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Top 10 sports stories from Flower Mound in 2009
FROM STAFF REPORTS
No. 1: Craig Lutz dominates
Marcus cross country runner Craig Lutz dominated in 2009.
Not only did the junior find success competing for Marcus in cross country events, he also found success on an individual level.
It was the third consecutive season Lutz reached the regional meet and his second appearance in the state meet after taking third in 2008.
Individually, Lutz finished the year strong, taking fourth at the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships in San Diego on the heels of a first place finish in the Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine Park in Charlotte. His time of 14:34 seconds nearly set the course record (14:32) and was the fastest 5 Kilometer run this season.
Lutz also grabbed third in the Nike Cross Country Nationals, which took place in The Woodlands.
No. 2: Marcus volleyball makes deepest run in school history
In 2009, the Marcus volleyball team made a deeper run in the postseason than any other squad in program history, reaching the Class 5A Region I Final before bowing out to eventual state champion Abilene.
The Lady Marauders finished the regular season in a three-way tie for second place with Coppell and Southlake Carroll behind district champ Hebron.
But Marcus hit their stride late in the regular season, entering the postseason after winning four of its last five district matches.
In the playoffs, the Lady Marauders swept Justin Northwest in the bi-district round and followed with a sweep of Plano in the area round.
The team qualified for the regional quarterfinal round by topping the Lady Dragons for the third time in the season, 3-1, and kept pushing through the bracket following a 3-1 win over Amarillo Tascosa in the regional semis.
Marcus had seven players make first or second team all-district and were led by Haley Neisler, the District 6-5A Attacker of the Year.
No. 3: Marcus baseball squad narrowly misses first state tournament appearance
Last season, Marcus' baseball team was bidding to make the school's first ever appearance in the state tournament.
After finishing tied for second in district with Flower Mound and cruising through the first four rounds of the playoffs, (with wins against Keller Fossil Ridge, Plano, Plano East and Odessa) the Marauders dream run finally concluded when Marcus was swept by El Paso Socorro in the regional finals.
Marcus senior Tyler Carter was named the district's Pitcher of the Year.
No. 4: Marcus soccer team can’t claim third consecutive state title
For the fourth consecutive season, Marcus’ boys soccer team won the District 6-5A championship.
But the Marauders came up short of their ultimate goal as Marcus was unable to claim the Class 5A State Championship for the third straight year.
The Marauders dream came to an end in the regional quarterfinal round when the team lost to Jesuit, 2-1.
Marcus’ Zach Barnes was named the district’s Offensive MVP while John Gall was the Coach of the Year and Gino DePaoli was Co-Utility Player of the Year.
The Lady Marauders also had a nice playoff run, winning in the bi-district and area round before falling in overtime against eventual state champion Coppell in the regional quarterfinals.
Marcus’ Dani Presley was the district’s top goalie with Jazmin Hall earning Utility Player of the Year honors.
No. 5: Marcus and Flower Mound softball teams split district title
The 2009 campaigns were successful for both Marcus and Flower Mound's softball squads as the teams tied for the District 6-5A Championship.
Sticking with the theme of tying, Flower Mound's Taylor Hoagland and Marcus' Heather Foust shared the district's MVP award.
But when the postseason rolled around, it was Marcus who kept rolling.
The Lady Marauders reached the Class 5A regional final round, where they were ousted in the third game of a best-of-three series against Plano East.
No. 6: Hopkins sets school rushing mark, propels Marauders to postseason run
Marcus running back Stephen Hopkins, who has committed to play collegiately at Michigan, was a key cog in the Marauders’ rushing attack that helped the team reach the area round of the playoffs.
While Hopkins was helping the Marauders win, he was also setting the school’s career rushing record.
Fittingly, Hopkins neared the record in the “Mound Showdown” against rival Flower Mound, a game the Marauders needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Marauders gained 585 rushing yards in the 63-39 victory and were led by 217 yards and two touchdowns from Hopkins, which pulled Hopkins within 44 yards of the record.
He would set the record and then some in the regular season finale, as Hopkins gained 171 yards with a pair of scores to lead Marcus past Hebron.
The wins over Flower Mound and Hebron put the Marauders in the playoffs, where they defeated Grapevine in the bi-district round before falling to Cedar Hill.
No. 7: Flower Mound reaches playoffs in football
When the season began, not many prognosticators picked Flower Mound’s football team to reach the playoffs out of the highly competitive District 6-5A.
But those detractors soon began to take notice of the Jaguars after Flower Mound opened the season by winning their first four games of the season.
Behind the arm of quarterback Paul Millard, who was tops in the area in Class 5A in passing attempts (508) and second in touchdowns (35), the Jaguars went on to finish fourth in the district and qualify for the postseason. Flower Mound’s season came to an end in the bi-district round against Euless Trinity, who would go on to win the state championship.
No. 8: Marcus girls basketball team takes district title
Led by senior Adriene Easley and a trio of juniors in Raven Short, Jasmine Shaw and Hailie Sample, Marcus’ girls hoops team dropped just one district game on their way to claiming the 6-5A title.
The Lady Marauders beat out Hebron by one game to claim district and won its bi-district game against Keller Fossil Ridge before falling in the area round against Irving MacArthur.
Easley was named the district’s MVP while Sample was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Shaw and Short, meanwhile, were named to the first team.
No. 9: Marauders win district
The future of Marcus’ basketball program looks bright following a 2008-09 season in which the Marauders won the District 6-5A championship and a playoff game before falling in the area round against powerhouse Duncanville.
Even more impressive was the success Marcus had with a young team.
The Marauders were led by a pair of freshman, Marcus Smart and Philip Forte.
Smart was named the district’s MVP while Forte earned “Newcomer of the Year” honors. In addition, then junior Jason Semien was named the “Defensive Player of the Year.”
No. 10: Jags have best tennis season in school history
One of the best seasons in Flower Mound’s tennis history finished with an appearance in regional tournament in Abilene.
The Jaguars won a match in the tournament for the first time in school history, cruising past Arlington Martin, 10-1.
The win came on the heels of a second place finish in the District 6-5A Tournament, following a season in which the Jaguars won the most matches in school history.
The run was short lived, however, as the team fell in the regional quarterfinals to No. 1 seed Plano West, 10-0. West went on to reach the finals, where it lost against Lubbock Coronado.
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