Players and coaches hugged and emotions filled the away sidelines. Players and coaches from both teams shook hands and the Marauders took a knee in front of the Tascosa Rebels’ band as they played their school song. The seniors said goodbye to their teammates and took pictures with the coaches.
The Marauders were not able to defeat the Tascosa Rebels in the regional semifinal round of the playoffs yesterday, with a final score of 46-14, bringing their season to an end.
The game had strong winds, which was a major factor for both teams. After three early punts, it looked to be a low scoring game. Tasosa scored first and took the lead 7-0 with around five minutes left in the first quarter. Junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier connected to junior wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant on a 4th and goal to score a touchdown. However, the team missed the extra point, leaving the Marauders trailing 7-6. The Rebels then scored on back-to-back drives and lead the Marauders 26-6 going into halftime.
The Rebels ran the same play — the triple option — the entire game. The Rebels only attempted three passes and went for zero yards.
Our goal was to win in the playoffs. We did that.
— Kevin Atkinson, Head Coach
The Marauders were in a constant guessing game trying to decide if the quarterback was going to keep the ball, hand it off or toss a lateral to the receiver. The Marauders scored a touchdown with less than four minutes left in the game, making the score 39-14. Tascosa got one more touchdown, securing them the 46-14 win.
Even though the season ended, the Marauders are still proud of what they were able to do this season. They went undefeated in the district, won both rivalry games and ended the season as bi district and area round champions. They finished 51st in the state and 321st in the nation, according to Maxpreps.
“I’m very proud of each and every one of you,” head coach Kevin Atkinson said to the team. “Our goal was to win in the playoffs. We did that.”
