FirePower + WillPower Beats Burnet, 28-21
Canyon Lake High School Tackle / Defensive Tackle Hudson Duke (#60) pressures the Burnet quarterback. rr[Photo Credit: Mark Robinson / MJR Photography / www.mjrphotog.com]
Canyon Lake runs their district record to, 2-0 after taking care of the Bulldogs, 28-20. Canyon Lake is part of a 3 team log jam at the top of District 28-4A play with a series of eliminating games starting next week when your Hawks will host Fredericksburg (2-0 district).
Let’s Go Hawks!!
“We responded and did not put our heads down and we took momentum into our second half,” Head Coach Charley Drum said in response to that, before halftime scoring drive. “Those close games during our non-district helped in winning tonight…those games came into fruition as we might not have a lot of firepower but we do have a lot of willpower….and now we are 2-0 in district.”
CL was led by their defense in this win over Burnet. The Bulldogs scored on an interception return and their last drive when this contest was out of reach. On that one scoring drive when the points meant more, Burnet traveled 66 yards on 7 plays with a 32 yard pass play doing most of that damage.
The Hawk’s defensive backs were all over the Bulldog receivers which gave CL’s defensive front time to put pressure on Burnet’s QB and his under 50% completion rate.
“We had been working on that play for a while,” Defensive Back Caleb Williams stated when commenting on his play on the leading Bulldog receiver in district play. “We worked on it with our JV and I take pride in myself on the press.”
That press coverage took the first read out of Burnet’s playbook and gave the advantage to Canyon Lake. On what this win means for the Hawks? “It means everything….we came in ready to play and we shocked their world!”
On the offensive side, The Lake had a hurry up slot-t to end the first half that helped swing the momentum to CL’s side of the lake when James Bates scored his 1st of 3 touchdowns and finishing with 165 yards on the ground. Bates is averaging 8 yards per rush this season as he will be going into the Billies game totaling 672 yards.
North Shore UMC says Go Hawks!
There were more contributors in this win as Ethan Slater had his best game rushing missing the 100 yard mark by just 4 yards.
We know what we have and we had been here before,” Slater said when responding to being down right before halftime. “We came out with a lot more fire in the 2nd half.”
On how this game transpired, “We know they had 3 star players and we were just going to lock-down on their first read because we knew their 2nd read could not catch.”
The Lake’s rushing topped The Dogs passing which would seal the deal on this night. Canyon Lake overcame adversity with 2 turnovers that yielded one touchdown after a defensive Hawk wall kept the Bulldogs from scoring after that punt return fumble fiasco.
CL had switched the field in their favor after a 31 yard punt had Burnet setting up shop on their 6 yard line. The Hawks were still up, 7-6 during this time of the 2nd quarter.
Eight plays later, Burnet was in punt formation on their 21 yard line when that kick took a bounce that caught Nic Rivera on the leg and now a Bulldog team ready to seize the lead on CL’s 34 yard line. With another defensive hold, Burnet found themselves with no positive plays and a missed 4th down try giving Canyon Lake new life.
Way to Go Hawks Beat Freddie!!
That life was short lived when Burnet’s Defensive Back Blaine Burkhalter jumped the passing route and skirted down the sideline and Bulldog lead, 14-7 with just 2 minutes before halftime.
Canyon Lake would unleash a different version of their slot-t that had not seen much since this rushing apparatus was installed 7 years ago. It would take just 1:33 for a score as this ‘Hurry Up’ pace was a sight to behold and had Burnet clueless in trying to stop that Houdini act going on behind the Hawk’s line of scrimmage.
Two year starter, Hudson Duke was one of many Hawk lineman that took over the trenches in this win, “In practice we huddle and get off the ball and then huddle and get off the ball,” Duke recounts. “That drive (hurry up) had a big effect on them and it was very successful.”
There were 4 consecutive plays of runs going 13 or more yards before a Bates’ one yard plunge that tied the score going into halftime, 14 all. This drive had 8 plays with only two second down offensive snap.
