DISTRICT 7-3A DII
Blooming Grove LIONS
Blooming Grove is back !
By Mike Phillips Explore Corsicana
BLOOMING GROVE — It didn ’ t take long .
They ’ re back in the Grove , back in the playoffs , back with a new coach and the same heart and passion from a community that believes in the Blooming Grove kids — win or lose .
After just missing the playoffs in 2023 , Blooming Grove ’ s Lions bounced back from a slow start and stormed into the playoffs in 2024 under new Coach Jason Burnett , who returned to the Grove to put his Lions back on the road to the postseason .
Burnett , who was the Lion Defensive Coordinator a few years ago , returned to take over the program . Upon his arrival he was asked about coaching the Lions . He said : “ I love the kids in Blooming Grove .”
It showed . He brought his team back after a bitter end in 2023 when BG lost the final game of the regular season that ended a three-year playoff streak . Burnett showed up with a boundless brand of enthusiasm and his Lions returned to the postseason in 2024 with a talented and determined team that shook off a tough start and put together a stretch run in the District 8-3A race to burst back into the playoffs .
18 Explore Corsicana | Spring 2025
Head Coach : Jason Burnett 2024 Record : 4-7 Last Playoff Appearance : 2024
After an 0-5 start , there was no finger pointing or grumbling from a close-knit team that stepped up and blasted its way through the district race to go 4-1 and finish in second-place . Ironically , the Lions picked up a huge win via a forfeit from Trinity Leadership , the team that defeated the Lions in the final district game in 2023 to keep Blooming Grove out of the playoffs . Nothing was easy about coming back . That didn ’ t matter . “ The kids just stayed the course ,” Burnett said . “ We continued to work . They just showed up ready to go !”
The Lions not only overcame the slow start , but also the loss of Kegan Hurford , a senior who suffered a shoulder injury in the second game after he had earned the starting quarterback spot . Hurford is the very player teams cannot do without . He is always hustling , always encouraging everyone on and off the field , the kind of leader every team needs .
“ Yes , that was a big loss , but Kegan was still a leader for our team ” Burnett said . “ He did his best to come back and he gave us a lot of leadership .
“ We got back in the playoffs because of the leadership of our seniors . We had to overcome some obstacles . We had to build some confidence . We had to build some trust . We had a lot of kids who were in new roles who stepped up .”
Malakai Clower had a monster senior season and made the All-District First-Team on both sides of the line — claiming First-Team honors at defensive end , where he dominated , and as a tight end on offense ..
Three Lions earned First-Team honors on offense and defense . Alan Caballero , a sophomore , made an immediate impact as a First-Team running back and defensive back , and Nate Sanchez , a junior , played a crucial role in the Lions ’ season , earning First-Team honors at Center on offense and First-Team honors at middle linebacker .
Juniors Grayson Baumgartner , a First-Team running back and Kam Mize , a First-Team receiver , both stepped up and helped lead the Blooming Grove offense along with sophomore Brandon Lizardo , a First- Team running back .
Lane Covington had a major role in Blooming Grove ’ s success story as a physical and versatile lineman who