2005 Weekly Recaps

Junior Osborne had a pair of touchdowns for the Marshall High School football team Friday, but it wasn't enough to overcome Class 5A powerhouse Longview at Maverick Stadium.

Longview scored touchdowns on its first three possessions then held off a fierce Maverick attack as Marshall fell 28-16 to its long-time rivals in the season opener for both teams.  The game was played before a packed house of 10,000-plus at an overflowing Maverick Stadium.

Longview held a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter when Marshall quarterback Cory Carswell found Osborne for a 60 yard gain – the first completion of the game for the quarterback.

But Longview put together a back-breaking, 12 play, 7:19 scoring drive that gave the Lobos (1-0) a two-score cushion again.

Rigo Casas hit a 19-yard field goal as time expire in the half to draw the Mavs to within 21-10.

To start the second half, Marshall committed two offsides penalties on the kickoff, setting Longview up at the Marshall 42-yard line when Vondrell McGee – who ran for 239 yards on just 18 carries last year against the Mavericks – ran in from 14 yards out, putting Longview up 18.

Marshall (0-1) threatened to get back into the game in the fourth quarter with a second-and-one on the Lobo 27. After an incomplete pass on second down, a low snap on third down skidded past Carswell, resulting in a 35-yard loss on the play.

On the ensuing Lobo possession, quarterback Carlin Freeman fumbled on a keeper with Marshall recovering. However, Marshall committed holding on the play, returning the ball to the Lobos.

On the next play, Mark Johnson fumbled, recovered by Maverick defensive back Lamar Green and returned 50 yards. Six plays later, Osborne ran the ball in from the 1-yard line. A failed two-point conversion brought the game to its final score.

"We were in the position where we don't make the mistakes; don't give them a short field, it's still a tough game – but it's a closer game," head coach Rodney Southern said.

Southern said the play of his defense – particularly in holding McGee to 101 yards rushing after his performance last year – impressed him

"We missed some tackles, but I think a couple of them were plays he made, not that we didn't make," Southern said. "He's a good running back, but there were a couple plays we should of made but we didn't – but he's going to make a lot of people miss."

Chris Ivory – who had 144 yards last year – ran for 50, 35 coming on one touchdown run in second quarter. Longview finished with 253 rushing yards, while Marshall as a team managed 155 total yards of offense.

Running back Jackie Robinson paced the Mavs with 96 rushing yards as the team ran for 110. Carswell added 80 through the air, though he completed just three of 11 passes.

Robinson also had seven receiving yards, while Osborne had the other 73 yards on two catches.

Marshall returns to action Friday at home against Shreveport-Huntington. Last year, Marshall won 40-0.

Shreveport Huntington Vs. Marshall

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Rodney Southern has known all season that his team was going to see everyone's best game but Hallsville had more on the line than just bragging rights when they took the grand tour of Maverick Stadium Friday night.

Next Friday, the team will face off with Whitehouse, a team that is out of playoff contention this season. But even those teams have a goal, even if it's just playing the role of spoiler by attempting to knock the Mavs off their undefeated District 17-4A pedestal.

Hallsville, though, still had a playoff shot – albeit a long shot. The only way the Bobcats could grab that coveted third-place finish from under the feet of Jacksonville was with an upset of Marshall.

This concerned Southern because Hallsville actually had the talent necessary to pull the upset off, provided they bring their "A game."

"You're always concerned going in ... and I think offensively they are better this year than they were a year ago in terms of what they do and how they do it," Southern admitted. "One of my biggest concerns was the Survia kid is an extremely good athlete and he ran well.

"Jamarcus Williams, of course, our kids have known their whole life, and they know how good an athlete he is," he said. "The quarterback being able to get out of the pocket and scramble and still throw the football was a concern (as well)."

And Southern acknowledged that while he believes Hallsville came after his team with great effort, the win was more a victory for his defense than a loss for Hallsville's offense.

"The things we went into the game trying to stop were the things that we were able to stop," he added. "Last night was probably as solid of a defensive effort as we've had probably since Kilgore. I think last night we were as physical as we've been, we intercepted passes and we pressured the quarterback.

