Marble Falls drives for late game-winning field goal

November 02, 2012, 11:50 pm by Mark Goodson

Staff Photo By Mark Goodson Jacob Wyatt was good on a 24-yard field goal with 13 seconds left to give Marble Falls a 38-35 win over Dripping Springs Friday night at Mustang Stadium.

By Mark Goodson

Highlander Sports Editor

An emotional Stacy Heinatz called it the "perfect’’ ending to Senior Night for the Marble Falls Mustangs.

The snap from Hunter Dooley was "perfect’’, the hold by Heinatz "was pretty close to perfect’’ and the kick by senior Jacob Wyatt was "perfect.’’

Wyatt, a senior who did not attempt a field goal his entire junior season, split the uprights from 24 yards with 13 seconds left Friday night to lift the Marble Falls Mustangs to a 38-35 win over Dripping Springs at Mustang Stadium.

"We needed it so bad,’’ Marble Falls coach Todd Dodge said after his team snapped a month-long, four-game skid in district play. "It was really great the way Mike (Richardson) took them down the field behind that offense line…They showed a lot of guts.’’

Marble Falls drove 55 yards and booted the game-winning field goal on the 15^th play of the drive. The Mustangs converted one third down play and one fourth down play on the drive that started with 2:47 left in the game.

Richardson ran seven yards on a keeper on fourth-and-three from 44 of Dripping Springs to keep the Mustangs alive. The senior quarterback utilized his legs again on a run up the middle when he went crashing over a Dripping Springs defender for a first at the 11. Marble Falls was able to get in three more pass plays, but two incomplete passes on second and third down left the Mustangs with the field goal attempt.

"I had total confidence in him,’’ Dodge said. "He hit extra points and field goals early in the season and had a little lull, but we were confident in our kicking game.’’

Marble Falls trailed 35-28 with 1:24 left in the third quarter when Dripping Springs Jobe Falcon scored on a 13-yard run.

In the fourth quarter, junior J.T. Watson picked off a Kyle Johnson pass early in the quarter to set up the Mustangs tying drive. The Mustangs covered 54 yards in seven plays with Keith Jerome bulling up the middle for the final yard. The Mustangs benefited from a interference penalty on the drive. One of the biggest plays on the drive was a nine –yard pass in the left flat to Ishiah Carson on a fourth-and-six play.

In the third quarter, Jerome scored on a 41-yard swing pass and run out of the backfield down the sideline. The junior running back used his hands to keep his balance after getting hit a couple of times on the determined run.

"After the feeling we had on homecoming, we weren’t going to left that happen again,’’ said junior receiver Carson Bowen, one of five receivers for the Mustangs Friday night.

Richardson completed 22 of 35 passes for 305 yards and had touchdown passes of 35 and 41 to Garrett Gray and 41 yards to Jerome.

Richardson also scored on a five-yard run.

Marble Falls outgained Dripping Springs, 470 to 388 in total yards.

Dripping Springs had leads of 21-7, 28-21 and 35-28 in the game.

The Tigers, a playoff team from this district a year ago with a 9-4 mark, fell to 3-6 overall and 0-5 in district. Dripping Springs catches Cedar Park in its finale.