Friday's Boot Bowl begins new eras for Burleson and Centennial
Plus, the Railroaders failed to celebrate winning their division at home after losing final home series
Hello readers! Thanks for tuning into this edition of The Burleson Buzz Weekly Newsletter.
This week, the Buzz in Burleson has to be the 2024 Boot Bowl between the Burleson Elks and Centennial Spartans. This game, despite being a non-district game while the schools find themselves in different districts for some reason, is typically the biggest of the season for the community, but I find this year’s battle for The Boot even more interesting as it will be the Elks’ first game under new head coach Phillip Tanner and the Spartans’ first game without their famous option-based offense as they transition to a more “conventional” offense around their sophomore starting quarterback.
Down Wilshire, or 174, or Main Street, the Cleburne Railroaders have played their final home series of the 2024 regular season, a season in which they’re seeking the best record in the American Association for the first time ever. Ashton Nicks gives us the latest on the Railroaders’ historic season, which includes the team dropping its final home series to a division rival.
Stay tuned for The Burleson Buzz’s first coverage of a game this season when Lonnie Freeman—not I as I will be celebrating my wife’s birthday (happy early birthday, Lover)—covers the Boot Bowl Friday at 7 p.m.
I’ll be publishing another feature article—this one on the guy who walks around Burleson dressed as Spider-Man—in September along with regular Burleson and Centennial high-school football coverage from Lonnie and me, more on the Railroaders from Ashton and some Burleson City Council meeting recaps from Brandon Crisp.
Enjoy the newsletter!—Cody
The 2024 Boot Bowl between Burleson and Centennial begins new eras for both schools
BURLESON – The cross-town rival Burleson Elks and Centennial Spartans varsity football teams will face off Friday at Burleson ISD Stadium in the 2024 Boot Bowl as both programs begin new eras.
The Boot Bowl will be the Elks’ first game under new head coach Phillip Tanner. It will be the Spartans’ first game running an offense other than the option-based offense the team has built its reputation on since 2014.
Over the course of the rivalry game Friday, Tanner said he wants to show the Burleson community that the Elks are ready to be a tough team that plays with grit.
“That’s one game that when we walk off that field–win, lose or draw–the other team is going to say ‘That’s a tough team,’” Tanner said.
On the other side of the field, Centennial Spartans head coach Kyle Geller expects Tanner to have the Elks playing hard. “That’s [Tanner’s] reputation,” Geller said.
Tanner’s establishing culture at Burleson
Tanner’s reputation indeed precedes him as he’s harped on building a tough, gritty, strong team since Burleson introduced him as head coach in April.
“Every time you interview me, I’m going to say the same thing about getting stronger,” Tanner said.
Tanner’s been establishing that culture with the Elks since he was hired. What’s gone into that has been consistency, clarity and showing up for and pushing the players. His goal is to make Elks Football a sustainable program, which he thinks starts with him at the top.
“To be able to come in as a head coach and just build it brick by brick, day by day, rep by rep,” Tanner said.
Consistency across town
Watching a coach build a reputable football program is something Burleson is familiar with. It just happened most recently across town at Centennial under Geller–the only head coach the Spartans have had since the football program began in 2010.
The Elks haven’t had the same consistency at head coach. Tanner will be the Elks’ third coach in three years.
The Spartans’ consistency in their coaching staff–not just with Geller but also defensive coordinator Blake Meyer, who’s been running the defense for all of Centennial’s existence–is something Tanner wants at Burleson.
What Geller believes has allowed him to coach the Spartans for so long is a combination of the team’s success and his desire to remain a part of the school and community he loves and has become attached to.
“First of all, it’s just the kids and the community and the people that I work for,” Geller said. “I just can’t imagine a better situation that fits me. They’re the best folks that I’ve ever worked for.”
“It’s nice. I’m lucky. I’m blessed,” Geller said of being the Spartans’ head coach. “I thank God for that. When I go to church on Sunday, I thank God for that. I literally get in the kneeler and that’s what I do.”
A key to the winning culture Geller has helped the Spartans establish is their run-it-down-your-throat option-based offense they’ve run since 2014. That won’t be the offense they run in 2024.
Railroaders lose four of six to division rival in final regular-season homestand
CLEBURNE — The Cleburne Railroaders finished off their final home stand of the regular season losing four of six against the team chasing them in the standings, the Kane County Cougars.
Cleburne (56-37) punched their ticket to the 2024 playoffs last week and are in first place of the East Division—holding a four-game lead over Kane County (52-41)—going into the final week of the regular season.
Jalen Miller (3-3) took the loss in each of his two starts last week—the series-opening 8-10 loss to Kane County August 20 and the 6-8 loss in the series finale Sunday. He surrendered 11 runs in nine innings pitched across the two starts. Miller has a 4.86 ERA in 11 starts in 2024.
Luke Boyd (7-1) got the win for Cleburne in Wednesday’s 8-0 victory, pitching six and 1/3 scoreless innings and allowing just three hits while striking out seven batters. Cleburne’s winningest pitcher Boyd has a 3.72 ERA in 2024.
Jonathan Tripp (6-2) took the loss—surrendering two earned runs in six innings—as Kane County beat Cleburne 5-1 Thursday. Tripp’s four strikeouts bring his team-leading total to 78 in 106 innings pitched in 2024.
Dylan Bice (3-1) earned his fourth save of the season (all in August) as he struck out three batters in a scoreless 1 and 1/3 inning as Cleburne beat Kane County 6-5 Friday for their second and final win of the series. Bice made three appearances in the series, allowing one run off one hit and striking out six in three and 1/3 innings. Bice has a 2.84 ERA in 25 and 1/3 innings in 2024.
Shed Long led Cleburne with nine hits last week as he went 9-for-25 and had three-hit performances in the first two games of the series. Long—Cleburne’s primary leadoff hitter—is batting .313 with nine home runs and 72 RBIs in 2024.
Hill Alexander went 8-for-25—including three multi-hit games—with a home run last week. Alexander is batting .304 with 14 home runs and 68 RBIs in 2024.
American Association rookie Korey Holland recorded six hits for Cleburne against Kane County last week. Holland is batting .312 in 52 games in 2024.
The magic number for Cleburne to clinch the East Division is down to two going into the final week of the regular season. Cleburne looks to finish with the best record in the American Association for the first time in team history.
Cleburne will now travel to Nebraska to take on the Lincoln Saltdogs (35-58) in a three-game series before finishing the regular season in Sioux City with a four-game series against the Explorers (46-47).
Rooting for the Elks! And happy birthday to me!