Bulldogs blank Mustangs 24-0
The Marble Falls Mustangs line up to snap the ball in a rivalry game against the Burnet Bulldogs on Oct. 13. The Mustangs lost 24-0. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke
Burnet shut out Marble Falls 24-0 in the Battle of Burnet County on Oct. 13 at Bulldog Stadium. The speedy Bulldogs (4-3, 1-1) were too much for the Mustangs (1-6, 0-2) in the District 13-4A rivalry contest.
“Like I said to the (players), ‘We got beat by speed, we got beat by execution, and we got beat by our own mistakes,’’ said Marble Falls head coach Brian Herman. “They’re a good ballclub and did what they do very, very well. They executed better than we did and they were faster than we were.”
The Mustangs opened the game alternating touches between senior running back Jaime Castillo and sophomore Joaquin Aguilar to push the ball to midfield. A running back pass from Castillo later in the drive sailed over his intended receiver’s head and into the arms of Burnet senior Grant Jones.
Jones continued to impact the game, this time on offense, snagging a screen pass to keep Burnet’s drive alive. The Bulldogs stalled after a penalty called back a long run by junior backup quarterback Marcus Pimentel. The Mustangs’ tough coverage forced a turnover on downs later in the drive.
Both teams struggled to create momentum in the first quarter. The Mustangs appeared prime to solve that problem early in the second after junior Noah Lyon recovered a fumble following a hard hit on a run play. Castillo answered the call on offense, rushing for over 30 yards on a stretch run play to the right side.
Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the Bulldogs’ strong defensive showing forced a punt on fourth down by senior Isaac “Larry” Larranaga.
Jones continued his monster game for the Bulldogs as the senior do-it-all player moved the ball seemingly at will on the ensuing possession. Junior running back Lew Laidler put an exclamation point on the strong drive with a 21-yard touchdown scamper to make the score 7-0.
After another unsuccessful drive for the Mustangs, the Bulldogs moved the ball to scoring position behind the legs of Jones and senior running back Dash Denton. A 37-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Trevin Park pushed the lead to 10-0 heading into halftime.
“They got 10 points off of four possessions,” Herman said. “I was proud of that.”
Jones opened the second half with a 23-yard run to the right side. Denton followed the run with a big play of his own, a 37-yard touchdown run through the teeth of the Mustangs’ defense to widen Burnet’s margin to 17-0.
The Bulldogs continued to punish the Mustangs on the ground as the game progressed. Pimentel was crucial during the final scoring possession, manufacturing several positive plays that eventually led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Laidler for the junior’s second touchdown of the contest and a 24-0 score.
“We couldn’t stay ahead of the sticks, at all,” Herman said. “Incomplete passes and penalties will kill you every time.”
Marble Falls hosts the Taylor Ducks (3-3, 0-1 district) on Oct. 20 at Mustang Stadium, while Burnet takes on the Canyon Lake Hawks (2-4, 1-0 district) at Hawk Stadium. Both games kick off at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20.