The Brownwood Lions opened District 13-4A Division II play with a 49-14 loss to the No. 2 La Vega Pirates on Friday night at Gordon Wood Stadium, adding another difficult result to a season that has been shaped by early deficits and injuries.
Brownwood fell behind 42-0 by halftime as La Vega piled up 382 yards in the opening two quarters while limiting the Lions to 39. The loss left Brownwood at 2-4 overall and 0-1 in district play. La Vega remained unbeaten at 6-0 and moved to 1-0 in the district.
La Vega controls first half
The Pirates finished with 498 total yards, including 294 passing and 204 rushing. Quarterback Kourtney Parr completed 18 of 20 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns, while Jamarcus Daniel caught nine passes for 134 yards and two scores. Craig Bradley added an 85-yard receiving performance on two catches and also scored on a 3-yard run.
Benjamin Thompson led La Vega on the ground with 133 yards on 15 carries. His 51-yard touchdown run came with 33 seconds left in the first half. La Vega also scored on Aaden Tasby’s interception return during a 28-point second quarter, while Bradley opened the scoring with his touchdown run late in the first period.
Brownwood ended the game with 203 yards, producing 134 on the ground and 69 through the air. The Lions committed two turnovers; La Vega turned the ball over once.
Injuries force changes in Brownwood backfield
Second-year Brownwood head coach Jeryl Brixey said injuries affected the Lions before and during the game. Leading rusher and scorer Trent Buffington was unavailable after suffering a deep thigh bruise against China Spring. Buffington had not practiced for two weeks and was only beginning to regain movement in his leg.
Running back Sirr Beam was also injured early, creating an opportunity for junior varsity call-up Ezra House. House, who had been playing defensive back on the JV team before moving to running back about two weeks earlier, made his varsity debut and carried 28 times for 138 yards and a touchdown.
House produced most of that work after halftime, rushing for 99 yards on 16 carries in the second half. With 6:58 remaining, he broke through for a 26-yard touchdown that completed Brownwood’s final scoring drive, a 49-yard possession covering eight plays.
Brownwood’s first touchdown came earlier in the second half when quarterback Riggs Gray connected with freshman Rush Tharp for a 65-yard scoring pass. It was Tharp’s second catch of the season and capped an 80-yard drive.
Lions show response after halftime
Although La Vega had already built an insurmountable lead, Brownwood generated several positive moments after the break. Isaac Gonzales recovered a Pirate fumble, giving the Lions their 11th takeaway of the season.
Brixey said Brownwood played with more physicality after halftime and continued competing despite the score. He also noted that the Lions sometimes had 11 underclassmen on the offensive field, reflecting the youth and injury pressure affecting the lineup.
Brownwood’s next district assignment comes next week at Robinson. The preseason No. 10 Rockets enter the matchup at 5-1 overall and 1-0 in district play after rallying to defeat Salado 28-24. Brixey said Robinson’s offense is outstanding and that Brownwood will need to prepare a plan while executing its own strengths more quickly.