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Football: Marcus controls clock, clinches playoff berth
BY JUSTIN THOMAS, JThomas@acnpapers.com
CARROLLTON — The Marcus football team is playoff bound for a third consecutive season following a 35-28 win Friday in their District 6-5A finale against Hebron.
The Marauders (6-3, 3-2) dominated on the ground in typical fashion, particularly in the second half where the team controlled the time of possession. Marcus ran 35 plays and held the ball for 19:29 in the half while Hebron (4-6, 1-4) got off just 19 snaps and had the ball for 4:31.
The Marauders trailed at halftime, 21-14, before scoring 21 consecutive points on their way to the win.
Marcus running back Stephen Hopkins, who entered the game needing 44 yards to set the school’s all-time rushing record, gained 171 yards with two touchdowns, including toting the ball 20 times for 114 yards in the second half alone. Hopkins tied the record on Marcus’ opening drive with a 37-yard touchdown dash to put the Marauders in front, 7-0.
“We’ve had a great offensive line since I have been here,” Hopkins said. “And coach Erwin always believed in me. Thanks to all of them I was able to get that done.”
Hopkins and the line stepped it up when the team needed it most, gaining 201 yards with two scores in a must-win in the Mound Showdown against Flower Mound last week before this performance against Hebron. The Marauders ran for 584 yards against the Jags and totaled 257 yards on the ground against the Hawks.
“I’m really proud of Stephen,” Erwin said. “He’s really turned it up a notch the last couple of weeks and has taken it to another level. He got the school rushing record and now we have to find another goal and challenge for him to keep him hungry. He’s done a lot for Marcus High School.”
After a back-and-forth first half that saw the teams trade touchdowns, Marcus took control in the third quarter.
The Marauders drove 52 yards on nine plays, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brode Boyd to Rhett Butler to tie the game, 21-21, and surprised Hebron with an onside kick to regain possession.
Marcus then held the ball for seven plays on the following drive before punting.
Hebron finally started their first possession of the second half with just 2:45 remaining in the quarter and the score tied.
“That was big in the time of possession,” Erwin said. “And it was also big for eating up the clock when we were going against the wind. Then we were able to get the wind in the fourth quarter and that was key. Time of possession is always important for us.”
Hebron quarterback Kyle Aubuchon, who threw for 241 yards and two scores while running for another 119 yards and a touchdown, led the Hawks on a 9-play drive, but the possession stalled near midfield and the Hawks were forced to punt.
Marcus then took the lead with a 14-play, 79-yard scoring drive punctuated by a 3-yard touchdown plunge by Rufus Mason to make the score 28-21.
Marcus’ Joe Sikes followed with a game-altering play on the ensuing possession, a one-handed interception of Aubuchon at the 23-yard line.
Two-plays later, Hopkins increased the lead to 35-21 with a 22-yard scoring run.
“It was all guts,” Hopkins said. “We picked the right time to show it and I’m proud of the team for how we fought and won.”
Hebron wasn’t done, however, as Aubuchon connected on four consecutive passes, including three to receiver Kiante’ Griffin — the last of which was a 27-yarder that give the Hawks a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Griffin finished the game with eight catches for 166 yards and two scores.
On fourth-and-1, Aubuchon snuck in to cut the lead to 35-28, but Hebron was out of timeouts and Marcus ran out the clock following an unsuccessful onside kick attempt.
Marcus scored first-half touchdowns on a 37-yard run by Hopkins and a 27-yard run by Mason.
The Hawks scored on an 8-yard pass to Griffin, a 65-yard pass to Griffin and a 1-yard run by Aubuchon.
“Our defense played really well in the second half,” Erwin said. “We had a chance to make a couple plays in the first half and didn’t make them. I thought we kind of let them off the hook. But in the second we half we played really well and almost shut them out. We got the stops and got a big turnover.”
Marcus will face Grapevine (6-4, 6-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, part of a quadruple header between Districts 5- and 6-5A
“We have to keep fighting and keep getting better every week,” Hopkins said. “We have to step it up on offense and on defense and we have a chance.”
Grapevine finished second in its district behind Euless Trinity following an 0-3 start in non-district play.
The rest of the quadruple header includes Flower Mound vs. Trinity at 11 a.m., Southlake Carroll vs. Colleyville Heritage at 5 p.m. and Coppell vs. Keller at 8 p.m.
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