Lady Dawgs look to continue season success in the spring

Burnet High School is extremely proud of the accomplishments of both the volleyball and basketball teams during the 2021-22 school year, and girls athletics coordinator Rick Gates believes there’s plenty more great memories to be made in the spring, especially from the soccer and softball squads.

The Lady Dawgs already sealed a berth in the Class 4A soccer playoffs, and the softball team is 9-2 before beginning District 19-4A play March 15. While tennis has played a fall schedule and returned to the courts this semester already, golf and tennis will have practices with full teams very soon.

Gates was clear in his assessment of why the Lady Dawgs have been solid this school year: talented and committed athletes and coaches.

“What we want to do as coaches is take the teams we have and take them as far as they can go,” he said. “Our goal as coaches is to take the teams we have and max them out. We have the kids, and we feel we have what it takes to get it done.”

And that means putting them in position to be successful by opening facilities and establishing sports leagues during the offseason to give athletes a chance to improve. But it’s not enough to do that, which has been a staple of the entire athletics program for many years. Programs also must have athletes willing to participate.

The best part, however, is the top athletes are choosing to play multiple sports, Gates said, which means they’re taking success with them from one program to the next.

“We’re still at a size where we need our good athletes to play multiple sports, so we’re all successful,” he said.

The coordinator made clear sharing athletes is a vital and important part of the equation to earning the valuable gold trophies for district and postseason prosperity. And coaches are endorsing that.

“Our staff is very supportive of other sports,” he said. “The coaches of other sports cheer them on. All coaches understand the goal is to win a district championship and win in the playoffs for a long time.”

Fans can see both the soccer and softball teams this weekend.

The softball program hosts its tournament Thursday-Saturday, March 3-5. On Thursday, the varsity meets Wimberley at noon and Lago Vista at 6 p.m., while the JV plays Connally at 4:30 p.m. On Friday, the JV welcomes the Liberty Hill JV at 9 .m. and 3 p.m., while the varsity plays Gunter at 6 p.m. On Saturday the JV meets Connally at 8:30 a.m., while the varsity follows against College Park at 10 a.m. and Johnson City at 2:30 p.m.

Soccer honors seniors on Friday, March 3, before hosting Jarrell at 6 p.m. at Bulldog Field, 1400 Bulldog Stadium Drive.

Gates said the spring programs have plenty of what made the volleyball and basketball teams successful and like fans, he looks forward to watching the squads play.

“I’m excited to see what the spring sports can do,” Gates said. “They know the playoffs are the benchmark.”