Burnet, Marble Falls middle school football to meet again
CAPTION: Burnet seventh-grader Bradyn Houston plays a key role for the Bulldogs. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls Middle School football teams will take the short trek to Burnet and Bulldog Field Thursday, Oct. 9.
Kickoffs are 4:30 p.m. for seventh-grade B, 5:30 p.m. for seventh-grade A, and 6:30 p.m. for eighth-grade B, and 7:30 p.m. for eighth-grade A.
When they played Sept. 18, Burnet prevailed in all games. All Bulldog teams have at least a .500 or better record.
“I guarantee both sides are going to work to get prepared for Thursday,” Burnet Middle School athletic coordinator Mark Zeigler said. “And i’m glad I’ll be there and be a part of it because it’s going to be exciting.”
Zeigler noted part of the program’s success is the coaching that happens during the contest.
“I think we do a good job evaluating it and observing and see what they adjust to on defense, and then we’re making our adjustments on the offense according to what they’re doing or a lot of times the defense we play at this level,” he said. “(If the opponent) doesn’t make any adjustments, then we can really use that to our advantage. So yeah, for the most part, I think we do a good job with that.”
He credits coaches Travis Meadows and Sonny Wilson for the product on the field.
“I have coach Sonny Wilson, who’s calling the offense on the seventh grade level, and he has the experience,” the coordinator said. “He’s done it for five, six, seven years, and I’ve coached for 16 years and only three of them was at a junior high before and the rest of them are as an assistant position and defensive coordinator position on varsity levels. And I think that’s what comes in play, that we can get out there, and we’re not just calling the random play, we’re not just calling this or that. We’re seeing what the defense adjusts to and we’re able to counter to that. All the time (Wilson) gets after it, he fires them up.”
Zeigler was equally enthusiastic about Meadows.
“Travis Meadows needs credit,” he said. “He puts in a lot of time, a lot of work. He’s the guy (who’s been) here. Me and Sonny – we’ve been there and come back. Travis. Meadows is one of our guys who will be a high school coach one of these days, and he’s put in the work. He’s the guy (who’s the) defense coordinator for both the seventh grade and eighth grade A teams. And he’s another one of those guys that brings the fire and brings excitement. That’s a key factor. If you don’t have that in your program, you definitely need to go out and find that.”
The coordinator pointed out that all the coaching isn’t solely responsible for what the middle school program is accomplishing.
“I think we’re lucky,” he said. “And we’re having success because we have good kids. I mean it all comes back to athletes. Like your seventh grade group (in Marble Falls). I know the coaches know what they’re doing, but at the same time, you’re always a better coach when you have better kids.”
CAPTION: Seventh-grade A team member Bradyn Houston celebrates a touchdown with coach Sonny Wilson. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
