The Brownwood Lions will travel to Rocket Field at 7 p.m. Friday for their second District 13-4A Division II game, seeking their first district victory and their first football win over Robinson. The programs have never met on the gridiron.
Brownwood enters the matchup with a 2-4 overall record and a 0-1 district mark after losing at home to No. 2 La Vega, 49-14, last week. Robinson is 5-1 overall and 1-0 in district play after opening league competition with a 28-24 victory over Salado.
The game will be Brownwood’s first trip to Robinson’s Rocket Field. It also places the Lions against one of the district’s strongest statistical teams: Robinson was a preseason Top 10 team, has won five consecutive games and is averaging 44 points per outing.
Lions trying to build on second-half response
Brownwood’s loss to La Vega was largely decided before halftime. The Lions were outscored 42-0 in the first two quarters and were outgained 382-39 during that span. They responded after the break, however, scoring 14 points while La Vega scored seven.
Ezra House rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown in the second half, while Rush Tharp caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Riggs Gray. House was making his varsity debut at running back after filling in for injured starter Trent Buffington.
Second-year Brownwood coach Jeryl Brixey said the Lions need to improve their execution, tackling, blocking and ability to remain engaged when they fall behind.
“I saw us not play real great in the first half and certainly we need to be more competitive. There’s a thousand reasons you can get into, but I’m just going to always challenge our kids that whatever obstacles we need to overcome, we have to overcome them. We have to go out and execute on offense and tackle on defense, and we really struggled with tackling for quarter and a half, and didn’t do a real good job of blocking then either. But we played a lot better in the second half and we have to build on that.”
Brixey said Brownwood has sometimes lost intensity after falling several points behind, contrasting that response with last year’s team, which he said continued playing without focusing on the scoreboard. He said the coaching staff is working to correct that problem and help the Lions handle adversity more effectively.
“I feel like we lose a little fire and initiative if we fall a couple of touchdowns behind and we’re not doing a great job ignoring the scoreboard,” Brixey said. “It’s our job as coaches to get us through that and get that fixed, and we’re working hard to get it fixed.”
Robinson brings high-powered offense
Robinson’s offense is led by quarterback Brice McCurdy, a TCU commit who has completed 103 of 143 passes for 1,555 yards, 17 touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also rushed for 307 yards and six touchdowns.
The Rockets have several established receiving threats. Dylan Medlock has 33 receptions for 598 yards and seven touchdowns, Brayden Terry has 33 catches for 514 yards and eight touchdowns, and Jeven Muns has 19 catches for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Muns scored twice in the victory over Salado. Running back Zane Beliz has added 578 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, including two scores last week.
Robinson has won twice in the final minute this season. Against Salado, McCurdy connected with Muns on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 39 seconds remaining. In Week 2 at Springtown, the Rockets intercepted a pass late in a tie game and returned it into field-goal range, setting up a 38-35 victory.
The Rockets’ only loss was a 36-35 result against Bellville in the season opener. Brownwood is listed as a 14-point underdog by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
“They’re a very talented football team,” Brixey said. He described McCurdy as a strong-armed quarterback who is also an effective runner and identified Robinson’s No. 9 receiver as both a speed threat and a dangerous return specialist. Brixey said defensive coordinator Steve Fanara considers Robinson one of the best offenses Brownwood has faced this season.
Brownwood seeks a possession-based approach
Brownwood is averaging 18 points and 261 yards per game, with 155.3 rushing yards and 105.7 passing yards. The Lions have scored 108 points and accumulated 1,566 yards through six games.
Buffington remains the leading rusher, with 683 yards and eight touchdowns on 140 carries. He missed the La Vega game because of an injury but could return Friday. House has 138 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries, while Sirr Beam has 54 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Gray has completed 43 of 105 passes for 626 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. Brownwood’s receiving leaders include Brody Bolton, with seven catches for 177 yards and a touchdown; Jack Bauchman, with 10 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown; and Conner Cornelius, with 10 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. Tharp has two receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Brixey said the Lions must run effectively, protect the football and improve their passing game to reduce Robinson’s opportunities.
“The No. 1 way to counteract a great offense is don’t let them have the football,” Brixey said.
Brownwood’s statistics show a plus-five turnover margin, with six turnovers credited to the Lions and 11 committed by opponents in the season totals. The Lions’ defense has produced six takeaways while allowing an average of 37.2 points and 439.8 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 221.3 rushing yards and 218.5 passing yards against Brownwood.
Defensive matchup could determine the game
Isaac Gonzales leads Brownwood with 44 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. Wyatt Wolf has 41 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions and a blocked field goal. Hudson Deen has 37.5 tackles and returned a blocked extra point 93 yards for two points.
Hudson Fry has 34.5 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. Beam has 30 tackles and three interceptions, while Christian Gray has 28 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack. Kasyn Wooten has 26 tackles.
Robinson has also shown vulnerability on defense. The Rockets are allowing an average of 36 points per game, and opponents have remained competitive throughout the season. Salado’s 24 points were the fewest scored by a Robinson opponent, while the Rockets’ 28 points in that game were their lowest offensive total.
Brixey said Robinson usually plays man coverage and has a sophomore middle linebacker who is a major factor in the middle of the defense. The Rockets have primarily used a four-man front, although they used more of a 3-4 alignment against Springtown. Brownwood plans to prepare for both fronts and emphasize double teams.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Rocket Field. The supplied report describes the game as upcoming and does not provide a final score or other result.