Football competitions highlight the next two months

The beginning of May means the start of 7-on-7 for football players, including in the Highland Lakes.

Burnet High School is the site of a Division II state qualifying tournament at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 28. In addition, Burnet also is hosting a linemen’s challenge with competitions specifically designed for those who work in the trenches. Both events start at 9 a.m. with the 7-on-7 teams playing at Bulldog Field, 1400 Bulldog Stadium Drive, while the linemen will compete at the practice fields next to it. Registration fee for the linemen’s challenge is $150 per team. Marble Falls is one of the programs bringing its linemen.

Because the 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament is limited to eight teams, only the winner of the tournament will receive the automatic bid to the state tournament, Bulldogs head coach Bryan Wood said.

“We’ll have two pools of four teams,” he said. “Whoever wins the pools will play in the championship. (The 7-on-7 executive leaders) called and asked me to host. I said, ‘You bet.’ We’ll be done around noon or 1 p.m.”

While there’s not a governing board for the linemen’s challenges, they have been invaluable for the same reasons 7-on-7 has helped skilled players. Both bring units together and give them a chance to compete and improve. Both allow players to bond as teammates and build rapport and trust. And both allow athletes to shine in participating in an activity they love.

Spots are still available. Email Wood at [email protected] for more information.

To help Burnet and Llano prepare for 7-on-7 state qualifying tournaments, Burnet is welcoming Llano on Monday, May 9 and 23, at 5:30 p.m. for contests at Bulldog Field. The players are incoming freshmen and high school athletes.

“We play a game, take a five-minute break, and play another game,” Wood said. “Every team is getting two games on those nights.”

Both Burnet and Llano have their baseball teams in the playoffs. Therefore baseball players who also play football won’t participate in 7-on-7 until after the baseball season ends.

“We’re not playing at full capacity with all our guys,” Wood said. “We have eight football players in baseball.”

While the Burnet May league had more schools participating in past years, the coach said the decision was made not to invite others this time.

“We have skill guys who need to be out there playing,” he said. “It helps us build team continuity. It’s really laid back with Llano.”

On Mondays in June, Burnet travels to play in the Georgetown league, which it has done for years. The league features Class 4A and 5A teams.

“That gets more serious,” Wood said. “Now we’re playing the big schools. It gets a little more serious for us in June.”

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