Countdown to Kickoff: Burley Bobcats

BURLEY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — After snapping a 15-year playoff drought with a 6-4 record last season the Burley Bobcats are looking to take that next step and compete for a Milk Bowl title.

Last year, the Bobcats had one of the most explosive offenses in the state scoring nearly 50 points a game and breaking the 80-point barrier twice.

It’s no secret that the Burley offense runs through 4-star wide receiver and Boise State commit Gatlin Bair who is set for a huge senior season in head coach Cameron Andersen’s second year at the helm.

The Bobcats defense struggled at times last year as the unit gave up 417 points and opponents scored 28 or more in every game but one.

Because of this the Bobcats have had an intense few weeks of practice ahead of opening night.

“It’s been really hard, we have a lot of high expectations this year, obviously since the first playoff run that we’ve had in a couple of years,” senior linebacker Andrei Herrera said. “But it’s just been hit the ground running and try to learn as much as we can of the system we have.

Burley is a little more experienced this year and Coach Andersen says a lot of practice will be making finer adjustments on the scheme he brought in last season.

He also credits his team leaders for what they have done in driving the program forward.

“I like our team leadership and they’re always going to dictate your ceiling. If it’s a coach-led, driven team you generally have a lower ceiling. If the players take control and are the guys pushing on the field your ceiling is always higher,” Andersen said.

The Bobcats first game is this Friday night against Mountain Home and the following week they will travel up to Boise State to play on the blue turf against the Vallivue Falcons in a rematch of the pairs 62-50 shootout last year that ended in a Burley win.

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