"And a team like Hallsville that is very well coached in what they do, they're going to make some plays on you. But when we had to ... we were able to come up with key stops."

Indeed, the Bobcats were prevented from converting more than two third-downs and converted none of their fourth downs including a crucial fourth-and-goal at the Maverick 7-yard line.

But the defense went both ways, Southern said, and the 'Cats did their job in keeping Marshall on their toes, never letting the Mavs get enough of a lead to get comfortable. In fact, in the first half – which took under one hour to play – the Bobcats only let the Mavs out of their own territory once on an offensive drive out of five Maverick possessions.

The game-opening 11-play, 67-yard Maverick march saw Jackie Robinson score from 3 yards out, but it took another four possessions for the Mavericks to even penetrate Bobcat territory, let alone score. A 78-yard punt return by Justin Jones in the second quarter was the only break from the defensive battle.

However, a Rigo Casas field goal in the third quarter and a late-game touchdown by Robinson with little more than two minutes to go coupled with a Maverick defensive clamp down, relegated the Hallsville squad to yet another season just inches shy of the playoffs and likely to finish the district in fourth place, the same as last year.

But Southern said that in a district like this one with three playoff spots but four or five quality teams, it has to happen and there's no way around it.

"Somebody's got to beat somebody that's not supposed to. That has not happened. It didn't happen last year and it didn't happen this year," Southern said. "But in our district as long as it stays like it is there's going to be a good football team's got to stay at home."

This Friday Marshall travels to Whitehouse for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Marshall Vs. Whitehouse

Saturday, November 05, 2005

The Marshall High School football team concluded the regular season in true championship style, recording their third-straight shut out and proving exactly why they alone deserve to sit atop the District 17-4A title throne.

With their 39-0 win over Whitehouse (1-9 season, 1-6 district) Friday night at Wildcat Stadium, the Mavs (9-1, 7-0) move on to the post-season with an undefeated district record.

"This is a good win because it gives us the opportunity to finish out in all three levels undefeated in this district," Southern said. "And that's says a lot about our program."

While the Mav defense has stolen a great deal of the spotlight this season, it was the offense on show Friday night as Jackie Robinson padded his 1,000-plus season rushing yards with another 97 yards on 10 carries, including three touchdowns.

But it was Cory Carswell that shone brightest in the first quarter. Carswell's 67-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jones, in a single-play scoring drive with 6:41 on the clock, was followed by a 2-point pass to Junior Osborne, giving the Mavs a comfortable 15-0 advantage.

Carswell finished the night with 10 completions off 15 attempts for 152 yards – all in the first half. A fact that pleased Southern as he prepares his team for the kind of tough competition they will face in the coming weeks.

"I thought Cory threw the ball well tonight," Southern said. "Cory and this football team are (both) headed in the right direction."

Another lengthy pass to Joel Willie in the team's first drive of the night set Robinson up for a first-and-goal, 1-yard scoring rush at just three minutes into the game.

Robinson added another score three minutes into the second quarter and his third was a hair more than three minutes into the third frame as well.

Rigo Casas added three to the board off a 37-yard field goal to close out the half and Denarron Ashford recorded his second off-the-bench touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Whitehouse running back Luke Shivers found himself stymied at every turn against the stifling Maverick defense.

Shivers managed 125 yards off 22 carries, but just four of those carries were for more than 10 yards, while 14 were for five or less – seven for just one yard each.

That's exactly what Southern said he wanted to see, and his team was well prepared for whatever Shivers had to dish out.

"With what (Whitehouse) does offensively and how they run (Shivers) we wanted to get them in a situation like they were," Southern said. "They were still running the football when the game was probably out of reach."

Shivers accounted for nearly three-quarters of the teams 170 total rushing yards for the night, while the Wildcats passing game was virtually none existent.

Whitehouse quarterback Chad Emmons was held to just two completions out of seven attempts for a measly 18 yards through the air.

Both Emmons and Shivers threw interceptions as well. The first snagged by Justin Mooney whose 35-yard return to the Whitehouse 8-yard line led to Ashford's three-play fourth quarter score. The second, off a flea-flicker play, was caught by Lamar Green and returned 21-yards.

