Burnet football looks to add another district victory

CAPTION: Burnet junior Dash Denton and the Bulldogs are looking for another District 13-4A Division I victory when they welcome Comal Canyon Lake. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

Following a huge road win at Marble Falls last week, the Burnet High School football team host the Comal Canyon Lake Hawks Friday, Oct. 21.

The game begins at 7:30 p.m. at Bulldog Field, 1400 Bulldog Stadium Drive.

To many, the Hawks (4-3, 2-0) are the best team in the district, and Burnet head coach Bryan Wood can see why.

“They are so solid offensively,” he said. “What stands out is their physicality and closing speed.”

He noted that plays that look like will go for big gains for opposing offenses result in a very few yards simply because Canyon Lake features plenty of ball Hawks who go after the ball carrier in a hurry.

None is faster than senior Helijah Johnson, who sits atop of many coaches’ ballots as the district’s player of the year. He had an interception against Marble Falls and is a force on defense.

Johnson also is a force offensively, rushing for 454 yards and 6 touchdowns on 67 carries, catching 9 passes for 126 yards, and throwing a 51-yard touchdown against Mustangs. The Hawks have run for more than 1,300 yards this season and still utilize the slot-T offense.

In this case, the best defense for the Bulldogs may be an offense that commits itself to keeping the football through a solid rushing attack.

Wood pointed to the game against Marble Falls as the path to victory for the Bulldogs. Burnet unveiled a three-back set with senior quarterback Tanner O’Hair standing between senior running back Jose Rodriguez and junior running back Dash Denton. That led to Denton rushing for 106 yards and a score on 20 carries and Rodriguez rushing for 51 yards on 9 carries and a touchdown. Junior athlete Grant Jones had 2 rushes for 30 yards including a 20-yard touchdown.

The rushing attacks for both squads were about even though Marble Falls had the ball for almost 10 minutes more than Burnet. The biggest difference was Burnet had seven running plays of 10 yards or more and three passing plays of 15 yards or more, while ensuring the Mustangs had none.

“When we go into a game, we want to be able to run it,” Wood said. “If we’re successful, we want to keep doing it. Especially if you’re playing teams that want to keep the ball away from you. I think it’s how we won the game (against Marble Falls). We haven’t been as successful running the ball consistently as Canyon Lake has. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. We like our three-back concept. We like our game plan.”

Wood said coaches have told their players to enjoy the preparation and the ball game.

“Our approach this week is to let loose,” he said. “There’s no pressure on us. If you win it, you’re still in the mix for a district title. They are the ones who have more pressure on them.”

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