As the 2026 Texas high school football season arrives, the Brownfield Cubs are ready to leave the past behind and begin a new chapter.
The last two seasons have been difficult for Brownfield. The Cubs went 0-22 during the 2024 and 2025 seasons and enter 2026 carrying a 23-game losing streak, the longest current streak among Class 3A Division I programs in Texas. Brownfield’s last victory came on November 2, 2023, when the Cubs defeated Slaton 12-8.
Those numbers are not something Brownfield wants to dwell on. Instead, the focus is on what comes next.
Now entering his second season as Brownfield’s head coach, Lawrence Johnson has a team that appears hungry to change the direction of the program. Signs of improvement emerged during his first year. After averaging roughly seven points per game in 2024, the Cubs increased that number to about 13 points per game in 2025. The defense continued to struggle, but another offseason in Johnson’s system could help Brownfield take another step forward.
This season also brings a significantly different schedule. Roosevelt is the only pre-district opponent Brownfield has faced during the past two seasons, giving the Cubs a fresh group of teams and a chance to build some early momentum.
Brownfield opens the season Friday, August 28, on the road against Morton. Calling this an old rivalry would be an understatement. The last time Brownfield and Morton met on the football field, Harry S. Truman was president. That matchup came 75 years ago in 1951, when Brownfield defeated Morton 58-0.
The Cubs then return home for what should be a much tougher challenge against Coahoma. The Bulldogs are coming off a strong 9-3 season in 2025 while playing in a district that included eventual Class 3A Division II state champion Wall. Brownfield and Coahoma have never met on the football field, making this an entirely new matchup for both programs. Coahoma returns five starters on offense and five on defense from last season’s nine-win team, so the Bulldogs should once again be a difficult opponent.
Following the Coahoma game, Brownfield will hit the road for back-to-back contests, beginning with a familiar opponent in Roosevelt. The Eagles have controlled the series over the past three seasons, outscoring Brownfield 143-80. The Cubs will look to turn things around against a Roosevelt team that finished 2-8 last season but was more competitive than its record suggests.
Turnovers proved costly for the Eagles in several games. A few different breaks could have given Roosevelt several more victories and possibly a playoff appearance. Roosevelt also returns a strong senior group, meaning Brownfield will have to play clean football if it hopes to avenge the recent losses.
The following week brings another road trip as the Cubs travel to Tulia for a Thursday night contest.
Brownfield should have some positive memories from its last meeting with the Hornets. In 2023, the Cubs defeated Tulia 40-14. The Tulia program has changed since then, including a drop in classification from Class 3A Division II to Class 2A Division I.
Brownfield then returns home for its final two non-district games.
The first comes against Crane, a program the Cubs have not faced in more than two decades. Their last meeting came September 30, 2005, when Crane defeated Brownfield 46-0. Crane has developed into one of the more consistent postseason programs in West Texas. The Golden Cranes enter 2026 having reached the playoffs in 14 consecutive seasons and have never shied away from tough opponents.
Brownfield closes the pre-district portion of its schedule against Friona. The Cubs and Chieftains have not met in 26 seasons. Their last matchup ended with Friona winning 44-6. Friona enters this season after going 3-8 last year but returns 12 starters, giving the Chieftains plenty of experience. Still, this could be a game where Brownfield’s improving offense has an opportunity to make some noise.
Then comes district play, and the road becomes considerably tougher.
When the UIL announced its biennial realignment in February, Brownfield and Denver City were sent north into District 1-3A Division I with Bushland, Dalhart and Shallowater. Amarillo River Road dropped into Class 3A Division II, leaving the district with five teams.
That means four teams will advance to the playoffs and one will be left home. There will be very little room for error.
Bushland, Dalhart, Denver City and Shallowater all advanced to the area round of the playoffs last season. Denver City won Brownfield’s former district championship, while Shallowater captured a district title of its own. District 1-3A Division I could be one of the toughest districts in the classification. Shallowater and Bushland both enter the season receiving statewide preseason recognition, while Region I as a whole is loaded with quality programs. Nine of the 21 teams in Region I entered the season ranked among the Class 3A Division I Top 25.
