Lions fall to Burnet

The Lockhart Lions varsity football team suffered its first loss of the season on Friday, going down 54-31 to the Burnett Bulldogs.
Lockhart hadn’t given up a touchdown going into Friday’s contest, but a consistently strong passing game from the Bulldogs was too much for the Lions to overcome.
According to Head Coach Todd Moebes, Friday’s loss will serve as a building block for the team moving forward as it moves into district play this week.
“I mean, there were certainly some glaring points that were not very good, but there were some positive things, too,” said Moebes. “We ran the ball efficiently, and I thought we stopped the run, for the most part.”
The Bulldogs got the first score of the evening on a 30-yard pass on 4th-and-long after an early Stoney McGuire interception set Burnet up on a short field.
The Lions were able to march down the field on their next drive, earning a field goal, but Burnet came right back and scored again, giving the Bulldogs a 13-3 lead.
McGuire threw his second pick of the day on the next drive, giving the Bulldogs the ball back on their own 40-yard line. Burnet struck on the very next play for a deep bomb down the sideline, giving the Bulldogs a 19-3 lead with a minute to play in the first.
“We knew we were going to be tested in the air unlike we had been tested,” said Moebes. “They had some good players and they executed well. We have to be able to put ourselves in better position.”
The Lions started out the second quarter strong, marching down the field for an eventual touchdown from senior running back Jordan Garcia, but the Bulldogs would score again on the next drive on another fourth-down play, giving them a 26-10 lead with 10 minutes left to play in the half.
The following drive fared no better for the Lions, as a quick 3-and-out turned into something worse. A high snap on fourth down sent the football careening over the punter’s head, eventually setting the Bulldogs up with a first-down on the goal line. Burnet would take advantage on the very next play, punching it into the end zone for a 33-10 lead.
The second half played out much like the first. By the end of the third quarter, Burnet was up 54-17. The Lions would dwindle that lead down 54-31, but the contest was never really in question.
The Lions ran the ball effectively against Burnet, rushing for 285 yards and three touchdowns, but struggled through the air. Individually, Senior Resean Houston led all running backs with 146 yards and a touchdown. Garcia finished with 112 yards and two touchdowns.
Looking forward to the team’s first district match-up against Medina Valley High School on Friday, Moebes said his players needed to shake off the loss and learn from their mistakes.
“They have to learn from it, and they have to move one,” said Moebes. “They play three non-district games. Everything is for keeps from here on out.”
Moebes noted that Medina Valley’s air attack was also something his team would need to keep on Friday, especially after the difficulty the Lions defense faced against Burnet’s passing game.
“We can’t have that lack of performance moving forward,” said Moebes. “We have to be able to look back and hold ourselves accountable.”