Burnet football hosts Fredericksburg
CAPTION: Burnet senior defensive back Cason O’Hair (left), senior linebacker Adler Goehring and senior defensive back Trevin Park must continue to do what they do best – get numerous tackles. Photos by Kaydence Burditt/In Color Photography
The Burnet High School football team welcomes Fredericksburg at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, to Bulldog Field.
It’s a reunion of old district rivals.
The Billies (0-3) are looking for their first victory of the season after losing to Kerrville Tivy 48-10 last week, Wimberley 28-21 Sept. 5, and Lampasas 52-14 Aug. 29.
Burnet head coach Ben Speer indicated Fredericksburg is better than its record.
He pointed out the Badgers’ offensive balance led by senior quarterback Bryson Roberts, who has completed 9 of 19 passes for 19 yards and four touchdowns and ran nine times for 74 yards and a score, and senior running back Wesley Stephens, who had 11 rushes for 90 yards and a score, is a tall order for any defense.
“They’re going to run over and come behind,” Speer said. “(The Billies) were trying to play catch up.”
The following week, Fredericksburg lost to a Wimberley team that played for the Class 4A Division Il title last year.
“That says a lot about them,” Speer said. “And then they played Tivy. Tivy’s a bigger school, more athletic, but they played hard in that one. So they’re searching for their brand, and they probably think they have a pretty good shot against us this week. So, I’m sure they’ll get going and have a good game plan for us.”
The Billies utilize a spread offense with two backs. Sophomore quarterback Kress Mohr has completed 30 of 55 passes for 311 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions and has 23 carries for 114 yards.
Sophomore running back Cody Helmers has 46 rushes for 201 yards and five catches for 40 yards. Senior athlete Harrison Langford has completed 5 of 15 passes for 87 yards, has nine rushes for 43 yards and a touchdown, and has four receptions for 103 yards.
“They’ve had their young quarterback in there,” Speer said. “But (Langford), I think he’s done a better job. He’s actually moved.”
Junior receiver Griffin Beard has 13 receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns, two carries for three yards and a score, and 90 yards in kick returns and 16 yards in punt returns.
“Supposedly, this is the last (Beard),” the Bulldogs skipper said. “He’s a little short receiver. He’s just a phenomenal athlete. We’ve got to be aware of him because whether it’s in the return game, passing or running game, we’ve got to know where he’s at. Because he makes you look silly real fast. He has the ability to take it down any time he touches the ball. He did that last year, and I think he did it this year. So that’s always going to be true.”
The Fredericksburg offensive line is still adjusting and learning to the varsity level.
“I think they’re trying to gel up front, their linemen,” Speer said. “I’d say it’s probably the weakest spot they have now, but give them some time to gel. That doesn’t mean you’ve got the wrong guys. They’re not gelling together yet.”
The Bulldogs will counter with senior defensive lineman Riley Howell, junior defensive back Rodrigo Valdez, and senior defensive back Cason O’Hair. Against Little River Academy last week, the trio caught four interceptions.
Offensively, Burnet sophomore quarterback Fisher Powell made his second start in the win against Academy. He has completed 15 of 36 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Senior receiver Matthew Williams has six catches for 146 yards and two scores and senior running back Josiah Coronado has 47 rushes for 239 yards.
Speer said the formula for success doesn’t change from week to week. Most teams want to tackle well, eliminate or limit turnovers, cause the opponent to give up the ball, and minimize mistakes.
“It’s about us and our group,” he said. “We’ve got to show up every day here and we can take another step in the district race.”
CAPTION: Burnet senior linebacker Peyton Lopez (left), junior linebacker Alex Perez and senior defensive lineman Evan Joiner are on their way to tackling Little River Academy senior running back Brian Grissom. Photos by Kaydence Burditt/In Color Photography
