Marble Falls football welcomes Little River Academy
CAPTION: The Marble Falls rushing attack starts with offensive linemen Logan Chapa (53), Madden Hernandez (58) and Jaxson Bales (70) long with tight end Olen Dalton (right). Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School football team hosts Little River Academy at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, in non-district play.
The Mustangs (0-1) are looking for their first win after a 45-29 loss to Lockhart, while the Bumblebees (1-0) crushed Rogers 53-18 both on Aug. 28.
Little River Academy took a 22-0 lead in the first quarter, added 14 more in the second stanza for a 36-7 half-time advantage, and scored 10 more points in the third period for a 46-7 lead.
The Bumblebees used a powerful rushing attack that generated 378 yards and five touchdowns on 38 carries thanks to three players. Junior running back Manny Martinez had 24 rushes for 208 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Brody Allen had seven carries for 100 yards and two scores, and senior receiver Tyler Hoffman had seven carries for 70 yards and caught two passes for 30 yards. Allen also completed 6 of 11 passes for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Academy is led defensive back Senator Tyler Robinson and middle linebacker Shayden Davis, who are both juniors and each had 12 tackles. Though the Bumblebees didn’t have any sacks, they had four quarterback hurries thanks to defensive back Adrian Flowers, outside linebacker Slade Knight and defensive lineman Lane Martin, who are all seniors, and freshman linebacker Kaige Kuhn, the son of head coach Ty Kuhn, a 2004 Burnet High School graduate.
Hoffman recovered a fumble and junior free safety Max Marshall caught an interception.
The Mustangs will counter with quarterback Crawford Mattox, running backs Hudson Salyers, who are both juniors, and Diego Aguilar, who is a sophomore, and senior receivers Gage Coleman and Greg Colver.
Mattox completed 18 of 29 passes for 200 yards and an interception, while Salyers had 14 carries for 35 yards, completed both of his passes for 54 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 58 yards, and Aguilar had 10 rushes for 37 yards and two scores and five receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Colver caught six passes for 76 yards and Coleman had three receptions for 47 yards.
Simply, the loss against Lockhart can be narrowed to missed opportunities. A promising opening drive of the contest ended with an interception the Lions turned into a touchdown. The next drive ended in a safety when the ball sailed over the punter’s head and the third drive ended in a fumble Lockhart turned into a touchdown. Just like that, the Lions led 15-0 with about 11 minutes left in the first half.
The Mustangs got inside the Lockhart five-yard line twice and turned the ball over on downs. Meanwhile the Lions led 22-7 at the intermission.
After the game, head coach Keri Timmerman commended his players on their efforts, especially in trying not to allow one miscue to turn into multiple miscues. After all, the Lions outscored the Mustangs 23-22 in the second half. He called it the “next play mentality.”
“Our kids are doing that,” he said. “I think the problem is execution. When it comes to that next play, you have to make it.”
And that’s stringing together positive plays such as the first touchdown when junior defensive back Felix Padilla scored on a pick-six, the Mustangs’ kickoff team recovered the onside kick, and Mattox threw about a 38-yard pass to Colver to set up the Mustangs inside the Lockhart red zone. But the drive, which was Marble Falls’ last of the first half, ended on the Lockhart two-yard line.
“I think our kids are understanding,” Timmerman said. “They did a great job at just next man up, making a recovery and then driving through and keeping momentum going. We just have to make plays earlier.”
