Marble Falls football beats Little River Academy
CAPTION: Marble Falls High School football head coach Keri Timmerman (left) congratulates his players and on their first win of the 2026 season. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School football team defeated Little River Academy 39-38 Sept. 4 for the Mustangs’ first win of the 2026 season.
They did it thanks to contributions from offense, defense and special teams where each member had to do his part to get that job done, according to head coach Keri Timmerman.
“I think that having a special teams having to come over and fixing things and make things happen in the end. I think defense just bending but not breaking multiple times and giving us the ball back and creating some opportunities for us at the end,” he said. “They’re standing up and just making some big plays. I think offensively, just distributing the ball and being able to keep them on their toes and not just locking on team through people. But yeah, I feel like the kids played a complete game. Coaches did a great job creating some adjustments, and then just figuring out where our strengths were and where they’re good as well.”
For a large chunk of the game, the Mustangs (1-1) had the lead thanks to scoring on their opening drives and final drives of each half, none bigger than the 34-yard field goal by senior safety and kicker Jett Marcum with seven seconds remaining in the contest.
“The reality was, like I told the kids, it’s just a continual growth,” Timmerman said. “We’re constantly trying to understand that every moment matters, every opportunity matters and how we approach that. It’s hard to win and you have to learn to do it, and I think that was a big learning experience to understand that it takes all those moments to get to a finish.”
Academy used a mix of onside kicks and short kicks throughout the contest and the Mustangs began the game on their 43-yard line.
Marble Falls needed only eight plays on a drive that ended when junior quarterback Crawford Mattox scored on a six-yard run. Marcum added the extra point for the 7-0 lead on a drive that took 3 minutes and 22 seconds to finish.
The Bumblebees (1-1) responded by nailing a 22-yard field goal by senior kicker Rylander Eidson to finish an eight-play, 65-yard drive that took 2:10 to complete.
After the Mustangs punted, Academy drove 99 yards in 13 plays on a drive that was capped when junior running back Manny Martinez scored on a 15-yard run. Senior Tyler Hoffman added the two-point run for the 11-7 lead with 40 seconds remaining in the first period.
The Mustangs turned the ball over on downs and the Bumblebees took over on their 47-yard line on a drive that reached the Marble Falls 39-yard line. But holding penalties sent Academy backwards. On third-and-4 from the Mustangs’ 39, senior quarterback Brody Allen was under heavy pressure from junior linebacker Olen Dalton, who had him in the grasp. Instead, Allen threw a pass that was picked off by senior defensive lineman Christian Cervantes, who was no more than a foot from the quarterback.
Cervantes sprinted straight ahead but was caught from behind when he was inside the Academy 10-yard line. A personal foul against the Mustangs as Cervantes was running moved Marble Falls back to its 45-yard line.
Still, the Mustangs offense was unfazed. Four plays pater, Crawford hit sophomore running back Diego Aguilar on a 39-yard pass in stride for the 14-11 advantage with 6:31 remaining in the half. The drive finished in 2:26.
After the Mustangs forced a punt, the offense went back to work, covering 73 yards in seven plays highlighted by a two-yard run by junior running back Hudson Salyers for the 21-11 lead with 1:53 remaining. The drive took 3:05 to finish.
Academy added a 35-yard field goal to cap seven, 66-yard drive to trail 21-14 at the half.
Marble Fall forced the Bumblebees to punt on their opening drive of the second half.
The Mustangs took over on their own 15-yard line, going 85 yards in six plays on a drive that ended when Crawford scored from seven yards out for the 28-14 lead. The drive took 2:11. The key play was a 38-yard Salyers scamper.
The Bumblebees answered by assembling a 13-play, 72-yard drive that ended when Martinez scored from the two to trim the deficit to 28-21 with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter. The drive took 6:26 to finish.
After a Marble Falls punt, Academy took the 29-28 lead on an 11-yard touchdown run by Martinez to cap a two-play, 30-yard drive that took 15 seconds to complete with 10:58 left in the game. Hoffman made two key plays: the solid run off the quick kick and the two-point run off the swinging gate.
Academy finally recovered an onside kick, taking over at the Marble Falls 44-yard line. The Bumblebees scored on the seven-play, 44-yard drive when Martinez ran in from 14 yards out for the 36-28 advantage with 8:23 remaining.
The Mustangs took over on their own 39-yard line and drove 61 yards in eight plays highlighted by Mattox’s two-yard run to pay dirt. Junior Anderson Liscum caught the two-point pass to tie the contest at 36-36 with 5:07 left. The drive took 3:07 to complete.
Academy began its final offensive drive on its 42-yard line, getting one first down on a 13-yard Martinez run. But the Mustangs stiffened, allowing only a four-yard run on first and 10 from their 45, a one-yard run and an incompletion when Allen threw an pass as the Mustangs had him in their grasp. On fourth and five, the pass was over the receiver’s head, allowing Marble Falls to take over on their 40-yard line with 3:21 left.
On first down, Mattox threw to Liscum, who ran for seven yards on a pass that was almost intercepted. Then Salyers ran for two yards and two more, Crawford added a 16-yard run and refused to go down, opting to move the pile and compelling the offensive line to run behind him and help.
After another incompletion, Salyers ran for six yards and three yards to set up fourth and one from the Academy 24-yard line. Mattox ran the zone read and kept the ball for eight yards then hit Aguilar on pass the junior took to the end zone. But the Mustangs were called for holding.
At that point, Marcum returned to the field and nailed a 34-yard field goal with seven seconds left for the win.
Timmerman agreed the Mustangs weren’t too high or too low. They simply kept playing.
“That’s growth,” he said. “They’re growing, they’re all figuring that out. You have to play four quarters of football. You can’t play one and then hope that something happens in the second. You have to play four.”
Marble Falls travels to play at Fredericksburg (1-1)at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11. The Billies lost to Wimberley 28-3 Sept. 4 and defeated Bandera 36-24 Aug. 28.
