Sharyland Pioneer had its best performance on the biggest stage of the season thus far, as the Diamondbacks lit up Georgetown East View 77-64 on Saturday night at Buccaneer Stadium in Corpus Christi to advance to the fourth round of the playoffs for the first time in program history.
How dominant were the Diamondbacks and quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger in the Class 5A Division II Region IV semifinal?
Pioneer racked up a season-high 733 total yards of offense and scored touchdowns on 11 of its 12 possessions in the game, including a 10-for-11 start. The one drive that didn’t result in a touchdown happened after starters were relieved of their duties with the game in hand.
Marburger, a UTSA signee, accounted for a season-high 10 total touchdowns as he finished with six scores on the ground and four through the air, carving up the East View defense with both pin-point passing and hard-nosed running. In terms of yardage, Marburger also delivered a season-high in both categories as he posted 444 passing yards and 244 rushing yards, while completing 24-of-37 attempts.
Marburger spread the ball around to his playmakers, as three different receivers eclipsed the 100-yard mark on the night. Sophomore Joseph Graham Jr. had eight receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns, senior Tristan Castillo had five catches for 124 yards and one score, and senior JJ Snyman had 113 yards on six catches and one touchdown. Castillo also punched in the Diamondbacks’ other touchdown on a 3-yard run.
| Sharyland Pioneer wide receiver JJ Synman (8) carries the ball against Georgetown East View in a Class 5A Division II Region IV Semifinals at Buccaneer Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Corpus Christi. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) |
When playing with an offense as prolific at putting up points as Pioneer, the Diamondbacks defense needs a couple stops to give Marburger and company a chance to build a lead.
The Pioneer defense did that and more Saturday night, as they set the tone early by forcing two punts and two turnover on downs during the first three quarters, which allowed the Diamondbacks to build their lead.
Pioneer’s front-seven was sturdy throughout against East View, as well as its balanced offensive attack, as they piled up 13 tackles for loss and four sacks, which allowed the Diamondbacks to take a commanding 70-42 lead with 3:11 left in the game.
The Patriots closed the gap a bit by scoring a touchdown, recovering an onside kick and scoring again, but Marburger came back in to close the show.
Marburger received the snap in shotgun, faked a handoff and ran right through the heart of the East View defense for a 52-yard touchdown, which was his 10th total touchdown of the night and the final nail in the coffin.
“It was a team-effort. We played really good offensively obviously with 77 points,” Pioneer head coach Tom Lee said. “Special teams were good today. Defensively, we played really good until the fourth quarter, but we’re trying to get everybody in there. It’s senior year for some, we’ve got kids that have been working their tails off and haven’t had a chance because our season was cut short. The bottom line is we got the ‘W’ and we’re moving on to the fourth round.”
The win sent Pioneer to 8-0 overall this season.
Marburger is now up to 2,905 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns, and 1,073 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns in just eight games played this season. He’s averaging 363.1 passing yards, 134.1 rushing yards and just shy of seven touchdowns per game.
Now, the stage only gets bigger and the lights brighter for the Diamondbacks as Pioneer is set to play in the Class 5A DII Region IV final against Liberty Hill (11-0, 6-0).
Liberty Hill toppled Leander Rouse 56-42 in the third round to advance to the regional final against Pioneer. The winner between the Diamondbacks and Panthers will advance to the final four in the state semifinals.
Kickoff between Sharyland Pioneer and Liberty Hill is slated for 5 p.m. Saturday at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio. Ticket information is expected to be released early this week.
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