Burnet football takes to district leader Davenport

CAPTION: Burnet seniors Dash Denton (1) and Grant Jones (3) and the Bulldogs are back on the road to face San Antonio Davenport. Photo by Daniel Clifton

The Burnet High School football team will face San Antonio Davenport at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at Davenport High School Stadium.

The Wolves (6-3, 3-0) are in first place in the District 13-4A Division I standings, while the Bulldogs (5-3, 2-1) are looking to solidify a playoff berth. But a loss doesn’t eliminate Burnet from the postseason.

That’s because the Bulldogs already have two wins in the district with two games left. The other 2-1 district squad is Lampasas. But the Badgers (6-2) are in second because they beat Burnet in the district opener in early October. Davenport is the only team in the district with three victories.

“If we go beat them, you got a three-way for first,” Burnet head coach Bryan Wood said. “We control ourselves either way.”

Davenport has played exceptionally well throughout the season. The Wolves average 55 points a contest, which means they score eight touchdowns per game.

“They’re the best team we play,” Wood said.

The biggest reason?

“Speed,” he said. “We saw them at track meets in the spring and knew they were going to be talented. They have fast guys everywhere. They get lots of guys to the ball.”

Offensively, Davenport uses the spread offense where senior quarterback Triston Hamblin can use his legs to extend plays or run for first downs thanks to numerous run-pass option plays. The unit enjoys running tempo while on the field.

He has completed 140 of 222 passes for 2,308 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions and has 37 carries for 134 yards and a score. Senior athlete Emmet Greiman has 40 receptions for 757 yards and 7 touchdowns and 18 carries for 76 yards and two scores. Sophomore running back Barrett Fallon has 173 carries for 1,078 yards and 18 touchdowns and 13 catches for 123 yards and three scores.

“(Greiman) lines up at tight end, wide receiver and running back,” Wood said. “They have explosiveness, speed and athleticism.”

As he watched film, the coach said he saw a variety of ways Davenport coaches utilize their players. They get the defense thinking and expecting one thing and then call something different.

“They’re very balanced,” he said. “It’s 55-45 (percent) pass to run. It’s a balanced attack.”

The Davenport defense is led by senior linebacker Zahir Livingston who has 92 tackles, 4 sacks, 12 hurries and 3 fumble recoveries this season. Senior defensive back C.J. Tanner has 44 tackles and a sack, and junior linebacker Aryck Singletary has 44 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries and an interception.

The front seven is a 3-4 defense.

“They have a mentality of ‘here we are, come and get it,'” Wood said. “You see a play and think it’s going to go for a lot and all the sudden, you get two yards. They close on the ball so fast. Everything about them says fast. That’s a really good team.”

Wood pointed out an interesting fact about the Bulldogs this season. He noted that when they have won the turnover battle, Burnet has won every game. When they didn’t, the opponent was victorious, even if the other team gained only one more turnover.

“Turnovers have been the indicator for us for winning and for losing,” he said.

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