To help Wildcat fans out, the Wildcat Tales will be posting a weekly preview of each Plano Senior football opponent prior to their clash with the Wildcats.

Following the bye week, the Wildcat Tales staff introduces Plano’s week 10 opposition, the Flower Mound Marcus Marauders.

School – Edward S. Marcus High School.

Location – Flower Mound, Texas (Population: 68,609), 25 miles W. of Plano Senior.

Division – UIL 6A – District 6.

2014 Record – 5-5 (5th in 6A – District 6), Missed Playoffs.

Current Record – 8-1 (2nd in 6A – District 6).

Last Meeting with Plano Senior – Lost to Plano Senior 41-7 in 2014.

Analysis – The Marauders enter this game on a four-game win streak following a 22-point victory over McKinney Boyd last Friday night. Marcus owns a 6-1 record in district play, and this week’s game against the Wildcats will be their season finale.

The Marauder offense is piloted by senior quarterback Mitch Cason, who has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards so far this season. The Marcus running game is led by another senior, running back Nate Hopkins, who has scored 12 total touchdowns so far. The man to mark for the Wildcat secondary is senior tight end Kaden Smith, a Stanford University commit who has been the recipient of seven touchdown passes from Cason.

The defense of Marcus is among the stingiest in District 6-6A, allowing just 18.8 points per game on average. The strength of the Marauder defense is its ability to pressure the quarterback, with senior defensive end Andrew Fitzgerald the leader of the defensive line. Senior cornerback Cameron Hupfer and senior free safety Zach Gough anchor the Marcus defense against the aerial attack.

The Marauders are guaranteed a playoff spot thanks to their stellar work so far in district play, although they will be looking for their seventh district win on Senior Night at Marauder Stadium. In contrast, the Wildcats are currently on a three-game losing streak, failing to score more than 15 points in each defeat.

Key Players – QB Mitch Cason (Sr.), RB Nate Hopkins (Sr.), TE Kaden Smith (Sr.), FS Zach Gough (Sr.).

Flower Mound Marcus Famous Alumni – Ryan Pressly (pitcher for the Minnesota Twins), Marcus Smart (former PG at Oklahoma State and current PG for the Boston Celtics), Scott Michael Foster (actor), Hayley Orrantia (actress), Ryan Pace (GM of the Chicago Bears).