Marble Falls prepares for Mother Nature, Cedar Park’s ‘Black Rain’

JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls High School football team is preparing for two kinds of rain Oct. 23 when it hosts Cedar Park.

Not only are the Mustangs bracing for a downpour from Mother Nature, they also will face the “Black Rain” — Cedar Park’s defense.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Mustang Stadium, 2101 Mustang Drive. Listen to the contest on KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune or at KBEYFM.com under “Marble Falls Football” starting with a pregame show at 6:30 p.m.

The ominous Black Rain is one part of what Marble Falls head coach Matt Green calls the most complete team in District 25-5A. The Timberwolves (7-0 overall, 4-0 in district) finished 2014 as the Class 5A Division II state runners-up and are currently ranked No. 1 in Texas by most polls.

“Everybody will tell you on paper what’s going to happen in this game,” Green said. “All the experts, all the people will tell you this is not going to be a game. I will tell you, for our kids, that’s the challenge. Let’s go out and let’s compete. Let’s see what we can do against the No. 1 team in the state.”

Cedar Park head coach Carl Abseck defined Black Rain as an attitude of getting as many players  to the ball carrier as quickly as possible. Just like an opponent can’t run away from Mother Nature, it also can’t get away from the Black Rain. Nine starters returned from last year’s team. The Cedar Park defense is giving up an average of 18 points a game, down from 22 points a year ago, and is led by all-district senior linebackers Jacob Heins, Mac McCaskill and Augustine Tambe.

“Their defense is second to nobody (in the district),” Green said. “Their defense is absolutely lights-out good. And I say thatknowing they gave up 45 points, although one was a kickoff return, to Leander Vandegrift. But Vandegrift’s offense is unusually talented and good. Giving up 38 points to Vandegrift’s offense is no shame there. They are that good.”

Cedar Park defeated the Vipers 58-45 on Oct. 16.

The Timberwolves have been the conference’s top-ranked squad since beating preseason No. 1-ranked Aledo 31-13 on Aug. 28 to begin the season.

Cedar Park gives up an average of 18 points a game, while scoring an average of 49 points a game.

Opponents who have scored used explosive plays using speed and height (Killeen, Vandegrift) to get away from tacklers or throw over the tops of the secondary, Green said.

“Don’t discount how good CP’s offense is,” he said. “They score a lot of points every game. Part of that is because they’re very good on offense. But the other part is their defense sets them up in prime position. Their defense three-and-outs people, and they create turnovers. There’s many times where CP takes the ball inside the 20-yard line.”

Cedar Park’s offense is led by quarterback Mak Sexton, who has completed 68 passes for 1,194 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Senior athlete Tyler Lavine has 56 carries for 479 yards and three touchdowns, while junior Hayden Craig has rushed 49 times for 259 yards and five touchdowns. Senior athlete Jack Grimm has 49 carries for 247 yards and 10 touchdowns and 24 receptions for 280 yards and two touchdowns.

Green said the Timberwolves have about 40 seniors on the roster, allowing them to have 22 different starters as opposed to using some of the athletes on both sides of the ball.

“Cedar Park is a well-rounded, very balanced team,” he said. “They really don’t have to use a lot of kids both ways at all. If they do, it’s only to get a kid in there that runs so fast to have a trick play or something where you use that advantage. They are well-coached, they are big, they are deep. They’re just a good team.”   

Meanwhile, the Mustangs (2-5 overall, 0-4 in district) will by led by junior quarterback Cade Cool, who has completed 62 of 125 passes for 1,048 with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. Junior running back Dalton Mayberry has 47 carries for 280 yards and 13 catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Junior running back Sam Harkins has 49 carries for 217 yards and two touchdowns and nine receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Green said the Mustangs realize not everyone gets to play a No. 1-ranked team. So he believes they will play the best they can.

“I know this: Our kids are going to take advantage of it,” he said. “And they’re going to come out and they’re going to play hard and they’re going to show up expecting to compete with CP realizing what they face. This is a great opportunity for our kids and our program to match up with a team that’s that good and get to weigh and balance yourself.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com