Unfortunately for the Mavs, the second play of the drive resulted in the team's only fumble loss of the night.

Still, with the last of the Mavs district hurdles behind them, Southern said all eyes are only looking forward.

Next Friday, Marshall will play host to Klein Oak for the bi-district title at Maverick Stadium with the kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for season ticket holders only. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday tickets will be on sale to the public until noon.

While Southern said he has no concerns about whether his team is ready for the game, he's looking to see improvement every week from this one through the state championships.

"We took a major step last week, we took another step tonight and I think we'll take another step next week in the playoffs. I have no doubt they're ready," Southern said. "We haven't peaked yet. And it's not time to peak yet."

Klein Oak Vs. Marshall

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Marshall threw a long-awaited home playoff party Friday night in Maverick Stadium, but Klein Oak wished they had been left off the guest list.

The Mavericks opened the Class 4A Division I playoffs with a convincing 50-16 win over the Panthers before a large home crowd in the first Marshall playoff game at home since 1966. The victory sends the Mavs (10-1) into the area round next week against Beaumont Ozen at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Klein Oak (9-2) ends its season for the second straight year at the hands of Marshall. Friday's contest was a rematch of last season's bi-district game played in Klein, a game Marshall won 38-7.

The Mavs picked up where they left off last year against the Panthers, scoring on their first five possessions of the game and rolling up 568 yards of total offense on the night. Senior quarterback Cory Carswell came out smoking and never let the Panthers breathe, completing 9-of-10 passes on the night for 310 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Carswell and receivers Joel Willie and Junior Osborne played long-distance pitch-and-catch in the first half, with Willie hauling in 3 passes for 139 yards and 2 scores. Osborne added 3 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, as Carswell keyed a Maverick offense that put up 258 passing yards in the first half and 361 total yards before halftime.

By then, Marshall had built a 29-3 lead and poured it on in the second half.

Senior running back Jackie Robinson also pounded the Panthers on the ground, rolling up 117 yards on 19 carries with 2 touchdowns. Robinson set the tone on Marshall's first touchdown, capping an impressive 11-play, 60-drive to open the game with an 8-yard scoring run on a bull rush up the middle.

The Marshall defense forced a punt on Klein Oak's next possession, and Carswell hooked up with Willie on a short pass which the receiver turned into a 70-yard scoring play, making it 14-0 with 3:39 left in the first period. On the third play of the next possession, Carswell connected with Willie again on a 56-yard scoring pass to make it 20-0 with 45 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Panthers got on the board less than two minutes into the second quarter, on a 30-yard field goal by Sven Beymann. Marshall answered on the next possession, however, when Carswell hit Osborne for a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it 26-3. Rigo Casas added a 20-yard field goal moments later to make it 29-3.

Klein Oak pushed the ball inside the 5-yard line with less than a minute left in the first half, but a fumble was recovered by Marshall's Derrick Jones to end the threat.

Robinson made it 36-3 with a 1-yard touchdown run at the 7:24 mark of the third quarter, but Klein Oak finally dented the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Josh Cooley to DeSean Hales with 2:31 left in the third quarter. That marked the first touchdown allowed by the Maverick defense since Oct. 14, in a win over Henderson, a span of 17 quarters.

Marshall responded with a 36-yard pass from Carswell to Kent Moore on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 43-9. Hales added another Panther score with a 7-yard run at the 4:20 mark of the fourth, but the Mavs capped the scoring with a 1-yard run by Cory Knight that gave the Mavs a 50-16 lead.

The Mav defense allowed 355 yards of total offense on the night, which was 6 yards less than the Panthers' season average. Hales was the big weapon for Klein Oak, rushing 7 times for 58 yards and a touchdown and adding another 35 yards on 4 catches and a touchdown.

Quarterback David Porter finished 10-of-19 for 149 yards.

Beaumont Ozen Vs. Marshall

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Nacogdoches –- The Mavericks knew coming into Friday night's Class 4A, Division I, Region III playoff game that special teams were going to play a key role. Little did head coach Rodney Southern know that it would be so quick.

