Getting turnovers key for Marble Falls against Cedar Creek, coach says

STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO

MARBLE FALLS — It might be a day later than it was supposed to be played, but that doesn’t mean the Marble Falls High School football team isn’t eager to kick off the 2017 season.

The Mustangs will travel to face Bastrop Cedar Creek on Saturday, Sept. 2, with a noon kickoff at Bastrop Memorial Stadium, 755 Texas 21 West in Cedar Creek. Listen to the game on KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune or at KBEYFM.com.

Officials at both schools chose to play Saturday because the effects of Hurricane Harvey on Bastrop forced those officials to cancel classes Aug. 28 and have a late start to the school day Aug. 29. Cheerleaders will go into the stands to collect donations during the game that will go to the Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation’s Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund.

The reason for the delay is because Marble Falls wanted to give Cedar Creek players and coaches more time to prepare.

“It was the easiest decision in the world to change it to Saturday,” Mustangs head coach Mike Birdwell said. “We are feeling like we need to go out and play. Our kids have been practicing for three weeks. Our kids are excited; they’re ready to get moving.”

Preparing the Mustangs to face the Eagles was a challenge because Cedar Creek’s only scrimmage, at which Marble Falls scouts would have made notes, was cancelled.

So the head coaches simply exchanged scouting reports, Birdwell said.

Cedar Creek finished 1-9 overall and 0-8 in District 19-5A play in 2016, but the Eagles return all five starting offensive linemen led by Chris Julson.

“They have 50 starts between them,” Eagles head coach Jon Edwards said. “We had zero starts last year.”

Junior quarterback Hunter Hughston is expected to start.

“He separated himself with execution and accuracy throwing the ball and being a commander on the field,” Edwards said.

The Marble Falls defense will be led by junior linebacker Zach Fearn, sophomore lineman Sam May, and senior defensive back Latham Nakhleh.

Birdwell said playing relentless defense is the priority.

“We want to get turnovers,” he said.

Offensively, the Mustangs will be led by junior quarterback Andrew Stripling, junior running back Dillon Mayberry, senior receiver Michael Wilcox, junior receiver Brock Linder, and senior tight end Jervon Collins.

Last season, Stripling, as the starter, completed 132 of 264 passes for 1,730 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Wilcox had 35 receptions for 619 yards and a touchdown. During the scrimmage against Georgetown East View on Aug. 25, he completed eight of 19 passes for 75 yards.

Birdwell said he wants to see the offense have multiple-play drives, unlike what happened against East View.

“Our drives stalled out,” he said. “We wanted to score in the red zone and make sure we take care of the ball.”

Defensively, Cedar Creek will counter with junior defensive tackle John Wilkerson and sophomore defensive tackle Alfred Collins.

Edwards said the defensive players “love the game of football. They play it the way it’s supposed to be played. We’re excited to watch our defense.”

Not having a scrimmage has hurt the Eagles in many ways, Edwards said, but specifically in one area: getting repetitions.

“We’re young,” he said. “We’ll have six sophomores any time on the field. We miss seeing our kids perform in a little bit of pressure situations.”

Marble Falls coaches have emphasized they want the Mustangs to dictate the game to the Eagles, Birdwell said.

“We need to increase our intensity on both sides of the ball,” he said. “Too many times against East View, they were the ones being physical and attacking. We kept reminding our kids we want to be the ones on the attack. We’ve challenged our kids to be fundamentally sound.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com