BurnetBulldog
11-29-2003, 09:23 AM
Burnet reaches Class 3A Division I semifinals
Shipley sets state career mark for receptions in Bulldogs' 42-21 victory over Sinton
By Richard Tijerina
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, November 29, 2003
CORPUS CHRISTI -- Bob Shipley was handed the golden football trophy, awarded for his Burnet team's regional championship, and held it high for his assembled Bulldogs to view.
His eyes rolled upward, and he began counting on his right hand. How many of these had the Bulldogs won in the past few weeks? One -- for winning district; two -- for winning bidistrict; three -- for winning last week; four -- for winning Friday.
Four. "Hey guys, four down, two to go, baby!" he yelled. It sent his Bulldogs into a frenzy, it sent the crowd wearing green and white into a frenzy, and it whipped everyone into a state-semifinal kind of excitement.
The scoreboard read: Burnet 42, Sinton 21. For the second straight year, the Bulldogs (13-0) find themselves in the Class 3A state semifinals.
"Two more (games) till our dream comes true!" screamed senior James Buce, touching fists with any other Burnet player he could find.
Burnet's state semifinal opponent will be Jasper, which defeated Manor 24-21. The teams will play next Saturday either in Irving or College Station.
When you are ranked No. 1 in the state, when you are blessed with a quarterback who is headed to Texas A&M, and when you are blessed to have a receiver who, statistically, is the best ever in the state, maybe it's supposed to look easy. Friday, it was.
Chris Levens rushed for 140 yards and scored three touchdowns. Jordan Shipley, needing seven catches to become the state's all-time leader, got the record. Stephen McGee completed passes when he wanted to, and when he threw incompletions, they were deliberate, thrown out of bounds to avoid a sack when no one was open. The defense, led by defensive end Kelley Taylor and linebacker Ty Kuhn, harried Sinton's sophomore quarterback into one critical fumble and an interception.
For one quarter, it was close. Burnet struck first, scoring on a 10-yard pass from McGee to Levens, but Sinton's P.J. Salone ran back the ensuing kickoff 87 yards to tie the game.
Burnet struck back quickly on Shipley's 27-yard scoring pass from McGee that put the Bulldogs up 14-7. That's when Sinton, driving deep into Burnet territory to close the first quarter and open the second, made its biggest miscue of the game.
On a first-and-goal at the Burnet 4, Sinton quarterback Daniel Ramirez fumbled into the Bulldogs end zone. Cody Warner recovered, the Bulldogs marched 80 yards in seven plays to go up 21-7 and that, effectively, was the ballgame.
Shipley, already the state's career record-holder in receiving yards and touchdowns, added the third crown jewel -- all-time catches -- in the fourth quarter. Facing double coverage the entire game, he caught his seventh pass with 4:32 to play in the game, a short 3-yard dump-off. On the next play, he took a reverse 29 yards for Burnet's final touchdown.
Shipley finished with seven catches for 86 yards and scored twice. "I didn't catch as many as I'd like, but we still scored 42 and that's all right," he said.
It seemed that the Pirates' game plan was not to let Shipley hurt them. The good news for them was that he didn't. The bad news was that the rest of the Bulldogs did.
Shipley sets state career mark for receptions in Bulldogs' 42-21 victory over Sinton
By Richard Tijerina
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, November 29, 2003
CORPUS CHRISTI -- Bob Shipley was handed the golden football trophy, awarded for his Burnet team's regional championship, and held it high for his assembled Bulldogs to view.
His eyes rolled upward, and he began counting on his right hand. How many of these had the Bulldogs won in the past few weeks? One -- for winning district; two -- for winning bidistrict; three -- for winning last week; four -- for winning Friday.
Four. "Hey guys, four down, two to go, baby!" he yelled. It sent his Bulldogs into a frenzy, it sent the crowd wearing green and white into a frenzy, and it whipped everyone into a state-semifinal kind of excitement.
The scoreboard read: Burnet 42, Sinton 21. For the second straight year, the Bulldogs (13-0) find themselves in the Class 3A state semifinals.
"Two more (games) till our dream comes true!" screamed senior James Buce, touching fists with any other Burnet player he could find.
Burnet's state semifinal opponent will be Jasper, which defeated Manor 24-21. The teams will play next Saturday either in Irving or College Station.
When you are ranked No. 1 in the state, when you are blessed with a quarterback who is headed to Texas A&M, and when you are blessed to have a receiver who, statistically, is the best ever in the state, maybe it's supposed to look easy. Friday, it was.
Chris Levens rushed for 140 yards and scored three touchdowns. Jordan Shipley, needing seven catches to become the state's all-time leader, got the record. Stephen McGee completed passes when he wanted to, and when he threw incompletions, they were deliberate, thrown out of bounds to avoid a sack when no one was open. The defense, led by defensive end Kelley Taylor and linebacker Ty Kuhn, harried Sinton's sophomore quarterback into one critical fumble and an interception.
For one quarter, it was close. Burnet struck first, scoring on a 10-yard pass from McGee to Levens, but Sinton's P.J. Salone ran back the ensuing kickoff 87 yards to tie the game.
Burnet struck back quickly on Shipley's 27-yard scoring pass from McGee that put the Bulldogs up 14-7. That's when Sinton, driving deep into Burnet territory to close the first quarter and open the second, made its biggest miscue of the game.
On a first-and-goal at the Burnet 4, Sinton quarterback Daniel Ramirez fumbled into the Bulldogs end zone. Cody Warner recovered, the Bulldogs marched 80 yards in seven plays to go up 21-7 and that, effectively, was the ballgame.
Shipley, already the state's career record-holder in receiving yards and touchdowns, added the third crown jewel -- all-time catches -- in the fourth quarter. Facing double coverage the entire game, he caught his seventh pass with 4:32 to play in the game, a short 3-yard dump-off. On the next play, he took a reverse 29 yards for Burnet's final touchdown.
Shipley finished with seven catches for 86 yards and scored twice. "I didn't catch as many as I'd like, but we still scored 42 and that's all right," he said.
It seemed that the Pirates' game plan was not to let Shipley hurt them. The good news for them was that he didn't. The bad news was that the rest of the Bulldogs did.