The Morton Ranch Mavericks did just enough to make the playoffs in 2016, just like they did the previous season.
Morton Ranch earned a pivotal road win at Strake Jesuit, 26-21, at the midway point of the season, but it was the game that virtually locked up the final playoff spot from District 19-6A.
The Mavericks faced an undefeated Ridge Point team and lost, 42-23, in the bi-district round. Ridge Point lost a heartbreaker to Lamar the following week.
Morton Ranch finished the season 5-6 but had the district’s best offensive player in quarterback Nic Hernandez, who guided the Mavericks 276 yards per game and 27 points per game. Bad news is that Hernandez graduates and the Mavericks have a great need to fill his shoes.
Key Losses
QB Nic Hernandez, DB Darrien Young, LB DeMarco Braud
Hernandez was the District 19-6A Offensive Player of the Year after directing the Mavericks offense to nearly 30 points a game. He was among the top passers in the district, but it’s his legs that fueled the offense.
Young was a first-team all-district selection that gave opposing receivers fits, and Braud made it tough on opposing running backs.
Key Returners
DL Jakobe Littlejohn, WR/CB Deonte Bradford
Littlejohn was a first-team all-district pick who’s expected to keep clogging holes in the front seven. Bradford is the team’s leading returning receiver from 2016.
Verdict
Morton Ranch typically goes through cycles where it makes the playoffs for two years and then misses out. The 2016 campaign was a second-consecutive season.
The Mavericks lose a lot of playmakers on offense and some tough defenders. The biggest game of the season last year was at Strake Jesuit to decide the final playoff team. In 2017, that game will be a home game for Morton Ranch, but Strake Jesuit will be much improved.
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