Burnet football faces ‘solid’ Rockdale in home opener
[box]GAMETIME
Burnet Bulldogs vs. Rockdale Tigers
WHEN: Sept. 6 with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Bulldog Field, 1000 The Green Mile in Burnet
RECORDS: Burnet is 1-0; Rockdale is 1-0[/box]
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — The Burnet High School football team faces the first of several opponents featuring players bound for Football Bowl Championship squads when Rockdale pays a visit to Bulldog Field on Sept. 6.
Rockdale senior linebacker James David committed to Baylor during the summer, and teammate Josh Pelzel, an offensive lineman, has generated plenty of interest from college programs.
“Those are the two guys who get the most attention, and deservedly so,” Bulldogs head coach Kurt Jones said. “But they have some great talent around them.”
That includes receivers Austin Caffey, who set the program’s career mark for most receptions at 75, Pearce Loth and Devante Burgess, running back Dailynn Ramey and athletes Clayton Gibbs and Elijah Brooks. The defense is led by linebacker Landontice Coats, who is quick enough to drop back into coverage with the secondary.
“So, it’s not just those two guys,” Jones said. “It’s a solid rock Rockdale team that’ll come over here.”
The Tigers defeated Salado 47-21 on Aug. 30. Ramey had 11 carries for 94 yards, while quarterback Gibbs completed 15 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Hayden Offield returned an interception 78 yards for a touchdown.
“They’re well coached to make things happen in a hurry if you don’t control their offense and eliminate some of their big plays,” Jones said. “They play good defense. They’re very big up front on both sides of the offensive and defensive lines. We’ll have to be at our best.”
Burnet had 569 yards of total offense during its 40-27 win against Fredericksburg on Aug. 30. The Bulldogs led 27-7 late in the second quarter. That’s when the Billies added a touchdown. They then trimmed the deficit to 33-27 with about 90 seconds remaining in the game.
Bulldogs senior linebacker Everardo Medrano got an interception, and senior quarterback Derek Kiser hit junior receiver Cody Jones for a 30-yard touchdown to seal the win.
“We weren’t surprised by the fight Fredericksburg had,” Jones said. “Fredericksburg continues to make good progress. They have young men who played hard. It was a good season opener. We did get off to a quick start. But Fredericksburg fought back.”
Kiser completed 24 of 32 passes for 387 yards and five touchdowns. Senior receiver Blayne Parisher caught six passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore receiver Brock Foster had two receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Trenton Hafley carried the ball 15 times for 101 yards and one touchdown.
jfierro@thepicayune.com