The Mavericks’ losing streak came to an end Friday night as they defeated the Pflugerville Panthers 49-35. The game featured an entertaining roller coaster of a game, and it served as a coming-out party of sorts for senior Colton Russell.

Coming off of a lackluster performance against Westwood, the Mavericks went into Friday night’s game against Pflugerville with a lot to prove. They came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter, scoring 21 points and holding the Panthers to 7. With comeback in their eyes, Pflugerville went on the offensive, making the score 28-21 going into the half.

The rain came down during halftime, in what looked like a possible game cancelation, but then abruptly ended just as the halftime clock expired. With a wet field for the second half, mistakes were sure to be made, and they were. Pflugerville capitalized not once but twice, scoring touchdowns following turnovers made by the Mavericks.

“You know there’s always going be things that go bad in a game and things that go good, so no matter what I just keep going out and playing to my best ability and try and limit the mistakes in the future,” Russell said.

Following a fumble, Russell came out and made important plays on defense and then went back on offense and  made the last two touchdowns for the Mavericks in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

“I started as a corner my sophomore year on varsity and that’s my original position,” Russell said. “I’m probably the most experienced corner on the team, so I’m going start playing more both ways.”

The Mavericks play Round Rock on Friday in what should be an intense game. A win would improve their season record to 3-5 and their district record to 2-2. If the team continues to play like this, they may capture a spot in the playoffs.