Marble Falls football season ends with 38-36 loss to Leander

JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls High School football lost 38-36 to Leander in a District 25-4A contest Nov. 8 to end the Mustangs’ season.
Trailing 38-34 with one minute six seconds remaining in the game, the Lions (5-5, 3-3) got an interception in the end zone that was first ruled as an incomplete pass.
But after the officials discussed it, they overturned the call.
“We knew it was going to come down to who had the ball last,” Mustangs head coach Todd Dodge said. “One official down there gave one signal. The official called it incomplete. I don’t understand. It’s unfortunate for the kids.”
The Mustangs (4-6, 2-4) then forced Leander into a fourth-and-11 situation. The Lions gave up a safety and kicked the ball to Marble Falls. But the Mustangs couldn’t score as time ran out.
“It’s absolutely devastating for all of us,” Dodge said. “We put ourselves in a position to be so close against a very good opponent and have it end like that. We don’t always understand things in life. Sometimes it’s not for us to question.”
The game couldn’t have started better for the Mustangs though.
Senior kicker Alejandro Osornio capped the opening drive of the contest by connecting on a 27-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
After the Mustangs forced a punt, they drove 80 yards in nine plays for a seven-yard touchdown by senior receiver Zuri Buchanan for a 10-0 advantage. He also caught a 41-yard pass, which was the key play in the drive.
The Lions recovered a fumble and took almost five minutes to score a 37-yard field goal by John Mowry to make it 10-3.
But it didn’t take long for the Mustangs to respond. Osornio added another field goal, this one from 31 yards, to make it 13-3.
Senior cornerback Aidin Parnell intercepted a Lions pass with 30 seconds left in the half. As a result, sophomore quarterback Brennen Wooten found Buchanan for a 15-yard touchdown with six seconds left in the half to give the Mustangs a 20-3 lead.
To begin the third quarter, the Lions got a four-yard touchdown run by senior running back Joe Hubbard to trim the deficit to 20-10.
After the Mustangs punted, senior receiver Michael Lecaros caught a 44-yard touchdown pass for Leander, though the Lions still trailed 20-17.
Marble Falls senior receiver Garrett Gray answered with a nine-yard touchdown run from the wild horse formation.
But Leander quarterback Brandon Hopp hit receiver Mikael Dawkins for a 44-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 27-24 in the third quarter.
Leander took its first lead of the game when running back Raymond Gibson scored on a four-yard run after the Lions defense forced and recovered a fumble. Gibson led all rushers with 116 yards, all unofficial.
Wooten responded on the ensuing drive, leading the Mustangs on a 75-yard drive capped by a 15-yard scamper to the end zone for a 34-31 lead with 6:52 left in the contest.
The Lions answered with a one-yard touchdown run by Gibson, who took the ball with one hand and reached out to cross the end zone to put Leander in the lead at 38-34.
Wooten completed 28 of 38 passes for 326 yards and one touchdown and ran for a 57 yards on 10 carries and another touchdown. Gray caught 10 passes for 132 yards and rushed eight times for 77 yards and a touchdown.
“It’s hard for this bunch, for these kids to go through this district,” Dodge said. “Last year, we lost to this team 56-14. Our program has come a long way in 365 days. I’m proud of our seniors. We let them know we love them. You can’t take away anything they’ve done.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com