MIDDLE SCHOOL ROUNDUP: Volleyball and football

BURNET — The Marble Falls Middle School eighth-grade A volleyball team won the Burnet Tournament on Sept. 27 after losing to Austin Hill Country in straight sets Sept. 25.

At the tournament, the Lady Ponies beat Llano 26-24 and 25-20, Burnet 25-19, 25-13, and Liberty Hill 25-19, 25-20 in the championship. Marble Falls began the tournament with a 25-27, 17-25 loss to Liberty Hill.

“The ladies were focused and played hard the whole tournament,” coach Kelly Clark said. “It was all day long and hot in the gyms, and they never quit. They went after every ball and placed the ball wherever I asked them to. I am so proud of them. Everyone did a great job.”

On Sept. 25, Marble Falls fell to Hill Country 12-25, 14-25.

AGAINST LIBERTY HILL: (second match) Kills – Jessica DeLaHoya 6, Naomi Pegues 4; assists – Naomi Pegues 6, Jessica DeLaHoya 4; aces – Naomi Pegues 5, Jessica DeLaHoya 2; digs – Jessica DeLaHoya 14, Nikki Turquia 5

AGAINST LLANO: Kills – Jessica DeLaHoya with 4, Naomi Pegues 2, Rebekah Garnett 2, Kaitlyn Hemond 2; assists – Jessica DeLaHoya 5, Naomi Pegues 3; aces – Rebekah Garnett 4, Jessica DeLaHoya 4; digs – Jessica DeLaHoya 13, Naomi Pegues 6

AGAINST BURNET: Kills – Naomi Pegues 5, Logan Hulon, Jessica DeLaHoya 4; assists – Jessica DeLaHoya 5, Naomi Pegues 3; aces – Naomi Pegues 6, Nikki Turquia 2; digs – Jessica DeLaHoya 12, Logan Hulon 5

AGAINST LIBERTY HILL: (first match) Kills – Naomi Pegues 3, Jessica DeLaHoya 2; assists – Naomi Pegues 3, Jessica DeLaHoya 2; aces – Naomi Pegues 3, Jessica DeLaHoya 3; digs – Jessica DeLaHoya 12, Nikki Turquia 11

AGAINST HILL COUNTRY: Kills – Naomi Pegues 2, Nikki Turquia 2; aces – Naomi Pegues 4, Sarah Isaack 1, Jessica DeLaHoya 1; assists – Jessica DeLaHoya 2; digs – Jessica DeLaHoya 6, Naomi Peguees 6; Sarah Isaack 6; blocks – Jessica DeLaHoya 1. Offensive Player of the Game – Naomi Pegues; Defensive Player of the Game – Jessica DeLaHoya

RECORDS: Marble Falls eighth-grade A is 5-5.

UP NEXT: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2, Marble Falls vs. Dripping Springs at Marble Falls Middle School, 1511 Pony Circle Drive

Burnet 7th A def. Salado 25-16, 25-7 on Sept. 22

TOP SERVERS: Lexi Courtney, Emmerson Walker, Greysen Lenz

QUOTABLE: “We really came ready to play, and the score really showed that. We did a very good job of passing and being aggressive at the net. We did a very good job of getting out to an early lead and then really never looked backed,” Burnet coach Glen Hafley said.

RECORDS: Burnet 7th A is 3-0.

UP NEXT: 5 p.m. Sept. 29, Burnet vs. Liberty Hill at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St.

Burnet 7th B def. Salado 14-25, 25-11, 15-9 on Sept. 22

TOP SERVERS: Jessenia Garcia, Marissa Miller, Kendal Connolly

QUOTABLE: “I am very proud of the girls for not giving up after a very tough loss in the first set. It took three sets, but the Lady Dawgs fought until the end,” Burnet coach Crystal Syphrett said.

RECORDS: Burnet 7th B is 2-1.

UP NEXT: 6 p.m. Sept. 29, Burnet vs. Liberty Hill at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St.

