Burnet football gains plenty from its scrimmage against Lago Vista

Discovery sums up what the Burnet High School football team experienced during its scrimmage against Lago Vista Aug. 12.

“You see things you’re excited about and other things we got to work on,” defensive coordinator Ben Speer said. “The kids had great energy. They did a good job with that, and coaches helped them get there.”

Lago Vista, which reached the Class 3A Division I semifinals after finishing as the District 13-3A runner-up, posed a good test for the Bulldogs, Speer said.

“Lago Vista is big and physical,” he said. “It was a good bench mark for us to see where we’re at and what we need to work on.”

After the controlled portion of the scrimmage, which guarantees each unit a series of plays in a row no matter the down or distance, teams played a live portion that featured a running clock.

The Vikings scored twice to Burnet’s one score on a pass to junior receiver Grant Jones from senior quarterback Tanner O’Hair.

“We got in what we wanted,” the coordinator said. “Our big concern is depth. You want to see some live contact and somebody else to hit. We got film on our kids, and that’s going to help. They get to see where they really are. That’s always important. We also had new varsity guys who got to see that varsity speed.”

Some players are starting on both sides of the ball, including linemen, running backs as linebackers, and receivers as defensive backs.

As for Lago Vista’s scores, Speer noted the Bulldogs “had some busts that cost us. Those are mistakes we can afford right now (as we learn during scrimmages).”

Speer noted the newcomers adapted to the quickness from an opponent the Bulldogs don’t see every day. Coaches want to see players be decisive on where to go in a short amount of time so they’re reacting and not spending a lot of time thinking.

“You have to process things and do it quickly,” the coordinator said. “That’s the game speed. We talk about the ABCs of fundamentals and processing information quickly and moving in. That physical speed – a lot of times that happens because a kid knows where he’s going. It’s always good to get those reps done early.”

The Bulldogs saw what they did well and will continue to improve, the coordinator said.

“They played faster,” he said. “We’re going to get better from here. As a whole, it’s so much better than last year. Our kids are feeling confident in what they’re doing.”

Burnet welcomes Jarrell Thursday, Aug. 18, for its final scrimmage at Bulldog Field, 1400 Bulldog Stadium Drive.

The Bulldogs open the 2022 season by welcoming La Vernia at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26.

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