Marble Falls boys basketball’s defense leads to win against Davenport

CAPTION: Marble Falls jujnior guard Davis Dreisbach uses a screen set by junior Jamie Castillo to get the offense going during the win against Comal Davenport Dec. 16. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team defeated Comal Davenport 47-40 Dec. 16 behind a commitment to defense that stunned and broke the Wolves.

With 1 minute and 40 seconds left and Marble Falls leading 43-40, Davenport came out of a timeout with possession of the ball. The Wolves took five shots where the Mustangs had to play defense for a full minute before junior forward Kody Smith finally got possession of the ball and was fouled. Smith hit both free throws for a 45-40 lead with 36.7 seconds remaining in the contest.

“That comes back to our character,” head coach Travis Crain said of the defensive effort. “We’ve had intense practices where we’re teaching kids. That showed in that position. We have five core values. Relentless is one of them.”

Then Smith stole the ball and passed to sophomore point guard Tidus Willie, who scored the final bucket on a lay-up.

“We have a certain way we prepare, and we’ve been playing well,” Crain said. “You saw us compete against quality ball clubs. There were lessons to be learned and when we can apply those, we can find success.”

Davenport led 11-8 after the first quarter, but Marble Falls outscored the Wolves 8-4 in the second period for a 16-15 lead at the half. The Mustangs dropped in 20 points in the third stanza, led by Willie’s 12 points, for a 36-30 advantage headed into the final period.

The Mustangs outscored the Wolves 11-10 in the final period for the win. Crain commended junior forward Cooper Cochran, who scored 5 points, and senior center Gabriel Davis for their contributions. Willie led with 21 points followed by junior guard Jamie Castillo with 6 points, junior guard Davis Dreisbach had 5, senior forward Averick Adams and Smith each scored 4, and sophomore forward Noah Lyon finished with 2.

“Cochran was there at the right time and did his job,” the coach said. “Davis came in at the right time and gave us a boost. They came in laser focused and came in prepared. They came in ready to roll. We’re fortunate to have young men who buy in.”

The victory also marked Crain’s 50th as a head coach.

“I’ve been very, very blessed,” he said. “Blessed to have people invested in me; they invested in a young guy who had a dream. I’ve had great kids who turned into great young men and young women, who started on the girls’ side.”

The Dec. 16 game was the Mustangs’ first of the week, a deliberate decision made by Crain who noted his team played 11 games in a calendar week.

“We played in some competitive tournaments with a lot of miles on our legs,” he said.

Marble Falls will enjoy the holiday break then return for the Hoopfest tournament hosted by Wimberley Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 28-30. The Mustangs play China Spring at 1:30 p.m. at the junior high and Lake Belton at 4:30 p.m. at Bridges Gym, both on Wednesday, and Austin McCallum at 1:30 p.m. Thursdady at Texan Gym.

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