Burnet football beats Lake View
Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
The Burnet High School football team defeated San Angelo Lake View 46-36 Oct. 3 in the Bulldogs’ last non-district contest.
Burnet (2-4) hosts Marble Falls at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Bulldog Field in the District 4-4A Division I opener for both teams.
“Some things finally came together,” Burnet head coach Ben Speer said. “It was good, definitely great to see some things that we’ve been missing the last several weeks, whether it’s assignment wise or personnel wise. It just felt like we had a better grasp on it of where we needed to go and what we needed to do. Everybody’s starting to sink in and get comfortable with their role. And I think you can see that by the success. And they got excited.”
Lake View struck first. Junior quarterback Chris Alvizo found junior Chris Rodela for a 25-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Burnet senior running back Josiah Coronado answered back. He got the ball and ran up the middle untouched for 59 yards for the touchdown. Senior kicker Marco Campos-Huerta added the extra point to tie the contest at 7-7.
Alvizo added his second touchdown toss. This time he found senior receiver Braylon White from 17 yards out. The kick was missed, but the Chiefs led 13-7.
In the second quarter, Coronado added his second touchdown from three years out. Senior holder Jordyn Jones caught the ball on the snap, stood up and ran to the right side before finding a seam to the end zone for the two-point conversion and the 15-13 advantage.
Alvizo found junior Gabriel Alvarez for the seven-yard touchdown pass and hit senior D.J. Munoz to complete the two-point pass for the 21-15 lead.
Burnet regained the lead on a five-yard run by junior quarterback Bryan Johnson for a 22-21 advantage.
Alvizo and White hooked up again, this time for a 31-yard touchdown pass and a 29-22 lead at the intermission.
Coronado scored his final touchdown on a 24-yard scamper to tie the game at 29-29. Then Campos-Huerta kicked a 28-yard field for a 32-29 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs began the final stanza with a 25-yard touchdown run by senior Peyton Lopez for a 39-29 advantage.
Then sophomore quarterback Fisher Powell found senior receiver Matthew Williams for a 56-yard touchdown on third and 9 in the fourth quarter to lead 46-29.
Alvizo found Rodela for a 14-yard touchdown pass to trim the deficit to 46-36.
The Chiefs were driving midway through the fourth quarter, getting to about the Bulldogs’ 30-yard line. They decided to go for it on fourth down, but the pass fell incomplete.
That allowed the Bulldogs to take over with about 3 minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the contest. Burnet never gave the ball back and got into victory formation around the Lake View 20-yard line.
Burnet had 416 yards of total offense and was 4 of 9 on third down.
The Bulldogs had 42 rushes for 309 yards and four touchdowns. Coronado had 18 rushes for 184 yards and three scores and a 20-yard reception, while Lopez finished with 12 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, Johnson had four carries for 29 yards and a score and a four-yard catch.
“Being able to run the ball the way we did – just take ownership in it and go get it done,” the coach said. “When you could do that and just lean on our offensivee line — and I think they’re doing a great job just really focusing on getting their tasks done and so that was good — that was good to see and exciting and when you needed it. And you don’t have to worry about throwing it. Let’s just run the ball at them again. And so it was good. And just to feel like we didn’t have to leave it all on our shoulders of our defense to try and get a win.”
He also praised senior tight end Demetrius Taliaferro, who was a big part of the blocking scheme in springing his teammates free.
“He did just unbelievable job block,” Speer said. “It’s tough. You do all the work and they call you a back, but sometimes you don’t get the ball much if at all. He stepped in that role and started doing a really good job at it. It’s simplifying it for some of those guys as well. It helps and they can get the job done, be confident, be physical in what they’re doing. It’s exciting to see them getting in a little groove.”
Powell completed 8 of 14 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Williams had three receptions for 71 yards and a score, while senior receiver Cohen Jorpeland had two catches for 11 yards.
“We saw the sophomore quarterback getting a little bit of comfort in what’s going on,” the coach said. “He’s still had a couple drops last night from receivers, or it would have even be better for him. But he’s not frustrated at all. He just keeps out there and works hard and tries to set us up for success, and I think he did. He took a big step forward last night doing that, especially late in the game. And we’re not asking him to make too many plays – just be efficient with the ball, get it where it needs to go and get us lined up right. And lean on those other guys with more experience to go get it done.”
Lake View had 193 rushing yards and 255 passing yards for 448 yards of total offense with 23 first downs, were 3 of 10 on third down, and 2 of 3 on fourth down.
Burnet defensive end Riley Howell caught and interception and Williams also caught an interception at the Lake View 45-yard line.
Speer indicated the pre-district schedule served the Bulldogs and the staff well. Top of the list was figuring out a rotation for players in various positions.
“I think we definitely got a better idea of what we can and can not do and who should be where and when and when they need to be there,” he said. “As much as we want to just focus on one side of the ball or the other, we’ve got to help each other out and then a lot of that crossover we need help with. The coaches and personnel talking to the other side of the ball, the defensive coach talking to the offensive coach when we’re sharing players. If somebody’s dinged up or somebody’s gassed, there’s just a whole other communication piece that goes along with it, and sometimes it takes a little bit of time to figure it out. And sometimes it just takes a while as we try to get these guys and these other roles figured out. Give them opportunity through these predistict games to get time in and see if they can do it.”
And as the games get close in score, the other question of who is going to raise their level of play also is part of the evaluation.
And none of that, Speer said, is answered immediately. Through evaluation, those points are answered during film study, in practices, meetings and games.
“So those things sometimes do take time,” the coach said. “Your (Classes) 2, 3 and 4A schools where (athletes) have to play both ways and you just got to find that balance where not only they’re playing, but they can be efficient. And if they’re gassed, well, how good are they still? Can they still do it better?”
Speer said the Chiefs will be a force in their district.
“I can give Lake View some credit,” he said. “They have some great athletes, big offensive line, it’s hard to get (Alvizo). And once I felt like we get to the quarterback, he was breaking the pocket to extend plays. And they had some athletes out there at skilled positions that did a job just getting open and catching the ball and running after the catch. I think they’re pretty good, and I think they’ll do well in their district.
