Marble Falls starts new district against tough Alamo Heights
Quarterback Andrew Stripling (9) and the Marble Falls Mustangs host San Antonio Alamo Heights on Sept. 16 in the District 26-5A opener. Tune in to the game on KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune or at KBEYFM.com starting with a pregame show at 6:30 p.m. Photo by Diana Cox
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls High School football team begins play in a new district Sept. 16 when the Mustangs welcome San Antonio Alamo Heights.
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Mustang Stadium, 2101 Mustang Drive. Tune in to the game on KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune or at KBEYFM.com starting with a pregame show at 6:30 p.m.
Marble Falls (2-1) is one of two new members to District 26-5A. One of the powerhouse teams in the district is Alamo Heights (3-0).
“Alamo Heights is a good football team,” Marble Falls head coach Matt Green said. “I’m not convinced Alamo Heights is not the best team in the district. I’m impressed with them, very impressed. The kids play hard and fast.”
The Mules are averaging 38 points a contest along with 166 rushing yards and 213 passing yards.
Quarterback Will Chaney has completed 48 of 84 passes for 640 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions, while running back Tucker Azar has 36 rushes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Deryl Reynolds has 33 carries for 181 yards and four touchdowns.
“The quarterback is a seasoned veteran,” Green said. “He throws the ball well, and he can run. He’s a true dual-threat quarterback.”
Alamo Heights rotates the two running backs, which keeps them fresher. And since head coach Michael Norment doesn’t see much difference between the two, the offense doesn’t lose anything with the rotation. Equally important, Norment said, is they’re willing to share the load for the betterment of the squad.
Green called the duo “very talented.”
“I think that’s one of the strengths of the team,” he said. “(The offensive line) has a lot of seniors up front.”
Defensively, Alamo Heights likes to mix in coverages and change looks to confuse the quarterback. To help Stripling, he and the coach have spent more time studying film to look for tendencies and habits with the aim of finding a clue on what the Mules will do.
They are led by sophomore defensive back Nik Proctor and senior defensive linemen Brandon Peterson and Tyjah Shaver.
“I don’t know that the defense isn’t the strength of their team,” Green said. “They have big defensive linemen. They are a very seasoned, experienced defense and very confident in their assignments.”
Green said he’s pleased with the play of Mustangs sophomore quarterback Andrew Stripling, who threw for four touchdown passes and ran in a fifth during the 44-21 win over Austin Crockett last week. That illustrated the improvement in reading the defense and knowing where to place the ball.
“He’s very smart,” the coach said. “He spends a lot of time watching film. The speed of the game is slowing down.”
He’s completed 40 of 75 passes for 523 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Senior running back Dalton Mayberry has 31 rushes for 308 yards and four catches for 47 yards, while sophomore running back Cooper Wilson has 24 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown and five receptions for 53 yards. Junior receiver Keegan Deering has 10 catches for 192 yards and three scores.
Since the next chapter of the season starts for both teams, Green said he believes it will be a well-played contest.
“We know we have to go line up and play football,” he said. “Our young kids are going to have to step up and play better.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com