The Brownwood Lions opened their second season under head coach Jeryl Brixey Monday morning with a promising first practice at the Multipurpose Activity Center on the high school campus. The team’s defense immediately stood out, while the offense showed early progress as players continued building familiarity with their systems and expectations.
Brixey said the program began this year in a stronger position than it did at the same point last season, largely because returning players understand how practices operate and what the coaching staff expects. The morning included a 20-minute conditioning circuit before players moved into football work.
The start of practice also carried a milestone for the Lions: players entered their new locker room for the first time. Brixey said the team was excited about the space and brought strong energy into the opening day.
Defense brings experience to the first practice
The defense was the most noticeable unit during Monday’s work, a result Brixey expected because it has more experienced players than the offense at this stage of preparation. He said defenders were moving quickly, communicating an understanding of the system and showing the work they had put in since the end of last season.
Brownwood returns significant experience across the defensive unit. The returning group includes two cornerbacks, a safety, a low safety, an inside linebacker and several defensive linemen who played extensively last year. Brixey described the overall defense as extremely experienced and said that experience should become an advantage for the Lions.
Health will be an important condition for that potential to translate during the season. Brixey said the defense could be very good, while adding that the players will need to remain healthy. The early practice gave the coaching staff an initial look at how that experienced group is progressing before the team moves into more demanding work.
Offense continues to build its footing
Although the defense led the way Monday, Brixey also pointed to positive signs on offense. Players threw and caught the ball, and the coach noted several good catches during the opening session.
The offense is entering a development phase similar to the one the team experienced last year. Brixey said the offensive line improved as the 2025 season progressed, helping the football team improve as a whole, and he expects that growth process to continue.
Brownwood returns two offensive linemen, one receiver and one running back who played a substantial amount last season. The team also has two players returning after starting throughout the year, giving the Lions an advantage in their knowledge of the offense. Brixey said the group is more athletic up front than it was a year ago, but younger players still need to mature and learn what will be required of them.
That learning process is especially important for players who could see significant playing time this season. Brixey said some younger players, along with some seniors, must develop a stronger understanding of assignments and of the effort needed to compete before the team puts on full pads and reaches the intrasquad scrimmage.
First-week schedule leads to Saturday scrimmage
The Lions are scheduled to finish their first week of work with an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday morning at Gordon Wood Stadium. Before that event, Brixey said the team’s immediate priorities are maintaining a strong attitude each day, continuing to learn and making significant progress among players who are less experienced with the team’s expectations.
The first practice also provided an early look at participation numbers in the younger classes. About 42 freshmen attended Monday, and Brixey said he expected that number to increase. Approximately 70 eighth graders had participated in skills work every day, while the anticipated first-day turnout for that group was between 55 and 60 players. He said it was not unusual for some freshmen to wait until school begins before joining football activities.
After Saturday’s scrimmage, Brownwood’s listed preseason schedule continues with a home game against Brock on Thursday, Aug. 13, followed by a road game at Alvarado on Thursday, Aug. 20. The Lions are scheduled to open the regular season Friday, Aug. 28, at Abilene Wylie.