Taylor forfeits Oct. 23 football game against Burnet due to COVID-19
The Burnet High School football team is now 2-0 in District 3-4A Division I play after Taylor forfeited its Oct. 23 game against the Bulldogs due to COVID-19. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
The Burnet Bulldogs jumped to 2-0 in District 13-4A Division I play after the Taylor High School football team forfeited the Oct. 23 contest because a player tested positive for COVID-19.
The Bulldogs, now 5-2 overall, still host Lampasas at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at Bulldog Field, 1400 Bulldog Stadium Drive in Burnet.
Bulldogs head coach Jerod Rye learned of the official forfeit Oct. 13 after superintendents from each school district making up District 13-4A Division I met virtually to decide what to do.
The Ducks also had to forfeit their Oct. 16 contest against Fischer Canyon Lake.
“(Taylor) had one positive case,” Rye said. “He was at a practice on Monday (Oct. 12). I believe they’re quarantining their varsity, junior varsity, and coaching staff. The freshmen aren’t quarantining because they didn’t practice with the varsity and JV, but their coaches are quarantining, so (the freshmen) can’t play.”
This is the second area high school game impacted by COVID-19. The Marble Falls Mustangs football teams were supposed to face Austin McCallum Knights on Oct. 14-15, but those games were postponed due to COVID-19 cases at the Austin school.
As to why the Burnet-Taylor and Fischer-Taylor games were forfeited and not postponed, Rye said it came down to the University interscholastic League allowing football teams to play games every five days.
When Taylor emerges from the quarantine period, only two weeks will be left in the regular season.
“You could do some crazy scheduling and play three games in two weeks,” Rye said. “To play four games in two weeks, there’s just no way the UIL would allow that.”
Rye said some people have asked him about the Bulldogs and Marble Falls playing Oct. 23, since that’s an open date for both teams.
“For us, I don’t know that it would be great for us to schedule a (non-district) game before two district games,” he said. “You have district games you have to win so you don’t want to risk injury. It’s just not in the best interest of our team. Not getting to play Marble Falls was disappointing.”
Mustangs head coach Brian Herman was previously asked about the possibility of playing the Bulldogs sometime during the season if the two teams found themselves with the same open date.
Herman said that he couldn’t see that happening, citing the reasons Rye had. He also expressed disappointment the two teams wouldn’t play this season because both coaches know how much the county loves to rally behind their athletes and enjoy the Mustangs-Bulldogs game.
The Burnet Middle School volleyball matches against Taylor scheduled for Oct. 19 have also been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. The high school matches at Taylor scheduled for Oct. 23 are still on, as of Oct. 16. The varsity teams will play at 5 p.m. with the junior varsity and freshmen games following. The matches are at Taylor High School, 355 FM 973 in Taylor.