All teams say they want to win a State Championship. Some know how. Most have no earthly idea. We’ve got a pretty good history. Our grandparents had pretty good football teams. They won State Championships. Our parents came close – almost good enough. Now, for these young men, they have seven State Championships in their history. Stephenville has six and they are hunting one to tie us this year. But, why is it so hard for us to win? I don’t know. If I did I would……
I don’t spend a whole lot of time trying to predict the future, so this is kind of an oddity, but I’m going to do a little bit of predicting here. Brownwood will advance to the playoffs and all of the action will start in a couple of weeks. Stephenville, according to the Harris rating system, has already jumped to number one in the state with two games left to play. They are expected, and I expect them to win both of those games. I guess what I’m saying is that Stephenville is going to finish 8-2 and Brownwood will finish below them with a 9-1 record and then the playoffs. The first playoff game for us isn’t going to be real tough. The one for Stephenville isn’t doing to be real tough, ether. Then we start wading through the mine field that is playoff football in Texas.
Some games bug me! Probably the buggiest for me was in 1998. We had a great game with a great Jacket team in Stephenville and we won 40-35. We get in the playoffs and we win Bi-District and Stephenville does too. They win their second game and go on to win the State Championship. We get to our second game and we are an overwhelming favorite against Wichita Falls Hirschi. The first half, 21-0 Brownwood, and we get beat 23-21. How in the world did that happen? I have no idea. I saw it with my own eyes and I couldn’t believe it. We wanted to play Stephenville again and win a State Championship and we couldn’t do it. Can it still happen? I believe it can and I believe it can happen this year.
I don’t see anybody in Region 1 that can beat us – IF we play! I’m not sure there are any in Region 2 that are going to beat Stephenville. If that’s the case then we will play in the Semi-Final round somewhere. There’s no telling how many people are going to be in attendance, but I hope and pray that this is THE year where Brownwood, with a good ball club, has a good shot at getting to Jerry World. The Brownwood Lions have a good team – not as good as they can be YET and that’s what the playoffs are for. Get better every week. Win the games you have to win, and then when the prize is in front of you – take it! I believe that we have the kind of team this year that can do it.
So as we sit here, about to start the playoffs, let me ask a question. Can Brownwood win a State Championship? YES! They can! But, It’s not up to me or the coaches. It’s up to those kids. The team that wins the State Championship will start winning it right now. Right now!
Here’s a Brownwood team that could basically prop their feet up, laugh and cut up, and take three weeks off and get knocked off by somebody. Or, this is a Brownwood team that will rededicate themselves over the next three weeks. They will get better, sharper and all of those things. They’ll make a championship team! So we, as Brownwood Lions, have a choice to make. We can be satisfied with the status quo or in three weeks time, you can rededicate yourself and become what you can be. I hope, I pray, that you as the 2023 Brownwood Lions, challenge yourselves, and truly become what you know you can be.
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].