Burnet 8th A lost to Salado 20-25, 23-25 on Sept. 22

SALADO — The Burnet Middle School eighth-grade volleyball team lost to Salado 20-25, 23-25 on Sept. 22.

Coach Glen Hafley said the Lady Pups came back in the second game but trailed 23-24 when Salado called a timeout.

“The positive that the girls can take from it is how well they played together and the run they made to finish the match,” he said. “We did several things very well at times during the match but just were unable to put together enough of a run to pull it out.”

He noted the players realize they must have have better beginnings to each match.

“The girls really struggled early and got off to a very slow start,” Hafley said. “This really hurt us and put us behind early. I really felt like we struggled at certain times during the match, but I am very proud of how the girls fought throughout.”

RECORDS: Burnet is 2-1 overall

UP NEXT: 6 p.m. Sept. 29, Burnet vs. Liberty Hill at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St.

Burnet 8th B def. Salado 25-12, 25-20 on Sept. 22

TOP SERVERS: Kaylie Russell, Makenna Delill, Hattie Blair

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Lucila Ortiz, Mackenzie Goertz, Peyton Phillips, Makenna Delill, Paige Bridgeman

QUOTABLE: “I’m proud of the hustle the girls showed in the first game and the team work and encouragement towards each other to win the second game,” Burnet coach Tamura Hurst said.

RECORDS: Burnet 8th B is 3-0.

UP NEXT: 5 p.m. Sept. 29, Burnet vs. Liberty Hill at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St.

Burnet Pride def. Burnet Spirit 25-14, 25-21 on Sept. 24

TOP SERVERS: Pride – Melissa Sprankle, Heather Hahn, Jamie Edwards, Madison Glaspy, Allie Richardson. Spirit – Madison Slocum

OFFENSIVE STANDOUT: Spirit – Harli Springer.

MOST IMPROVED: Kansas Haynes, Gisselle “GiGi” Valdez, Harli Springer, Autumn Pritchett

QUOTABLE: “Both teams were much more aggressive than last week and worked well together. I am very proud of all our Spirit and Pride teams. They are working hard every day,” Burnet coach Crystal Syphrett said.

Liberty Hill def. Burnet 7th A 15-25, 20-25 on Sept. 29

BURNET — The Burnet Middle School volleyball team played five matches in two days Sept. 27 and 29.

The Lady Pups lost to Liberty Hill in district play Sept. 29 after being the runners-up at their own tournament Sept. 27.

The Lady Pups lost to Marble Falls 13-25, 18-25 in the championship and again in bracket play 20-25, 22-25. Burnet beat Liberty Hill 25-17, 25-16 and Llano 25-9, 25-7 to begin the tournament.

“We came out on fire and really dominated against the first two opponents of Llano and Liberty Hill,” Burnet coach Glen Hafley said. “With great serving, we were able to really control the tempo and easily get wins. Then, as the day went on, we seemed to lose a little bit of the fire and were just unable to get over the hump against Marble Falls.

“(On Sept. 29), we had some trouble with serves throughout, and, in the end, that would be enough to keep us from getting a victory. We had flashes of great play that helped us go on a run and pull close, but, in the end, it was just not enough to get the win,” he added.

RECORDS: Burnet 7th A is 5-3 overall and 3-1 in district.

UP NEXT: 5 p.m. Oct. 6, Burnet vs. Lampasas at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St. in Burnet

Burnet 7th B def. Liberty Hill 26-24, 25-19 on Sept. 29

BURNET — The Burnet Middle School seventh-grade B team beat Liberty Hill on Sept. 29 on the heels of finishing third in its own tournament over the weekend with a 2-1-1 record.

The Lady Pups defeated Llano 25-7, 25-23 and 25-10, 22-25, 25-13 but lost to Liberty Hill 15-25, 19-25 and tied Marble Falls 25-21, 7-25.