Cornerback Justin Mooney's 85-yard game-opening kick off return set the tone for the night as the Marshall High School football team handed Beaumont Ozen (8-2 overall) a crushing 51-29 defeat here at Homer Bryce Stadium on the campus of Stephen F. Austin University.

The Mavs (11-1) went on to score on eight of their 13 possessions with Derrick Jones claiming three of the teams' five rushing touchdowns after Jackie Robinson needed a break.

"When Jackie went down, I felt that I had to step up," Jones said. "I ran hard and I did what I got to do, what we've got to do, to win."

Jones' first shot at the ball came with 3:30 left in the first quarter, after Robinson broke out with a 45-yard scoring rush early in the game. Jones' 16-yard score added seven to the board giving the Mavs a 21-0 lead.

Beaumont Ozen answered with a 56-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Boutte to Juston Rideau with 1:50 left in the first quarter but failed to score again before the Mavs ran their lead up to 31-7 in the second quarter.

Another pair of Marshall touchdowns, one each by Robinson and Jones, gave the team a comfortable 45-15 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers special teams finally got their shot with an 89-yard kick return by Cameron Brazil.

"We made some mistakes on special teams that, if we weren't moving the ball so well offensively, it could have hurt us," Southern said. "I think both the big plays they made, we had one guy out of his lane and that's something we've got to correct."

Jones capped off the Mavericks' scoring with a 4-yard run following a 15-yard gain by quarterback Cory Carswell to bring a five-play 40-yard drive into the Panther red zone.

Jones finished the night with 13 carries for 121 yards, second only to Robinson who ended with 219 yards off 30 totes.

"I'm pleased with his performance on both sides," Southern said. "I think Jackie carried the ball a whole lot and Derrick gives us another element. He's a faster guy and we're always going to play Derrick some. no matter what the score is. Derrick is a football player and he's going to make plays for you."

Despite the apprehension surrounding Ozen's improved defense, the pair accounted for 340 of the Mavs 401 total ground yards in the contest, while Carswell add 82 yards of offense through the air off two receptions – one a 55-yard hook-up with Joel Willie at 9:13 in the second quarter.

Marshall's defense, however, did their job holding the Panthers to just 132 yards of total offense – 47 on the ground, 32 via the air.

The Mavs move on to play the winner of Rosenberg Lamar and Houston Yates, a game slated for 6 p.m. tonight in Pearland.

Houston Yates Vs. Marshall

Sunday, November 27, 2005

WACO – Like fine wine, the Marshall High School football team keeps getting better over time.

Three games into the 2005 playoffs, the Mavericks have clinched the Class 4A, Division I, Region III title by virtue of a 40-6 win over Houston-Yates at Waco ISD Stadium Saturday night.

The victory earns the team a spot in next week's state semifinals where the Mavs (12-1 season) will face Pflugerville-Connolly after the Cougars beat Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 28-21 in San Antonio Saturday night.

"We started out good and that's the main thing," said Mavericks head coach Rodney Southern. "We scored points in the red zone when we needed to."

The Mavericks, in classic form, took the game-opening kick off in Yates (8-5) territory and turned it into an eight-play touchdown march. Jackie Robinson led the running with 32 yards in the drive before Junior Osborne ran in the score from 3-yards out, putting yet another opponent at an early disadvantage.

The offensive onslaught continued after Yates turned their first possession over on downs and quarterback Cory Carswell turned it into a one-play 72-yard passing touchdown to wide receiver Joel Willie. It didn't end until the Mavs had the Lions in a five-touchdown hole in the third quarter.

Robinson finished the night with 23 carries for 176 yards while Osborne chipped in for six carries and 98 yards and three touchdowns, combining for 70 percent of the team's total ground offense.

"I didn't pay a lot of attention to the margin. I knew we were up but with a quarterback like that, as hard as he is to tackle, you never know what is enough," Southern said. "We've continued to play better every week and that's what you want."

Up 28-0 at the half, Marshall wasn't satisfied with a four score advantage. The Mavs forced Yates three and out before Carswell and Willie hooked up again for a third-quarter 6-yard scoring pass on a drive that began yet again in Lion territory.

