Burnet boys soccer goes 1-2 at Kerrville Showcase
CAPTION: Freshman midfielder Russell Ramirez and the Bulldogs competed with all they had during the season’s first tournament. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
The Burnet High School boys soccer team went 1-2 at the Kerrville Showcase Jan. 1-3 to begin the season.
The Bulldogs beat Uvalde 5-3 and lost to Copperas Cove 5-1 and to San Antonio Taft 5-1.
Head coach Benjamin Boorman noted the Bulldogs didn’t have all of their players to begin the tournament. Seven starters weren’t in the line-up against Copperas Cove.
“There were guys out of position,” he said. “It wasn’t much of a game.”
Burnet had more of its normal line-up during the victory against Uvalde.
“I’m really proud of the boys,” Boorman said. “Some of them hadn’t played the last game, so they were just kind of getting in the mix. We were down 3-1 at halftime and came back and won.”
Junior midfielder Marco Campos-Huerta scored four goals.
Taft, which has an enrollment of about 2,700 students, trailed 1-0 five minutes into the match. Campos-Huerta sent the ball over the Raiders’ heads to junior midfielder Ricardo Flores, who found the back of the net.
“So we were up 1-0 at halftime,” Boorman said. “Their coach had a nice pep talk for them where they were like ‘how are you losing to a (Class) 4A school?’ Our guys just ran out of juice after giving everything they had and being undermanned most of the tournament. We also had about three or four injuries going into the last game.”
He noted players willing to play positions they aren’t used to or still learning says plenty about their character, commitment and desire to do what’s best for the team.
“It says a great deal about who they are,” he said. “My kids are very coachable. They just love the sport so much that they would go out there and give all they have, no matter what position I put them in. So I’m thrilled that they were able to get that opportunity. For those that might not get as much playing time this year, they proved something to me by going out there and being coachable. So I know that I can trust them going down the road if an injury happens or if I need to change tactics and they feel confident that they can get it, and they got some great reps against some very good opponents.”
The coach added that who played allowed that Bulldog to show his skills and versatility, which are invaluable this early in the season.
So that’s why we schedule tournaments,” he said. “You never know what’s going to pop-up throughout the season. And so it’s good to have moments like that.”
The Bulldogs used this as an overnight trip, which allowed Boorman to keep a promise to the players. As a treat, they watched “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the newest edition in the series. Overall, the players and coaches enjoyed the extra time they spent both on and off the pitch to bond.
“So all in all, I’m super proud of the competitiveness of boys, even with missing about three or four starters,” he said. “They’ve played really well, I learned a lot about the grit and tenacity of the boys and I’m happy they got a win.”
The Bulldogs are preparing for the Governor’s Cup, a showcase event hosted by the Georgetown Independent School District soccer programs this weekend. Burnet faces San Antonio Antonian Prep at 10:50 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, East View High School at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, both at East View High School, and Georgetown High School at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Birkelbach Field at Georgetown High School.
