The state bound Brownwood Lions return to 7-on-7 qualifier competition this weekend, hosting their own 16-team event at Gordon Wood Stadium and Brownwood High School Saturday.
The Lions earned their 22nd straight berth in the 7-on-7 Division II state tournament, which will take place June 23-24 in College Station, with a 3-1 performance at the Ponder qualifier on May 21.
Last weekend, however, the Lions stumbled to an 0-3 record at the Burnet event.
“I want to see execution,” Lions head football coach Sammy Burnett said of the goals for Saturday’s event. “Last week we went 0-3 but I thought our defense did some really good things. Every game we had an opportunity to win, offensively we just didn’t put it together. It’s not one single person, it was us as a unit, the entire unit wasn’t as focused as it should have been. I want to see them go out there and execute the plays they know, just go out there and throw and catch the football, relax, have fun, and be dynamic like they were the week before.”
The Lions are in Pool A and will play all their games on the scoreboard end of Gordon Wood Stadium, facing Burnet at 9 a.m., Jim Ned at 10:30 a.m. and Wichita Falls at noon. Having clinched a state berth already, Brownwood cannot advance past pool play.
“I also want to see everyone participate,” Burnett said. “We had three or four kids travel to Burnet and didn’t play on offense or defense and didn’t know when to get in. Our kids manage all that so they have to learn to work together and learn to step up and get in there give someone a break. I want to see everyone play and I want to be able to evaluate all of those kids.”
Through seven 7-on-7 tournament games, the Lions have scored on 16 of 47 offensive possessions (34 percent) as quarterback Ike Hall has completed 89 of 162 passes (55 percent) with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while being whistled for four seconds – the equivalent of a sack in 7-on-7 – on 28 occasions. Leading receivers include Jason Jackson (33 catches, 6 TDs), Case Markham (16 catches, 3 TDs), Konlyn Anderson (16 catches, 1 TD), Brayden Daub (7 catches, 1 TD), Jordan Leach (7 catches, 1 TD), Thad Hinds (5 catches, 2 TDs), Jake Jetton (4 catches, 1 TD) and Jordyn Nickerson (1 catch).
Defensively, Brownwood has given up touchdowns on 12 of 46 possession (26 percent) with four interceptions – two by Noah Barron and one each by Jetton and Colton McMillan. No team has scored more than three touchdowns in a game against Brownwood, and in six contests the Lions yielded two touchdowns or less.
Pool B will also compete at Gordon Wood Stadium with state qualifier China Spring, Springtown ,Glen Rose and San Angelo Lake View battling.
Games that will be played at Early’s Longhorn Stadium include Pool C contests between state qualifier Graham, Stephenville, Gatesville and Midland Christian, as well as Pool D comprised of state qualifier Breckenridge, Clyde, Snyder and Ponder.
A complete schedule for games follows below. Games listed at Brownwood High School will now be played at Early’s Longhorn Stadium:
