The Brownwood Lions have already secured their 18th consecutive trip to the playoffs. Now, their final regular-season game will determine whether they take a more favorable route into the postseason.
Brownwood will host Salado at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Gordon Wood Stadium in the Lions’ home, district and regular-season finale. A third consecutive victory would give Brownwood the No. 3 seed from District 13-4A Division II and a first-round matchup with District 14 runner-up Lago Vista, which is 7-2.
If Salado wins, the Eagles and Lions would swap positions. Brownwood would enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and face District 14 champion Wimberley, ranked No. 7 and unbeaten at 8-0, in bi-district play.
Brownwood and Salado both enter the game at 4-5 overall and 2-2 in district competition. Brownwood is ranked No. 22 in Class 4A Division II this week by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, while Salado is ranked No. 33.
Brownwood coming off its biggest win
The Lions are coming off a 66-7 road victory over Waco Connally, their most dominant performance of the season. Brownwood led 53-0 at halftime, produced 417 yards of total offense—including 306 rushing yards—and limited Connally to 131 yards. The Lions also forced three turnovers, with Connally’s touchdown arriving on the final play.
Brownwood averages 25.1 points and 285 yards per game. The Lions are gaining 182 rushing yards and 103 passing yards per contest, while committing nine turnovers through nine games.
Running back Trent Buffington leads the ground attack with 1,096 yards and 14 touchdowns on 206 carries. Ezra House has added 396 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Riggs Gray has completed 58 of 138 passes for 900 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Brownwood’s leading receivers include Conner Cornelius, with 16 catches for 261 yards and four touchdowns; Jack Bauchman, with 11 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns; and Brody Bolton, with 10 catches for 246 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Lions are allowing 28.5 points and 376.3 yards per game. Wyatt Wolf leads the team with 65 tackles, three interceptions and two blocked field goals. Isaac Gonzales has 61 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and a blocked extra point.
Brownwood has 19 takeaways, including 11 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries, according to the season statistics supplied through nine games. Sirr Beam has three interceptions, while Hutton Malone has three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Salado brings a balanced offense
Salado enters the matchup after a 30-13 victory over Gatesville. The Eagles are averaging 30 points and 344 yards per game, including 188 passing yards and 156 rushing yards.
Max Gist has completed 69 of 117 passes for 1,097 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions, while also rushing for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Landon Owens has completed 55 of 101 passes for 591 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.
Zack Adcox leads Salado’s rushing attack with 720 yards and six touchdowns. He has also caught 19 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. Austin Ferrin has contributed 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The Eagles’ top receiving threat is Landen Noske, who has 40 catches for 653 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kingdavid Tobe has 18 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns.
Salado’s defense is allowing 29 points per game and has recorded 18 sacks and 10 takeaways. Owen Gunter leads the unit with 75 tackles and four sacks, followed by Tristan Oliver with 70 tackles and three fumble recoveries.
Coaches emphasize playoff-level focus
Brownwood second-year head coach Jeryl Brixey said the third seed offers a smoother playoff route, but he expects Friday’s game to demand playoff-level preparation.
“There’s a better path through if you come out in third place, so my challenge to the kids is treat this like a playoff game already,” Brixey said. “You’re trying to win and find that smoother path. Once you get in the playoffs none of them are easy, but there are certainly differences.”
Brixey described Salado as a team that uses numerous formations and can create matchup problems. He said the Eagles’ quarterback can run and pass, while their H-back contributes at wildcat quarterback, receiver and other roles.
Brownwood will also prepare for Salado’s 3-4 defensive front and focus on controlling the line of scrimmage. Brixey said the Lions need to create opportunities in the passing game while continuing the offensive line’s recent progress.
Special teams will receive added attention. Brixey said Salado has successfully attempted several onside kicks this season, making kickoff awareness and preparation another priority for Brownwood in the seeding finale.