Marble Falls challenges tough Vandegrift in loss
Marble Falls junior running back Dalton Mayberry scores a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter during the 35-14 loss to Leander Vandegrift on Oct. 31. Photo by Diana Cox
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
MARBLE FALLS — On the last home game of the 2015 season, the Marble Falls High School football team gave fans plenty to cheer about in a 35-14 loss to Leander Vandegrift on Oct. 31.
In short, the Mustangs (2-7 overall, 0-6 in District 25-5A) gave the Vipers (8-1 overall, 5-1 district) a scare on Halloween that no ghost or goblin could conjure up as Marble Falls began the contest by scoring touchdowns on their first two drives.
Earlier in the week, Mustangs head coach Matt Green predicated he thought his offense would move the ball on the Vipers.
“They did what I thought they were capable of doing,” he said. “We held them to their fewest points in a game this year. I’m proud of them.”
Junior running back Dalton Mayberry capped off the Mustangs’ opening drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Junior kicker Gavino Tinajera added the extra point for a 7-0 lead. The drive covered 75 yards in 13 plays.
Junior quarterback Cade Cool engineered a seven-play, 78-yard drive that ended when he scored on a four-yard run for a 14-0 advantage in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the Marble Falls defense matched the offense’s intensity by forcing the Vipers into a turnover on downs, a punt and a fumble. Vandegrift even called for a fake punt that Marble Falls stopped to give the ball back to the Mustangs.
The Vipers’ only first-half score was a 77-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Travis Brannan from junior quarterback Alex Fernandes to trim the deficit to 14-7 in the second quarter, which also was the halftime score.
“I knew our kids could move the ball, and the defense played well,” Green said. “Our kids fought.”
Vandegrift began the second half with a 63-yard kick return by Brannan that gave the Vipers first down on the Marble Falls 16. Brannan was rewarded by getting the ball on back-to-back running plays. He scored on a seven-yard run to tie the game at 14-14.
The Mustangs then fumbled on the ensuing kickoff.
This time, it took the Vipers three plays to score, but Brannan ran in for a four-yard touchdown for a 21-14 lead. That capped off a 30-yard drive.
Green said he believes the game turned in the Vipers’ direction in the opening minutes of the second half.
“Their kids got momentum in the beginning and got in the end zone,” he said. “Our kids fought them tooth and nail, our kids fought them with everything they had.”
Fernandes added a nine-yard touchdown to cap a two-yard drive that began on the Marble Falls 32-yard line for a 28-14 lead to end the third quarter.
Brannan scored the Vipers’ final touchdown, a 22-yard scamper, for a 35-14 advantage to finish a 75-yard, eight-play drive in the fourth quarter.
He finished with 23 carries for 141 yards and three touchdowns and one catch for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Fernandes completed 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown.
Cool completed eight passes for 79 yards and had 10 carries for six yards and a touchdown.
Mayberry had 14 carries for 86 yards, and senior receiver Jacob Metcalf caught four passes for 55 yards.
The Mustangs end the season at Georgetown East View on Nov. 6 at Georgetown ISD Stadium, 2275 N. Austin Ave. in Georgetown. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Tune in to KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune or at KBEYFM.com starting with a 6:30 p.m. pregame show.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
SCORING AND STATS
FIRST QUARTER
MF – Dalton Mayberry one-yard run (Gavino Tinajera kick)
SECOND QUARTER
MF – Cade Cool four-yard run (Tinajera kick)
V – Travis Brannan 77-yard pass from Alex Fernandes (Jackson Bischoping kick)
THIRD QUARTER
V – Brannan seven-yard run (kick no good)
V – Brannan four-yard run (Brannan two-point run)
V – Fernandes nine-yard run (Bischoping kick)
FOURTH QUARTER
V – Brannan 22-yard run (Bischoping kick)
TEAM STATS
VANDEGRIFT — First downs, 20; total yards, 376; rushes-yards, 32-166; passing, 210; interceptions, 0; comp-att-int, 14-21-0; fumbles-lost, 1-1; penalties-yards, 4-26
MARBLE FALLS — First downs, 12; total yards, 227; rushes-yards, 39-148; passing, 79; interceptions, 0; comp-att-int, 8-14-0; fumbles-lost, 1-1; penalties-yards, 7-80
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING – (Vandegrift), Brannan 23-141-3 TDs, Fernandez 4-(-8), Mack Parker 7-24, Reid Marburger 2-1. (Marble Falls), Mayberry 14-86-1 TD, Austin Pegues 1-1, Cool 10-6-1 TD, Sam Harkins 7-54, Armond Pierre 1-1
PASSING – (Vandegrift), Fernandes 14-21-210-1 TD-0 INT. (Marble Falls), Cool 8-14-79-0 TD-0 INT
RECEIVING – (Vandegrift), Brannan 1-77-1 TD, Peyton Ausley 1-21, Sean Dehne 5-85, Will Bruner 4-11, Parker Ausley 3-3, Culver Sumner 1-8, Bailey Middleton 1-5. (Marble Falls), Pegues 1-5, Eric Cauble 1-15, Metcalf 4-55, Harkins 1-1, Mayberry 1-3