No matter how the district race unfolds, Region I should once again be a difficult road for anyone hoping to make a deep playoff run.
Brownfield opens district play at home against Dalhart. The Golden Wolves may have plenty to prove after coming painfully close to an outstanding regular season in 2025. Dalhart was only a couple of plays away from potentially finishing the regular season undefeated and competed well against both Bushland and Shallowater.
Dalhart returns six offensive starters and seven defensive starters, giving the Wolves one of the district’s more experienced groups. There could even be a little extra motivation involved. Some of Dalhart’s athletes may remember Brownfield ending the Wolves’ basketball season in the area round this past February.
After Dalhart, the Cubs travel west for one of the biggest games on their schedule — the rivalry matchup against Denver City. The Mustangs found their footing last season and rolled through district victories over Brownfield, Kermit and Lamesa before dominating River Road 49-0 in the bi-district round.
Denver City returns only four starters on offense and four on defense, meaning several new players will have to step into bigger roles. Rivalry games, however, rarely follow the script. Brownfield’s emotion and familiarity with Denver City could make this one interesting.
The Cubs then return home to face regional powerhouse Shallowater. The Mustangs return five offensive and seven defensive starters from a team that advanced two rounds into the postseason last year. While Shallowater will feature an experienced senior class, its junior group also contains plenty of talented skill players.
Brownfield’s defense will have its hands full. However, by that point the Cubs will have played eight consecutive games. With the matchup coming late in the season, Brownfield should have a much clearer identity, and late-season district football has a way of producing surprises.
The regular season concludes with perhaps Brownfield’s biggest road challenge as the Cubs travel north to Bushland. It will be the first meeting between Brownfield and Bushland in nine seasons. The programs shared a district when both competed in Class 4A from 2016 through 2018. Bushland won their previous matchup 66-21 before eventually advancing to the Region I final, where the Falcons lost to Graham 69-41.
Bushland enters 2026 looking for a rebound season. The Falcons did not have the type of year they expected last season as injuries, youth and inexperience contributed to an unusual losing record. Even with those problems, Bushland still reached the postseason and won its bi-district playoff game. Now the Falcons return eight offensive starters and seven defensive starters, making Bushland one of the most experienced teams Brownfield will face all season.
Another challenge for Brownfield will simply be staying healthy.
The Cubs do not have a bye week. Brownfield will play 10 consecutive games from August through November without a break. By the time district play arrives, Johnson’s team will certainly be tested, but it could also be battle-hardened.
Despite everything the program has gone through over the past two seasons, Johnson says expectations inside the Brownfield locker room remain high.
“Expectations are high and our players have set the standard to win,” Johnson said. “Our players have bought in unconditionally and the work is showing. We expect to earn a playoff spot and believe in WE!”
For Brownfield to make that jump, several players will need to have big seasons.
Up front, keep an eye on Emilio Hopkins, Elijah Ruiz, Jeremiah Valentine and Kevan Flournoy. Their trench play could be one of the biggest keys to Brownfield’s improvement, especially against the physical teams waiting in district play.
!At the skill positions, Ben Estrada, Braydon Luther, Jaythen Stell, Braedyn Davis, Zac Soto and Connor Jackson are among the players who could give the Cubs opportunities to create explosive plays.
There is no denying what Brownfield is trying to overcome. Twenty-three consecutive losses can weigh heavily on any program.
But every season eventually reaches a point where last year’s record no longer matters.
For Brownfield, that opportunity begins August 28 in Morton.
A different schedule, another year under Johnson, an improving offense and a group of players determined to change the program’s direction have given the Cubs something they have desperately needed — a fresh start.
Now comes the difficult part.
Turning that opportunity into wins.
And if Brownfield can finally break through early, the Cubs may discover that one victory can completely change the confidence of a football team.
2026 BROWNFIELD CUBS VARSITY FOOTBALL ROSTER
2026 BROWNFIELD CUBS VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
