Ten Highland Lakes Sports Insight

Welcome to this weekly column where readers will find a summary of sports across the region and the impressions left on this writer.

1. The week is big for the Burnet and Marble Falls high school track teams. Both will be competing at area meets with athletes aiming to get to regional meets. Pole vaulters on both squads advanced to area meets, which might be the most impressive finishes of the 17 events at district meets. And that’s saying something particularly in north Burnet County, which we’ll get to in a minute. Let’s start with the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs since their area meet is Wednesday, April 20, hosted by New Braunfels Canyon. The pole vaulters are Django Segovia, Anne McCary and Meredith Cormier. Segovia won the district championship and was just short of the school record by clearing 13 feet. Lady Mustang Anne McCary was the district runner-up by vaulting 10-6, while teammate Meredith Cormier took third thanks to clearing the same height but needed more attempts. Coach Chris Schrader commended the vaulters, noting winds were blowing between 25-30 mph, and vaulters showed their guts in competing. Joining the trio at the area meet include discus thrower Logan Barnes with a toss of 140-10 to finish third overall and Forest Swan in the high jump thanks to clearing 5-4. Because Swan needed extra jumps, he was the alternate. But another area qualifier scratched, allowing Swan to take his place.
2. In Burnet pole vaulters Brayden Hill and Brady Rygaard advanced to the area meet thanks to clearing 13-0 and 12-6 respectively in 25 mph winds. Head coach Ben Speer called their performances the most impressive of the first day, outdoing the efforts of middle-distance runners Hudson Bennett, Victor Aviles and Carlos Olvera. The runners remain the safest bets to advance to the regional meet. Bennett is looking to successfully defend his state title in the 3,200 meters and better his third-place finish in the 1,600 meters at the state meet last year. But he may not be the only Bulldog runner to get there thanks to Aviles and Olvera. While Bennett advanced to the area meet thanks to finishing second in the 800 meters and winning the 1,600 and the 3,200 at the district meet, Aviles was right behind him in the same races for two silvers and a bronze and Olvera advanced in the 1,600 and 3,200. The Lady Dawgs have a number of athletes competing at the area meet: Maya Calderon, Jacque Contreras-Green, Molly McPherson, Autumn Stires, all three relays and thrower Kyleigh Mott in the discus and shot put. The area meet is Thursday, April 21, hosted by Lake Belton High School.
3. South Burnet County also featured two other track teams with outstanding performances — Faith Academy. The Lady Flames won their third district championship in a row, 12th overall as a program with 240.5 points. The Flames won their fourth overall district championship by winning 14 of 17 gold medals and scoring a whopping 271 points. Talk about sending a statement without saying a word. Head coach Steve McCannon already has calculated the outcomes of the regional and state meets by using the athletes’ personal bests. He believes these championships will be decided by the thinnest of margins. The south regional meet is Tuesday, April 26, at Hart Patterson Track, 501 S. 32nd St. in Waco.
4. The Marble Falls High School golf teams have four players at the Class 5A Region IV tournament. Both the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs finished third overall at the District 25-5A tournament, one spot shy of advancing to regionals as teams. Still the Mustangs have the individual district champion, Blake Turner, thanks to the player surviving one playoff hole and winning the tournament on the second playoff hole. Coby Holley won the other individual medalist entry, and teammate Kolton Pannell is an alternate. Maddie Deberard is the only Lady Mustang competing at the regional tournament after earning one of two individual medalist entries. The boys tournament is Monday and Tuesday, April 18-19, while the girls play Wednesday and Thursday, April 20-21, both at The Golf Club of Texas, 13600 Briggs Ranch in San Antonio.
