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Football: Marcus runs past Flower Mound
BY JUSTIN THOMAS, Staff writer
DENTON – After Flower Mound and Marcus traded touchdowns on their first two possessions, it appeared the Mound Showdown was going to be a tightly-contested shootout.
But in the second quarter, the Marauders ratcheted up their defense and got their running game going…and going…and going to the tune of 584 yards as Marcus — who trailed at one point 15-14 in the second quarter — scored 36 consecutive points on its way to a 63-39 win over the Jaguars.
With the win, Marcus draws even with Flower Mound in a tie for third place in District 6-5A. Both teams trail second place Coppell by one game and lead fifth place Hebron by a game.
“It’s a big win for us,” said Bryan Erwin, Marcus coach. “We went through a lot this week after not playing real well last week. We had a long, long team-meeting Friday night and these guys found themselves and came together. Our leadership, our loyalty, our manhood has risen to the top.”
The Marauders used three running backs to chew up Flower Mound’s defense as Stephen Hopkins gained a team-high 201 yards while Dagan Newsome and Rufus Mason totaled 188 and 187 yards, respectively. Newsome toted the ball just 12 times for his yardage, while Hopkins had 19 carries and Mason a team-high 21 rushes. Quarterback Brode Boyd also had a pair of 1-yard touchdowns runs for Marcus, which had five rushes of 44 yards or more and 15 carries of 10-plus yards.
“Our goal coming into the game was to rush for 400 yards,” Erwin said. “Our whole offense and our line played great.”
Flower Mound quarterback Paul Millard — who threw 73 passes last week in a loss against Southlake Carroll — was busy again, hoisting 59 attempts for 445 yards with 34 completions and two touchdowns.
The Jaguars had four receivers with 80 or more yards, and were led by Hunter Miller with nine catches for 111 yards and a score. Josh Brake added five catches for 80 yards, while Hunter Lee caught six for 93 and Nolan LeSueur pulled down seven for 95.
But Flower Mound – which scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter on runs by Millard and Lee to take an early 12-7 advantage (both PAT’s failed) — did not find the end zone again until the fourth quarter, with the team trailing, 50-15.
“I’m proud of our defense,” Erwin said. “We played so hard and flew around and got some turnovers. We really hustled and got to the ball. We hit hard and were pretty physical.”
After Millard ran in from 9 yards out for the opening score, Flower Mound coach Cody Vanderford tried to fool Marcus with an onside kick — a page out of Erwin’s playbook, as the Marauders opened the game last season with a successful onside attempt.
But the Marauders took over because the kick was illegally touched and immediately took advantage of the good field position when Hopkins broke loose for a 49-yard touchdown scamper on the ensuing play. It was the first of many long runs for Marcus.
Flower responded with an 11-play scoring series and Marcus followed with a 13-play touchdown drive.
After neither team scored on their next possession, Flower Mound converted a field goal, before the Marauders took control.
In the fourth quarter, the Jaguars outscored Marcus, 24-13, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Marauders triumphed, 63-39.
“We can enjoy this one for 24 hours,” Erwin said. “But then we have to reload and refocus and get ready for Hebron.”
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