Perhaps the most common phrase uttered in all of sports is “defense wins championships,” and high school football is no exception.

While the offense often steals the headlines, a stellar defense is crucial for the times when putting up points might be a struggle – which even the 2023 Brownwood Lions have experienced. But during the team’s current seven-game win streak, no opponent has reached the 20-point mark in that span, a key component in the Lions’ first trip to the regional championship round of the playoffs since 2015.

Since the start of District 2-4A Division I action, the Lions have yielded a total of 69 points, an average of just under 10 points per game, with a pair of shutouts and two additional games in which Brownwood surrendered just one touchdown. No foe has scored more than two touchdowns in a game during that stretch.

Last week’s 17 points allowed to Springtown was the most since Sept. 29, but the “bend but don’t break” philosophy which head coach Sammy Burnett speaks of frequently was on full display. Though the Porcupines tallied 458 yards of total offense, including 334 rushing, the Lions forced a season-high four turnovers, which resulted in 23 Brownwood points.

Takeaways were perhaps the lone element that had been missing for an otherwise elite Brownwood defense as the Lions had forced just 10 turnovers in the first 11 games, but foes have coughed up the ball seven times in the last two contests.

For the season, the Brownwood defense is yielding just 14.5 points and 270.9 yards – 149 rushing and 121.9 passing – per game, and have now forced 17 turnovers.

The unit has been led by linebacker Stevie Ramirez (138 tackles, 8 for loss, 4 sacks, 2 INTs), linebacker Sam Kallman (137 tackles, 8 for loss, 6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), safety Noah Gonzalez (122 tackles, 7 for loss, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), safety Jake Jetton (116 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT), linebacker Zakk Zabecki (94 tackles, 4 for loss, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT), lineman Weston Wolf (71 tackles, 6 for loss, 6 sacks), lineman Quinten McCarty (69 tackles, 4 for loss, 4 sacks), lineman Robert Trowbridge (62 tackles, 5 for loss, 1 sack), safety Hayden Noe (47 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT) lineman Cole Miller (47 tackles, 2 for loss, 3 sacks), cornerback Jordyn Nickerson (46 tackles, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery), linebacker Jaylan Brown (46 tackles, 1 for loss) and cornerback Morsello Hooker (42 tackles, 1 for loss, 3 INTs).

The Lions, at 7 p.m. Friday at Baylor’s McLane Stadium, will likely face their most explosive offense since September in the reigning Class 4A Division I Region I champion Decatur Eagles. Decatur, which owns an eight-game win streak, is averaging 43 points and 382 yards per game – 221 rushing and 161 passing – led by TCU commit Nate Palmer (1,770 rushing yards, 28 TDs) at running back and quarterback Jed Ross (170 of 251 passing for 2,091 yards, 21 TDs, 4 INTs).

However, the last time the Lions faced an offense as highly touted as Decatur was Oct. 19 at Lubbock Estacado. The District 2-4A Division I rival Matadors entered the game averaging 51 points and 483 yards per game—318 rushing and 165 passing – and had scored no fewer than 34 in any contest to that point. Against Brownwood, however, the Matadors mustered a mere 57 total yards – 51 on the ground and 6 through the air – with one scoring drive of 3 yards and another of 53 yards. The rest of the game, Estacado tallied just 1 yard of total offense.

Other explosive offenses the Lions have faced this season include Stephenville and Glen Rose, who are both still alive in the playoffs, along with Waco Connally. Glen Rose generated 34 points, the most allowed by the Lions, but many of those were set up by Brownwood turnovers that opened the door for the Tigers. Stephenville put 27 points on the board, but was aided on one score by a blocked punt, while Connally produced 28 points.

Those three games came in succession as the Lions allowed an average of 370 yards per contest, but forced just two takeaways – both against Glen Rose. Stephenville produced the fewest yards at 304 and Connally amassed the most at 437 and neither team gave away the ball.

Whether or not the Lions can keep Decatur’s offense in check and create more turnovers Friday could be the deciding factor as the Lions pursue their first state semifinals appearance since 2010 and first state championship since 1981.