Burnet Bulldogs face toughest test at Waco La Vega
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
BURNET — The Burnet High School football team hits the road to face its toughest opponent of the season.
The Bulldogs (7-2 overall, 2-2 in District 13-4A Division I) are at Waco La Vega (9-0, 4-0), the 2015 state champion and ranked no worse than No. 2 in Class 4A in state polls, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at Pirate Stadium, 555 N. Texas 340 Loop in Waco. Listen to the game on KMPN 95.9 FM powered by KBEY or at KBEYFM.com starting with a 7 p.m. pregame.
“If we can go there and come away with a win, that’s no small task,” Burnet head coach Kurt Jones said. “There haven’t been too many people go to Waco and beat the Pirates in recent years. We know what a large task that is to knock off the Pirates and have a chance to hand them a loss.”
The Pirates, who incorporate a spread offense to run the ball, are led by junior quarterback Jamal Williams, head coach Wilie Williams’ son, who has 64 carries for 434 yards and seven touchdowns and has completed 81 of 139 attempts for 1,215 yards, 13 scores, and an interception.
“He’s very athletic,” Jones said. “They want to run the ball. They’re committed to staying with the run. They might run 15 or 16 times in a row. They have a big offensive line they will lean on.”
One of the top blockers is Alabama commit Kedrick James, a senior tight end who stands 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 250 pounds.
Sophomore running back John Richards has 111 carries for 1,149 yards and 14 touchdowns for La Vega, and Kemoche Hobbs has 74 carries for 539 yards and eight scores. Senior receiver Sir Morgan Loudd has 14 catches for 379 yards and four touchdowns.
“They’ll be tough to stop,” Jones said. “They run the ball as well as anybody in Class 4A. It’s what propelled them to the state championship. It’s the formula you see on film.”
The Pirates defense is led by an athletic line that’s big, fast and explosive, Jones said. Sophomore middle linebacker Jared Rogers stood out to Jones because of the youngster’s ability to make plays.
“They’re going to make you earn (every yard),” Jones said.
The Bulldogs are looking to secure a playoff spot with a win. But if they falter, they need Liberty Hill to beat Gatesville in order to take the fourth berth. Liberty Hill also can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Gatesville.
jfierro@thepicayune.com