The Burnet High School 7-on-7 team is hosting its own state qualifying tournament Saturday, May 31.
The Bulldogs take the field at 9 a.m. against China Spring in pool B. Other teams in that pool are Marble Falls and Troy.
Pool A includes Academy, Lago Vista, Llano and Taylor.
“We’re looking at the same teams we had last year,” said Burnet head coach Ben Speer, who is the tournament director. “It’s a good draw, it’s a good tournament we put on.”
Llano and Taylor will meet at 9:45 a.m. Then Marble Falls and China Spring and Burnet plays at 10:30 a.m. and Marble Falls play at noon.
The winner of each pool will meet in the championship that begins at 1:45 p.m.
Speer is anticipating a very competitive tournament.
“China Spring is China Spring,” he said. “They have guys who can compete.”
The Bulldogs are each searching for their new starting quarterback for the 2025 season.
Since Burnet’s baseball season ended May 10, seniors Charles Edwards and Cohen Jorpeland have split series at quarterback.
Offensive coordinator Colton Brewer has specifics he is looking for from the starting quarterback.
Top of the list are the obvious traits – leadership on and off the field, commitment to studying film and the playbook, rapport with teammates, taking care of the ball, and making the right plays. Brewer also is looking for other qualities that may not be as apparent – how the quarterback reacts when time is running out, why was the ball throw to that spot, how quickly does he process the field and delivers the ball, is it on time?
And though 7 on 7 will give coaches some data, neither Brewer and Speer are naming a starter this early. But both have indicated they remain encouraged by what they are seeing from the Bulldogs’ offense and believe the unit is making positive strides every time they step onto the field.
Burnet has enjoyed some positive experiences in 7 on 7 over the years. In the early 2000s, standouts Stephen Mc-Gee and Jordan Shipley led the Bulldogs to the state tournament, winning it all in 2003. That was a stepping stone to returning to the Class 3A state championship in December of that year.
The Bulldogs begin the 2025 season at Lago Vista at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29.
Jennifer Fierro publishes reports about area youth athletic events on her website TexasChalk-Talk.com. To send her a note, email fierrojennifer@ yahoo.com
