STAFF REPORT

BURNET – The Brownwood Lions spent three quarters Friday night keeping Burnet drives alive with untimely penalties, allowing the Bulldogs to convert on third and fourth downs, and mostly playing from behind.

The Lions were trying to climb out of a hole that they had dug themselves. Then came the fourth quarter.

Brownwood rallied for a 36-22 over the Burnet Bulldogs in a Class 4A Division I nondistrict football game, roaring to the finish line by outscoring the Bulldogs 21-0 in the pivotal fourth quarter. The Lions’ fourth-quarter fireworks included a 90-yard, go-ahead touchdown run by Royshad Henderson that broke a 22-22 tie, plus and a game-clinching 56-yard fumble return by linebacker Blaize Espinoza.

“In the second half, we stopped stepping on our own feet,” Brownwood head coach Sammy Burnett said of his young team. “We had some of those same pass plays open in the first half, but we didn’t execute them. We have to mature out of beating ourselves.”

Burnett returned to the Brownwood sideline after being quarantined at home for the last two games because of exposure to COVID-19.

Both teams are 2-2 after Friday’s game.

Burnett said earlier this week that he thought Henderson could rush for 200 yards against Burnet. The 90-yard score with 8:04 remaining in the game put him over the 200-yard mark, and the 180-pound senior finished with 253 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns.

“I thought Royshad was going to rush for 200 yards. I told him that’s what I thought, and I told him that if he did it, we’d win the ballgame,” Burnett said. “He’s a powerful runner, and with the way Burnet stunts, we thought if he could get past the first level of defenders and get out in space, that he could make some big plays.”

Henderson’s 90-yard score gave Brownwood the lead for good at 29-22 and came after Burnet’s Jaxson Denton had dumped a quick kick at the Lions’ 10-yard line.

It appeared Brownwood’s 29-22 lead might not last. Burnet answered with a successful drive running the ball that got as far as the Lions’ 15. On first down, Denton tried to pass but fumbled under a heavy rush. Espinoza scooped up the loose ball and raced down the sideline to extend the Lions’ lead to 36-22 with 3:40 left.

“That sealed it,” Burnett said. “There was less than four minutes left, and they were down two scores. We tell our guys on defense to just worry about the next play — regardless of where they are on the field. Burnet had some yards rushing on that drive but we kept them out of the end zone.”

Brownwood played from behind for much of the first three quarters, but the Lions’ domination began on the first play of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Chance Jones threw a lob pass for the end zone that Jason Jackson caught for an 18-yard touchdown that tied the score at 22.

Brownwood squeezed 29 points out of only 14 offensive plays during the second half. In the third quarter, Khyren Deal returned a kickoff 43-yards to the Burnet 48. Jones passed 38 yards to Jackson, and on the next play, Henderson finished the brief scoring drive with a 10-yard run that tied the score at 15 with 6:43 left in the third quarter.

“I thought that sequence changed the momentum of the game,” Burnett said. “We had the belief that we’re a young team, but we can do this. Our kids are not real experienced, but they found a way to win. They’re great kids.”

The Lions, who didn’t reach 200 yards in total offense during their last two games, gained 379 yards against Burnet. Jones finished 7-of-10 passing for 95 yards and a touchdown passing.

Burnet (2-2) scored two touchdowns in the first half and led 12-7 at the half. Denton threw touchdown passes of 12 yards to Gunnar Blair and 15 yards to Devonte Miller to stake the Bulldogs to their halftime lead.

Brownwood led for part of the second quarter after Henderson carried seven times for 65 yards during a nine-play drive. He scored on a 5-yard run that that gave the Lions a 7-6 lead with 6:26 left before halftime.

Brownwood 36, Burnet 22

Score by Quarters:

Brownwood 0 7 8 21 — 36

Burnet 0 12 10 0 — 22

Second Quarter

BUR — Gunnar Blair 12 pass from Jaxson Denton (kick failed), 10:18

BWD — Royshad Henderson 5 run (Junior Martinez kick), 6:26

BUR — Devonte Miller 15 pass from Denton (pass failed), 10:18

Third Quarter

BUR — Jose Flores 28 FG, 7:11

BWD — Henderson 10 run, (Henderson pass from Chance Jones), 6:43

BUR — Marcus Escamilla 2 run (Flores kick), 2:11

Fourth Quarter

BWD — Jason Jackson 18 pass from Jones (Martinez kick), 11:49

BWD — Henderson 90 run (Martinez kick), 8:04

BWD — Blaize Espinoza 56 fumble return (Martinez kick), 3:40

Bwd Bur

First Downs 17 22

Rushes-Yards 29-284 46-212
Passing Yards 95 59

Total Yards 379 271

Comp-Att-Int 7-10-0 6-16-1
Punts 2-17 3-30
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 3-1

Penalties-Yards 6-57 2-10

Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Brownwood – Royshad Henderson 20-253, Chance Jones 7-39, Dane Johnson 1-(-)5, Team 1-(-)3. Burnet – Marcus Escamilla 25-139, Ethan Wolfe 9-70, Jaxson Denton 9-32, Team 2-(-)36.

PASSING: Brownwood – Jones 7-10-0 for 95. Burnet – Denton 6-16-1 for 59.

RECEIVING: Brownwood – Dane Johnson 4-41, Jason Jackson 2-56, Henderson 1-(-)2. Burnet – Devonte Miller 2-33, Braeden Howell 2-8, Gunnar Blair 1-12, Cade Rye 1-6.

(Photo courtesy of Arianna Quenomoen)

(Photo courtesy of Arianna Quenomoen)

(Photo courtesy of Arianna Quenomoen)