Blitz on 6 Game of the Week: Iowa Park Hawks v. Burkburnett Bulldogs

WICHITA COUNTY, Texas (KAUZ) - The Blitz on 6 Game of the Week for week three of Texas high school football is the 4A rivalry between the Iowa Park Hawks and the Burkburnett Bulldogs.

Burkburnett Bulldogs (0-2)

The Burkburnett Bulldogs are coming in without a win yet this season, only managing to get one touchdown in each of their first two games.

Head Coach Brad Boyd said, however, those losses were necessary early in the season to keep his team fighting and working hard.

“Really taught us a lot about ourselves,” he explained, “it may not look like it but there has been improvement over the last two weeks, which is what we’re wanting to do. It’s a process. We’re not just talking about being good now we’re talking about being good for a long time. We’re taking the proper steps. I’m just hoping to see another big step this week.”

His players said they know what’s gone wrong in their first two weeks of the season, and what they’ve had to focus on in practice this past week if they’re going to be able to put up a fight against the Hawks.

“Coming out of week one, I really learned that we really gotta work on our fast tempo stuff, especially on our defense,” senior defensive tackle Mason Downey said, “we weren’t lining up on time so we weren’t getting our calls right. I’d say coming out of week two, I’d say the same thing. It got a little bit better but it could use some work.”

Iowa Park Hawks (0-2)

It’s a very similar story over in Iowa Park: 0-2 record and a new head coach.

It hasn’t been an easy two weeks, though, for the Hawks: they took on the #7 Holliday Eagles, then the #3 Canadian Wildcats.

It’s been a learning curve for the team, and players said they’re ready for whatever Burkburnett brings them.

“We know they play fast, we know they play hard. I mean we’re really not trying to add anything special,” senior linebacker Riley Stanford said, “just do what we know how to do which is play fast and get to the ball.”

That back-to-basics mentality is something Head Coach Michael Swenson is pushing this week. He said games are won and/or lost by very simple things, which are things his team didn’t do well in their first two weeks.

“Unfortunately it’s coach talk,” he explained, “you can’t have penalties, you can’t have turnovers; that’s been the message this week. Sometimes you have to lose a game due to those to make sure your priorities are correct and you’re focusing at practice and those things.”

“We had a really good week of practice,” he continued, “so we just have to make sure our minds set.”

While it’s acting as home base for both teams this season, Iowa Park will host Burkburnett at Hawk Stadium Friday, Sept. 10. Kick-off is at 7 p.m.

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