Burnet wraps up playoff spot with 41-28 win over Lampasas
FROM STAFF REPORTS
LAMPASAS — Lampasas gave the Burnet Bulldogs a good test Nov. 6, but in the end, Burnet beat the Badgers 41-28 and wrapped up a playoff spot.
Burnet will play the Liberty Hill Panthers in a bi-district contest at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Gupton Stadium, 200 Gupton Way in Cedar Park. Listen to the game on KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune.
Burnet improved to 2-3 in District 13-4A Division I and 6-4 overall with the win.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. The combination of quarterback Austin Moore and receiver Steven Gallardo set up the score when the two connected on a 57-yard pass.
Gallardo had a big night with 251 yards and two touchdowns on 14 receptions. Moore went 21 of 29 passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns.
After the initial touchdown, when it looked as if Burnet was poised to take off, things slowed down a bit for both squads. It wouldn’t be until 9:09 left in the second quarter until the next points went on the board.
But it wasn’t Burnet.
Lampasas’ Cohen Cockburn scored on a 1-yard run to tie the game at 7-7. Burnet quickly responded on its next drive when Moore connected with Gallardo for a 60-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 14-7 edge.
The Badgers bounced right back on their next drive. This time, it wasn’t Cockburn or the Badgers leading rusher, Spencer Maples, but a lineman who checked in as potential ball carrier. The Badgers confused everybody when Cockburn handed the ball off to Mason Roberts, who then rumbled 21 yards for the touchdown.
The Bulldogs regained the lead with 1:13 left in the half when Moore connected with Wesley Shackelford for a 16-yard score. However, the point-after attempt failed as Burnet looked to head into the half with a 20-14 lead.
Except, the Badgers weren’t done.
Lampasas’ Santos Vega hit Harrison Gillespie for a 43-yard pass to put the Badgers inside Burnet’s 5-yard line. Then, with 13 seconds left, Cockburn hit Gillespie for a 1-yard touchdown and a 21-20 lead going into the half.
In the third, Burnet’s Brock Foster gave the Bulldogs a 27-21 lead on a 25-yard touchdown run. Foster would close out the night with 93 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns.
But Lampasas jumped right back in the game when Cockburn added his own 35-yard rushing touchdown, and the lead went back to the Badgers, 28-27.
It would be the last time the Badgers found the end zone on the night while Burnet scored two more touchdowns, one by Foster and another on a Moore-Gallardo connection, for the 41-28 victory.
With the win, Burnet secures the fourth-seeded playoff spot in the district. Waco La Vega goes in as the district champ followed by China Spring and Gatesville.
editor@thepicayune.com
SCORING AND STATS
FIRST QUARTER
B – Preston Reeves two-yard run (Ryan Robertson kick), 11:13
SECOND QUARTER
L – Cohen Cockburn one-yard run (kick), 9:09
B – Steven Gallardo 60-yard pass from Austin Moore (Robertson kick), 7:30
L – Mason Roberts 21-yard run (kick), 3:53
B – Wesley Shackelford 16-yard pass from Moore (kick missed), 1:13
L – Harrison Gillespie one-yard pass from Cockburn (kick), :15
THIRD QUARTER
B – Brock Foster 25-yard run (Robertson kick), 8:40
L – Cockburn 35-yard run (kick), 6:39
B – Foster one-yard run (Robertson kick), 3:25
B – Gallardo 15-yard pass from Moore (Robertson kick), :09
TEAM STATS
BURNET — Total yards, 503; rushes-yards, 24-190; passing, 313; interceptions, 0; comp-att-int, 20-29-0
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING – (Burnet), Brock Foster 9-92-2 TDs, Preston Reeves 7-62-1 TD, Steven Gallardo 3-17, Wesley Shackelford 2-16, Jose Briggs 3-3
PASSING – (Burnet), Austin Moore 20-29-313-3 TDs
RECEIVING – (Burnet), Gallardo 14-250-2 TDs, Joel Johnson 1-27, Foster 3-16, Shackelford 1-16-1 TD, Reeves 1-4