Creekview Mustangs Football Unsung Heroes: Marckus Hardy and Jamal Jones

     In light of the Creekview Mustangs football team clinching a spot in the State Playoffs, I’m going to examine a couple of Mustangs flying under the radar. In order to get to this point, it has been a valiant team effort from everybody on the roster. Creekview has received strong play from the offensive line including Tristan Price, Austin Young, Larry Hughes and more. The receivers have chipped in big time with the likes of Ranjit Mason and Griffin Lazor. The running game has let its presence be known with Raul Bustillos and Justice Ogueri. And of course, leading the offensive charge has been one of the best quarterbacks in Texas and Purdue commit, David Blough. The offensive player who has been a big time contributor but also under the radar has been tight end Marckus Hardy.

     On the season Hardy has 572 receiving yards to go along with 7 touchdowns. It hasn’t been all smooth for him though. Early in the season against West Mesquite, Hardy had a few drops and fumble on the last drive for Creekview. Though the fumble had little impact on the final outcome for the Mustangs, nobody was harder on Hardy than himself.

     “Marckus at times is really hard on himself,” said teammate Griffin Lazor. “To practice all summer and perfect every catch then come out and drop one, it’s tough but he uses that anger to go and make a big play”

     Meeting him after the game, you would have thought he just lost the state championship. He may have been down that night but he certainly was not out. As Lazor said, Hardy kept making plays the rest of the season. He certainly saved his best for last. In a playoff-clinching game vs North Forney, Hardy had an astonishing Mustangs single game record of 267 yards receiving including two touchdowns from 64 and 82 yards.

     “He brings a lot of passion and heart to the field and to the locker room,” said Lazor. “He has been a great teammate and always has your back, on and off the field, and always wants to get better.”

     Defensively, there have been many great players on the field for the Mustangs. Captain and lockdown corner Jordan Coleman has consistently been making plays along with Cameron Adkins and Desmond Funches. The linebackers have made momentum-shifting plays, led by hard hitting linebacker Alex Vasquez. The defensive line has also held its own when it matters most, as evident by 3 sacks in a game clinching drive against North Forney to secure a playoff spot. Nobody on the defense and arguably on the Mustangs team has flown more under the radar than Safety Jamal Jones.

     Not only has Jamal made plays from the safety position but also his impact on the special teams has been nothing short of Devin Hester-esque. If you attend a Mustangs football game, you are for sure to hear “tackle made by number 26, Jamal Jones.” Jamal has blazing speed that can be seen as he comes out of nowhere to tackle runners who look like they may have scored a sure touchdown. Jones comes from the back and brings them down. He rarely ever misses a tackle and is constantly around the ball. Defensively, he has 89 tackles and 2 interceptions. Off his two interceptions he has 75 return yards. On special teams, Jones has consistently changed the dynamic of football games. He has 270 punt return yards to go along with 811 Kick Return yards. This is after opposing teams have constantly tried avoiding him. He has arguably been the most electric football player on the field in every game.

     “Jamal is a really quiet guy, he really does let his play do the talking,” said Lazor. He is definitely the most athletic player on the team, faster than all skill players and stronger than almost all of the lineman and linebackers.”

His impact was on display in a game the Mustangs needed most against North Forney, a game in which he was playing with a heavy heart following the passing of his uncle less than a week ago. With 5:40 left in the game and the Mustangs trailing 26-20, Jamal took a punt return 76 yards for the touchdown. Earlier in the game on several instances it took the last line of defense of the other team to bring him down by a shoestring.

     “He’s a very dependable player. He is there for you when you need a big play,” said teammate Marckus Hardy. “He is a very down-to-earth humble person. He’s a great teammate and a real joy to play with. It’s been an honor for me to play with him.”

     The Creekview Mustangs are in the playoffs for the 4^th time in school history and it is because of a total team effort. Players like Hardy and Jones don’t look for the limelight, they just do their job and perform. Neither has garnered college offers YET, but they have the respect of their teammates. Everybody on the team has been a part of something special and they all have contributed to the success this season. Because of that, the Mustangs are headed to the playoffs playing the first game November 14^th at 7 o’clock PM vs Frisco Centennial at Allen Stadium with a chance to make history. Once again they are underdogs. But unlike past years, it would be foolish to count them out.