Bulldogs grow up, prepare for rematch against Wimberley
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — With a win-or-go-home attitude, the Burnet High School boys basketball team stormed its way into the 2015 playoffs.
The Burnet Bulldogs (14-13, 5-5) will put a two-game winning streak on the line when they face Wimberley (20-8, 10-2) in a bi-district championship at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at Max Copeland Gym on the Marble Falls High School campus, 2101 Mustang Drive.
The Texans are the District 26-4A co-champions, while the Bulldogs are District 25-4A’s third-place team. The two teams met Dec. 9 with the Texans winning 69-52.
While Burnet head coach Roy Kiser didn’t know which team had the advantage, he does know that his team has improved since that first meeting. And the Bulldogs are preparing for a better Texans team, too, he said.
“For us being young, we’re focused on the things we have to do to help us win,” he said. “One of the things (Wimberley) does well is rebound. We have to get some of those rebounds. That’s where a lot of their offense comes from.”
Other crucial elements include staying true to the defensive game plan, and that means getting stops while also being aggressive on the offensive end without being reckless with possessions, the coach said.
“We give our guys two goals offensively,” he said. “One is to shoot a certain number of free throws and certain number of 3s. If we can do that offensively, we feel good (about our chances).”
The Texans are led by junior swingman Will Simpson, who averages 15 points a game. What makes Simpson difficult on defenses is his height, at 6 feet 5 inches tall, and his versatility, Kiser said.
Simpson can post up to take shots from the paint if he’s being defended by a guard. But if a post is defending him, he can consistently score from long range.
At one point during the season, the Bulldogs had to grow in a hurry. It started with a 64-48 loss to Taylor on Feb. 3 that began a three-game losing streak: to Salado 66-48 and to Liberty Hill 84-48.
Worse, sophomore guard Drew Kiser was out for a must-win game at Lampasas Feb. 13.
“If we win,” the coach said, “we’re in.”
The Bulldogs left no doubt as they nabbed a critical 53-41 victory. They finished the regular season with a 62-39 win against Llano on Feb. 17.
“To play like they have the last two games really speaks a lot about their character,” the coach said. “Typically we get our teams to peak at the end of the year. (The players) had to do their part. We didn’t stumble into the playoffs; we got production from our post game. That’s helped our guards shooting the ball.”
Kiser said there’s concern the Bulldogs’ routine is being interrupted by the bad weather. The roster has 11 players, however, six are sophomores who will make their playoff debut this season.
“The thing we tell our players every game is control the controllables,” Kiser said. “(Routine) is one of those things we add to the list.”
The game will be broadcast online at www.kbeyfm.com.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