5. The Burnet High School girls soccer team’s season ended in a 1-0 loss to Bay City at a Class 4A Region III semifinal on what head coach Kimberly Myhre called a fluke goal. But the individual accolades for the Lady Dawgs began pouring in. Sophomore Amelia Griffin was named District 18-4A’s most valuable player, while sophomore Kaycie Banton took the silver boot award for the most assists in district that totaled 18. Myhre was named the coach of the year for leading the Lady Dawgs to third place in the district standings with a 10-4 record, 19-8-3 overall. Typically coach of the year goes to the coach who guides their team to a district championship. I commend these coaches for breaking the norm. There are plenty of outstanding athletes and coaches in this district (just look at the fact that district foe Lake Belton was playing in the other regional semifinal), and few can argue that. A case can be made for each. At the same time, the Lady Dawgs’ historical march isn’t guaranteed every year. Super happy others recognize the job Myhre is doing in Burnet, too.
6. The future also looks bright for the Marble Falls High School soccer teams as they have a pair of middle school teams that are performing well. Mustangs head coach Rick Hoover congratulated the boys team for defeating Liberty Hill 5-1. Meanwhile Hill Country FC Elite won the South Texas Cup district championship by going 3-0 to advance to the South Texas Cup finals in a couple of weeks. Talented and experienced players are making they way to the high school, and the bodes well coming seasons.
7. The Marble Falls High School tennis team ended a long drought thanks to senior Brody Knight. Knight finished third in boys singles at the District 25-5A tournament. He had a shot at advancing to the Class 5A Region IV tournament had he defeated the player who finished second at the tournament. Still, Knight will graduate with a bronze medal, a feat he earned in one of the toughest districts in the state in any classification, which illustrates how much dedication and commitment the athlete put into the sport.
8. Bulldog Diamonds was rocking April 14 thanks to a pair of outstanding wins in District 19-4A. After the Bulldogs were run-ruled by Salado 20-3 April 13, head coach Russell Houston challenged his players to show who they really are in a home matchup against the Eagles. And the Bulldogs did just that as they gutted out a 13-6 victory. The win ensures Burnet won the three-game series against its third district foe this season. Next door, the Lady Dawgs also were facing a moment of truth after losing to Salado 9-4 April 13. Burnet hosted Taylor, which is led by senior pitcher Lindsay O’Dell, who is bound to Loyola Marymount. Needing a win in the worst way, the Lady Dawgs clawed a 6-4 victory and a valuable slash in the win column. It also helped that Salado beat Georgetown Gateway 12-0 April 15, which gives Burnet a firm footing on a playoff berth. The Lady Dawgs visit Lake Belton Tuesday, April 19, to close out the regular season.
9. The Marble Falls High School baseball players showed the depth of their growth in a 6-1 win against Leander April 14. The Mustangs have shown a tendency to rally behind senior pitcher Hudson McBryde, who was throwing against the Lions. But Marble Falls showed glimpses of improvement leading up to that contest, particularly in losses to Georgetown 5-4 April 12 and Leander Rouse 12-5 where the Mustangs led 5-3 in the middle of the third inning. Had the Eagles not changed pitchers, the Mustangs had a great chance to win, which might have been detrimental to Georgetown’s playoff chances. A great part of that game was the performance of Mustangs pitcher Bryce Atkinson. He scattered nine hits but gave up three earned runs in six innings. Two games remain in the 2022 regular season beginning with a road game at Liberty Hill Tuesday, April 19, and a home contest against Leander Glenn Friday, April 22. Both begin at 7 p.m.
10. One team that hasn’t missed a beat is the Faith Academy of Marble Falls baseball team. The Flames remain unbeaten in district play with the latest win coming against Bryan Allen Academy, a 15-0 run-rule victory that took four innings. That’s one more inning than what the Flames have needed. Sophomore pitcher Kade Shaw remains the district’s most valuable player after he allowed one hit, walked three and struck out 11 batters. One side effect of winning so quickly is that coaches haven’t been able to substitute reserves like they want. But that also is part of the sport because it allows for specific substitutions that makes it different from football or basketball. Still, it appears winning isn’t lost on anyone, especially the Flames themselves. The players are vocal about their support for one another, which is an important part of being on a squad. Faith will travel to Bryan St. Joseph for a 2:30 p.m. first pitch Thursday, April 21.

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