Run Down: # Play Yards Player Down Count Yards for 1st 1 2 yards Peyton McMullen 2nd 8 yards 2 17 yards James Bates 1st 10 yards 3 13 yards Nic Rivera 1st 10 yards 4 24 yards James Bates 1st 10 yards 5 16 yards Ethan Slater 1st 10 yards 6 5 yards Nic Rivera 2nd 5 yards 7 8 yards James Bates 1st 1 yard needed 8 1 yard James Bates Touch Down
For the record, a slot-t, 8 play drive will usually surrender over 4 minutes of clock time. On this night it was a faster moving game that had this home team gasping for air both physically and mentally during this march down to the Hawk’s goal line.
That Bulldog momentum was in the dog house, going over what went wrong, than what went right!
Canyon Lake’s second half had Burnet coming up empty on their next 4 drives.
Burnet Plays Yds Gained Passes Rushing Result Drive One: 10 32 Yds 2 for 6 13yds 4 rushes for 19 yds Over on downs Drive Two: 6 8 Yds 1 for 2 -1yd 3 rushes for 9 yds Punted 2 yards Drive Three: 8 47 Yds 3 for 7 53yds 1 sack -6 yds Over on downs Drive Four: 7 20 yds 3 for 4 18yds 2 rushes 2 yds Over on downs
At this time of the game, Canyon Lake had upped the ante to a, 28-14 advantage and just 1:11 left on the clock.
Game— Set— Match!
A 2 yard punt was a pivotal play that set up Canyon Lake’s go ahead touchdown that took just 5 plays when Bates scored from 2 yards out and Hawks lead, 21-14.
Caleb Williams, Hudson Duke, and Ethan Slater taking it all in after stellar win over Burnet!
That clinching touchdown was after a team sack that would have The Lake covering 31 yards that was highlighted with a Bates 20 yard scamper on a 3rd down and 6 yards needed. Which this workhorse capped with his 3rd and final TD with a one yard leap into the end zone, 28-14.
Now Canyon Lake will prepare for another tough district opponent, “This game will boost our confidence a little and hopefully not too much,” Duke finished. “We will need to stay humble and keep our head straight and focus because we want to prove that we can get it done.”
Getting it done will commence next week when the Billies come to the Hawk Nest and the winner able to clinch a playoff spot for more willpower being bestowed on Hawk opponents!!
Go Hawks!!
1 2 3 4 Final CL Hawks 7 7 0 14 28 Burnet 6 8 0 6 20 Scoring Summary: CL-Jeremy Greene 22 yard run (Nash Young kick), 5:42, 1st BB-Blaine Burkhalter 7 yard pass from Matt Tippie (pat blocked), 2:38, 1st BB-Blaine Burkhalter 43 yard interception return (Kiser pass from Tippie), 2:07, 2nd CL-James Bates 1 yard run (Nash Young kick), 0:26, 2nd CL-James Bates 2 yard run (Nash Young kick), 11:56, 4th CL-James Bates 1 yard run (Nash Young kick), 1:11, 4th BB-Bradyn McPerson 4 yard pass from Matt Tippie (run failed) , 0:00, 4th Team Stats Bulldogs Hawks Total Yards 271 338 First Downs 16 20 Rush/Yards 23/59 49/333 Comp/Att/Int 19/41/0 1/5/1 Passing Yards 212 5 Punts/Average 3/31.3 2/34.5 Fumbles/Lost 0/0 2/1 Penalties-Yards 12-105 8-57 TOP 23:05 24:55 Passing Comp Att Pct Yds Int TD Peyton McMullen 1 5 .200 5 1 0 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD James Bates 23 165 7.2 48 3 Ethan Slater 9 96 10.7 26 0 Nic Rivera 11 57 5.2 13 0 Jeremy Greene 1 22 22.0 22 1 Peyton McMullen 5 -7 — 0 0 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD Nic Rivera 1 5 5.0 5 0