TOP SERVERS: (Against Liberty Hill) Jessenia Garcia, Leah Ng, Kendal Connolly, Stephany Garcia, Emma Nisely, Elizabeth Nash, Marissa Miller; (tournament) Jessenia Garcia, Marissa Miller, Stephanie Garcia, Elizabeth Nash

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Against Liberty Hill) Kendal Connolly, Leah Ng; (tournament) setters Leah Ng and Kendall Connolly, and Stephanie Garcia

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Against Liberty Hill) Jessie Barnard, Taylor Mullins, libero Caitlyn Graves; (tournament) Jessie Barnard, Taylor Mullins, libero Caitlyn Graves

QUOTABLE: “The Lady Dawgs had a fight in them like I had never seen. Every point was fought hard for, and it paid off. I commend them for putting their whole heart into volleyball and being so incredibly coachable,” Burnet coach Crystal Syphrett

RECORDS: Burnet 7th B is 5-2-1 overall and 3-1 in district.

UP NEXT: 6 p.m. Oct. 6, Burnet vs. Lampasas at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St. in Burnet

Liberty Hill def. Burnet 8th A 13-25, 21-25 on Sept. 29

BURNET — The Burnet Middle School eighth-grade A team lost to Liberty Hill on Sept. 29 after finishing fourth in its own tournament over the weekend with a 0-3-1 record.

In district play, the Lady Pups (2-5-1 overall, 2-2 district) lost to Liberty Hill 13-25, 21-25.

“With a bit of a slow start, the girls really fought hard throughout the match. Even in the first game with the score not being as close as the second, the girls fought hard and made Liberty Hill work for every point. We had very good play at the net from several girls and also had some very good digs against Liberty Hills attack,” Burnet coach Glen Hafley said.

In tournament play, Burnet tied Llano 25-23, 15-25 and lost to Liberty Hill 22-25, 22-25, Marble Falls 19-25, 13-25 and Llano 25-22, 16-25, 21-25.

“I really felt like the girls played some very good volleyball,” Hafley said. “Even though the win column didn’t show it, I really felt like we competed very well against very strong competition. We showed a lot of heart throughout the day and really competed against every team we faced.”

UP NEXT: 6 p.m. Oct. 6, Burnet vs. Lampasas at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St. in Burnet

Liberty Hill def. Burnet 8th B 8-25, 22-25 on Sept. 29

BURNET — The Burnet Middle School eighth-grade B volleyball team lost to Liberty Hill 8-25, 22-25 on Sept. 29 after finishing as the runner-up at its own tournament Sept. 27.

The Lady Pups beat Marble Falls 25-19, 25-11 but lost to Liberty Hill 21-25, 24-26, and 23-25, 20-25 and spilt with Llano 13-25, 25-23.

TOP SERVERS: McKinley Gonzales. (Tournament) Makenna Delill, Aubrey Losey,

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Against Liberty Hill) Brooke Weller, Aubrey Losey, Makenna Delill and Hattie Blair and setters McKinley Gonzales and Peyton Phillips; (tournament) Kaylie Russell, Hattie Blair, Paige Bridgeman and Kathleen Fipps

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Against Liberty Hill) Mackenzie Goertz; (tournament) Mackenzie Goertz and Makenna Delill

QUOTABLE: “The first game, the girls had a hard time getting serves over and returning the Liberty Hill serves. This caused them to get behind early and were never able to recover. The second game the girls were more determined. I was very proud of how hard the girls fought in the second game, especially against a very competitive team,” Burnet coach Tamura Hurst said.

RECORDS: Burnet 8th B is 4-3-1 overall and 3-1 in district.

UP NEXT: 5 p.m. Oct. 6, Burnet vs. Lampasas at Burnet Middle School, 1401 N. Main St. in Burnet

FOOTBALL

Burnet 12, Marble Falls 7th gold 8

MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls Middle School seventh-grade gold team lost 12-8 to Burnet on Sept. 25.

