Grapevine head coach Bob DeBesse was not sure how his team would react, as heavy graduation losses on offense -- no returning skill position players with any significant experience -- forecasted early-season struggles for the 2024 Mustangs.
The effort and grit was there, but Grapevine’s late-comeback attempt fell short in a 14-10 loss to the Frisco Wakeland Wolverines , in a season-opening 5A non-district matchup at David Kuykendall Stadium on Thursday.
“You cannot simulate game conditions with just practice,” said DeBesse. “So we were not sure what to expect. But I am so proud of our guys, with the way they hung in there and did not quit.”
Grapevine (0-1), No. 8 in the Star-Telegram’s preseason 5A area rankings , took the opening kickoff. After a three-and-out, Juliun Contreras recovered a muffed Wakeland punt at the Wolverine 42, to retain possession.
Contreras, a senior running back, picked up a pair of first downs for the Mustangs, and facing a third-and goal at the four, managed just one yard, and settled for a Cade Moreland 20-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.
The tough Grapevine defense held Wakeland (1-0) without a first down until midway in the second quarter. Wolverine senior running back Aidan Poole raced 55 yards for a go-ahead TD -- capping a six-play 76-yard drive -- with 4:55 left in the period, as the Mustangs were down 7-3 at halftime.
Wakeland stretched their advantage to 14-3 on a 49-yard scoring strike from quarterback Jayden Maples to Grayson Myer with 4:09 remaining in the third stanza.
Grapevine (0-1) responded on its next possession, with a ball-control 12-play 75-yard TD march, taking 7:05 off the clock. Jaime Sanchez capped the drive with a three-yard TD run with just over nine minutes left in the contest.
The Mustang defense held on the ensuing Wolverine series, taking over on downs at its own 31 with 3:22 remaining. Grapevine managed to convert one fourth down before reaching its own 48 with 49 ticks on the clock. However, a fourth-down sack ended the final comeback attempt.
“I can’t say enough about the team,” said DeBesse, a former TCU offensive coordinator in his second year at the helm of Mustang football. “We fought to the end. With our inexperience, we don’t have a lot of margin for error. But there is a lot we can build on from this game.”
One of those building blocks is Contreras, who was a workhorse, with 24 rushing attempts for a game-high 158 yards. “That kid had a heckuva game,” said Coach DeBesse. “He carried us tonight.”
Poole registered 100 yards rushing on eight carries to lead Wakeland, while Maples completed nine of 17 passes for 141 yards and the one score. Myer grabbed a game-leading four receptions for 86 yards for the Wolverines.
Grapevine suffered a 21-13 season-opening loss to Wakeland in 2023 enroute to a 6-5 record. The Mustangs won their last five regular season contests before an opening-round 34-24 playoff loss to Frisco Emerson.
Most Popular
Comments / 0