Marble Falls secondary players a force on both sides of the ball

JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — From the Marble Falls five-yard line, runners think they simply have three steps to score a touchdown.

In that moment, some are feeling pretty confident they’ll score. After all, it’s only three more steps.

But just as a runner is thinking about the post-score celebration, Marble Falls senior cornerback Juan Rodriguez tackles him from behind.

“I don’t really think about it,” he said about stopping opponents on the goal line. “I just do it.”

Mustangs head coach Matt Green has a different perspective.

“Number one: It’s want-to because it’s hard to go do that – you’re tired,” he said. “Number two: He has speed. Now J-Rod can run; he is fast. He’s got the will and the determination to go do it. I couldn’t be more proud of that guy.”

A year ago, Rodriguez might not have been able to make those plays. Or knock balls away at the last moment to force incomplete passes. But shedding 20 pounds while playing soccer — the Mustangs’ other football program — living in the weight room and conditioning has made Rodriguez faster, stronger and more courageous.

“That really helped his speed,” teammate Jackson Cox said. “He got some confidence. He had really started stepping up a lot. He got stronger all the way around. He might have lost 20 pounds, but he gained (much more).”

Both Cox and Green said Rodriguez is the most improved player on the squad.

Cox knows a thing or two about playing with confidence. Last season, he played with a cast on his arm and still made several tackles and even had an interception. This year, quarterbacks make sure they know where the senior safety is standing when the ball is snapped.

“It’s really difficult when considering (that), coming down, you have to make a lot of tackles,” he said. “If I don’t fit out perfectly, then it’s almost impossible to make a tackle with one arm. That’s the problem with a lot of people nowadays. It’s bad tackling from a passing standpoint, it’s hard to catch the ball and make a play on the ball because you only have one hand to do it with.”

Rodriguez and Cox are the staples of the secondary, while junior Sam Harkins splits time at the other safety position and running back. Seniors Jacob Metcalf and Eric Cauble also play in the secondary while starting at receiver. Junior Austin Pegues logs minutes at cornerback and running back.

“Our kids have bought in that they’re going to play both sides,” Green said. “They love the challenge of it. You just tell them we have a small group, and we have to have you, and they have responded.”

That takes care of the mental part. What about the physical, given the players must practice on offense and defense?

“You’re cutting their practice time in half,” he said. “And on top of it, they’re running every play. They’re really not getting tons and tons of rest. So on the offensive side, you’re saying, ‘Hey, I need you to beat this guy deep. I need you to run a good route and really break the route off sharp.’ Well, they’re tired. So it’s hard.

“Same with defense, don’t get beat deep,” he added. “Run down there and make tackles. Well, they’re tired. For us, the kids stay after it, they condition extra. They do everything they can in their power to be in the shape they need to be in. We lift hard in the weight room to keep those muscles built up and not break down. And our kids have done everything we’ve asked. There’s nothing else I can ask them to do, and there’s nothing else that they can be giving us.”

As a unit, the Mustangs defense had three goal-line stands, three fumble recoveries, a sack in the red zone, two turnovers on downs and forced field goals instead of giving up touchdowns.

One of those turnovers on downs came when Cedar Park Vista Ridge took over at the Marble Falls 40-yard line after a Mustangs turnover.

Two fumble recoveries were on the heels of San Antonio Jay starting its drive on the Marble Falls 39, and the other preserved the Mustangs’ win.

That kind of defensive effort — whether it’s getting sacks, turnovers or Rodriguez chasing down runners — fires up the Mustangs, Green said.

“I think it does motivate your defense,” he said. “I think it shows those defensive guys, ‘Hey man, (Rodriguez) went and tracked him down. Now let’s get tough. Let’s become an iron curtain right here. Let’s keep them out.’ And so I think, for your team, it absolutely is a positive motivator.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com