Tompkins defense steps up in season opening win

By Tyler Tyre, Times Sports Editor
Posted 8/28/21

Bryce Shaink is used to making big plays, and he produced another one on Saturday night.

Tompkins had controlled the first two and a half quarters of its season opener against Magnolia, but that …

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Tompkins defense steps up in season opening win

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Bryce Shaink is used to making big plays, and he produced another one on Saturday night.

Tompkins had controlled the first two and a half quarters of its season opener against Magnolia, but that changed.

Magnolia looked set to take the lead, driving all the way down to the Tompkins 1-yard line, but Shaink intercepted a pass off a bootleg shifting the momentum back the way of the Falcons.

“Their quarterback scrambled out and Sean DuBose was able to get good pressure on him,” Shaink said. “It was a key moment and I knew that I had to do my job and get that ball. That’s what happened and I took it as far as I could. I’m just glad we got that stop.”

The Falcons held on to that momentum and came out on top 18-6 in an eventful season opener at Legacy Stadium.

It was a night where the Tompkins defense stepped up led the way to the win, as the unit forced Magnolia into three interceptions in what was a defensive battle from two teams that both won their respective districts last season.

It took until the second quarter for the first score of the game as Collin Marshall, a senior, ran in his first varsity touchdown and first of two touchdowns on the night from 4-yards out.

“The offensive line was blocking everyone up, I had clear reads,” Marshall said. “The receivers really honed in on being blocking receivers and I think that’s what we did really well tonight to move the ball efficiently.”

The Falcons built onto the lead as senior quarterback produced his first varsity touchdown pass on a 31-yard fade to Joshua McMillan with 17 seconds left in the half.

Tompkins allowed just 58 total yards from the Bulldogs in the first half.

“Those guys did an outstanding job of playing the ball and doing something with it,” said Tompkins head coach Todd McVey. “Both the offense and defense were in some tough situations but they both responded and that was really good to see.”

Deonald Butler got Magnolia on the board in the third quarter with an 8-yard run, and got back to the one yard line before in the fourth quarter after a 48-yard pass from Ross Choate to Dustin Lindvall, but Shaink came up with the interception to end the scoring threat.

After that, it was the secondary’s time to step up, as Malik Edwards came up with interceptions on each of the next two drives.

The first, Edwards returned to the four-yard line, setting up Marshall’s second score and the second he picked off in the endzone to seal the win after Magnolia had driven into threatening territory once again.

“I know that my teammates are going to get in the way up front and force the quarterback to make bad throws,” Edwards said. “I just capitalized off that and the quarterback’s mistakes. I saw the coming out of his hands on both of them and I caught it.”

Francis had an efficient night, going 13-21 for 173 yards. McMillan picked up where he left off last season, catching nine passes for 135 yards and his score.

Marshall ended the night with 83 yards on 29 carries with his two touchdowns.

“Collin’s a senior who has waited his time, he’s been behind some really good guys and he’s learning a lot of valuable lessons and learned some of those tonight,” McVey said. “I told him that as a senior, everything is about a lesson, but I never have to worry about his effort and I’m real proud of his efforts tonight, the o-line blocked well for him and he’s going to give everything he’s got and give every ounce of that smaller body.”

Tompkins will be up against Clear Springs next Friday as the team looks for its second win, but for now they are enjoying the victory.

“It was a wild season opener but it made us tougher,” Shaink said. “We needed that, a wake up call never hurts and I think this is one of them. It’s going to make us better in the end. In the long run we are going to look back at this game and say we needed it.”

Tompkins 16, Magnolia 6

Magnolia

6  

0  

 --

 7 

Tompkins

 0 

12 

 --

 40 

Second quarter

Tompkins: Collin Marshall 4 run, 8:25

Tompkins: Cole Francis 31 pass to Josh McMillan, :17

Third quarter

Magnolia: Deonald Butler 8 run, 3:47

Fourth quarter

Tompkins:  Collin Marshall 1 run, 4:36

Team stats

Magnolia

 Tompkins  

  First downs

 15

 13

  Yards rushing

 28-103

  38-100

  Yards passing

 212

  173

  Passes

 16-33-0-3

 13-21-1-0

  Punts

  7.34

 5.36

  Fumbles-lost

  0-0

  3-2

  Penalty-yards

  5-50

 3-15

Individual Statistics

Rushing -- Tompkins: Collin Marshall, 29-83-1; Cole Francis, 9-17; Magnolia: Deonald Butler, 10-33-1; Ross Choate, 9-48; Michael Carter, 9-22;

Passing -- Tompkins: Cole Francis, 13-21-173-1-0; Magnolia: Ross Choate, 16-33-212-0-3;

Receiving – Tompkins: Josh McMillan, 9-135-1; Lebechi Chidubem, 1-18; Harrison Doyle, 1-9; Wyatt Young, 1-7; Collin Marshall, 1-4; Magnolia: Tyler Leleux, 7-55; Mac Postel, 2-35; Ethan King, 4-25; Dustin Lindvall, 1-48; Deonald Butler, 1-28; Marcus Childs, 2-20; Michael Carter, 1-1;

Tompkins Bryce Shaink, Katy ISD, Texas, High School Football, Magnolia