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Flag Football: Girls Continue M&M Tradition

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By SCOTT PURKS

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 16, 2009

TAMPA - Marve and Murray. Murray and Marve.

"Yes sir," Plant High School flag football coach Bo Puckett said, "the Marve and Murray show continues."

With girls.

Now it's time to watch sophomores Stephanie Murray and Rebecca Marve - sisters of Plant quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Robert Marve - carry on the M&M tradition.

Flag football style.

"It's something I've been looking forward to for a while," said Murray, who will start at quarterback, slinging it with about as much authority as any player in Hillsborough County.

Marve, meanwhile, will be on the receiving end, which is fine with her.

"I tried quarterback last season for a little bit but it wasn't for me," Marve said. "Then I tried receiver and as soon as I caught a few balls I knew that's where I wanted to be."

Her brother, Robert, said that's also fine with him.

"Whatever puts a smile on her face," he said. "I'll support her any way I can."

Last week, brother and sister Marve went to Plant's field and "threw the ball around a little," which meant Robert throwing darts at Rebecca, who, Robert said, "caught them extremely well."

"We worked on her footwork and routes," Robert said. "I threw some 25-yarders at her and she hung right in there."

Stephanie said Aaron also has worked with her - on form, footwork, timing and reading defenses.

"We always talk football," Stephanie said. "Watching Aaron play got me so into it, and now that I'm playing it's that much better."

Pressure? "A lot of people have said, 'I wouldn't want to be the sibling of Aaron Murray and then go and try and play quarterback like he did,'" Stephanie said. "But I don't feel any pressure. In fact, I think it's great to have Aaron Murray as a brother. He's a brother and a quarterback, who I can learn a lot from."

Rebecca said she couldn't agree more.

"I think what our brothers accomplished state titles in 2006 and 2008 has only raised our expectations and our effort," Rebecca said.

In fairness, it would be tough to come anywhere close to Robert Marve and Aaron Murray, especially when you start running down the stats, titles and accolades.

Consider: In Marve's senior season in 2006, he led Plant to a 15-0 record and the Class 4A state title while throwing for 4,343 yards and 48 touchdowns before getting named Mr. Florida football, given each year to the state's best prep football player.

In 2008, Murray led Plant to a 14-1 record and the Class 4A state title while throwing for 2,285 yards and 33 touchdowns despite missing seven games in the season's middle with a broken leg. In 2007, Murray didn't win the state title, but did throw for more than 4,000 yards and a state-record 51 touchdown passes.

"All I know is that I saw what our brothers did and how hard they worked to achieve it and it makes want to do the same thing," said Rebecca, who met Stephanie for the first time as an eighth-grader as they watched Robert lead Plant to victory in the 2006 state final. "What they did shows us that winning a state title is possible."

"Our brothers are inspirations for us," Stephanie said. "Really, it's awesome to have them as brothers."

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