Brian Marrell, Bushland football, Sr.
On the field: In what was the area’s most impressive comeback so far this season, Bushland overcame a 28-point deficit to powerful Canadian on the road and rallied for a 49-42 overtime victory, giving the Falcons their first win of the season. Marrell, playing his first full game as Bushland’s starting quarterback, was the catalyst of the comeback, completing 19-of-28 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns and running for 102 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. The Falcons trailed 35-7 at halftime, but Marrell opened the second half by throwing touchdowns to Kash Bradley on back-to-back possessions to get things rolling. Marrell threw two touchdowns to Baylor King to tie it in the fourth quarter, then threw a 25-yard score to Hayden Labrier in overtime for the eventual winning score.
Coach Josh Reynolds: “I think as the game went along he just got more and more confident. He wasn’t perfect but we didn’t expect him to be perfect. He never lost his confidence. As we got into the second half and our offense scored I could just see the confidence in him starting to rise. He was a great leader for us out there. Every position we’re constantly evaluating guys. You’re not going to pull somebody for just one mistake. He really got that first chance to kind of take the team and go for a full game against Canadian and that’s not any easy feat. As long as he shows his poise and composure, he’ll continue to be our guy.”
Marrell: “I think when our defense were getting stops we had all that momentum and our line was just blocking great and we kept on going. We started seeing what they were doing on defense and started reading it and were making some great plays by our receivers. This might be my best game. I can run the ball or I can pass the ball, but I have trust in our receivers.”
About Marrell
Favorite band or musician: Drake
Favorite social media platform: Instagram
Favorite athlete: Lamar Jackson
Bet you didn’t know: Does everything left-handed, but can bat right-handed in baseball
Parents: Richard Marrell and Janice Thompson