Burnet boys soccer hosts July league
CAPTION: Juan Vargas controls the ball while dribbling before making a pass. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Burnet Consolidated Independent School District boys soccer program is hosting the Highland Lakes Soccer League each Monday until July 20.
The league consists of Burnet, Lampasas and Marble Falls.
The matches set for July 6 will begin at 5 p.m. to allow players and coaches to finish in time to be home for the U.S. men’s soccer team’s round of 16 match against Belgium in the 2026 World Cup. Matches will be at 6 p.m. the rest of the month.
Two matches will be played at the same time. Goals are located on each sideline and the boundaries are from the 40-yard lines to the top of each end zone. Each team will have six field players plus the goalie. The format is 20-minute halves.
“It’s so small and compact,” Burnet head coach Aaron Jimenez said. “We’re playing back and up the sides. Our goalie almost acts like a field player.”
Jimenez said this league has many benefits.
“You get to play a lot faster just because the field is smaller,” he said. “There’s less people. It definitely improves our decision-making a lot better. The speed of play improves as well. That way, whenever we transfer to a full 100-yard, 11 (against) 11, we’re able to work at our pace because we’ve done so in this really fast-paced game.”
The players will coach themselves and make their own adjustments, which brings another bonus. The size of the field may entice players with strong legs to take shots at the goal from distances they may not take during the high school season.
Jimenez smiled as he pointed out he “has some really, really talented kids” who aren’t afraid of taking a shot from anywhere on the field.
“It gives kids the chance to, since it’s so compact and so small, we can shoot from far,” he said. “It gives them a chance to shine and take matters into their own hands if they feel they need to.”
Still, the purpose of this league is to methodically move the ball from one end to the other and work the ball for a high-percentage shot.
“It’s a real game of patience even though it’s much more compact,” the coach said. “Every kid knows their responsibility, knows their zone, but my kids are talented and smart enough where they can interchange, overlap each other and shift roles while also keeping a nice shape that doesn’t leave any exposures or weaknesses.”
What excites Jimenez are the number of returners to the program who have experience. And many of those players were underclassmen a year ago.
“Now they have got a year under their belts, so they’re a lot more confident, and I have a really good group of four or five seniors,” he said. “They lead the way. They do a really good job of taking matters in their own hands.”
Overall, Jimenez indicated he and the Bulldogs are looking forward to league play and believe it will benefit all three programs.
“It helps when you play teams like Marble because they’re so good,” he said. “And they’re very high-skill levels, so really pushes us. But it’s also just a good way to have fun. Everybody’s going to touch the ball. Everybody’s going to get a chance. It’s just really nice all around.”
