Burnet and Llano football square off in longtime rivalry
Burnet’s Drew Kiser keeps his eye on the ball even as an Austin Crockett Cougar moves in for a hit. Kiser and the Bulldogs beat Crockett 44-18 on Sept. 17 at Bulldog Field and improved to 4-0. The Bulldogs travel to Llano on Sept. 23 to take on the Yellow Jackets with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Listen to the game on KMPN 95.9 FM powered by KBEY or at KBEYFM.com starting with a 7 p.m. pregame. Photo by Glenn Morris/FTMOG.com
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
LLANO — Longtime rivals Burnet and Llano are meeting at Llano Stadium to renew acquaintances on the gridiron.
The two square off at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at the stadium, 400 Texas 71 East. Listen to the game on KMPN 95.9 FM powered by KBEY or at KBEYFM.com starting with pregame at 7 p.m.
“These kids know each other and get excited about playing each other,” Burnet head coach Kurt Jones said.
While Burnet (4-0 overall, District 13-4A Division I) enters the game wanting to end the non-district schedule the right way, Llano (1-3, District 13-4A Division II) is simply trying to develop some offensive consistency.
Through four games, the Yellow Jackets have a total of 1,243 yards of total offense led by junior running back Mason Greenwood’s 66 carries for 396 yards and four touchdowns. Junior quarterback Ben Walling has completed 28 of 70 attempts for 436 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He has 23 carries for 112 yards. Junior receiver Anthony Watson has 10 catches for 180 yards and two scores.
“Walling does a great job for them; Greenwood is a great back for them,” Jones said. “(Junior Ray) Dixon leads the offensive line, and Watson, the receiver, has played well. You look at them, they have leaders out on the field. They have pretty good balance.”
That’s apparent with the way they line up, he said. The Jackets are using one- and two-back formations in their spread offense.
Llano head coach Craig Slaughter said the Jackets are doing well in moving the ball. They’re simply struggling to score points because of penalties, dropped passes, or missed blocks. So to get points, they’re attempting field goals, which have been no good.
During the 41-13 loss to Lago Vista on Sept. 16, Llano was inside the Vikings’ 20-yard line six times but could only score twice. Slaughter thinks his offensive players might be trying too hard, which is contributing to the miscues.
He said the players have been practicing well and are into the games based on what he sees during warmups and hears behind him.
“We feel like we’re leaving plays on the field,” he said.
The solution, he said, is to continue to work at it and have short memories when it comes to miscues.
In addition, the Llano defense has given up explosive plays that hadn’t been the case all last season.
But overall, the Llano defense has played well, the Burnet coach added, noting the front seven brings pressure.
“We’ve been impressed,” he said. “They’re very active and athletic. They get a lot of movement. Our offensive line has to be able to control the game in the trenches.”
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs continue to do what they do best offensively: rely on senior quarterback Koby Edwards to pick apart the defense, allow receivers to use their speed to get open, and give the ball to senior running back Tyler Ford to get the tough yards and move the chains.
During the Bulldogs’ 44-18 win against Austin Crockett on Sept. 16, the Bulldogs built a 37-6 lead headed into the fourth quarter and never missed a beat.
Edwards has completed 68 of 108 passing attempts for 894 yards, 14 touchdowns, and an interception for the Bulldogs. Junior receiver Sterling Galban has 25 catches for 303 yards and six scores, and Ford has 37 carries for 395 yards, and three touchdowns.
“They’re very skilled,” Slaughter said. “In 7-on-7, they do a great job running the ball. They throw such a deep ball. They throw over the top of us at times.They have a quick screen game that is a big worry. They can take a 3-yard throw and turn it into a home-run ball.”
Defensively, the Bulldogs’ front seven continues to swarm to the football, and the secondary is doing well in defending the back end.
“It’s the sum of their parts that’s so impressive,” Slaughter said. “There are certain matchups we know we’re going to have to win.”
The Jackets are looking for two specific things, Slaughter said.
“We need a few more playmakers,” he said. “On offense, there’s a level of execution we know we need to get.”
Though the Yellow Jackets haven’t scored the points they’d like, Jones said the Bulldogs know they’ll get Llano’s best effort.
“We have respect for Llano,” he said. “We know they’re well-coached. We know they have good kids over there. We try to work on ourselves. We know anything can happen. Our focus has been on the Burnet Bulldogs and working each day to get better.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com