Burnet football up against ‘speedy’ Kennedale in second-round game
[box]GAMETIME
Burnet Bulldogs vs. Kennedale Wildcats
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22
WHERE: Waco ISD Stadium, 1401 S. New Road in Waco
TUNE IN: Listen to KBEY 103.9 FM, at KBEYFM.com or on Northland Channel 15 starting with pre-game show at 7 p.m.[/box]
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — Now that the Burnet High School football team has its first bi-district championship since 2009, the Bulldogs (8-3) will try to win a second-round contest for the first time since 2003.
That season also was the last time Burnet played for a state championship.
But to do that this year, the Bulldogs will have to make it past Kennedale (7-4, 5-0 in District 6-3A) on Nov. 22 at Waco Independent School District Stadium, 1401 S. New Road in Waco. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
The Wildcats defeated Burkburnett 57-28 for a bi-district championship.
Kennedale is a power-run offense that revolves around two players. Junior running back Juwan Washington has more than 2,300 rushing yards on the season. Senior running back Donny Darville has more than 1,320 rushing yards.The Wildcats have attempted no more than 50 passes all year.
“They get the ball into the hands of their best backs,” Burnet head coach Kurt Jones said. “Washington is a speed kid who runs with great vision and great technique. He’ll be a challenge. They’ve got some big physical linemen. They are athletic, and they can run well.”
Burnet has faced power running attacks throughout the season, most notably Liberty Hill, Lampasas and Alvarado.
Liberty Hill utilized the slot T, while Lampasas has more of a wing-T look and Alvarado likes to run out of the power-I.
“It certainly helps to have played several different offenses,” Jones said. “They lean on you and get the ball into the hands of their speedy kids.”
Defensively, the Wildcats have plenty of athletes who anticipate where the ball will be and are able to swarm to it in a hurry, Jones said.
“They have some very good defensive backs who have picked off a lot of balls,” he said. “They’ll be one of the better defenses we’ve seen this year.”
The Bulldogs enter the contest with confidence after a convincing 41-14 bi-district victory against Alvarado on Nov. 15
“It was a great and exciting atmosphere,” Jones said. “I’m happy that we got a great win for our program and for our community.”
After Burnet punted on its first possession and the Indians took a 7-0 lead, the Bulldogs scored 34 unanswered points by the time the horn sounded to end the first half. Out of seven first-half possessions, Burnet scored four touchdowns and two field goals of 35 and 36 yards by senior kicker Austin Huff.
Quarterback Derek Kiser threw four touchdown passes to three different teammates: running back Trenton Hafley for 43 yards, junior receiver Cody Jones for 10 yards and 67 yards, and sophomore running back Brock Foster for 29 yards. In the second half, Foster caught a Kiser pass for a 58-yard touchdown.
Meanwhile, the Burnet defense recovered two fumbles that the offense turned into touchdowns and forced a turnover on downs and two punts.
Kiser said he felt like he was in rhythm after he hit Hafley for the touchdown.
“The coaches did a great job of seeing what was there,” he said. “It felt like we knew what they were going to do. The defense played fantastic.”
“On the first drive, (Alvarado) went down and scored,” Jones said. “The kids came right back, and we responded, started making some things happen.”
Jones said they knew the Indians wouldn’t quit. That was apparent when they went on a 20-play touchdown drive to start the third quarter that took eight minutes and 36 seconds.
Kiser finished with 333 yards and five touchdowns after completing 20 of 28 passes. Foster caught three pass for 104 yards and two touchdowns, while Jones hauled in three receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
Jones, who is in his second year as the head coach, now has his first playoff win.
“It’s for our kids, for our program and for our community,” he said. “It’s big for our program and our community. It’s not about making the playoffs, it’s about winning in November and December.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com