Re-energized after bye week, Burnet football begins district at Brownwood
[box]GAMETIME
Burnet Bulldogs at Brownwood Lions
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11
WHERE: Gordon Wood Stadium in Brownwood
TUNE IN: Listen to 102.9 FM or at KBEYFM.com starting with a 7 p.m. pre-game show. Live broadcast starts at 7:30 p.m.[/box]
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — It won’t be the first time Burnet High School head football coach Kurt Jones runs on the field at Brownwood’s Gordon Wood Stadium on Oct. 11.
But it will be the first time he is the head coach of the opposing team. Two decades ago, Jones played football at Brownwood High School, where he was recruited by Abilene Christian University and Bob Shipley, a former assistant coach at the college. When Shipley came to Burnet in 2002, he brought Jones with him as an assistant coach.
Jones said Gordon Wood Stadium, named after the coach who guided Brownwood to seven state titles, has had some changes in the past 20 years such as adding natural grass and a better field house.
But one thing that hasn’t changed is opposing teams usually get the Lions’ best, he said, so the Bulldogs will have to play their toughest to snag a win on the road to begin District 8-3A play.
“That’s where all of our focus is. That’s what we know we need to go do,” he said. “Each week is critical. It would be big for us to go there and come away with a victory.”
Brownwood is led by senior quarterback Chris Keesee, who has completed 122 of 173 passes for 1,425 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior running back Braxton Kilgo has 46 rushes for 228 yards and four touchdowns.
One key area to watch is in the trenches, Jones said.
“I think we really need our offensive and defensive lines to win the physical battles,” he said. “We need to be able to run the ball when we need to control the clock and the game. Our defensive line has to do a good job of not getting moved and pressure the quarterback. We have to challenge ourselves to win those battles.”
Burnet senior quarterback Derek Kiser has completed 115 passes for 1,554 yards and 17 touchdowns without an interception. Senior running back Trenton Hafley has rushed 85 times for 530 yards and six touchdowns, while senior receiver Blayne Parisher has caught 27 passes for 455 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Both teams will be rested for the contest after taking a district-wide bye last week. The Bulldogs had three after-school practices and began installing the game plan, Jones said.
“We felt like we got a lot of work in, and it doesn’t hurt that we got rested,” he said.
The first-string offense faced the first-string defense throughout the week, he added, noting the players should be better prepared for Brownwood.
“We re-evaluated stuff over the weekend,” he said. “There could be a little bit of an addition here and there. But for the most part, it’s all in.”
In addition, the rest helped with some bumps and bruises, though Jones said some players didn’t get completely healed and are expected to be out for several weeks such as junior receiver Cory Campbell.
“We’ll keep an eye on a few guys this week,” he said.
jfierro@thepicayune.com