Ernesto Mitchell Morrisville State athletics photo

By Brian Lester
D3sports.com

Ernesto Mitchell and Joe Miller-LaBar have been through the ups and downs in college football, with the last two years including a pandemic that wiped out the 2020 campaign and a two-win season.

Through it all, their perseverance has been admirable, and yet, even with the joy of a 3-0 start serving as something to be savored for the Morrisville State linebackers, they aren’t content with it.

“We have to keep working. We can’t be satisfied with where we are at,” Mitchell said. “Yeah, we are 3-0, but we have to keep going.”

His veteran teammate agrees and notes the Mustangs have found success despite not quite playing up to their full potential.

“It’s really exciting, but we have yet to play our best football,” Miller-LaBar said. “To start 3-0 is great, but we know we can be even better and get to where we are playing our best football.”

Ask head coach Ed Raby Jr. about that, and he’ll tell you Mitchell and Miller-LaBar are right. The Mustangs are capable of so much more.

He’ll also tell you there isn’t some secret formula that has fueled this hot start.

“I don’t think we’ve done anything fancy,” Raby said. “Our guys worked really hard in the offseason and have a good team culture. We’re excited to be 3-0, but our focus is on the next game.”

For Morrisville State, the unbeaten start is historic. It’s the first time in the NCAA era of the program, which began in 2006, that the Mustangs have opened a season with a 3-0 record.

A commitment to winning was laid out well before the current season got underway and set the wheels in motion for what has unfolded this fall.

The interim tag was taken off Raby’s title and he was officially named the head coach in the winter of a program he has been with since 2017. He met with his team in the offseason to talk about the road ahead, a road that has the Mustangs on track to record their first winning season since 2019.

“It’s not like we haven’t been good before. Last year, we had a lot of things that didn’t go our way and we didn’t work the way we needed to in the offseason prior to that,” Raby said. “This year has been about recommitting to the process and that every year the team is different. You don’t just show up and have success. You have to put the work in.”

The players embraced the work required of them and haven't looked back.

“Everyone realized at the end of last year we wanted to be successful this year, and we knew we had to work hard to do it,” Miller-LaBar said. “We worked in the weight room, in spring ball and in the summer to be in a position to start off the way we have, and hopefully we can finish better than we did last year. Everyone has bought in and everyone is doing their job.”

Joe Miller-LaBar Morrisville athletics photo

Mitchell and Miller-LaBar are certainly doing their jobs. They’ve been with the program since 2018 and have emerged as leaders.

The two combined for 25 tackles, including 15 by Mitchell, in a 17-15 win over St. Lawrence last Friday night. They rank first and second in tackles on the season, with Mitchell tallying 34 and Miller-LaBar coming through with 27.

As a unit, the Mustang defense has yet to give up more than 15 points in a game and has one shutout to its credit.

“We don’t do a ton on defense. We just focus on the fundamentals,” Raby said. “We play fast and get to the ball. The big thing for us is it’s easier for the defense to do its job when the offense controls the clock. Our guys have fresh legs when they go back out there. It’s really a collective effort. All three phases of the game are doing their job.”

Getting the job done, though, starts well before game day.

“Everyone is giving 100 percent in practice so that we are ready to do the same come game time,” Mitchell said.

Offensively, Steven Frerichs has thrived at quarterback, throwing for 316 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also happens to be the leading rusher with 185 yards and two scores. Alex McBurnie has rushed for 179 yards. Justin Adams and Quamel Jarvis are the top receivers, rolling up 100 and 93 receiving yards, respectively. Adams has scored twice.

But it’s not talent alone that has carried the Mustangs through the first three games. This team also shares a bond that has been pivotal in the turnaround.

“We’re all close and everyone gets along. We’re like a family,” Miller-LaBar said. “We hang out off the field and that goes a long way for us.”

Raby calls this team a fun group.

“They are playing for each other and it’s a fun team to coach,” Raby said. “You don’t have to worry about egos. No one cares who gets credit.”

A year ago at this time, Morrisville State was 0-3 with little hope. Optimism has been renewed and confidence is high. And complacency is nonexistent.

“We haven’t played our best football in terms of executing, and the focus for us is to continue to improve. Great teams get better every day,” Raby said.

Bigger challenges await the Mustangs. Buffalo State is up next on Saturday and then a date with reigning Empire 8 champion is set for Oct. 1.

“It’s a great feeling to be 3-0, but every week we preach 1-0,” Mitchell said. “We’ve done that three times now and our focus is on going 1-0 again this week.”

Raby doesn’t expect anything less.

“It’s fun going to work with these guys every day, and the good start has made things more enjoyable, but we have to keep the blinders on and focus on one day at a time,” Raby said.