Carswell had a 108-yard passing performance off just three completions for two touchdowns, both to Willie – his only two catches for the night.

A Marshall red-zone fumble on their next possession was returned 95-yards by Yates defensive back Patrick Rogers, but speed-driven Junior Osborne tracked down the previously wide open Rogers and brought him down at the 2-yard line.

However, a pair of 5-yard penalties, three incomplete passes by Yates quarterback Orie Lemon, and a fumble recovery in the back field, stalled the Lion offense at the 20-yard line.

"You hate to fumble in the red zone. Again, that's where we have to put people away. If we'd scored there, we'd be up 42 to nothing," Southern said. "But 40-6, I'll take that anytime."

Yates finally found paydirt on their next drive after a 38-yard double-reverse pass moved the Lions up to the Mavs 26-yard line. Two plays later Lemon found Stacy Williams for a 40-yard touchdown pass.

Justin Mooney, who found fame and glory after returning last week's game-opening kick off for a touchdown against Beaumont Ozen, shone again when he blocked the PAT by Ebin Vasquez and returned it 90-yards for a Mavericks 2-point play.

"I let that receiver go on the touchdown so I had to come back with something," Mooney said. "Coaches told me they put me out there to make plays, so I make plays."

But the Mavs weren't done yet. Although Yates managed to get six on the board with 8:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, Marshall answered back immediately with a 15-play, 53-yard trudge to the Lion 6-yard line.

A first-and-goal from the 9-yard line turned into a fourth-and-goal from the six. Although the Mavs were unable to burst through Yates' defensive line, Martin Aguilar was able to put the ball through the uprights for a 23-yard field goal with just 18 seconds remaining.

The Mavericks racked up yet another 500-yards of total offense while the Mav defense held the Lions to 274 yards – 170 on the ground, 104 through the air. Senior Orie Lemon finished his high school football career with a 4-of-16 passing performance while younger brother Eli amassed the vast bulk of the Lions rushing yards with 104 off 16 carries.

Pflugerville Connally Vs. Marshall

Sunday, December 04, 2005

It's on to the state championships for the Mavericks – again.

The Marshall High School football team (13-1 season) earned their second straight trip to the Class 4A, Division I State Championships with a 24-17 state semifinal win over Pflugerville-Connally (12-2) at Burleson's Elk Stadium Saturday night.

The contest saw Marshall pitted against their closest competitors to date as the Cougars drew first blood. However, despite being tied the vast majority of the night, the Mavs got the final hurrah.

With a seven point deficit headed into the fourth quarter, the Cougars stole the Mavs momentum off a 26-yard rush by tailback Patrick Morris.

Knotted at 17, it wasn't long before the Mavs answered with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by running back Jackie Robinson with 7:43 remaining in the game to reach the final score.

The Cougars gave Marshall a last minute scare with a long 10-play march to the Mavericks' 16-yard line, but a timely interception by Justin Jones preserved Marshall's lead.

Robinson finished the night with 27 carries for 211 yards and two touchdowns, eclipsing a 5,000 career-yards milestone and coming within a stone's throw of his season goal of 2,000 rushing yards.

The Mavericks ended the night with a 277-yard offensive performance – all ground yards. Marshall quarterback Cory Carswell was unable to find a passing rhythm against the Cougar defense, being held to zero completions off four attempts and two interceptions.

Connally, meanwhile, registered 292 total yards, 114 on the ground and 178 through the air in keeping with their balanced offensive attack.

Morris hogged the lion's share of the Cougars ground offense with 29 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown, while wide receiver Darius Darks snagged five receptions for 75 yards.

Accustomed to scoring on their opening drive, the Mavericks had to play come-from-behind ball for the first time in this season's playoffs after the Mavs game-opening possession was cut short by a fumble just two plays into the drive.

Robinson ran for both plays – the first for just 2 yards. But during his second rushing attempt, he was tripped up by Connally safety Darius Darks into the air deep in Cougar territory after a 15-yard gain.

Connally took seven-plays to accumulate 55-yards, but faced with a four-and-goal at the Maverick 5-yard line, were forced to go for three. Kicker Josh Smith nailed a 22-yard field goal, giving the Cougars the early advantage at 7:39 in the first quarter.

After Marshall punted away their next possession following a three-and-out, Connally decided to pad their lead with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Cougar quarterback Steven Sheffield to tight end James Booth, and with little more than a minute remaining, Connally had a 10-0 lead over the Mavs.

The second quarter fared better for Marshall after a Mavs punt bounced down to the 1-yard line. On the Cougarsβ first play of the second frame, Derrick Jones tackled star Connally running back Patrick Morris in the end zone for a safety.

With some points on the board and some new-found momentum, the Mavs proceeded to march 44-yards to score off a Cory Carswell 9-yard rush. The 2-point pass to Kent Moore tied the game up for the Maverick with 7:21 remaining in the half.

Marshall Vs. Dallas Highland Park

Shane Stark, Tyler Morning Telegraph

Highland Park running back Jake Feldt blew through the defense untouched, sprinting 61 yards full-steam with a trail of defenders left behind.

That occurred on Highland Park's first offensive snap. Such plays became common in the Scots' cruise to the state title.

Feldt rushed for 132 yards and scored five touchdowns, and Highland Park's defense stifled Marshall throughout a 59-0 victory in the Class 4A Division I state final before about 19,000 fans Saturday at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

"Dominating, I would say is a term to use," Highland Park head coach Randy Allen said of the game. "It was a dominating performance in every phase of the game. It's our best game of the year."

  It marks Highland Park's (15-0) third state title in school history and its first since 1957. The Scots have beaten Marshall (13-2), which completes consecutive campaigns as the 4A Division I runner-up, sometime during each of its championship seasons.

Feldt rushed for 105 yards and four touchdowns in the first half, helping Highland Park build a commanding 42-0 lead by halftime. The majority of his yards came on a 61-yard run that gave the Scots a 7-0 advantage less than two minutes into the game.

Feldt added touchdown runs of 2, 3 and 2 yards, plus recorded a 33-yard touchdown reception on a halfback pass just before the first quarter ended.

"It was a great way to start the game," Allen said of Phelps' first run. "Anytime you can score on the first play it makes you feel like your guys are ready to play."

That came before the Highland Park quarterback had the chance to get started. Stafford, the nation's top-rated quarterback recruit, finished 10-of-18 passing for 195 yards with no touchdowns. He left the field for the final time to a thunderous applause midway through the fourth quarter.

After the game, Stafford was quick to mention the play of his teammates who helped the Scots total 214 yards on the ground.

"Everybody played good today," he said. "We ran the ball better than we've run it all year, and our defense kept getting us the ball back. Putting up the goose egg against that caliber of an offensive team is not something that happens all the time."

That defense limited Marshall to 20 total yards, which included a 19-yard rushing performance on 17 carries by senior Jackie Robinson, who finished 37 yards shy of reaching 2,000 yards for the season.

Only once did Highland Park allow Marshall into its territory, nine times setting the offense up past the Scot 40.

"We put them on a short field for the whole first half, and they executed better than we did in all four quarters," said Marshall head coach Rodney Southern. "I didn't think it would get to that point ... Nobody ever thinks the game is going to be like that."

Added Allen: "When you give our offense the short field, we are going to put some points on the board."

Highland Park grabbed the momentum quickly with Feldt's 61-yard run, and appeared on its way for more after defensive back Jarrett Sweet recorded the first of his two interceptions at the Highland Park 45.

That's because the Scots mounted five plays to the Marshall 13, where they faced third-and-8. But on the play, Marshall's Justin Jones intercepted Stafford in the end zone to keep the score 7-0.

From there, however, Highland Park almost played mistake-free.

After forcing Marshall to punt, the Scots strung together a five-play, 75-yard drive that Feldt's 2-yard plunge capped for a 14-0 lead with 5:22 remaining in the first.

Patrick Grinnan's 33-yard scoring pass to Feldt two possessions later issued Marshall a staggering blow.