JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
Burnet High School senior guard Colton Stevens (right) scores two of his 11 points and avoids contact from Gatesville post Hunter Gore during the Bulldogs’ 57-33 victory Feb. 12. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
BURNET — The Burnet High School boys basketball team got the win it needed to claim a share of the District 8-3A title Feb. 12.
The Bulldogs (19-11 overall, 9-1 district) crushed Gatesville 57-33, while Liberty Hill stomped Brownwood 70-34.
Burnet and Liberty Hill, the co-district champions, will play for the top postseason seed out of the division at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at Lampasas High School, 2716 U.S. 281 South in Lampasas.
It will be the third time this season the two have played. The Bulldogs won 52-47 at Liberty Hill on Jan. 10, while the Panthers won 50-47 at Burnet on Jan. 28.
Burnet head coach Roy Kiser said he and Liberty Hill head coach Barry Boren agreed to meet one more time.
“We are both wanting to play it out,” Kiser said. “We want to decide it on the floor.”
The top seed from District 8 faces the fourth-place team out of District 7, which will either be Hillsboro or Venus. The two have the same district record and will compete in a play-in contest Feb. 14.
The second seed out of District 8 faces Glen Rose, the District 7 third-place squad, in a bi-district championship.
The victor will face the winner of the Burkburnett-Castleberry bi-district game in the second round. Burkburnett is ranked No. 9 in the latest Class 3A poll of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. And the winner of that second-round game will probably meet Kennedale, Class 3A’s No. 1 team, in the regional quarterfinals.
KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune and KBEYFM.com will air the Bulldogs’ playoff games.
Ironically, Llano and Lampasas are in the same situation as Burnet and Liberty Hill. Lampasas beat Llano 61-51 in the Yellow Jackets’ gym Feb. 12. The two squads will play at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at Max Copeland Gym at Marble Falls High School, 2101 Mustang Drive in Marble Falls.
The third-place team gets Alvarado, the District 7 runner-up, while the fourth-place squad meets Stephenville, the District 7 champion.
So just how far can the Bulldogs advance in the playoffs?
“I don’t want to put a limit on what we can do,” Kiser said. “The key is confidence when we’re at it.”
The Bulldogs led Gatesville 10-9 after the first quarter but seized control of the contest in the second period. Burnet outscored the Hornets 18-3 for a 28-12 advantage that it continued to build upon in the second half.
Kiser said the team leaned on a taller lineup featuring seniors Clayton Baumgart (6 feet 7 inches), Chase Mardis (6-5) and Joe Parker (6-3) to take advantage of mismatches. The trio didn’t disappoint, he said.
“Our bigs dominated the inside,” he said. “We had a lot of inside baskets. Gatesville has some good players and are well-coached, but we had guys they couldn’t match up with.”
The three combined for 39 points. In addition, they were able to make passes to the outside to keep the guards involved with long jumpers.
Kiser reflected on his eight seniors after the game, which is fitting since they were honored before tipoff to end the regular season. They have ensured the Bulldogs are back in the playoffs for the fifth time in six years since returning to Class 3A.
“I love seeing these guys go from freshmen to where they are now,” he said. “To make it from freshmen to senior year is tough. We love them, and they know it. It’s fun to see the success they’re having.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com
ON OFFENSE: points (Burnet) — Clayton Baumgart 18, Joe Parker 11, Colton Stevens 11, Chase Mardis 10, Darius Johnson 3, Brian Bullock 3
RECORDS: Burnet is 19-11 overall and 9-1 in District 8-3A; Gatesville is 2-8 in district.
UP NEXT: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, Burnet vs. Liberty Hill at Lampasas High School, 2716 U.S. 281 South in Lampasas
DISTRICT 8-3A STANDINGS:
Burnet, 9-1
Liberty Hill, 9-1
Llano, 5-5
Lampasas, 5-5
Gatesville, 2-8
Brownwood, 0-10
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