Marble Falls football loses to Lampasas
The Marble Falls High School football team lost to Lampasas 61-7 Oct. 31 in the team’s final regular season appearance at Mustang Stadium.
The Mustangs’ (2-7, 0-3) lone score came on their first offensive play – a 68-yard run to the end zone by junior running back Joaquin Aguilar.
“He hit it fast, run back in once,” head coach Keri Timmerman said.
The Badgers (8-2, 3-1) scored on virtually every offensive possession.
Timmerman noted his team struggled with performing the essentials of the sport against an opponent that has been in the same system for several years and has advanced to the playoffs.
“There’s a lot of areas we have to improve,” he said. “Our kids are fighting, I don’t think that’s ever an issue, but at some point, the fight’s got to turn out more.”
The Mustangs’ offense came close to scoring on their first offensive possession of the second half. Senior quarterback Colton Minor threw a lateral to senior receiver Kole Becker, who threw the ball to senior tight end Noah Lyon, who was tackled on the Lampasas six-yard line. The play covered 37 yards.
But the Mustangs could only get to the Badgers’ three-yard line before turning the ball over on downs.
Offensively Marble Falls moved the ball in the second half but struggled to connect on pass plays. Sometimes the ball was thrown too far. Other times, it was behind the receiver. And the Badgers stayed stride for stride with intended targets to swat balls away to make sure they went incomplete. When the Mustangs called for running plays, they often went for three or four yards on the early downs. But Lampasas’ speed ensured Marble Falls got minimal first downs.
Player availability and depth also are challenges for the Mustangs. The coach pointed to the Minor-to-Becker-to-Lyon pass play as an example of having the right play for the right moment in the game. That requires more than simply repping a play. Having the right personnel who has the energy to make a play successful in the right moment isn’t by accident.
“Those are plays you have to find the right time for,” Timmerman said. “That’s stuff that’s in our arsenal.”
The Badgers finished the contest with 594 yards of total offense. Lampasas senior quarterback Reed Jerome connected on 17 of 21 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns and had 12 carries for 100 yards and three scores. Senior running back Damian Rivas had 12 rushes for 71 yards and a touchdown, while junior KJ Reed had eight carries for 75 yards and a score. Sophomore Ty Johnson caught five passes for for 94 yards.
One plus for the Badgers is number of players in the program, particularly linemen who start on one side of the ball. The coach indicated that’s part of the long-term plan for the Marble Falls program noting it takes time and development.
“Our kids are playing them for four quarters,” he said. “We have to get stronger. Finishing plays is a big deal. Our kids are fighting. We have to help them with the one-on-one.”
Following the contest, the seniors did their traditional walk from one end zone to mid field. Timmerman said he would have liked for the class of 2025 to have had a better season.
“It’s hard losing those guys,” he said. “I wanted to give them a chance to go out with wins.”
Marble Falls is at Brownwood (4-4, 1-2) Friday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. The Lions lost to Stephenville 44-0.
