A couple of high-stakes games for the Brownwood Lions and the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets last week. In fact, I was going to do a column last week about what might happen if the Lions and the Jackets both won. I mean, I really thought that either one or both of them could go undefeated, at least during the regular season. Now, all of that’s down the drain.

Howard Payne and Brownwood High have not coordinated for me real well. I say that in regard to looking back at Brownwood’s State Championships and then Howard Payne wasn’t terribly good during any of those years. There’s one year though that has always kind of stuck out to me. We didn’t win State that year but in 1971 Howard Payne had a terrific ball club, maybe the best that they’ve ever had, and they lost one game the entire year. Given the opportunity to be in the playoffs they might have won the National Championship. Brownwood got beat in the semi-finals on a late score by Plano and lost the ballgame 13-8. They ended up winning State and that wasn’t a fluke and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I’m just saying that Brownwood was really good that year, too. I think we lost two games so we lost three between the Lions and the Jackets.

I really thought this year both of them had a chance to run through the regular season but up jumps Stephenville and they beat us by ten and you don’t get “do overs” very often. We could get a “do over” this year though and I hope we do. Howard Payne had every opportunity but couldn’t finish off Hardin Simmons and lost 40-33.

Forget about the playoffs – just the regular season. I want you to think about this. Now, I’m about a week behind you and so Brownwood may have gotten whipped by Big Spring and Howard Payne may have lost out at Gordon Wood Stadium on Saturday, and that’s very possible. But in case they didn’t, I want you to keep in mind that both of them have one loss this year.

Brownwood could go nine and one regular season and Howard Payne’s got the talent to go nine and one. Hey, that would be pretty good! Eighteen and two for the regular season. Both of them nine and one and that would be probably, maybe not physically, but at least on paper, that would be the best seasons that Brownwood and Howard Payne have ever had together. That would be special for the Brownwood fans and Brownwood’s still got some work to do. They’ve still got to beat a good Lubbock Estacado team. Howard Payne still has some good ball clubs to play and then, of course, they would still have to beat Mary Hardin Baylor.

I’m happy to say that all of this is possible and that would make 2023 not only a good year, it would be a great year!

Until next time, so long everybody.

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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at [email protected].