Marble Falls football beats Devine

The Marble Falls High School football team stomped Devine 36-14 Oct. 3 in its final non-district contest of the season on a night the program honored Brother Max Copeland, the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Marble Falls, who died in 2015.

“Really proud the kids and coaches,” head coach Keri Timmerman said. “They did a phenomenal job of prep this week. We had a lot of just really locked-in practices. Think our kids and our coaches understand the importance of winning three games this year and just an opportunity to extend what we learned last year and grow a little bit.”

The Mustangs (3-3) got the opening kickoff and went 72 yards in 11 plays that ended when senior running back Joaquin Aguilar ran 14 yards to pay dirt. he added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 6 minutes and 27 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Warhorses’ (1-5) opening drive last 12 plays and ended on a turnover on downs on the Marble Falls 13-yard line.

The Mustangs took over and drove 87 yards in 17 plays that ended when senior fullback Doak Timmerman scored on a two-yard run. Aguilar added the extra point for a 14-0 advantage with 4:43 left in the half.

The half ended when C.J. Alexander caught an interception at midfield and returned it for a touchdown. Then Timmerman added the two-point run for the 22-0 half-time lead.

The coach noted the Warhorses had their own explosive plays — “they’re a team that has done that to everybody” — but when the Mustangs needed to end Devine’s chances of scoring, they did. That was evident when senior defensive back Gregory Lemon caught his second interception of the night in the end zone on the first offensive possession of the second half and keep the Warhorses off the scoreboard.   

“I thought the defense did some really good things and had some big explosive plays that we’ve needed,” Timmerman said. “C.J. Alexander showed up and in some special ways, our defensive line did a really good job. I think our linebackers fit. (Devine has) some good skill and some great scheme. And I think they took advantage of some things they saw. Credit for them for game planning this, but I think our defense did a really good job holding the explosive team to 14 points.”

Meanwhile, the Mustangs went to their rushing attack on their first drive of the third quarter, marching 80 yards in nine plays. Freshman running back Diego Aguilar, Joaquin’s younger brother had six carries for 60 yards, while sophomore quarterback Crawford Mattox had three carries for 20 yards, including the five-yard touchdown run. Joaquin Aguilar added the extra point for the 29-0 lead with 3 minutes and 26 seconds left in the third stanza.

When Devine got the ball back, the Warhorses started at their own 40-yard line and got inside the Marble Falls five-yard line. But the Mustangs held again.

“I think it’s huge because it gives the offense room to take some risks and gives us a little bit of confidence,” the coach said. “I think that’s a big deal for our kids right now is getting in down there and feeling pressure and being able to match pressure with good calls and getting off the field. I think that’s a big deal. A lot of times in the past, we’ve gotten down there and held them and then on fourth down they score. Two big stops (with) a pick. And some confidence going into this district week.”

Devine drove 35 yards for its touchdown with 6:54 remaining in the contest. The extra point was blocked to give the Mustangs a 29-6 advantage.

But they got the points back, going 58 yards in seven plays that chewed up 3:25. This time, the Mustangs mixed in the pass with their running plays. The drive ended when Mattox found senior Jace Williams for the 18-yard touchdown and the 36-6 lead with 3:21 left in the game.

The Mustangs had 338 yards of total offense.

Mattox completed 8 of 15 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Senior receiver Kaden Langbeing caught two passes for 20 yards, while senior receiver Atreyu Machacek had two receptions for 14 yards, junior receiver Gage Coleman had two receptions for 13 yards, Williams had an 18-yard touchdown, and sophomore tight end Olen Dalton had a five-yard reception.

Marble Falls had 37 rushes for 268 rushing yards.

Diego Aguilar had 13 rushes for 110 yards, while Mattox had 12 carried for 65 yards and a touchdown, Joaquin Aguilar had six carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, and Doak Timmerman finished with six rushes for 36 yards and a score.

“We really wanted to come out and establish the run,” the coach said. “We found our identity in that tonight, just based on what we saw in film on them. And then what we also know is it’s one of our growing strengths with Diego and Doak and Joaquin. I thought our line did a really good job, thought our coaches had a good scheme. I thought execution was really high. I thought Crawford did some good things with the ball, making decisions to get it on a perimeter and then be able to run downhill, and then also being able to play off three different good backs.”

He noted because Joaquin Aguilar, Doak Timmerman and Diego Aguilar bring different strengths, the Mustangs call plays that allow them to do what they do best. In addition, the Mustangs had drives that ate the clock and then scored. Most coaches call that the best scenario.

“It goes back to the ability to execute and not have to be an explosive offense every time you score,” the coach said. “For us being able to go third and 2 and know that we can take that chance and put the ball in perimeter in someone’s hands and get a first (down) or just run it downhill and get that first with our line, I think that gives us some confidence to be able to just be aggressive in our front and our own.”   

Timmerman was pleased the Mustangs earned the win on a night that was special.

“Our kids played really hard,” he said. “I was really excited to see them get after it. It was fun to see a good group of fans and community in the stands to celebrate Max Copeland night, and then to have our Men of Honor night where our kids picked someone in their life — a man in their life — to be a part of our sideline and our locker room to share in that. That just goes back to one of the things about Marble Falls as a community is the people that show up continuously for our kids, and we’re really grateful for that.”  

The Mustangs begin District 4-4A Division I play at Burnet at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10. The Bulldogs (2-4) beat San Angelo Lake View 46-36

“And now it’s looking forward to Burnet and a really good football team,” he said. “(It’s) a chance for us to have a first opportunity to extend the life of this team and make it to week 11.”