The Brownwood Lions will remain at Gordon Wood Stadium for a second consecutive week when they host the Class 4A Division I No. 10 Springtown Porcupines at 7 p.m. Friday. The matchup gives Brownwood another ranked opponent immediately after a narrow loss to the reigning state champion.
Brownwood is 1-1 entering the game. The Lions opened the season with a 13-7 victory at 5A Division II Abilene Wylie, then fell 28-24 at home to top-ranked Stephenville. Brownwood led Stephenville again with 1:29 remaining, but the Yellow Jackets answered with a 75-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds left.
The result left the Lions less than a minute from an upset, but second-year head coach Jeryl Brixey said the team viewed the performance as more than a moral victory. Brownwood’s players and coaches expected to win the game and were disappointed that they did not finish it.
“The kids are heartbroken about it, I’m heartbroken about it, but we’ve reached the point that our kids expected to win that football game and we as coaches expected to win that football game,” Brixey said.
Brixey also praised the effort against Stephenville, particularly on defense, where Brownwood played without two starters. He said the contest showed the Lions could compete physically with a strong opponent, while also exposing the details they must improve to close out games.
Springtown’s record does not tell the whole story
Springtown arrives with an 0-2 record, but both losses came against highly regarded teams. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ranked the Porcupines No. 3 in Class 4A Division I during the preseason. They opened with a 42-20 loss to current Class 4A Division II No. 7 Brock before losing 38-35 at home to preseason Class 4A Division II No. 10 Robinson.
Springtown held a 35-28 advantage over Robinson with 4:26 remaining. The Rockets then scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-12 with 1:44 to play. On Springtown’s following possession, the Porcupines threw an interception that was returned to their own 21-yard line with 15 seconds left. Robinson converted the opportunity into the winning field goal.
“They may be 0-2 but that’s against Brock and Robinson and they’re not bad football teams,” Brixey said. “They’re like us, they’re playing a tough, tough schedule.”
Springtown is averaging 27.5 points and 351 yards per game through two contests. The Porcupines are producing 189.5 rushing yards and 161.5 passing yards per outing.
Quarterback Kaine Hill has led the offense both through the air and on the ground. He has completed 26 of 52 passes, or 50 percent, for 323 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Hill has also rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Teagan Hair has added 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The leading Springtown receiving figures belong to Drew Brinkley, with 11 catches for 90 yards; Pilot Grubis, with 10 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown; and Jett Hill, with three receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Brownwood’s defense will have to account for a spread-based attack that uses multiple formations to create alignment problems. Brixey described Hill as a major part of that challenge and identified offensive linemen Konner Admire and Kade Kocke as important players for the Porcupines.
“Offensively, they base out a spread system but they run a ton of formations trying to get you misaligned,” Brixey said. “Their quarterback is a really good player and runs it about 30 percent of the time.”
Brownwood looks for more consistency
The Lions are averaging 18.5 points and 271 yards per game through two games. Their production includes 150.5 rushing yards and 120.5 passing yards per contest, and the offense has not committed a turnover.
Trent Buffington has been Brownwood’s leading runner, carrying 55 times for 300 yards and four touchdowns. Riggs Gray has completed 19 of 38 passes for 241 yards. His receiving targets include Jack Bauchman, who has five catches for 82 yards, and Conner Cornelius, who has four receptions for 66 yards. Other Brownwood receivers listed through two games are Isaac Gonzales, Garrett Wilkerson, Brody Bolton, Rush Tharp, Hudson Fry and Buffington.
Brixey said the passing game must become more productive, while emphasizing that completion issues have multiple causes and are not solely the responsibility of Gray. He also wants the offensive line to develop greater consistency after the Lions failed to convert some opportunities following turnovers.
Brownwood’s rushing attack has been supported by work from Rylan Martin, Jackson Rainey, Bowen Slack, Layton Greer, Judah Lee and Cathan Kinsey. Kinsey, a sophomore, moved to strong guard before an ankle injury during the Stephenville game led to Rainey returning to that position and Lee moving to strong tackle. Brixey said the group played physically, and he highlighted Gonzales’ work at fullback.
Defense and special teams remain priorities
Brownwood is allowing 17.5 points and 371.5 yards per game, including 206.5 rushing yards and 165 passing yards. The Lions have produced five takeaways. Hutton Malone has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while Sirr Beam has one interception. Gonzales leads the defense with 18 tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack. Hudson Fry has 15 tackles and three tackles for loss, and Wyatt Wolf has 12 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and a blocked field goal.
Other defensive contributors include Christian Gray, Hudson Deen, Aiden Jimenez, Maddox Mendoza and Hayden Fulkersin. Malone’s seven tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries have made him one of the team’s most productive defenders through two games.
Against Springtown, Brixey said Brownwood needs more depth along the defensive line and more consistent pressure on the quarterback. The Lions also need to restore their special-teams sharpness after allowing too many return yards against Stephenville. Aiden Jimenez has made three of four field-goal attempts, with a long of 22 yards, and all four of his extra-point attempts. Deen has punted eight times for 345 yards, averaging 43.1 yards with three punts inside the 20-yard line.
Springtown’s defense is allowing 40 points per game. The Porcupines have recorded five sacks but have not forced a turnover. Middle linebacker Rome Ewell leads the unit with 20 tackles, including one for loss and one sack. Outside linebacker Kasen Beaman has 18 tackles, while end Cayson Haidusek has 15. Luis Lazcano has 13 tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks, and strong safety Aiden Adams has 10 tackles.
Springtown uses a 3-3 stack defense, with a six-man box and five-man secondary shell. Ewell, a preseason all-state selection, is described as a strong middle linebacker who has previously been committed to Houston. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football lists Brownwood as a 13-point underdog, but Friday’s game offers the Lions a chance to convert a painful finish against Stephenville into momentum against another ranked opponent.