The Battle of 377 is set to reach its 86th listed meeting in 2026, extending one of the longest-running football rivalries involving Brownwood. Through the 2025 season, Brownwood leads Stephenville 47-36-2 all time, according to a historical review published by Brownwood News.
The rivalry began in 1937, when Stephenville defeated Brownwood 7-0. Brownwood recorded its first victory in the series two years later, winning 27-0. The teams played 85 meetings across 88 years through 2025, with some seasons omitted from the schedule.
Brownwood built an early and extended advantage
Brownwood’s strongest stretch came from 1964 through 1987, when the Lions won 23 consecutive meetings, although the teams did not play in 1967. Brownwood also remained unbeaten against Stephenville for 25 years from 1964 through 1989, a run that included a tie in 1988.
That era included several of the rivalry’s most decisive results. Brownwood shut out Stephenville in 1964, 1965 and 1966, then posted victories of 48-7 in 1968, 55-7 in 1970 and 62-0 in 1987. The 1989 meeting ended Brownwood’s unbeaten run with a 63-21 victory over Stephenville.
Stephenville has controlled the recent series
The balance shifted in the 1990s and again in the 2020s. Stephenville won six straight meetings from 2020 through 2025. The recent streak began with a 59-34 Stephenville victory in 2020 and included a 63-7 win in 2021, a 42-21 result in 2022 and a 27-17 victory in 2023.
Stephenville’s most recent wins were especially emphatic. The Yellow Jackets defeated Brownwood 44-0 in 2024 and 49-0 in 2025. Those results narrowed, but did not erase, Brownwood’s overall advantage in the rivalry.
Fourteen state championships represented
The two programs have combined for 14 state championships. Brownwood’s seven titles came in 1960, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1978 and 1981. Stephenville’s seven championships came in 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2012, 2021 and 2025.
The source’s 2026 entry identifies the next place in the series history but does not provide a game date, venue, opponent result or final score. Additional scheduling and game information was not included in the published material.