Ten Highland Lakes Sports Insights

CAPTION: Burnet senior running back Jose Rodriguez listens to head coach Bryan Wood explain why the player was an instrumental part of the Bulldogs’ success in 2022 when the program hosted its awards dinner Feb. 26. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The final week of the regular season in soccer is here and big matches remain with plenty at stake. In addition, regional powerlifting meets either confirmed or revealed some attributes of those athletes as some now look forward to the state meet and others are looking to advance to state. And the District 24-4A baseball race starts Tuesday, March 7, and the theme is the same as it was for football and boys basketball — every game is winnable and every game is losable.

1. The Marble Falls Mustangs soccer team showed its mental toughness is a tremendous win against Florence 11-0 March 2 after losing to Austin Achieve 4-3 Feb. 28. Currently the Mustangs and Achieve each have a loss. If the two finish the regular season with the same record, they will be co-district champs. But soccer uses a points system to determine all sorts of things, including which team will enter the playoffs as the top seed from District 24-4A. The stat used to determine that is goals allowed. Marble Falls has allowed two fewer goals than the Polar Bears. Two regular season matches remain. Let’s see how the Mustangs finish.
2. It’s also an important week for the Lady Mustangs, who travel to Jarrell Tuesday, March 7, and then welcome Burnet Friday, March 10. The Lady Dawgs remain in first place in the district with a 10-0 record. Marble Falls is close behind at 9-1. If Marble Falls can win Tuesday, it will set up a tremendous showdown with the Lady Dawgs. The Lady Mustangs want to split the seasons series with Burnet and earn a share of the district crown.
3. The Lady Dawgs are looking for an untied district title as they welcome Georgetown Gateway Tuesday, March 7. The Lady Gators are currently fourth in the district and have plenty to play for, too. Lago Vista has beaten Gateway once and the two meet in the regular season finale. No District 25-4A team wants to finish fourth because its reward is playing Boerne High, which is a big favorite to win the state championship, in the first round of the playoffs. I believe Gateway will give its best effort against the Lady Dawgs. And in the end, it won’t be enough.
4. Congratulations to the Burnet Bulldogs for qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in the history of its eight-year soccer program. They have a bye Tuesday, March 7, after an 8-3 loss to Lago Vista to split the regular season with the Vikings. The Bulldogs will have all week to prepare for the Mustangs in a match that is very intriguing. Like the Mustangs, the Bulldogs have plenty to play for. Top of the list is not finishing fourth in the district. The fourth-place finisher meets Boerne, the Class 4A defending state champion, in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Lago Vista finishes the regular season against Florence Tuesday.
5. Three Marble Falls Lady Mustangs and two Burnet Lady Dawgs are headed to the state powerlifting meet after finishing in the top two of their weight classes at the regional meet March 3. One is Burnet junior Abby Smith who is looking to improve on her 14th place finish at the state meet last year. Teammate Maddie Moise will be joining her. Marble Falls’ Chloe Humphries and freshman Kenadi Dalton each won their weight divisions, while Sophia Trudeau was the runner-up in hers at regionals to all advance to the state meet. The boys have their regional meet this weekend.
6. The Llano Lady Jackets also are sending three to the state meet: juniors Gwyn Burnett and Emily Leach and senior Remi Easley. Burnett and Easley won their weight divisions. Their advancement to state isn’t a surprise. All three automatically qualified for regionals by hitting a standard during the regular season. The three simply performed at the level they’re accustomed to. Should be a fun state meet. The Jackets have their regional meet this weekend.
7. The District 24-4A baseball district race begins Tuesday, March 7. Marble Falls welcomes Lampasas, while Burnet hosts Jarrell with 7 p.m. first pitches. Both teams are looking to replace their top pitchers from last season and both head coaches liked what they saw from their players during the Hill Country Classic, a tournament jointly hosted by Burnet and Llano. Marble Falls plated 35 runs in wins against Pleasanton and Llano for a 2-2 record at the tournament. The Bulldogs went 3-1 at the same event. This district features parity just like the football and boys basketball district races. And that means anything can happen on any given night.
8. The Lady Mustang softball team went 2-2-1 during the Hill Country Classic hosted by Llano. Marble Falls came from behind to beat Mason 9-8 and Stonybrook 17-5 and tie Ingram 6-6. One more week remains before the start of District 24-4A play.
9. Speaking of that softball district, I had a chance to watch the Burnet Lady Dawgs Feb. 28 in an 11-0 win against Fischer Canyon Lake. I didn’t see a weakness: not in the batting order where the Lady Dawgs hit two 3-run homers, not defensively where they didn’t let one bad bounce turn into several, and not at pitching where sophomore Presely Crawford had 14 strikeouts. Look for Burnet, Georgetown Gateway and Lampasas to slug it out for the district crown.
10. Mother Nature didn’t allow District 24-4A a sneak peak at the track-and-field competition March 2. Officials of the Lampasas Badger Relays decided to cancel the meet because of inclement weather. And that’s too bad since I believe most of the district members were attending. Still, Marble Falls is optimistic about what it can do because it has more participants and has an added emphasis on sprints and relays. The Mustangs and Lady Mustangs have shown a knack to be solid in field events and the distance races. Now it’s about being great in the other two areas.

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