Playing against Edinburgh in boys basketball means preparing for the occasional drive to the basket by the Lancers’ point guard — all 225 pounds of him.
Opposing players holding their ground do so at their own risk when Bryce Burton gets that determined look in his eyes.
Burton, a sturdy 6-footer who looks every bit the linebacker he plays during football season, isn’t the prototypical playmaker on a basketball court. However, the senior’s agility allows him to make plays both offensively and defensively that surprise first-time observers.
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That includes his head coach.
“The coaches who were returning were telling me (Burton) is the point. I looked at them and said, ‘He looks kind of out of shape,’” second-year coach Keith Witty said, laughing. “They said, ‘No, that’s him. He sees the floor well and handles the ball well.’
“It only took a couple open gyms for me to realize he can play the point. Bryce’s strength definitely makes him different. He’s a little bit bigger, especially from a (Class A) standpoint, for a guard. He really uses his body well to kind of shield off guys, which makes him a very unique point guard.”
Burton averages 11.3 points, four rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists for the Lancers (3-3).
His nine-point scoring norm last season was big in Edinburgh winning its sixth boys basketball sectional overall and third in the last nine years.
Burton has played five different high school sports — football, tennis, basketball, baseball and track and field — and he is on pace to graduate in the spring with 12 varsity letters. He feels competing in the other sports has helped provide him with excellent body control.
“It means a lot,” Burton said of the 12 letters. “I feel like I’ve worked hard enough to get to where I am playing varsity since my freshman year. That was my dream, to start varsity in everything, really. I guess I’ve been gifted with athleticism.
“Yeah, I’m a bigger person, but I think I surprise a lot of people with how quick I am.”
The Lancers four seniors — Burton, Hunter Dean, Coltan Henderson and Jordan Myers — are team captains, with each bringing his own skill set and brand of leadership to the Lancers. Burton and Henderson have been part of Edinburgh’s varsity roster since they were freshmen.
In that time, the losses have outnumbered the triumphs, 50-30; under Witty, the Lancers are 20-12. Burton is eager to do what he can in order for his team to be successful.
“I’ll make any sacrifice for my team. It’s all about our team and nothing about personal goals or anything like that,” Burton said. “We battle for each other and pick each other up. Some games a person will have an off night, but this is where you have to step up.”
