Basketball Featured High School 

Next Level caps busy month with tournament victories

Three Next Level basketball teams performed well in tournaments against some great opponents that traveled from across the state and country. Next Level’s 17-and-under girls team went 1-2 at the Foreverland Tournament June 18-19, while the 15-and-under team finished third in its division at the same event with a 2-1 record. The 17-and-under team defeated Nike Pro Skills Roberts 55-32 but lost to Texas Lone Star Gold Dallas 46-42 and to Texas Elite Premier, the host, 46-37. The team, coached by Malcolm Canada, featured MaeSyn Gay, Grace Gates and Zaria…

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Featured Football High School 

Marble Falls graduate Shipley is named ACPA head coach

Highland Lakes football player Hanner Shipley is following in the footsteps of his father Stephen and uncle Bob by becoming a football head coach. The younger Shipley is reviving the football program at Athens Christian Preparatory Academy after a six-year hiatus. He will spend the 2022-23 academic year preparing for the Storm’s return to the gridiron in the fall of 2023. Shipley, who graduated from Louisiana Tech in 2019 with a degree is sociology, lives in Athens with his wife, Audrey, and has been working at the Texas Insurance Agency…

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Featured Softball 

Burnet, Llano softball players chosen for TCGA all-state teams

The Highland Lakes has several talented softball players who are on the Texas Girls Coaches Association all-state teams or are chosen to compete in the organization’s all-star game. Burnet graduate Savannah Gomez was named to the Class 4A all-state team. Gomez along with fellow graduates Katie Barnett, Yareli Vega and Rylea Whitus were named academic all-state, Llano juniors Gwyn Burnett and Skylar Brown were named to the Class 3A all-state team, while senior pitcher Madison Kloepper will play in the TCGA all-star game July 12 in Arlington. Kloepper, who committed…

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Baseball Basketball Featured Football High School High School High School Running Softball Volleyball 

Burnet athletics finishes Lone Star Cup race in the top 25

The University Interscholastic League announced final standings for the Lone Star Cup races in all classes, and Burnet High School finished No. 23 in Class 4A. Athletic director Kurt Jones presented the results during the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting June 20. “I think it’s the highest overall finish for us since they started that (competition),” he said. “That’s about out of 230 Class 4A schools. We feel like it was a great year for us collectively.” In late March Burnet was No. 11 that included…

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Featured Volleyball 

Marble Falls Lady Mustang coaches create opportunities for players to improve

A favorite quote often heard in athletic departments is the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. At Marble Falls High School, two head coaches added two nights of league play to invite encourage athletes to play this summer in order to get repetitions. In short, they are adding opportunities to play their sports to get different results during the school year. They soccer head coach Abigail Blunt and volleyball head coach Kait Goertz. Blunt created a 7-on-7 co-ed league on Tuesdays…

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Featured Football High School 

Smoking For Jesus wins San Marcos Academy’s 6-on-6 tourney

NOTE: The Smoking For Jesus Ministry School football team is hosting the Christian School of Castle Hill at 6 p.m. Friday, June 24, on the Eagles home field, RR 2342 in Burnet. The Smoking For Jesus Ministry School football team won the San Marcos Academy 6-on-6 tournament June 18 thanks to posting a 6-1 record. The Eagles defeated Rochelle 44-20 in the championship after Rochelle beat them in pool play 18-6. Smoking For Jesus beat San Marcos Academy 8-6 in the semifinals after posting a 48-0 win against them in…

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Basketball Featured High School 

Next Level teams have top three finishes at showcase events

Two Next Level basketball teams had impressive showings at the T.J. Johnson Showcase June 11-12 in Austin where each squad posted 3-1 records. Next Level, which is located in Burnet, allows athletes to play different sports under their direction in tournaments across the state and country. Next Level’s boys 16-and-under team won the championship thanks to beating Houston Kings 58-44. Next Level was second in pool play with wins against TWE Red 55-53 and Waco Warriors 53-51 but lost to State Elite DeShaun 71-59 in pool play. Next Level’s girls…

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Basketball Cheer Featured High School Volleyball 

Marble Falls Lady Mustangs make most of first week of voluntary workouts

The Marble Falls High School weight room was so crowded that visitors had to be careful with every step and willing to turn and twist to avoid bumping into athletes who are participating in voluntary strength-and-conditioning workouts. And the crowd wasn’t by the Marble Falls High School boys; rather it came from the Lady Mustangs representing grades 7-12 and the seventh- and eighth-grade boys. About 38 Lady Mustangs and 40 middle-school boys attended the first week of voluntary sessions, a solid number for both. “I would say for day one,…

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Featured Football High School 

Marble Falls youth football enjoys fitting day for 2022 season

Families living in south Burnet County made their way to First Baptist Church of Marble Falls June 11 to get their children fitted for another season of Marble Falls Youth Football and Cheer. After parents and grandparents checked in, they either went to the right to get their daughters and granddaughters fitted for cheerleading or kept walking forward with their star football player to get fitted for helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and pants. The players’ reward for the fitting? Playing a game of touch football with association president Nicholas Wood…

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Baseball Featured High School 

Burnet’s Vance makes most of all-star game appearance

Recent Burnet High School graduate Ralston Vance made his community proud June 12 by his play at the Austin Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game. Vance, who was a second baseman for the North team, handled a line ball that started a double play to end the contest and drew a walk and struckout in his two at-bats. Each team had nine pitchers and two players at each of the remaining positions. The game ended in a 7-7 tie after nine innings. “I think he had a lot of fun…

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