COLLEGE STATION – The Brownwood Lions got off to a slow start Thursday in their 22nd straight appearance at the 7-on-7 Division II state tournament, then almost pulled off an unlikely upset before finishing with a 1-2 record against Pool B foes.
The Lions fell to Anna, 24-7; rebounded with a 26-13 triumph over Smithville; then were nipped by pool champion Silsbee, 32-27, as Brownwood was unable to cash in a late opportunity to steal a victory.
“I don’t know if this isn’t the best pool here,” said Lions head football coach Sammy Burnett, who was on hand to observe Thursday’s action. “Anna has a good team, Silsbee is loaded and has a five-star receiver, and Smithville is a good team. I thought all in all, we didn’t get off the bus in the first game and it showed, but after that we played. We dropped the third game but we had a chance to win at the end and that’s all you can ask for.”
After producing one touchdown in seven possession in the opener, the Lions finished with a 50 percent scoring rate, reaching the end zone on nine of 18 drives.
Quarterback Ike Hall completed 39 of 65 passes – 60 percent – with nine touchdowns and one interception that was returned for a touchdown. Hall was also whistled for four seconds – the equivalent of a sack in 7-on-7 – on 13 occasions.
Leading receivers included Case Markham (16 catches, 4 TDs) – with 11 of those grabs and three scores against Silsbee – Thad Hinds (5 catches, 2 TDs), Jason Jackson (5 catches, 1 TD), Konlyn Anderson (4 catches), Morsello Hooker (3 catches, 2 TDs), Brayden Daub (2 catches), Jordyn Nickerson (2 catches), Jordan Leach (1 catch), and Jake Jetton (1 catch).
“I think the growth of Ike Hall today, it just clicked,” Burnett said. “He started making plays and delivering balls on time and throwing receivers open. All of the sudden we started flowing and scoring points. When you’re trying to tell a kid what he’s needing to do and how he’s needing to do it and all the sudden it registers with him and he figures it out, I saw a tremendous amount of growth out of him today which gives me great hope for the season.”
Defensively, Brownwood gave up touchdowns on 10 of 18 possessions – a 56 percent success rate – after yielding scores on just 29 percent of the opponents’ drives during 12 qualifying games. The Lions had not allowed more than 20 points in a contest until Thursday. Brownwood did pick up off a pair of passes – Noah Barron against Anna and Jaylan Brown against Smithville – while the Lions recorded a rare safety against Silsbee that set up the final drive.
In the finale against Silsbee, the Lions fell behind 25-12 on a pick six late in the first half, and trailed 32-18 late but almost made an improbable comeback. Hall connected with Markham on a scoring toss, then Hooker made a one-handed grab for the extra point, closing the gap to 32-25.
Silsbee’s first play of the next possession resulted in a receiver being tagged down behind the line of scrimmage, the equivalent of a safety, to bring the Lions within five points.
With just over a minute left, the Lions moved 15 yards due to a Silsbee personal foul, but late shot themselves in the foot with an illegal procedure penalty from inside the 10. Still with one more crack at the end zone, the Lions couldn’t connect on the go-ahead score before time expired. Hall connected on 16 of 24 passes with four touchdowns and the one interception.
“We played a really good Silsbee team that won the bracket and we fought until the bitter end,” Burnett said. “One play was the difference, the pick six, and that was just a bust with the receiver stopping his route and we throw the ball and the kid picks it off and scores. They showed their resilience and fought back when they could have quit and had an opportunity to win at the end, and I couldn’t ask more from them.”
Against Anna, the only touchdown was a toss from Hall to Hooker after allowing the first three scores of the game. The Lions completed just 4 of 13 passes in the first half, but Hall rebounded to connect on 11 of 21 attempts.
“The first game against Anna I don’t think we showed up,” Burnett said. “We had several opportunities to make plays offensively and just didn’t in the first half and let it get away from us. I still felt like our defense played pretty good and gave us a chance to be in the game. Offensively when you have a chance to make plays in one-on-one situations, 50-50 balls, we had six opportunities and didn’t make one, and that was the difference in that game.”
Against Smithville, the Lions trailed 13-6 but scored shortly before the half on a toss from Hall to Markham, and the extra point by Daub knotted the score at 13.
The Lions defense then buckled down, not allowing a second-half point. Leading 19-13, Brown’s interception at the goal line preserved the lead for the Lions late in the second half.
Offensively, Hall threw second-half touchdown passes to Hooker on a jump ball, and Hinds on a 45-yard go route for the insurance score.
“I thought they responded well and played a good game against Smithville,” Burnett said.
The Lions begin single elimination bracket play among the field of 32 at 8:45 a.m. Friday as they battle Lago Vista on Field 13B at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex.
“I want to see continued growth from our team and the fight they showed that last game,” Burnett said of Friday’s objectives. “The way they bonded together and fought together and never quit, I want that to continue and their belief in one another, and I want to see Ike continue to excel.”
