Burnet boys basketball to face La Vega in the playoffs
CAPTION: Burnet junior Ethan Elmore and his classmates gave fans a glimpse of the 2026-27 season when they took the floor and let their senior teammates step off together. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Burnet High School boys basketball team will face Waco La Vega at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, for a bi-district championship in the Class 4A Division I playoffs.
La Vega (17-4) is the District 23-4A runner-up with an 8-2 record. The Pirates’ two district losses were to champion Gatesville 59-57 and 64-52.
Kourtney Parr Jr and Tre Neal lead the inside attack where he makes high-percentage shots and protects the rim with blocks.
Point guard Qwae Willis uses his quickness to get steals and then finishes around the glass, even if he draws contact. Torero Degrate Jr is the 3-point specialist.
Both teams on entering the playoffs with wins. La Vega defeated China Spring 39-38 and Burnet (19-14, 6-6 District 24-4A fourth place) crushed Jarrell 68-32, both Feb. 17.
Burnet assistant coach Carter Carruthers noted the victory, the Bulldogs’ second in a row, gave the team some momentum.
“It was good to go in there and have some success and have a lot of guys find some success,” he said. “It was really fun when there were moments in that game where we only played juniors.”
And those juniors — Hays Bennett, Rhyder Corbell, Cam Edwards, Ethan Elmore, Carter Maxwell and Gavin Oakley — have established court chemistry and it showed.
Oakley dropped in five 3-pointers.
“It was cool to watch,” the coach said. “They all do a good job playing well together. A lot of people look at them and say, ‘Oh, maybe their juniors aren’t as talented’ and maybe that’s true. But our juniors play off of one another so well and it makes them pretty good. They put a pretty good product on a court.”
Senior center Parker Wenger started the contest along with classmates Eli Pickens, Jaxon Sparks and J.J. Whigham.
“That was also another good thing about getting to go over there against Jarrell was knowing that we would probably have some success,” Carruthers said. “Parker is a senior who doesn’t get to play a whole lot, and that was a neat deal for him to get to start a district game. We played well, we stopped the ball well. It gave our guys a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence.”
CAPTION: Burnet junior Gavin Oakley (right) provides plenty of outside firepower for the Bulldogs. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
