Marble Falls boys basketball beats Burnet in district opener

CAPTION: The Mustangs committed to playing tenacious defense to make it difficult on the Bulldogs to make shots. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team defeated Burnet 41-31 Dec. 20 in the District 24-4A opener for both teams.

It was a battle of the last two district champions in another Burnet County classic.

“It was a game we felt control of from the start all the way through,” head coach John Berkman said. “I’m really proud of our guys.”

From the start, the Bulldogs made sure that Marble Falls senior guard Tidus Willie wasn’t a factor.

“Which is fine,” Berkman said. “Our plan was for us to use him as a screener. We put other guys in position to score.”

That included sophomore guard Beckett Berkman, who led with 13 points, followed by senior forward Garen Jones, who dropped in 12.

“We felt confident with Beckett,” the coach said. “He felt good.”

Willie finished with 6 points but they “were vital points and big time for us. He was a good teammate,” the coach said.

“Tidus shined late in the third and early in the fourth,” he said. “He broke on passes and stole them in the air. He was able to get fouled and get to the lane. Guys were doing the dirty work that it takes to get to the rim.”

Senior guard Reed Lewis “had a couple of buckets for us. He was hitting shots in the lane,” the elder Berkman said.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs committed to winning their individual battles on the other end. The elder Berkman pointed out the numerous ways they defended well.

Senior forward Noah Lyon got numerous steals and deflections in the lane, while junior center Cameron Plumlee “had four or five blocks that were huge, and he rebounded,” John Berkman said.

“When you have a group of guys who are defending well, it’s hard to beat them,” he said. “You can be a really good offensive team. A lot of teams are good offensively. I was really proud of our defensive effort.”

This is the third year in a row the Mustangs have won at The Doghouse.

“That speaks volumes,” Berkman said. “Anytime these seniors have put on a varsity uniform and played in Burnet, we haven’t lost. They’re excited to play. Everybody was ready to play. When you play on the road and go there, going 3-0 for this senior class is huge. It gives us that mindset, and we’re more confident in ourselves.”

The coach agrees that winning one game doesn’t win a district title.

“But one game can set the tone,” he said. “We’re playing well right now. We feel good about winning that game.”

The Mustangs travel to Salado Tuesday, Dec. 31, for their second district opponent. The junior varsity takes the court at 11 a.m. followed by the freshmen at 12:15 p.m. and the varsity at 1:30 p.m.

CAPTION: Marble Falls senior guard Tidus Willie stepped in front of passes for steals he turned into points. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography