Burnet Bulletin
N B'
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Wayne
Craig
From the
Dawg House
Road trip
recovers
small town
memories
It was a tough week at
times in my coverage of
Bulldog sports. I was proud
of the way our volleyball girls
played last Tuesday even in a
loss to Liberty Hill.
Like many other fans I
saw where they may have left
some points on the floor with
missed serves, ect but they
stuck together as a team and
gave it their best, and they
bounced back with a win on
Friday over Taylor.
It was heartbreaking to
learn that two-time cross
country state qualifier
Trynadee Greenwell wasn't
able to run at the district
race her senior year due to
concussion protocol, but life
will throw you a curve ball
from time to time. I would like
to recognize a few who did run
and competed well.
Big congrats to varsity
boys runner, Cade Rye, who
brought home a 15 place
medal.
Also congrats to the
eighth-grade boys team who
placed second overall. Last but
not least, a shout-out to eighth-
grader, Hudson Bennett, Who
claimed the overall individual
gold and finished 40-seconds
ahead of the second place
finisher with an 11:01 run to
the district championship.
Friday brought a mixed
bag of emotions for many
Bulldog fans and nobody
was ready for what unfolded
under the Friday night lights at
Bulldog field.
The 56-7 loss to the
Lampasas Badgers had many
voicing their opinions a loud
on social media. With so many
friends tied to each side of this
topic it's probably best I don't
share a direct opinion.
Following Friday night's
game the wife and I took a
road trip for no other reason
than to just get away. It was an
enjoyable get-a-way and gave
me some time to think. We got
to spend time with our two
youngest in Stephenville. We
also traveled to Commerce,
TX through torrential rain
and watched the Tarleton
Texans soundly defeat the
No.7 defending National
Champions in Division II
A&M Commerce, 47-21.
We really didn't have a
dog in the fight personally, just
a trainer on the sidelines, but
we sat back and witnessed the
actions of fans from a semi-
nonbiased point of view.
Losing like that to the
Tarleton Texans brought out
the ugly in some Commerce
fans who are probably
respectable people in everyday
life.
Both were very good
teams, the Texans just played
more fundamental football and
limited their errors. Commerce
made several big mistakes that
led to a final score that didn't
indicate how close in talent the
two teams were.
Did their coaches make
mistakes?
Absolutely they did, as
did the players. Each coach, at
every level will in pretty much
every game they coach.
There were a lot of
comparisons from this game
and the Bulldogs'. The
Tarleton Texans appeared to
be a little more gifted in talent
and handled adversity better
I!~11 I1~115~ see page 8B
Photo by Wayne Craig/Clear Memories
Senior defensive lineman Roger Craig drives his man across the Badger backfield and into the ball carrier for an assisted tackle during Friday night action
against Lampasas,
m roll roll
By Wayne Craig
Bulletin Sports
Last Friday night the
Lampasas Badgers rolled into
Burnet. There was a little rain
in the forecast, but nothing
could have prepared Bulldog
backers for the deluge that was
about to take place.
It was widely viewed that
Taylor, Burnet and Lampasas,
in no particular order, were the
outside teams looking in in
District 14-4A.
If that is fact, the Badgers
proved they aren't the lowest
on the totem pole after putting
a 56-7 thumping on the
Bulldogs on their home turf.
It was the worst varsity
loss to a Badgers team since
the turn of the century and
perhaps ever. There was no
silver lining to be found, and
instead Bulldog injuries were
added to the insult.
The evening kicked off
with a salute to first responders,
then came the game.
The Badgers got first go
on offense and confidently
marched 67-yards in six-plays,
capping their opening drive
with a 3-yard quarterback
keep by Ace Whitehead for
the night's first score. The PAT
was good, 7-0, 8:55 first.
It only took the Bulldogs
four-plays to answer. Marcus
Escamilla moved the chains
first on a 14-yard run and
Blaine Burkhalter garnered a
new set of downs with a 10-
yard grab from Jaxson Denton.
The score came on a
razzle-dazzle type play, there
were a lot of moving parts
but it worked to perfection.
Denton took the snap and gave
to Burkhalter, who reversed
it back to Escamilla, who
pitched it back to Denton,
who then delivered a deep
ball to a wide-open Bradyn
McPherson for a 50-yard
touchdown connection. Jose
Salazar knocked the point
after through, 7-7, 7:28 first.
From this stage of the
game forward things began to
quickly unravel for the home
team.
Before the first quarter
ended the Badgers reeled off
a nine-play 65-yard scoring
drive making it 14-7 on a
Whitehead to Jaylon Porter
6-yard pass.
Lampasas Badgers bring 56-7 storm
The Badgers offense soon
returned and promptly covered
46-yards in five-plays moving
inside the Burnet 15-yard
line before a Braeden Howell
caused fumble was pounced
on for a Bulldog recovery by
Gerardo Murillo.
A three and out forced by
the Badgers defense had the
Dawg defense called back to
duty. From the mid-field stripe
the ensuing five-play 51-yard
Badger drive with a 9-yard run
to pay-dirt, 28-7. 7:09 second.
Thanks to a Devonte
Miller to Wyatt Young pass the
Bulldogs got out of a third and
20 hole but the 10-play drive
didn't produce any points as
the ball was later turned over
on downs.
From their own 27 the
Badgers took two-snaps
it only took the boys in blue before scoring on the third on
two snaps before Whitehead
and Porter hooked-up for
another score, this time from
45-yards out. Whitehead PAT
good, 21-7, 10:15 inthe half.
Cameron Everts capped
a deep middle Whitehead to
Everts 53-yard connection to
make it 35-7 at the break.
The game's next score
came at 7:34 of the third when
a high Bulldog snap ended with
a 62-yard Giovani Bienbenu
scoop-and-score to make it
42-7. In short time Lampasas
intercepted a Denton pass
setting-up another Badger
score. That brought about a
one-play 32-yard touchdown
drive as Whitehead found
Everts for another score, 49-7,
3:49 third.
Early fourth action had the
Badgers capping a five-play
67-yard series with a 5-yard
Jack Jerome rushing TD, 56-7,
11:02 minutes to play.
Personnel began changing
for both teams but the results
were similar. The Badgers
picked a Wyatt Young pass
Photo by Wayne
Craig/Clear
Memories
Brayden
McPherson
sprints to the
zone during
early first quarter
action tying the
Burnet versus
Lampasas game
at 7-all on a 50-
yard catch and
run.
five-plays later. A heavy
dose of running soon ran out
the clock ending a game the
Bulldogs can't forget soon
enough.
The Bulldogs travel to
Canyon Lake this Friday to
take on the undefeated 6-0
Hawks, who defeated Taylor
37-20 last week. The Liberty
Hill Panthers rumbled past the
Billies of Fredericksburg 69-7
mowng to 4-1, 1-0. Don't let
the Panther's blemish fool
you, their only loss came in
a 52-51 game to undefeated
Hutto in overtime. Friday's
game is set for a 7:30 p.m.
start, hope to see you there.
