The basketball season has returned for the Brownfield Runnin’ Cubs, and it promises to be an exciting time. Brownfield boasts a rich history in basketball. Over the past two decades, the Runnin’ Cubs have secured a playoff spot 16 times.
In the 2015-2016 season, following the UIL realignment, Brownfield was placed in a district with Denver City, Lamesa, Lubbock Estacado, Levelland, and Seminole. All six teams made playoff runs during the 2014-2015 season, which included the Runnin’ Cubs winning the State Title, while both Estacado and Levelland made appearances in the Regional Tournament.
At one point during the 2015-2016 season, five of these teams were ranked in the Top 25 of Class 4A simultaneously, including the Runnin’ Cubs. However, despite their strong performance, they ultimately missed the playoffs.
Last season, Brownfield shared the district title with Littlefield, finishing with a record of 25-9 and an impressive 11-1 in district play. Out of their nine losses, two were to Littlefield—one during the district season and another in a seeding game. The Runnin’ Cubs advanced to the Area Round of the playoffs, where they faced the #2 ranked Shallowater and lost by nine points. The other six losses were to playoff-bound teams, including Randall, which went to the State Tournament, and Canyon, which reached the Regional Finals. These six teams ranged from 4A to 6A classifications.
In February, the UIL announced new realignments, placing Brownfield in a district with teams to the south. They retained their matchups against Denver City and Lamesa and gained new opponents: Coahoma, Crane, Odessa Compass Academy, and Stanton. In the past two decades, Brownfield has the best record among these seven teams, followed by Lamesa, while the other five will compete for the 3rd and 4th playoff spots.
The Runnin’ Cubs are bringing back some impressive talent from last season. Starting with Jeron Lawrence, Coach McPherson describes him as “special good.” According to McPherson, Lawrence has improved significantly since his freshman year. He will serve as the point guard for the Runnin’ Cubs and is expected to score over 30 points per game.
Next is senior Quavience Busby, also known as “Q.” With his height and strength, he provides the Runnin’ Cubs with the necessary presence to dominate the paint. Trae Timmins is another key player to watch; he has shown tremendous improvement over the summer. McPherson comments, “Trey has improved… you will be surprised at how good he has gotten.”
Additionally, seniors Joe Mata and Tazjon Stell will bolster the program, having come off the bench several times last season, especially during Brownfield’s injury struggles. Don’t overlook Braylon “B-Money” Bruno and John Fields; both possess considerable talent, similar to Lawrence.
The Runnin’ Cubs have already secured a victory on the hardwood, defeating Andrews on Tuesday night with a score of 79-55. On Saturday, November 16th, Brownfield will host the #1 ranked Trinity Lions. Following that, the Runnin’ Cubs will face three consecutive away games, starting on November 19th against the #11 4A LBK Estacado. They will then have a challenging matchup against Hobbs, NM, on November 22, and will finish up with a game at Sweetwater on November 25th. After a seven-day break, Brownfield will return home to play Slaton on December 3rd.
The Runnin’ Cubs will travel to Frenship for the Gene Messer Tournament from December 5 to 7. Brownfield will be the smallest school competing, facing off in pool play against 6A Rockwall Heath and 5A Amarillo Caprock. On December 10, they will host Levelland. Next up is the Brownfield Hoopin’ Cub Classic, scheduled for December 12 to 14. The Runnin’ Cubs will begin district action at home on December 17 against their arch-rival, Denver City. They will then travel south to Odessa on December 20 to compete against a new district opponent, Odessa Compass Academy. Following that match, the Cubs will have another seven-day break.
After all the Christmas gifts have been opened and the candy has been eaten, the Runnin’ Cubs will return to action by heading north to the Tatum Tough Tourney in Canyon from December 26th to 28th. Following the tournament, Brownfield will resume district play at home on Friday, January 3rd, against Lamesa. They will then travel to Coahoma on January 7th and wrap up the week at home on January 10th with a game against Crane. The Cubs will play again at home on Tuesday, January 14th, against Stanton, completing the first round of district play.
As the second round begins, the Runnin’ Cubs will have a six-day break before traveling to Denver City on January 21st. They will then return home to face Odessa Compass on January 24th. The following week, Brownfield will travel to Lamesa on January 28th and will come back home to play against Coahoma on Friday, January 31st. The Runnin’ Cubs will wrap up district action by traveling south to Crane on February 4th and then to Stanton on February 7th.
