Burnet football to meet San Angelo Lake View

CAPTION: The Burnet defensive line, including sophomore defensive end Mac Clanin (63) begin to force its will on the Gatesville offensive line as Burnet junior linebacker Bryan Johnson (7) and senior defensive back Matthew Williams (5) will face another explosive offense. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography 

The Burnet High School football team will travel to play San Angelo Lake View at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, in its final pre-district contest of 2025.

Lake View’s (4-1) four-game winning streak was snapped during a 40-33 loss to Levelland Sept. 26. Before that, the Chiefs beat Lubbock 50-49, Lamesa 44-27, Snyder 49-28 and Fort Stockton 42-7.

Lake View junior quarterback Chris Alvizo leads a squad that averages six touchdowns a contest and an offense that generates an average of 156 rushing yards and 291 passing yards per game. He has completed 120 of 165 passes for 1,402 yards, 17 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and has 28 carries for 52 yards and a score.

Senior running back Izaiah Rios, a three-year letterman, has 133 rushes for 1,030 yards and 15 touchdowns and has 23 receptions for 285 yards and 4 scores.

Senior receiver Braylon White, a three-year letterman, has 83 catches for 1,161 yards and 13 touchdowns and senior Nicholas James Leyva has 24 catches for 296 yards and a score.

“They like to throw it,” Burnet head coach Ben Speer said. “That’ll be another challenge. They’re playing with a great level of confidence right now.”

The Burnet defense is led by senior linembacker Adler Goehring, who has 62 tackles and a quarterback hurry, senior defensive back Trenton Park, who has 37 tackles and a pass deflection, senior Cason O’Hair and junior linebacker Bryan Johnson, who each have 34 tackles, and senior defensive end Riley Howell who has 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries, caused a fumble and recovered one. O’Hair also has a quarterback hurry, caused a fumble, caught an interception and has 3 pass deflections, while Johnson has a sack and 4 quarterback hurries.

The Lake View defense is led by senior Abram Rivera, a two-year letterman, who has 77 tackles, cause three fumbles and recovered a fumble, senior linebacker Isaac Monreal, who has 38 tackles, and senior Cristian Esparza, who has 30 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

“They’ve got a good group of linemen rotating in,” Speer said. “They have a good core of linebackers who play. They have outstanding linebackers.”

The Chiefs’ front seven may be in a 3-4 formation, a 4-3 formation or a 3-3 stack, which comes down to how they read the offense.

“It depends on who they think we are,” Speer said.

Burnet will counter with sophomore quarterback Fisher Powell, who has completed 30 of 71 passes for 363 yards, 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions and 12 carries for 36 yards, senior running back Josiah Coronado, who has 79 rushes for 378 yards, and quarterback Johnson, who has 34 rushes for 302 yards and 7 touchdowns, and senior receiver Matthew Williams, who has 14 catches for 281 yards and two scores.

Speer noted coaches are doing all they can to help this unit that is averaging 183 rushing yards and 89 passing yards per contest.

“We’re still trying to get our best 11 on the field,” he said. “We have to balance that out with the guys who play both ways. There’s growing pains with a sophomore quarterback. They’ll do some things that make you scratch your head.”

One of the big challenges is deciding where the most gifted athletes can best help that team. Is that on offense or defense? Speer said coaches ask those questions daily.

“Some of those playmakers are playing on defense and a big reason we’re in games,” he said. “Where do you find that balance? There’s a balance, and you have to find it – that’s our job.”

No one knows better than Speer what’s around the corner – a home date against the Marble Falls Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, in the District 4-4A Division I opener.

“We’re trying to get the ball to the outside or vertical, something we haven’t done a whole lot,” he said. “We’ll get the ball down the field. We’ll get it right.”

CAPTION: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Colton Brewer (left) and the Bulldogs are working tirelessly to get the jumpstarted. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography