Terry County High School Football Recap, Week 1
A couple of great things happened during the opening week of the 2026 Terry County high school football season.
First, the Brownfield Cubs snapped a 23-game losing streak, which had been the longest active losing streak in Class 3A Division I.
Second, all three Terry County football teams — Brownfield, Meadow, and Wellman-Union — won their season openers. That had not happened in 32 years, dating back to 1994. Also, all three punched their tickets to the postseason that year as well.
Cubs Overcome Penalty-Plagued Game
Brownfield’s objective last Friday night was simple: go into Morton and come away with a win. Getting that victory, however, required overcoming plenty of adversity.
Between Brownfield and Morton, the game featured 43 penalties. The Cubs were flagged 28 times, accounting for roughly 65 percent of the penalties called.
Despite the constant interruptions, Brownfield found a way to finish the job.
The Cubs opened the 2026 season with a powerful rushing attack and a strong defensive effort to take down the Morton Indians and end their lengthy losing streak.
Brownfield finished with 313 yards of total offense, including 229 yards on the ground. Braydon Luther led the way with an outstanding performance, rushing for 135 yards on just eight carries and scoring three touchdowns.
Ben Estrada added 53 yards on eight carries with a touchdown, while Zac Soto contributed 41 yards on four attempts.
Through the air, Estrada completed 7 of 16 passes for 84 yards without throwing an interception. Jaythan Stell led the Cubs in receiving with three catches for 35 yards, Soto caught one pass for 27 yards, and Luther added two receptions for 22 yards.
The Brownfield defense also produced several strong performances. Luther led the Cubs with 12 total tackles and a tackle for loss, while Brody Durham recorded 10.5 tackles. Soto finished with eight tackles, Estrada had seven, Aiden Vasquez recorded six, and Brandon Diaz added five.
Turnovers also helped the Cubs’ defense. Estrada came away with an interception, while Diaz was credited with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
For Brownfield, the victory was about much more than the statistics. After enduring a difficult stretch over the previous two seasons, the Cubs were searching for a chance to turn the page.
Behind an explosive ground game, an active defense, and the ability to overcome 28 penalties, Brownfield finally broke through and started the new season with a much-needed win and some early momentum.
Current Overall Record District 1-3A DI
Broncos Dominate Lorenzo in 57-0 Season-Opening Win
The Meadow Broncos opened the 2026 football season in impressive fashion, rolling past Lorenzo 57-0 and ending the game under the 45-point mercy rule.
Meadow’s dominant performance was powered by an explosive rushing attack and a suffocating defense.
Brayson Parker led the way offensively with a huge night, rushing six times for 235 yards and five touchdowns. Josiah Yannis added 60 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries, while Draven McGee scored on his only rushing attempt, picking up 10 yards and a touchdown.
In all, the Broncos rushed for 305 yards and eight touchdowns on just 10 carries, averaging more than 30 yards per attempt.
Meadow’s defense was just as impressive, holding Lorenzo scoreless and forcing six turnovers throughout the game.
The combination of explosive offense and opportunistic defense allowed the Broncos to take control early and never look back.
The 57-0 victory gave Meadow a strong start to the new season and plenty of momentum moving forward.
Wildcats Blank Amherst 58-0 in Dominant Season Opener
Like their cross-county counterparts, the Wellman-Union Wildcats opened the 2026 football season in impressive fashion, shutting out Amherst 58-0 and ending the game under the mercy rule.
The Wildcats used a balanced attack and a dominant defense to control the game from start to finish.
Wellman-Union piled up 304 yards of total offense, including 262 yards on the ground.
Gabe Quintanilla led the rushing attack with 112 yards and two touchdowns, while Edgar Macias added 73 yards and a score. Cesar Hernandez finished with 45 rushing yards and a touchdown, Fabian Chavez added 20 yards and a touchdown, while Brock Jordan and JFab Lira chipped in seven and five yards, respectively.
Macias also made an impact through the air, throwing for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Braxton Dill caught an 18-yard touchdown pass, while Noah Rodriguez added a 14-yard touchdown reception. AJ Mercado finished with 10 receiving yards.
The Wildcats’ defense was just as dominant, keeping Amherst off the scoreboard.
Quintanilla led Wellman-Union with seven tackles and also recorded an interception and a pass breakup. Chavez finished with three tackles, three pass breakups, and an interception, while Mercado recovered a fumble.
With big plays on offense and a defense that refused to give Amherst any momentum, the Wildcats started the season exactly the way they wanted — with a convincing 58-0 victory.
With Brownfield, Meadow, and Wellman-Union all starting 1-0, opening week turned into a memorable one for football across Terry County.
Current Overall Record District 4-1A DII
TownTalk Media uses Dave Campbell’s Texas Football as the primary source for its weekly high school football rankings. After the preseason polls are released, the rankings move to a Top 10 format in every classification except Class 6A.
For six-man football, TownTalk Media uses two different ranking sources. Based on feedback from local six-man coaches, many consider SixManFootball.com the more accurate ranking system, so we include its Top 25 rankings. We also continue to use Dave Campbell’s Texas Football (TexasFootball.com), which publishes a Top 10 for six-man football.
NOTE: In Classes 6A through 3A, Region I teams are shown in bold and highlighted in yellow. In Classes 2A and 1A, teams shown in bold and highlighted in yellow are Region I teams, while teams highlighted in blue are from Region II.
