Basketball Featured High School 

Burnet girls basketball continues winning ways

The Burnet High School girls basketball team keeps adding to its impressive list of wins. The Lady Dawgs (15-5) defeated Brownwood 42-27 Dec. 11 on the heels of beating Sulphur Springs 33-18, Palestine 60-38, Gladewater 50-23 and Rusk 50-35 all at the Great East Texas Shootout tournament Dec. 7-9. The lone loss at the event was to Edgewood 40-35. In all, Burnet has won 11 of its last 12 contests. “I think they’re confident in what we’re doing,” head coach Rick Gates said. “They’re going out there and proving that.”…

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Featured Football 

Hill Country Elite wins the River City Bowl

Hill Country Elite won the River City Bowl Dec. 2-3 in San Marcos by going 3-1 to begin the winter season. The Elite, which features seventh- and eighth-graders living in Burnet, Llano, Marble Falls and Fredericksburg, beat the San Marcos Sharks in the championship 28-0 in a contest that was called in the fourth quarter after losing to them 8-2 to begin the event. Other wins were against the Belton Storm 29-0 and the San Marcos Mambas 32-6. “They always found a way to beat us,” head coach Ray Gurley…

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Basketball Featured High School 

Burnet girls basketball wins Little River Academy tourney

Photo by Martelle Ludecke/Luedecke Photography The Burnet High School girls basketball team captured the Little River Academy tournament championship thanks to winning five games, none bigger than beating the host 30-27 Dec. 2 in the final. The Lady Dawgs also beat Bosqueville 34-24, Rogers 45-12, Mumfort 55-43 and Milano 57-17. Head coach Rick Gates commended his players for not giving into fatigue. They may have understandably been tired by the time they faced Little River Academy, their second game on Dec. 2. “I thought our girls were tired and gutted…

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Basketball Featured High School 

Burnet girls basketball meets defensive goals in beating Hutto

CAPTION: The Burnet Lady Dawgs enjoy a post Thanksgiving win Nov. 26 when they beat Hutto to start the week. Courtesy photo The Burnet High School girls basketball team defeated Hutto 44-36 Nov. 26 in the Lady Dawgs’ first game back after the Thanksgiving holiday. “It was a little bit of a high-scoring game,” Lady Dawgs head coach Rick Gates said. “We did a wonderful job defensively. We’re trying to get stops right now. We’re playing with different presses depending on who we have on the floor.” The Lady Hippos…

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Basketball Featured Football High School High School 

Ten Highland Lakes Sports Insights

CAPTION: This gold volleyball symbolizes a playoff win. The Burnet athletic department has every reason to believe the winter sports will add to an impressive haul won by the fall sports program. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography It’s been a few days since Thanksgiving and hopefully you’ve eaten through your leftovers by now. To ensure the region’s basketball teams got in some valuable work before breaking for turkey, coaches scheduled some key games. Let’s review what happened. Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and…

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Basketball Featured High School 

Burnet girls basketball team faces two top 10 opponents

Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography The Burnet High School girls basketball team lost to Fredericksburg 63-47 Nov. 21 and to Goldthwaite 60-45 Nov. 20. Fredericksburg (7-3) is ranked No. 6 in the latest Class 4A poll of Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, while Goldthwaite is No. 13 in the TABC’s Class 2A poll. “We always try to play a tough non-district schedule,” Burnet head coach Rick Gates said. “Obviously as we’re playing through the season, we want to win games and we want to play good teams. Sometimes you win…

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Basketball Featured Football High School High School 

Ten Highland Lakes Sports Insights

CAPION: The Burnet High School football program’s subvarsity players run on the field at Bastrop Memorial Stadium behind the 2023 varsity. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography The 2023 high school football season is officially over for the region now that the Burnet Bulldogs lost in the second round of the playoffs. But a loss on the scoreboard doesn’t take away the greatness of a squad that performed at the high level I thought they could. Let’s examine why. Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel…

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Featured Football High School Recruiting 

Burnet football’s season ends in loss to Port Lavaca Calhoun

CAPTION: Burnet junior quarterback Rhett Murray was decisive with his passes, throwing for 155 yards against Port Lavaca Calhoun. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography The Burnet High School football team lost to Port Lavaca Calhoun 42-14 Nov. 17 to end its season in the Class 4A Division I playoffs. The Bulldogs earned its best record since the 2019 team’s 6-4 record. But that squad missed the playoffs because it lost out on tiebreaker rules and head-to-head match-ups. “It’s the second round of the playoffs,” Burnet head coach Bryan Wood said.…

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Basketball Featured High School 

Burnet girls basketball beats Smithson Valley for first win

The Burnet High School girls basketball team defeated Smithson Valley 42-40 Nov. 14 for the Lady Dawgs’ first win this season. Burnet (1-2) lost to Stephenville 29-25 Nov. 10 and to Lake Belton 51-48 Nov. 6 to begin the season. “All three games were really close,” head coach Rick Gates said. “We lost to Lake Belton without our volleyball girls.” Against Smithson Valley, Burnet built a 12-5 lead in the second quarter, but Smithson Valley took a 19-18 lead midway through the stanza. Senior forward Sierra Schaefer hit back-to-back 3-pointers…

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Featured Football High School 

Burnet football looks to bury Calhoun Sandcrabs

CAPTION: Burnet senior Brayden Hill celebrates the Bulldogs’ bi-district victory against Somerset in the rain Nov. 10. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography The Burnet High School football team faces Port Lavaca Calhoun at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at Bastrop Memorial Stadium in the area round of the Class 4A Division I playoffs. The Sandcrabs (7-4, 4-1 District 15-4A Division I champions) utilize the triple-run option as their primary offense. Burnet head coach Bryan Wood noted Calhoun wants to lull opponents into believing each play is a three-yard run then…

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