1. Every second matters

During the final 60 seconds left on the clock there was no shortage of excitement. After Marcus regained the lead with 0:54 left on the clock Flower Mound was ready to prove they were not going to give up. A commanding offensive drive put the Jaguar’s in field goal range with chance to send this one into overtime. The game clock however, had other plans. As the Jaguar’s lined up to kick the possible game tying field goal, time expired. After the game Marcus’s head coach, Kevin Atkinson said, “In a game like this, you hate to see either team lose.”

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You could see the heartbreak flood into the faces of the Jaguar squad when the clock struck 0:00. To fight back by from a 20 point deficit just to watch the clock continue to run down before having the final opportunity to tie it up was a hard lesson that time management is just as important as the productivity on the field.  

2. Marcus’ offensive power runs deep

Marcus’ senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is a vital weapon to the explosive Marauder offense. He’s calm in the pocket, he is decisive in the moves he makes, and he is able to see the field through a bird’s eye-view. That being said, the 10 other weapons he has standing on the line of scrimmage undoubtedly assist in highlighting his talents. Marcus’ offensive strength runs deep. Talking to coach Atkinson earlier this week he described his receiving core by saying, “It’s been great to have so many weapons. It leaves our competitors wondering who they are going to defend. If they take away the outside, we will hit the inside and if they take away the inside, we will hit the outside.” This core of receivers is legit. They are precise in their routes and give Nussmeier an outlet on every snap. You take that and add in their strength and running back, specifically with Ty’son Edwards, and this Marauder offense is difficult to hold.

3. Flower Mound’s running back Pierce Hudgens is dangerous

If you need someone to put his head down and pound the rock, Pierce Hudgens is your guy. He’s not the biggest guy on the field but the moment the ball is put into his hands he will make it seem like he is. In a very similar fashion to Marcus’ explosive air-raid, the Jaguar’s show no sign of weakness when it comes to their quarterback, Blake Short connecting with his receivers on a consistent basis. Where they gain their added strength on the offensive side of the ball is that they are always able to rely on Hudgens to gain extra yardage when they need it the most. The senior running back is explosive in the back field and is capable of blasting through a defensive line like they aren’t even there.

4. Special teams dictates momentum

If there was one phase of the ball that Flower Mound seemed to have full control of, it was special teams. In the first half two of their scores were capitalized off of a recovered punt return and kickoff return. These two plays single-handily kept this game competitive when it looked like the Marauders might really take off and never look back. Most people look at special teams as the third phase of the game but if you execute it properly, this phase can give you a shift in momentum at any point in time.

5. Rivalry games are the best

There are many great rivalry games in Texas high school football, this we know. That being said, the Mound Showdown should rank amongst the top of the charts. We witnessed everything we would have hoped for in this game. Raw emotion from the players and coaches, two fan bases that were locked in from the moment the kicker’s foot hit the ball on the opening kickoff, and a trophy that was comparable to the size of Texas. The Marauder fanbase was absolutely ecstatic during the trophy presentation. It was hard to imagine that the level of excitement could become any larger in that moment. Until of course, Coach Atkinson told his team that they are the only 6-6A team to clinch a berth into the playoffs and the celebration became that much sweeter.