Marble Falls and Burnet meet for the 100th time

JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER

BURNET — The 100th meeting between the Burnet and Marble Falls high school football teams will result in one squad exiting Bulldog Field with its first loss of the season.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at Bulldog Field, 1000 The Green Mile in Burnet. Mustangs fans can listen to the game on KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune or at KBEYFM.com with Ben Shields and Jennifer Fierro. Bulldogs fans can tune in to KMPN 95.9 FM powered by KBEY or at KBEYFM.com with Mark Edmondson and Chad Nelson. A pregame show with all the local high school football action is 6:30 p.m. on both stations. The broadcasts go live at 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs (1-0) are looking to extend their winning streak over the Mustangs (1-0) to three straight. Burnet leads the all-time series 50-40-9.

In the season openers, Burnet (District 13-4A Division I) beat Austin Reagan 55-12, while Marble Falls (District 26-5A) defeated Bastrop Cedar Creek 41-14.

Both head coaches said this is a typical rivalry game in which records and streaks don’t always guarantee a victory.

“You push things aside and know it’s going to be a battle,” Burnet head coach Kurt Jones said. ‘“That’s what makes it exciting. That’s why people come out here, to watch that game. I’m sure (Marble Falls) coach (Matt) Green is going to have them ready to come in here and play well, and we’re going to have to be ready to play.”

Green said the Bulldogs will be ready to play from a physical and mental standpoint because that’s how Jones and his staff coach them.

“I think the impression you make on them is ‘Look, in a rivalry game, anything can happen,’ and both teams are going to play hard,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who’s better than the other. You’re going to have a fairly balanced game just because the rivalry factor until somebody separates in the game.”

Against Cedar Creek, the Mustangs used two different quarterbacks, junior Zach Rangel and sophomore Andrew Stripling.

Rangel was four of 11 attempts for 148 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 36 yards and a score on five carries. Stripling was six of 11 for 74 yards and a touchdown and had four rushes for 16 yards.

Green declined to name a starter but expressed confidence in both his players.

“I would say that, right now, we still want to rep both quarterbacks and play both quarterbacks, and we’ll just see how it goes going into the game,” he said. “Nobody in my opinion was just head over heels over the other one. I thought they both played well.”

Jones said the Bulldogs are preparing to face both quarterbacks, adding they must concern themselves with more than just Rangel and Stripling.

“They’re huge up front, big ol’ huge linemen who can push you around,” he said. “All those (quarterbacks) bring some different elements to the table for (the Marble Falls) offense. They have big physical running backs. They can be awfully effective and methodical in running the football, and they put up a lot of points last week.”

Marble Falls used nine different ball carriers resulting in 43 rushes for 277 yards and three touchdowns. They were led by senior running back Dalton Mayberry, who had nine carries for 117 yards. In addition, the Mustangs had seven different players record a catch for 222 yards on 10 receptions and two scores. They were led by senior receiver Sam Harkins, who caught two balls for 100 yards and a touchdown.

So the key for both the Mustangs offense and the Bulldogs defense is pressuring the quarterbacks and controlling the line of scrimmage.

Meanwhile, Burnet doesn’t have an issue at quarterback. Senior quarterback Koby Edwards was spot on during the victory over Reagan. He was 14 of 24 attempts for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scoring passes were to junior receiver Sterling Galban, who had six catches for 75 yards. And while senior receiver Steven Gallardo had three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, he also threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Galban. Edwards scored a rushing touchdown as did senior receiver Tyler Ford on a 12-yard scamper and junior running back Ian Carter on a 15-yard run.

In all, Burnet had 15 passes for 187 yards and four touchdowns and 26 carries for 152 yards and three touchdowns.

All those weapons caught Green’s eye.

“There’s no doubt our kids know these kids from Burnet are very good on the offensive side, so there’s no doubt,” he said. “And they know they have a huge challenge coming in.”

Defensively, the Mustangs limited Cedar Creek to 185 yards of total offense.

Both coaches said the key for the Bulldog offense and the Marble Falls defense lies in how quickly Edwards can get the ball to his runners and receivers and how fast the Mustangs can swarm to the ball.

The two added that special teams will play a factor in the outcome and turnovers are the “X” factor.

Still, they said, this game is what Texas high school football is all about. City and county leaders, business owners, alumni, students and those who love the sport are expected to fill the 8,000-capacity stadium to the max.

And they both said they don’t expect their players to be in awe of the number of people in the bleachers.

“I know our kids are going to show up Friday night, and they’re going to play hard and they’re going to play well against Burnet,” Green said.

“There’s a buzz in the air, and it’s a blast,” Jones said. “But really, we walk out those doors and come through that tunnel, it’s time to be focused. And really, our focus goes to what’s happening on that 100-yard field. If you’re paying attention to anything other than that, you’re doing the wrong thing. I think our kids are ready, I think they’ll be focused.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com