Burnet, Taylor football face off for final playoff berth

CAPTION: The Burnet seniors have an opportunity to qualify for the Class 4A Division I playoffs for the first time since 2020. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

The Burnet High School football team has been preparing for months for the game it’ll play Friday, Nov. 4, when the Bulldogs travel Texas 29 East to Taylor to face the Ducks for the final playoff berth in District 13-4A Division I.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium, 355 FM 973.

Both are entering the contest with identical 1-3 district records, each sharing wins over Marble Falls and losses to Comal Canyon Lake, Comal Davenport and Lampasas.

The Ducks (4-5) are led by senior quarterback Ryan Valdez, who has completed 79 of 129 passes for 1,122 yards, 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions and has 53 carries for 303 yards and 7 scores. Sophomore running back Andrias Fisher has 137 rushes for 841 yards and 7 touchdowns and senior receiver Jarvis Anderson has 31 receptions for 623 yards and 9 touchdowns and 17 carries for 110 yards and 2 scores.

During Taylor’s 42-26 victory over Marble Falls Oct. 21, the Ducks, who led 28-26 at the time, faced third-and-9 inside their 20-yard line. The Mustangs called for a blitz and the linebacker had his hands on Valdez, who spun to his left, got out of the grip and ran for 19 yards. That allowed the drive to continue, eventually leading to points and the inevitable win.

Burnet’s 28-14 win at Marble Falls Oct. 14 was the result of junior Grant Jones scoring two key touchdowns: a 95-yard kickoff return after the Mustangs took a 6-0 lead and a 20-yard run in the third quarter when he reversed field from the right to the left and weaved his way to the end zone. It didn’t hurt that junior running back Dash Denton rushed for 106 yards and a score on 20 carries.

Both defenses had answers for the Mustangs’ slot-T offense. But these two offenses will utilize their versions of the spread offense though Taylor has shown more of a tendency to be balanced with the rushing and passing attacks. Burnet has shown a tendency to spread the defenses out in order to run the football, preferably up the middle with Denton and senior running back Jose Rodriguez.

Now that Jones is at quarterback, he is the featured back. Against Canyon Lake, Jones completed 8 of 12 passes for 183 yards. Against Davenport, he completed 9 of 16 for 110 yards and had 20 rushes for 85 yards and two scores.

But the Ducks are wise to know where Denton is lined up. He had 13 carries for 125 yards and a score against Davenport. As a team, the Bulldogs had 268 rushing yards against the Wolves and 110 passing yards for 378 yards of total offense to Davenport’s 395 yards with 172 on the ground and 223 in the air. Burnet also had three turnovers to the Wolves’ one.

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