Mustangs convert turnovers into points, lead
PFLUGERVILLE —The Marble Falls High School football team lost to Pflugerville Hendrickson, 34-20, Friday to drop to 1-4 in District 25-4A. The Hawks, meanwhile, qualified for the playoffs with a 3-2 record.
“We wanted our kids to come out and fight and battle,” Mustangs head coach Cord Woerner said. “Our kids came out really focused, and they were ready to play.”
The Mustangs sprinted to a 20-0 lead thanks to a tenacious defense that forced turnovers that turned into 13 points.
Justin Garcia returned the opening kickoff about 45 yards to the Hawks 48. After the first play went for no gain, quarterback Thor Woerner ran for 12 yards. Fullback Austin Sparks added 11 yards. On third and 10, Woerner hit Sparks for the 25-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good, 7-0.
Hendrickson ran the kickoff to its 40. After a first down, Quinton Causey intercepted the ball and ran it back 26 yards to the Mustang 34. The first two plays went for minus-one yard. On third down, Sparks ran for eight yards and 10 yards on fourth down. Woerner scored on a 17-yard scamper. The extra point made it 14-0.
On the Hawks’ next possession, the receiver was hit so hard he coughed up the ball, which was recovered by Kyle Miller.
With one pass, the Mustangs were in the end zone thanks to a 70-yard completion to Cooper Bowen from Woerner for a 20-0 lead.
But Hendrickson wasn’t done.
The Hawks finally answered by marching 71 yards in six plays, highlighted by a Kenny Williams 10-yard run to trim the lead, 20-7. He also had scampers of 18 and 33 yards in the drive.
After a Marble Falls fumble, Williams ran to the Mustangs one, picking up 34 yards and then scored from the one, 20-14 to begin the second quarter.
“We had some breakdowns a little bit and let them get to us toward the end of the first half,” Cord Woerner said. “I thought we had some things I felt like were working.”
The Hawks forced Marble Falls to punt to begin the second half and needed only three plays to tie the game thanks to a Marquese Dunn 37-yard catch from Jama Askar.
After another Mustang punt, Hendrickson scored after a one-yard plunge by Williams for a 27-20 lead.
Back-to-back fumbles gave the Mustangs the ball again on their own four. But Hendrickson caught an interception.
Williams needed only one play from 21 yards out to score, 34-20.
Marble Falls got the ball and reached the Hendrickson 13-yard line, only to suffer an interception in the end zone.
The Hawks pressured quarterback Woerner throughout the final three quarters. But he did manage to complete a pass for 13 yards to Saif Khan with two defenders trying to tackle him.
“We struggled a little bit slowing down the pass rush,” coach Woerner said. “I thought the offensive linemen worked their tails off.”
When the Mustangs did not suffer a turnover, the Hawks usually started around their 30.
The turnovers, Woerner said, were the result of the players trying very hard.
“I would never want those guys to lose that effort,” he said. “(Hendrickson) did a good job on their rush and we struggled at times picking it up.”
The coach said he did not think the Mustangs relaxed after building a 20-point lead.
“We gave up a couple of things and gave them a little bit of life,” he said.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
Photo by Virgil Belk/Hill Country Sports Images