecutive victories, going for No. 37 in a row against visiting Tonopah.

Last week, Meadows defeated defeated Lincoln 28-3, tying the mark set by Reno's Wooster High in 1987. The Mustangs' streak dates to 1998, when the squad reeled off seven straight wins to end the season. Back-to-back 11-0 campaigns followed, bringing the school's total to 29 consecutive wins and bringing the record within striking distance this year.

"I didn't even know what the record was," Meadows coach Frank DeSantis said. "I guess I became aware of it last summer, but as a coaching staff it's not something we've focused on.

"We're trying to finish first in our division, our second goal is to go undefeated in league play and we're going for our fifth state championship in a row."

Even so, the Mustangs are quick to defend their winning streak against any detractors who might point out that Wooster's feat came against the state's top large-school competition.

"People don't really give us the respect because we're 2A, but we've beaten 4As and 3As as well," Hutzler said.

Agreed DeSantis, "I don't think we've played a soft schedule. Only one of our wins came against a 2A team outside of league play and the playoffs."

The Mustangs haven't merely kept their streak alive in 2001, they've dominated, outscoring their seven opponents by a combined 217-29 score and allowing eight or fewer points in six of those games.

The 6-0, 215-pound Hutzler has been a key to that success, making 70 tackles on defense and combining with fellow senior linebacker Marcel Demaree (82 tackles) to form the league's most feared defensive combination.

"(Hutzler) is a unique kid," DeSantis said. "He's been around football for so long because of his dad, so it's like having another coach on the field."

Offensively, Meadows has been unstoppable on the ground, with Pat Curran (976 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Demaree (655 yards, six touchdowns) cutting through defenses at will throughout the season. Quarterback Mike Paulos leads a capable air attack, with 806 passing yards and 13 scores, three of those to Hutzler, a tight end on offense.

Fittingly, the Mustangs will have the chance for record win No. 37 on senior night, in front of what promises to be the school's largest crowd of the year. One senior, in particular, will cherish the occasion -- an experience he almost missed out on altogether.

"My dad and little brother are in California, and I miss them, but I've got a great group of friends here and they're like family," Hutzler said. "I know the great tradition here, and I want to leave the school with four rings on my fingers."