Marble Falls has been one of the worst high school football teams in the state of Texas over the last few years. The Mustangs hope that a $38 million renovation to their facilities will provide the boost they need for a to return to relevance.
It is an expensive gamble.
Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2027 high school football season. Will it make a difference?
Marble Falls is not very good at high school football.
Marble Falls High School was founded in 1908. Its current campus, located ~50 miles to the northwest of Austin, was established in the 1990s.
The school enrolls approximately 1,200 students in Grades 9-12. The Mustangs are assigned to Class 4A: Division I by the University Interscholastic League— the fourth-largest in the state. They compete in District 12 alongside Burnet, China Spring, Jarrell, Lampasas and Stephenville. Their football team is terrible.
Marble Falls has never won a state championship. Its record in recent years is among the worst in the state.
The Mustangs did not won more than three games in the last four seasons. They went a combined 8-32 during that stretch. Yikes.
Although they made the playoffs in back-to-back years at 7-3 in 2020 and 9-4 in 2021, those two seasons were something of an anomaly. Marble Falls did not even finish above .500 from 2008-2020. Nor did it finish above .500 in 2004, 2005, 2006 or 2007.
I don’t want to beat a dead horse. You get the idea.
The $38 million renovation is focused on athletics.
Although the Mustangs have not any success in high school football of late, the school is going all-in. According to Eddie Maisonet, the Marble Falls Independent School District “filed to begin construction of new facilities and renovations for Marble Falls High School and the Marble Falls Mustangs’ athletic department.” The construction will cost more than $38 million in total.
Upgrades will include a new indoor facility, new locker rooms, and a renovated band hall. The multipurpose facility is the star. It will feature three specific features: An indoor artificial turf field, a new weight room and a new gym.
The indoor turf field could provide the Mustangs with an advantage over its competition. They won’t have to worry about weather. University Interscholastic League regulations typically force outdoor athletes (in every sport) to miss between 8-10% of their scheduled practices. Teams that practice outside cannot train in adverse weather and those days add up!
“(The percentage of missed practices) doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’re talking about three to four days a week to practice, and if you lose one of those days, that’s a large percentage of your week,” explained head football coach Keri Timmerman in April. “That is a huge deficit gap when you add it up over four years or the length of a season.”
The indoor facility eliminates that issue all together. Practice won’t be canceled.
Marble Falls also plans to build a new weight room. It will allow for an increased number of athletes to train at the same time with state-of-the-art equipment.
In addition to the indoor build, money will also be set aside for a new turf football field in the next few years. The Mustangs are also getting a significant upgrade to their scoreboard.
Marble Falls obviously hopes to display a winning score on the new board. This $38 million+ renovation is not only for the football team but the football team will benefit the most. Will it translate to wins? We shall see.