The first of four opportunities for the Brownwood Lions to reach their 23rd consecutive 7-on-7 state tournament presents itself Saturday with the Ponder state qualifier, which again will be held at Justin Northwest High School.
Pool play begins at 8:30 a.m. as the Lions have been paired with the Justin Northwest JV – which cannot advance past pool play – Graham and the team that ended Brownwood’s 2022 postseason run – Wichita Falls – in Pool C action.
The winner of Pool will advance to the semifinals, where a victory there earns a berth to the 32-team 7-on-7 Division II State Tournament at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station June 22-23.
The rest of the field Saturday consists of Bridgeport, Springtown and Ponder in Pool A; Decatur, Krum and Carrollton Ranchview in Pool B; and Aubrey, Burkburnett, Dumas and Vernon in Pool D.
Following the Ponder tournament, the Lions will visit Burnet May 27, host their own event June 3, and venture to Jim Ned June 10.
Heading into the qualifiers, the Lions return the bulk of the defensive unit from last year’s 10-3 area championship squad, while only one offensive starter – quarterback Ike Hall – will be back for the 2023 campaign .
“Our defense is sound,” said Lions head football coach Sammy Burnett. “They all know what they’re doing. They’re all veterans, they’ve been there before and understand what their job is when a coverage is set. They play really well as a unit.
“On the offensive side, it will be neat to see how we perform. We have some new guys on that side of the ball, so it will be a measuring stick for us to see where we we are. Honestly as coaches, we’re not really sure. We’ve performed well so far but what happens when you step up a level and start playing elite teams.”