Mustangs show signs of growth beyond 2025 record
The Marble Falls Mustangs played their last game of the 2025 season against the Brownwood Lions on Nov. 7. While the team ended the year with a 3-7 record overall, there are strong signs that the Mustangs are building a stronger foundation for the future. Staff photo by David Bean
The Marble Falls High School football team did not have a winning 2025 season, but the Mustangs did show signs of major growth. A few strong district performances and a noticeable cultural shift could mean a stronger 2026 season on the horizon.
“The hardest thing about anything in athletics is turning a program around,” MFHS head football coach and athletic director Keri Timmerman told DailyTrib following the close of the 2025 season. “Our kids played their freakin’ tails off (this season). People won’t notice that because of the scores, but you know these things when you’re a coach.”
The Mustangs ended the 2025 season with a district loss to Brownwood on Nov. 7, closing out the year with an overall record of 3-7 and a district record of 0-4. This was slightly better than the 2024 season, when they went 2-8 overall and again 0-4 in district. But, the win-loss record doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story.
According to KBEY 103.9 FM Picayune Radio host Ben Shields, who has been calling Mustang games for 14 seasons, there are noticeable differences in Marble Falls this year.
“You can see that the culture is starting to change, you can see the buy-in from some of these younger kids,” Shields said. “Culture is important. It’s tough to build culture when you’re losing, but, it may not seem like a big deal, but that Lampasas game is something you can build on and say ‘hey we are making progress.’”
Shields was referring to the Mustang’s Oct. 31 district game against Lampasas. It was a loss for Marble Falls, but the game was neck-in-neck until the end with a final score of 23-16. This performance was far more competitive than last year’s 61-7 loss.
“I think you can see the offense starting to gel,” he said. “(The Lampasas game) was probably the first time that it was a one score district game since ‘21.”
Shields is right. The Mustangs have not won a district game since 2021 or even been within shooting distance of a win. Their last strong season was in 2021 when they went 9-4 overall and 4-2 in district, but that was when the Mustangs were in District 14-5A Division II. They now play in District 4-4A Division I.
It wasn’t just the Lampasas game that offered a sign of possible change. Another district game, against local rival Burnet, also revealed some improvements. The game ended with a 35-14 loss for the Mustangs, but it was a 21-14 game in the third quarter.
“We’re so close, but the reality is, you can’t speed the process up,” Timmerman said. “We were so close to those big wins against Lampasas and Burnet.”
Shields and Timmerman both noted that the Mustangs also showed a noticeable lack of “quit” this season, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Marble Falls is in the same district as state powerhouse Stephenville, a team that is ranked second in the state for Division 4A-1 Texas football. The Mustangs took a 65-7 loss when they faced Stephenville on Oct. 17, but the team’s seven points were scored in the fourth quarter when the game already seemed to be a done deal. This was an improvement over last year’s score of 63-0.
“It is hard, people see the win loss, and if they’re not there, they don’t get to see the growth that is happening with these kids,” Timmerman said. “Be proud of your kids and your community and how they’re representing you. It takes all of us. If we’re going to change this program and become the champions we want to be, it is going to take everybody.”