Marble Falls, Dripping Springs looking for first district wins

JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls High School athletes enjoy facing the Dripping Springs Tigers, especially on the gridiron.

The two teams meet at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at Tiger Stadium, located at Tiger Lane and Bell Spring Road in Dripping Springs. Listen to the game 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.

“I think our kids are going to show up and play hard,” Marble Falls head coach Matt Green said. “I don’t question that for a second. I think our kids will show up and play hard against Dripping Springs. Our kids like playing against Dripping Springs, and I think their kids like playing against us.”

The two teams have identical 2-2 records after losing their District 25-5A openers the previous week – the Mustangs to Cedar Park Vista Ridge, 48-14, and the Tigers to Cedar Park High, 55-24.

The Tigers have wins against Del Valle (41-7) to begin the season and Austin High (17-14) in week two. They lost 38-14 to Bastrop on Sept. 11.    

Dripping Springs uses a pair of quarterbacks to operate its offense: sophomore Collin Berzsenyi, who is known as the passing quarterback, and junior Reese Johnson, the running quarterback.

Berzsenyi has completed 26 of 56 passes for 314 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Johnson has completed 23 of 47 passes for 254 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and has 23 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns.

“They’ve looked at their packages with their quarterbacks,” Green said. “You’re going to see quarterbacks — two for sure, maybe three in the same game — and it’s probably going to be figuring out what’s working. So I don’t know what they’ll do, how they’re going to come out and attack us, but they’re a good team, and it will be a fun night.”

Senior running back Bobby Cruder paces the Tigers’ rushing attack with 40 carries for 280 yards and four touchdowns, while junior running back Teo Brinckman has 42 rushes for 207 yards and a touchdown.

Dripping Springs senior receiver Ethan Fernea has seven receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tigers are averaging 29 points a game with about 200 yards rushing and 142 passing yards.

The defense is led by linebackers who started last season: junior Noah Orr, an all-district selection, and seniors Alex Dance and Ben Mikeska.

Senior cornerback Ethan Fernea, a unanimous all-district selection, is the leader of the secondary.

“Last year, I think they started about nine juniors,” Green said. “They do rotate some kids in, but they’re very talented on defense. It’s their strength, in my opinion. It’s the strength of their team. They mix things up, they’re very good in the secondary, they’re very good in the linebacking corps. They have a very, very solid defense, so we’re going to have to show we have a good game plan, and, ultimately, our kids are going to have to execute. When we have chances to make plays, we’re going to have to make them.”

Marble Falls will counter with a running attack that found its groove in the fourth quarter against Vista Ridge.

Junior running back Sam Harkins has 36 rushes for 175 yards and two touchdowns and four catches for 34 yards. Junior quarterback Cade Cool has completed 40 passes for 624 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions and has 22 rushes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Junior running back Dalton Mayberry has 24 carries for 142 yards and 12 receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Senior receiver Eric Cauble has 21 catches for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

The Mustangs, who had been averaging about 100 penalty yards, cut that to 65 against Vista Ridge and had only one turnover.

Green said he was pleased to see fewer penalties and more attention on taking care of the football.

jfierro@thepicayune.com