Lampasas football beats Burnet to begin district with a win

CAPTION: The Burnet defense kept the Lampasas Badgers in check as illustrated by this Bulldog pack of defenders led by junior linebacker Trenton Park tackling Badger senior receiver Owen Stubbs. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

The Lampasas Badgers defeated the Burnet High School football team 24-7 Oct. 7 in the District 13-4A Division I opener for both teams.

The Badgers (4-2) scored 17 unanswered points in the second half after the Bulldogs (3-3) took a 7-3 lead midway through the third quarter.

“I thought the defense played well enough for us to win, ” Burnet head coach Bryan Wood said. “Offensively, we missed some close shots and big plays.”

Lampasas lead 3-0 at the half and began the second half by trying to recover an onside kick. It didn’t travel the necessary 10 yards so Burnet took over at the Badger 45. Four plays later senior quarterback Tanner O’Hair found senior receiver Braden Ellett-Clark, who leapt and snatched the ball away from the defender. He turned and sprinted down the sideline for the 45-yard touchdown with 10 minutes and 16 seconds left in the third quarter.

But Lampasas responded immediately by completing the 61-yard drive in nine plays highlighted by a 19-yard scamper by senior Aden Rascoe for the 10-7 lead with 6:27 left in the half.

The two teams exchanged possessions the rest of the third period.

The Badgers began the final stanza the same way they started the third — with a score thanks to a one-yard run by senior quarterback David Flores to complete a six-play, 54-yard drive for a 17-7 lead with 9:16 left in the game.

Burnet had a turnover on downs on its 31-yard line. Seven running plays later, Lampasas freshman running back Jett Walker ran to the end zone from eight yards out and a 24-7 advantage with 2:28 left.

A Burnet interception on the Lampasas one allowed the Badgers to run out the final 10 seconds.

“Offensively, it’s a matter of making plays,” Wood said. “We had balls coming off fingertips and missed guys who were wide open. We have to play better — that’s the bottom line.”

O’Hair completed 8 of 27 passes for 164 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Ellett-Clark finished with 2 catches for 69 yards and the score. Junior running back Dash Denton had 8 rushes for 17 yards.

Lampasas had 309 yards of total offense: 183 yards on 44 carries on the ground and 126 yards on 10 completions through the air. Walker had 15 rushes for 71 yards and a touchdown, Rascoe had 11 carries for 72 yards and a score, and Flores had 9 carries for 14 yards and a score. Senior receiver Owen Stubbs caught 3 passes for 63 yards.

Lampasas head coach Troy Rogers said the Badgers used the intermission to emphasize the need to execute better.

“No excuses,” he said. “We talked about all the work we didn’t do very well. You come out and win the second half, and we did that.”

He commended the running of Walker and Rascoe in leading the way on the ground attack.

“Jett was up and really did a good job,” the coach said. “Aden is a different breed. He’s a tough, physical runner. He fits in well with what we’re trying to do. We gave him the ball, and he did well.”

He also praised the defense, which is coordinated by Burnet graduate Cory Warner.

“The defensive scheme is new, and we’re doing a great job,” Rogers said. “Coach Warner has done a great job.”

Burnet travels to Marble Falls (2-4, 0-1) for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday, Oct. 14, at Mustang Stadium, 2101 Mustang Drive.

Marble Falls lost to Canyon Lake 42-7 Oct. 7.

Lampasas welcomes Tayor at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14.

FIRST HALF

In a battle of defenses, the Lampasas Badgers are leading the Burnet High School football team 3-0 at the half on Oct. 7.

That 27-yard field goal was the result of an 89-yard, 17-play drive that took 7 minutes and 26 seconds to complete. It ended with 5:10 left in the first half.

The contest couldn’t have started better for rhe Bulldogs. Junior defensive back Grant Jones caught an interception on the fourth play of the game.

But in a foreshadow of what was coming, the Badgers forced the Bulldogs to punt.

Burnet had five possessions in the first half resulting in three punts, a turnover on downs, and had the ball with five seconds left in the first half and yook a knee.

Lampasas’ possessions ended in an interception, a turnover on downs, a punt, a field goal and a missed field goal.

The Badgers had 122 yards of total offense to Burnet’s 76, all unofficial.

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