Marble Falls gets 41-14 win in early morning hours after lightning delay
Marble Falls senior linebacker Heath Dooley is pumped after he gets an interception. Celebrating with him are junior linebacker Santiago Castillo (42), sophomore linebacker Zach Fearn (54), senior defensive lineman Dawson Atwood (57), senior defensive back Chris Yun (21) and senior linebacker Jonathan Bryer (44). Photo by Diana Cox
JENNIFER FIERRO / STAFF WRITER
MARBLE FALLS — Even a five-hour delay because of lightning didn’t stop the Marble Falls High School football team from winning its season opener Aug. 26 for the first time since 2012
The Mustangs defeated Bastrop Cedar Creek 41-14 at Mustang Stadium.
The Mustangs struck first. After junior quarterback Zach Rangel found senior receiver Sam Harkins for a 50-yard pass, sophomore running back Cooper Wilson had back-to-back run plays that ended with a 1-yard touchdown on Marble Falls’ first offensive possession of the game.
That score remained 7-0 until midway through the second quarter. A personal foul on the Mustangs allowed the Eagles’ drive to continue. It ended in a 7-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Collin Garrett from senior quarterback Tristen Hendrix to tie the game at 7-7.
Marble Falls immediately responded. Rangel ran for 13 yards and 8 yards then found Harkins for a 50-yard touchdown and a 14-7 advantage.
After the Mustangs forced a punt, sophomore quarterback Andrew Stripling led them on a 83-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard field goal by senior kicker Gavino Tinajera and a 17-7 lead at the half.
Rangel continued the momentum in the second half with a 67-yard drive that ended with him calling his own number for a 2-yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead in the third quarter.
Stripling led Marble Falls on a 33-yard drive that finished when Harkins scored on a 3-yard touchdown run for a 31-7 lead.
The fourth quarter began with Tinajera hitting a 20-yard field goal for a 34-7 advantage.
The Marble Falls scoring ended when Stripling found junior receiver Michael Wilcox for a 21-yard touchdown and a 41-7 lead.
Cedar Creek added a 10-yard touchdown when junior running back Brock DeShay crossed paydirt to make it 41-14.
At 7:18 p.m., as both teams were warming up, Marble Falls Independent School District officials cleared the field and the stands because of lightning in the area, though only a few drops of rain were spotted.
At 7:48 p.m., the players returned to the field to start warm-ups but were told to return to their respective locker rooms two minutes later.
Mother Nature then was the Friday Night feature as lightning to the north and east of the city was spotted around the stadium.
The game did not begin until after 11 p.m.
Marble Falls travels to Burnet (1-0) for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday, Sept. 2, at Bulldog Field, 1000 The Green Mile. Burnet defeated Austin Reagan in its season opener, 55-12.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
2 thoughts on “Marble Falls gets 41-14 win in early morning hours after lightning delay”
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The MF defense was amazing last night. They held Cedar Creek to only 2 touchdowns amongst all the chaos. Reading their plays and shutting them down quickly, usually with a loss of yards. Congratulations on the win and prayers for the injured this morning.
Nice job keeping those guys focused during the long delay, Coach Green! Looking forward to a great season! Marble Falls is lucky to have Coach Green, great coach!