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Marble Falls) Isaiah Beltran scored the touchdown, and Mauro Palacio scored the two-point conversion.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Skylar Murphy and Dakota Taylor with touchdown-saving interceptions.

OUTSTANDING LINEMAN – Sammy Ortiz

RECORDS: Marble Falls 7th gold is 0-3.

UP NEXT: 5 p.m. Sept. 30, Marble Falls vs. Wimberley at Pony Stadium, 1511 Pony Circle Drive in Marble Falls

Marble Falls 7th purple 18, Burnet 14

MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls Middle School seventh-grade purple team defeated Burnet 18-14 on Sept. 25.

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Marble Falls) Gabriel Barker scored two touchdowns; Denver Horn had one touchdown.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Kiare Hughs and Brylan Mills had interceptions, Ben Anderson had a touchdown-saving pass break-up.

OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Tyler Wooten and Logan Potter

RECORDS: Marble Falls 7th purple is 1-2.

UP NEXT: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30, Marble Falls vs. Wimberley at Pony Stadium, 1511 Pony Circle Drive in Marble Falls

Marble Falls 8th gold 20, Burnet 20

MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls Middle School eighth-grade gold team tied Burnet 20-20 on Sept. 25.

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Marble Falls) Oscar De La Hoya had a 45-yard touchdown run; Steve Rodriguez had two rushing touchdowns. Coaches said the offensive line played great and created great holes for the running backs.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Christian Cortez had two interceptions and Sam Haywood had a great tackle on an extra-point play to keep the game tied.

RECORDS: Marble Falls 8th gold is 0-2-1.

UP NEXT: 5 p.m. Oct. 2, Marble Falls vs. Wimberley at Pony Stadium, 1511 Pony Circle Drive in Marble Falls

Marble Falls 8th purple 12, Burnet 0

MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls Middle School eighth-grade purple team beat Burnet 12-0 on Sept. 25.

Against Burnet, the Ponies had two defensive stands that secured the victory. One was a tackle for a loss by Zach Fern. Coaches said the defense played well in the first half while the offense was trying to find its rhythm.

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS: (Marble Falls) Cooper Wilson scored both touchdowns; Josh Hanley with hard-nosed running.

OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Charles McLean had a great second-half effort, and Reece Van Hoose had good pass protection.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Zach Fern and Ryan Caddell

RECORDS: Marble Falls 8th purple is 1-2.

UP NEXT: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2, Marble Falls vs. Wimberley at Pony Stadium, 1511 Pony Circle Drive in Marble Falls

Marble Falls 7th purple 32, Wimberley 0 on Sept. 30

ON OFFENSE: Brendon Sapp touchdown pass from Josh Whitecotten; Brylen Mills touchdown pass from Hunter Jackson; Mauro Palacio 10-yard touchdown run; Josiah Rojas with two extra points.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE GAME: Charles McClean and Tyler Wooten

ON DEFENSE: Interceptions – Alonso Soto 1, Denver Horn 2 with one returned for a touchdown; other standouts — Chavez McHenry and Bryan Arreguin, Ponies had two goal-line stands

ON SPECIAL TEAMS: Gabriel Barker touchdown on a kick return

RECORDS: Marble Falls is 2-2

UP NEXT: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Marble Falls vs. Hill Country at Pony Stadium, 1511 Pony Circle Drive in Marble Falls

Marble Falls 7th B and C teams face each other in scrimmage

MARBLE FALLS — Coaches divided members of the seventh-grade B and C teams into purple and gold squads to play each other Sept. 30. Purple on 20-8.

ON OFFENSE: Touchdowns – Isaiah Beltran and Jose Garcia; extra points – Dakato Taylor and Fermin Cortez

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Cody Sauer and Sammy Ortiz

UP NEXT: 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Oct. 6, Marble Falls vs. Hill Country at Pony Stadium, 1511 Pony Circle Drive in Marble Falls