Burning Questions as Highland Lakes football teams begin scrimmages

CAPTION: Keeton Garner is one of several Mustangs catching passes. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

Later today (Aug. 13), the Marble Falls High School football team welcomes Gatesville to kickoff scrimmage season or the first of two weeks of scrimmages.

Training camps began Aug 3 and teams, especially players, seem ready to hit someone other than their own teammates. So as we get ready for today’s scrimmage coupled with Burnet traveling to Fischer Canyon Lake and Llano welcoming Austin Hyde Park both on Aug. 14, let’s examine some questions on each team.

Marble Falls

• The Mustangs have both junior quarterbacks returning with starter Crawford Mattox and Anderson Liscum. Based off the Aug. 8 scrimmage, both athletes will see significant playing time as the Mustangs want to continue developing a H-back or tight end with the ability to serve as another blocker.

• Senior offensive linemen Madden Hernandez and Logan Chapa are returning starters who offer the most experience and insight to their teammates. Other linemen are smart, strong and offer plenty as they learn the speed of the varsity level. Coaches are still evaluating to find the right combination and a solid rotation.

• Who will emerge as the top receiving target? And who is the every-down back? Those might be the other primary offensive questions.

• There’s no way around it. Graduation hit the defensive unit hard with proven starters moving on to the next phases of their lives. How quickly new starters and newcomers adjust to the speed of the varsity level on top of learning new defensive coordinator Taylor Wolfe’s scheme will lead to plenty in the coming weeks. Is it a work in progress? Maybe. But Wolfe has been locked in ever since he said yes to joining the program. He has gotten to know the players through 7 on 7, summer strength and conditioning and skills sessions.

Marble Falls hosts Gatesville at 7 p.m.

Burnet

• The Bulldogs have two players at quarterback – juniors Fisher Powell and Cooper Evans. Powell was the starter last year and Evans has a skill set that could mean he’s too valuable to hold a clipboard on the sideline.

• A season ago, the Bulldogs were a ground-and-pound offense thanks to Josiah Coronado and Peyton Lopez. Both are gone to play college football. But one Bulldog who had plenty of carries a year ago, especially in short-yardage situations, was senior Bryan Johnson. Johnson, who was officially listed as a quarterback and receiver last season, will be used a variety of ways this season. Sophomore Ethan Sanchez is a returning letterman listed as a receiver and running back a year ago. Both offer plenty and may be big keys to the Bulldogs’ attack.

• This time last year, Matthew Williams was the leader of the Burnet receivers. A new season brings new opportunities for others to step forward to fill that role. But no matter what the skill players do, offensive linemen Adam Heffington, Andres Hernandez and Traeton Nelson are the anchors of that position.

• The Burnet defense, under the guidance of Ben Speer, who is entering his third year as the head coach, has always fielded a punishing defense unafraid to shed blockers and, in his words, show relentless pursuit to the football. That won’t change this year led by returning letterman Rodrigo Valdez in defensive coordinator Jordan Heusinkveld’s scheme. Heusinkveld and Speer share much of the same defensive philosophies and Heusinkveld’s units have been as stingy as Speer’s when the latter had the same coaching position. Very little should change on this side of the ball.

Burnet’s road scrimmage at Canyon Lake is set for 6:30 p.m

CAPTION: Ethan Sanchez (left) tries to breakaway from the strong arms of Tommy Butler. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

Llano

• To many the Yellow Jackets may be in the best position. Unlike their Burnet County counterparts, head coach Matt Green’s staff remained the same at offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators who all also coach a position. Offensive line coach also remained unchanged. So what does all that mean? As Burnet players are learning new offensive coordinator Tyler Fambrough’s scheme and the Mustangs are learning Wolfe’s, the Yellow Jackets have plenty of familiarity that will bode will.

• That begins at quarterback with four-year starter Luke Davis, three-year letterman Cash Lynch at receiver, and starting running back Cole Landers. These three make up the core of the offensive skill players. Lynch caught 71 passes for 1,266 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025, the most of any Llano receiver. Landers had 89 rushes for 712 yards and seven scores in seven games with about half in the playoffs. Davis completed 147 of 234 passes for 2,501 yards with 33 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. So finding another receiver that forces defenses to cover Lynch honestly is on the to-do list.

• And the other factor that can’t be discounted is linemen led by seniors Scott Henderson, Dylan Smith and Nick Light. Observers have noted for months this room may be Llano’s luxury room with linemen who look the part thanks to their frames, which include their height and width. During Burnet’s Lineman Challenge in May, the Jackets finished first and second, illustrating the depth of the position. Will this be the year a Llano running back rushes for 1,000 yards? Could be. And when that has happened before the Jackets reached the state semifinals and the regional final – in 2020 with Case Kuykendall and 2024 with Trey Mote.

• The defense continues to be coordinated by former Mason head coach Michael McLeod, who is entering his second year. McLeod and special teams coordinator Robbie Coplin led the offseason workouts as Green served as the baseball head coach during the spring and assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Ryan Priem, who also is the boys track and field coach, was at Llano Stadium. All of that is to say that while the defense graduated heavy, McLeod and the defensive assistants have players who bring a lot to that side of the ball. And these coaches have a proven track record when it comes to development.

Llano’s home scrimmage against Austin Hyde Park begins at 7:20 p.m.

CAPTION: Offensive line coach Colton Center watches the Jackets as they work on blocking assignments led by Dylan Smith (75). Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro