Marcus Marauders Preview

Posted by KT2000 at September 16, 2008

Marcus is one of the state’s most experienced teams with 17 returning starters. The Marauders were tabbed as a pre-season dark horse candidate in DFW due to this experience, and the fact they are in year two under Coach Erwin’s leadership.

Flower Mound Marcus Marauders (2-1, 0-0; 6-5A)
http://www.5atexasfootball.com/Gridiron … Marcus.htm (Full Pre-Season Preview)

Scores
Marcus 55 Grapevine 3
Plano West 27 Marcus 23
Marcus 49 Keller Fossil Ridge 28

So far, they’ve done what was expected for the most part. The Plano West loss was a little surprising, but the Wolves are proving to be a pretty good team themselves. Marcus is winning games thanks in large part to a powerful running attack. They’ve rushed for 247, 248 and 359 yards as a team in the first three games. Junior RB Stephen Hopkins is one of the best young talents in Texas. Sophomore Dagan Newsome gets the occasional carry, so Hopkins isn’t the only one running the football. The Marauders have been hit-and-miss in the passing game. Junior QB Brad L’Houllier is a first year starter. Much of Marcus’ success on offense is due to the fact they have one of the state’s best and most talented offensive lines.

Defensively, Marcus has been strong against the run but has shown vulnerability against the pass. Plano West runs a balanced scheme, and Fossil Ridge runs a passing spread. West passed for 193 yards and Fossil Ridge went for 325. Grapevine also goes for balance. None of Marcus’ first three opponents were expected to contend for district championships. Marcus is projected to finish third behind Southlake Carroll and Lewisville Hebron. 6-5A is a very competitive district overall, and, with just six teams total, a good team will miss out on the playoffs.

The kicking game has been an adventure for Marcus so far. They missed PAT conversions in each of the first two games, but converted every PAT against Fossil Ridge. They’ve also struggled in the punting game.

Overall, Marcus is a well-coached team with experienced players. The Marauder program regained some respect with their 9-3 playoff showing last year. It was easily the best season Marcus had since they won the state championship in 1997 and they carried that momentum into this season.

Three Keys for the Tigers

1. Play with a purpose- bigger forces have been at work in recent days, but the team must find a way to push forward and put their practice into play against another quality opponent. I think playing with a sense of purpose and urgency is a big key this week. I think this was missing against The Woodlands. Every play.

2. Take care of the ball- the team must give itself security by minimizing big mistakes, such as the turnovers we’ve seen in the first two games.

3. Be physical- the Tigers have been beaten physically in the first two games and must be more aggressive. This begins with the Hawgs and Dawgs.