Victory over Lampasas puts Bulldogs in postseason
BURNET— Needing a win to qualify for the Class 3A playoffs, the Burnet High School football team walked onto Bulldog Field with a mission and took dead aim at Lampasas on Nov. 9.
In the end, the Bulldogs (5-5, 3-2) recovered an onside kick with 45 seconds left and ran out the clock to prevail 29-27, returning to the postseason after a one-year hiatus.
“That’s something we expect around here,” said Burnet’s first-year head coach Kurt Jones. “I’m proud of them. There was probably a lot of doubt after the first two weeks of the (District 8-3A) race. I’m really proud of our seniors. They pulled us through some really hard times. They led us to where we needed to go.”
The Bulldogs lost to Brownwood and Gatesville to begin division play, but won the final three games to nab the playoff berth.
Burnet faces Stephenville, the District 7-3A champion, 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Waco Independent School District Stadium in Waco.
Burnet started the game red hot and dominated the opening quarter.
Junior kicker Austin Huff connected with a pooch kick that was recovered by sophomore Jake McElroy. That started an eight-play, 45-yard drive that ended when junior quarterback Derek Kiser ran in from 15 yards for the touchdown.
The Bulldogs scored on their first four possessions of the game with senior tight end Cameron Langley running to pay dirt from one and eight yards.
Kiser hit senior receiver Jordan Barnard on a 26-yard touchdown pass to build a 26-0 lead.
Lampasas senior quarterback Kleg Kennedy scored on a one-yard plunge to trim the deficit with 4 minutes 18 seconds left in the half.
With four seconds remaining, the Badgers (1-9, 0-5) faked a 32-yard field goal that was stopped by junior defensive back Blayne Parisher, who tackled the ball carrier. That ended the half.
In the third quarter, Lampasas junior running back Steven Jadzyk scored on a 77-yard touchdown run and later added a 38-yard touchdown scamper to trim the deficit to 26-20 with 23 seconds remaining.
The Badgers attempted an onside kick that Burnet recovered. That started a 14-play, 69-yard drive that ended when Huff nailed a 20-yard field goal with 6:46 remaining in the contest.
Lampasas senior running back Robbie Hall ended an 18-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. But the drive took 6:01 to complete.
And when Burnet recovered the final onside kick, Kiser took three kneel-downs to end the game and send the Bulldogs into the playoffs.
Jones said the plan was to start hot and end hot because the Badgers are a better team than their record indicates.
“We knew they fought hard in all their games,” he said.
Langley rushed nine times for 62 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 95 yards. Kiser completed 15 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown and ran for another. Barnard caught six receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Jones called next foe Stephenville a “formidable opponent.”
“We have our work cut out for us,” the Bulldogs skipper said, adding coaches will begin preparing immediately.