2 Marble Falls youth football teams advance to the playoffs

CAPTION: The varsity of Marble Falls Youth Football and Cheer is the top seed in the postseason that starts Saturday, Oct. 22. Courtesy photo

Two Marble Falls Youth Football and Cheer teams have advanced to the playoffs of the Hill Country Youth Football League that starts Saturday, Oct. 22, thanks to their regular season records.

They are the varsity (fifth- and sixth-graders), which posted a 7-0 record, and will welcome Canyon Lake at noon to Mustang Stadium, 2101 Mustang Drive, in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the junior varsity (third- and fourth-graders) is 5-2 overall and is traveling to face Smithson Valley Blue at noon at Jumbo Evans Sports Park, 101 Jumbo Evans Road in Spring Branch, in the quarterfinals.

Before the varsity takes the field at Mustang Stadium, the freshmen (first and second-graders) host New Braunfels in a bowl game in the final game of the season for both squads.

“We want all the kids to keep playing on a competitive stage,” association president Nicholas Wood said. “Hopefully they’ll be competitive. That’ll make it fun for everybody. Obviously, we love competition.”

The junior varsity contest is a rematch of a 22-9 Mustang loss.

“But we got the game tape,” coach Wood said. “Now we have film.”

Because of its record, the varsity is seeded No. 1. The Mustangs beat Smithson Valley 42-0 Oct. 15 to keep their record unblemished.

The playoff format for both squads is single elimination. A varsity win advances the varsity to the championship. The junior varsity must win Oct. 22 and again in the semifinals to play for the league title. Playoff sites are determined by which teams win and head-to-head match-ups.

Wood said the association has experienced many positives throughout the season that have pleased leaders. Top of the list is the week-to-week improvement from each player.

“There’s been growth under the slot-T offense,” he said. “Kids are getting to where they’re trying more plays. There’s always so much more growth. When they first started, they couldn’t tackle. Now they wrap up and tackle every time.”

He also noted less than a handful of athletes stopped competing this season.

“We had maybe three or four kids quit,” the president said. “Across three teams, that’s not a bad number. The participation level has stayed high.”

Wood said while winning is always the objective, it is not the most important element for the youth league. Teaching players the proper way to play the sport, helping them improve on the basics and techniques, and emphasizing having fun are all part of the formula of success for these Mustangs.

As for the future, Wood said increasing the number of players donning the purple uniforms is all part of the association’s mission

“We want to win — that’s a big part of why we play,” he said. “And we want to continue to grow numbers. If anyone is interested, we’d love for them to go our social media. We’d love for them to reach out to us. We’re not a bunch of crazy adults yelling at kids.”

Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.