Three Burnet football players named Class 3A all-state honorable mentions
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — Three Burnet High School football players were named Class 3A all-state honorable mentions by The Associated Press on Dec. 17.
They are senior defensive end Chase Mardis, senior punter Austin Huff and junior linebacker Kody Hall.
“All three of those are outstanding young men,” Bulldogs head coach Kurt Jones said. “They come from great families. They’re great students. They do everything well on and off the field. I’m proud of them.”
In 2013, Mardis had 70 tackles, 40 solo tackles, eight sacks, 10 hurries and one interception.
“Chase really came on so strong his senior year,” Jones said. “He really played with a motor. It didn’t matter where the ball was, he was trying to get to the ball. He made a lot of plays for us. He inspired other players by the way he played.”
The Bulldogs have had several outstanding kickers, but Huff was unique in that he handled both the kicking and punting duties. Huff had 28 punts with a 42-yard average. His longest went 57 yards.
“We were able to lean heavily on him,” Jones said. “We got spoiled with him. He did a tremendous job for us. That left leg is valuable on kickoffs and sending people back on punts.”
Hall, the 2013 District 8-3A Defensive Most Valuable Player, led Burnet with 158 total tackles — 99 solo — two sacks and four hurries.
“He’s very hard-nosed and played down hill and certainly doesn’t shy from contact,” Jones said. “He’s done an outstanding job for us. We’re glad to have him back (next season.) He’ll be a leader for us.”
The Bulldogs finished the 2013 season with a 9-4 overall record, losing to Lubbock Cooper in the third round of the playoffs.
jfierro@thepicayune.com