Vandegrift’s late game-winning score mars solid Marble Falls performance

JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF

LEANDER — The Marble Falls defense came up with third- and fourth-down stops, forced turnovers and, according to head coach Todd Dodge, played its best game of the year.

However, the Mustangs could not stop Leander Vandegrift quarterback Jamie Hudson on the final drive in a gut-wrenching 31-27 loss Oct. 18.

Hudson led the Vipers down the field and scored on a four-yard touchdown run with 0:48 remaining in the game for the deciding score.

“Basically it’s a three-week playoff to see who gets the last spot,” Dodge said of the Mustangs’ postseason hopes after the loss. “And we’re involved in that with the other three (teams), so we’ve got to go out and win every game we have the rest of the way, and that’s the charge that’s in front of us and that we put on each other.”

Marble Falls (2-5, 0-3) pulled ahead 27-16 in the third quarter after a hot start to the second half.

The Mustangs tied the game at 14-14 on a three-yard pass from quarterback Brennen Wooten to Kylen Skonning with 1:20 left in the second quarter.

The Mustangs burst out of the locker room in the second half with an Aidin Parnell interception on Vandegrift’s first drive. That set up a 32-yard pass from Wooten to senior Garrett Gray on the very next play. Gray finished with seven receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

Wooten went 17-for-35 for 226 yards, four touchdown passes and two interceptions. Wooten and Gray connected for a 41-yard pass with 8:58 left in the first half for the Mustangs’ first score to tie the game at 7-7.

On the ensuing Vandegrift (7-1, 4-0) drive, a Viper fumble was recovered by Tyler Ryan. The Mustangs turned that into a score with a 10-yard touchdown toss from Wooten to senior J.T. Watson with 8:36 left in the third quarter. The extra-point attempt was blocked and run back by Vandegrift for two points, which made the score 27-16.

The Vipers brought the score to 27-24 after a fourth-and-11 was converted on a Hudson pass to Luke Peterman to inside the Mustangs’ five-yard line. That led to a Hudson two-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion with 1:41 in the third quarter.

Gray, who even played a few snaps at defensive end on third-and-long situations, said the team isn’t down after falling in a 0-3 hole in the District 25-4A standings.

“We’re disappointed, but we just have more games to play. We can win them all,” Gray said. “We can’t pout on this game; it’s over.”

Marble Falls plays Vista Ridge at Mustang Stadium on Oct. 26. The Mustangs first three district opponents are a combined 10-1 in district play. Their three remaining opponents are a combined 2-11 in district play. The top four teams from the district make the playoffs.

jared@thepicayune.com