An early look at Highland Lakes football teams

CAPTION: The Marble Falls Mustangs fielded a stingy defense in 2020 and 2021 that allowed them to win three playoff games. File photo

Throughout the Highland Lakes, conversations have revolved around the sport and the strengths of each team. To say fans are curious about this year’s squads is an understatement. With new head coaches at three of the four campuses that make up the region, fans are wondering what each team will look like.

So let’s take a closer look as best we can at this point.

We’ll begin with the only football team in the Highland Lakes to advance to the playoffs last season — Burnet.

The Bulldogs won a share of the District 13-4A Division I title, sharing it with Lampasas and San Antonio Davenport, and a bi-district title, the program’s first in a decade. Burnet lost 14 players to graduation from that team, most of whom played receiver and defensive back. But out of the 37 players on that roster, the vast majority of the team — 21 — are members of the class of 2025 including quarterbacks Rhett Murray and Marcus Pimentel. Khris Kassner, Lew Laidler and Colt Stanford will set the tone at linebacker and at defensive back. The true strength of the team are in trenches thanks to senior linemen Johnny Charron, Colt Johnson, Sammy Jones, Braden McKenzie, Johnathan Ryder, Brooks Tippie, Holden Valdez and Brandon Westbrook. In addition, the number of 2024 players on the 2023 roster allowed for a very talented group of 2026 players to play on the junior varsity last year. Only nine of those players are returning lettermen. The class as a whole, however, is very talented.

Don’t be surprised if offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Colton Brewer creates packages for specific players who have unique skills. A great example is how the offensive staff used graduate Grant Jones, who was named the district’s most valuable player last year. Jones had great hands, speed and field vision that allowed him to anticipate where the opponent was going and could quickly get himself in the clear for a path to paydirt.

Marble Falls had the same number of players — 37 — on its roster in 2023 with a very different outcome. The Mustangs finished the season 1-9. Seventeen players graduated with 13 returning lettermen in the 2025 class and six in the 2026 class. Among the returners is junior Joaquin Aguilar, who turned heads in his debut against Pflugerville Connally in last year’s season opener thanks to his speed. Seniors Kole Becker, Mason Long and Colton Minor will contribute in the skill positions. The Mustangs’ strong side linemen — Jeremiah Bales and Gavin Hernandez — graduated, which allows a new crop of leaders in that room to emerge.

The offseason in south Burnet County was about change: in head coach, offensive scheme and philosophy. But what didn’t change is the defensive staff led by coordinator Ryan Craven, linebackers coach Austin Silva and secondary coach Jamie Graham. The Mustangs are getting to know defensive line coach Karl “Beef” Bielfeldt thanks to the strength-and-conditioning program. Bielfeldt is the athletic department’s strength and conditioning coordinator.

Three years ago, when the Mustangs won two playoff contests, Craven was the secondary coach and guided the defensive backs to nabbing many interceptions, getting defensive stops and making offenses have miserable outings. The biggest question today is can the Mustangs regain that in 2024 to give the offense, which will include a passing attack, time to gel while operating new head coach Keri Timmerman’s offense?

Burnet visits Mustang Stadium Oct. 11 in a district contest. 

One more note. Thanks to realignment, Davenport and Fischer Canyon Lake, the 2023 district champion, are gone. They’re replaced by powerhouses Stephenville, ranked No. 1 in the state, and Brownwood, ranked in the top 10.

Change also happened to Faith Academy of Marble Falls’ football program. Defensive coordinator Jay Silvers is the new head coach and has been on the staff for a number of years. His understanding of the players’ individual strengths are a huge plus for the program as he switches to the offensive side of the ball. Another huge plus is the return of quarterback Andrew Huoy, who was the starter a year ago. Look for the Flames to add elements of former head coach Stephen Shipley’s passing attack or his six-man version of the spread offense to the rushing attack Silvers likes.

Did one injury to a player turn the fortunes of a team? Depends on which player suffered that injury. That’s what the 2023 Llano Yellow Jackets faced when QB1 Briggs Green suffered a season-ending leg injury during the Yellow Jackets first scrimmage of the season. Green was entering his second season as the starter and was replaced by a junior quarterback and a freshman quarterback, neither of whom took a single snap on the varsity level before. Green is now a college quarterback and the two signal callers who replaced him, Colton Bailey and Luke Davis, are back.

Davis was the starter late in the season and took the majority of snaps during two months of 7-on-7. It’s hard to overlook another big weapon for the Jackets — R.J. Coplin. Coplin’s skills remind me of Grant Jones. Coplin is a receiver, whose sure hands and speed make him dangerous to turn a short gain into a long touchdown run, and as a returner, he can make the kicking team look silly. Receiver Graham Prokop, running back Trey Mote and tight end Konrad Zwicke played a lot of snaps during 7-on-7. Bailey and seniors J.D. Friday Tate Morgan were terrific playing defense during 7-on-7.

Head coach Matt Green has gone on record to say that when the Jackets won 13 games in a single season (they did it in 2020 and 2022), it was because they didn’t have the season they wanted the year before and used it as motivation to drive themselves during the offseason. Throughout the summer, he was pleased with the turnout for 7-on-7 and for strength-and-conditioning sessions. That commitment coupled with razor-sharp focus to be great is terrific for the Llano Independent School District community and everyone else wearing orange and black.

Llano hosts Marble Falls in a non-district contest Sept. 13.

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