Mario Falciani Matheson Lakeside Year: Junior Sport: Football Split End/Cornerback

Every sport has one. It’s the extra man the home team calls on - the fan. Mullan’s ninth man takes on a new meaning at the Tigers’ home Hunter Field.

Those Mullan alumni arrive early to stake a vantage point along the hillside road above the field and stay late - tailgating throughout, trash talking anyone within earshot and laughing loudly.

“Last year, they gave us a real hard time on the hill,” Lakeside junior Mario Falciani Matheson said shortly after the upstart Knights spoiled Mullan’s homecoming with a 34-22 North Star League eight-man football win Friday.

“(Mullan) beat us 50-0 (last year). We were determined not to let the crowd get to us.”

“They were a lot more prepared for the Mullan experience,” said Lakeside coach Ron Miller. “It’s a touchdown for (the Tigers) every time you come up here. That crowd is great.”

Falciani Matheson indeed played inspired.

“It was more like an 11-man game,” Miller added. “The long scoring drives … people didn’t get the real cheap two-play touchdowns.”

Falciani Matheson recovered two fumbles and forced another. One fumble return went 78 yards for a touchdown. He went 82 yards for a TD with the kickoff to open the second half.

The 5-foot-8, 145-pounder finished with 263 all-purpose offensive yards. Defensively, he made seven solo tackles and assisted on six others.

“He’s not very big, but he plays big,” Miller said. “He’s not afraid to go run into people. In fact, he’s had to learn when not to run into people. His quickness does help out a lot. It turns average plays into big plays.”

Falciani Matheson is only one of the reasons Lakeside could be headed for a Kansas Tiebreaker with Mullan to settle playoff seeding.

Falciani Matheson started the first four games at quarterback, but suffered a badly bruised hand. Sophomore Ken Pluff moved from receiver to QB, with Falciani Matheson shifting to split end and backup running back.

Falciani Matheson also started to play defense a month ago, which added speed to the Knights’ defensive secondary.

“That’s been our key all year: there’s been very few long scoring plays against us,” Miller said.

Lakeside has 22 underclassmen on its 28-man roster. Coming into the season, the Knights had won just six of their previous 26 games.

“If I think back to the first game of the season, which we won pretty easily, they really didn’t know what they were doing,” Miller said. “Now, they’re making adjustments on the field. Those sophomores are seasoned. We’re making changes on the fly. They don’t have to be coached on every little thing. They react.”

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