Burnet goes ‘back to work’ against Canyon Lake after tough loss
[box]GAMETIME
Burnet Bulldogs at Canyon Lake Hawks
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20
WHERE: Canyon Lake High School, 8555 FM 32 in Fischer
TUNE IN: Listen to pre-game show at 7 p.m. and live broadcast at 7:30 p.m. on 102.9 FM or at
KBEYFM.com.[/box]
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — Burnet High School head football coach Kurt Jones has a message for the Bulldogs faithful as his squad prepares for Canyon Lake: Don’t be fooled by the Hawks’ record.
Burnet (2-1) hits the road for Canyon Lake, 8555 FM 32 in Fischer, for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Sept. 20.
Canyon Lake (0-3) is in search of its first win.
“They are a good opponent,” Jones said. “Their record doesn’t show that right now. It’s important for us. We’re trying to get better from week to week. They’ll provide a good challenge for us.”
The Hawks are a run-oriented team. McGuire Johnson leads the team in rushing with 43 carries for 317 yards and four touchdowns followed by Josh DeVries with 43 rushes for 214 yards and Hayden DuBois with 37 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown.
“We’re trying to stop a physical running game,” Jones said. “Offensively, we’ll keep working on what we do.”
Burnet senior quarterback Derek Kiser has completed 73 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior receiver Blayne Parisher has 16 receptions for 301 yards and four touchdowns, while junior receiver Cody Jones has 25 catches for 353 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs.
Burnet senior running back Trenton Hafley has 55 rushes for 349 yards and five touchdowns.
During the Bulldogs’ wins over Fredericksburg and Rockdale, they didn’t have turnovers. But on Sept. 13 against Marble Falls, Burnet suffered two in the opening 90 seconds. The Mustangs forced two fumbles on kickoff returns that they turned into 14 points.
On its third possession, Burnet drove to the Marble Falls two-yard line but couldn’t get the touchdown. The Bulldogs attempted a field goal that was blocked.
The Bulldogs got on the board midway through the first half and trimmed the deficit to 21-20, the closest they would get to Marble Falls.
Trailing 56-49 with 3 minutes 4 seconds remaining in the game, Burnet recovered an onside kick at its 45-yard line. But seven plays later, the Bulldogs fumbled on fourth and 11. That sealed the outcome.
“You go back and look at some things,” Jones said. “You missed tackles here and there. Overall, I’m proud of our kids’ efforts. We were down 14 points and then settled for a field goal that was blocked. There was an opportunity for our kids to get down on themselves, and they never did. They kept fighting and scraping.
“We’re mature enough and understand we go back to work,” he added. “We have a chance to play well at Canyon Lake. We want to get back on the field.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com