Marble Falls middle school QB makes history
JON-ERIK JOHNSON • SPECIAL TO THE PICAYUNE
AUSTIN — The Marble Falls Middle School eighth-grade B football team got a huge play from quarterback Keagan Deering during a 14-6 win against O’Henry Middle School on Oct. 1
Deering scored a 98-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak at House Park Stadium late in the fourth quarter. It is believed to be one of the longest run plays in the 73-year history of the facility.
The Marble Falls defense had forced a turnover on downs moments earlier to set up Deering’s run.
Until this point in the season, Deering had taken every snap from the shotgun. So when the coaches called for him to get under center for the first time, the Mustang was a little nervous.
“Coaches said to just take the snap, duck my head and run hard,” Deering said. “They said that if I got in the open, I was faster than they were and I should just keep running.”
Deering stepped under center and saw the O’Henry middle linebacker sliding to his left before the snap, leaving no one in the middle of the field beyond the defensive line. Deering handled the snap with no problem and shot through the gap to his left. And then it was off to the races.
Deering shed a few tacklers before reaching midfield and had opened up a 5-yard gap between himself and the nearest defender as he sprinted down the home sideline. But there was one defender in hot pursuit, who was closing the 5-yard gap.
He took a desperate leap from the 10-yard line, clipping Deering’s heels who stumbled but righted himself as he crossed the goal line.
“I thought back to my flag football days,”Keegan said, “and I remembered getting caught from behind on long runs every time I would turn around and look back. So I didn’t look back, I just ran as fast as I could.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com