Stangs welcome state champ

MARBLE FALLS — David and Goliath are expected to meet at Mustang Stadium today at 7:30 p.m.

Goliath, the Lake Travis football team, will feature 38 seniors on their roster. 

David, the Marble Falls High School football team, started the season with 28 players. The stadium is at 1511 Pony Circle Drive.

Lake Travis has 1,751 high school students, while Marble Falls has 1,140.

“Basically if you look at enrollment and things like that, the numbers issue is always like that,” Mustangs head coach Cord Woerner said. “The (University Interscholastic League’s) cutoff is going to have be somewhere.”

The Cavaliers, ranked No. 1 in the Class 4A poll and No. 15 in the latest USA Today poll, are led by quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who will play for the University of Texas. 

“I’ve been very impressed with what they’ve done,” Woerner said. “In my opinion, I think they’re a stronger club than what they were last year.”

Lake Travis has given up a total of 32 points in district play while averaging 52 points a contest. 

“In the past, they’ve always put a lot of points up. They’ve outscored people,” Woerner said. “This year, they’re balanced. I think their defense is playing extremely well.”

Lake Travis’s only close game was a 27-20 win against Austin Westwood in the season opener. 

Since then, the Cavaliers have won their games by double-digit deficits. 

Lake Travis players knows they must contend with Mustangs quarterback Thor Woerner, who has 83 completions for 1,349 yards and 128 rushes for 621 yards. 

Fullback Austin Sparks has 116 carries for 647 yards, while Cooper Bowen has 294 yards on 13 receptions.

Gilbert has 162 completions for 2,699 yards this season and has 113 career touchdowns. This season he has 32 touchdowns against two interceptions.

He is chasing current University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy’s record of 116 for second place on the all-time list. He is 49 completions behind Texas Tech University quarterback Graham Harrell’s career completions and 53 pass attempts behind Phillip Daugherty in the same category. 

The Lake Travis quarterback already holds the single-season records for attempts, completions and passing yards (360-556-4,827 and 52 touchdowns).

Gilbert’s favorite target is Cade McCrary, who has 46 receptions for 975 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Running back Chris Aydam has 69 rushes for 449 yards and six touchdowns.

This game will be Marble Falls’ last of the 2008 season. It also will be the last football game to be played at the current Mustang Stadium because a new extra-curricular facility will be open for the 2009 season at Marble Falls High School.

Injuries and illness have been an issue for the Mustangs this week, Woerner said.

“Some of the guys were beat up last week,” he said. “I know we’ve had five or six guys who had some illnesses this week. We’re going to be ready and be as fresh as we can and get after it.”

But Marble Falls will not use illness as an excuse to perform poorly, he said, noting the Mustangs won’t need much to get fired up to play.

“We’re getting to play the top team in the state,” he said. “We’re getting the opportunity to play football against a team that’s very, very good.”  

jfierro@thepicayune.com 

Photo by Virgil Belk/Hill Country Sports Images