Cubs Endure Growing Pains in Second Straight Loss
Back-to-back losses were not on Brownfield head coach Lawrence Johnson’s radar, but the Cubs are experiencing growing pains early in the season.
Brownfield’s offense struggled to find its rhythm Friday night as the Cubs fell to the Roosevelt Eagles, 37-0. It marked Brownfield’s second straight 37-0 loss, dropping the Cubs to 1-2.
Roosevelt built a 30-point advantage during the first half behind a dominant performance from sophomore Joseph Kemp. Kemp rushed for 288 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 8.7 yards per carry. It was his best rushing performance since he also recorded 288 yards against Brownfield last season.
Despite a difficult opening half, Brownfield improved after the break. The Cubs’ defense limited Roosevelt to just seven second-half points as the players continued competing until the final whistle.
“Discipline took a step back on a few key plays where we felt like the momentum was about to shift,” Johnson said. “We responded to a 30-point first half and gave up only seven in the second half. The kids showed some resilience and kept fighting.”
Brownfield finished with 99 yards of total offense, including 85 yards through the air and 14 yards on the ground. The Cubs completed five of 23 pass attempts.
Braedyn Davis completed three of 19 passes for 54 yards, while Ben Estrada went 2-of-4 for 31 yards. Davis also led Brownfield’s rushing attack with 31 yards on six carries.
Braydon Luther led the receiving corps with three receptions for 41 yards. Estrada caught one pass for 30 yards, while Damien Mata added a 14-yard reception.
Defensively, Luther led the Cubs with 15.5 total tackles, including 12 solo stops and seven assists. Brody Durham recorded 10 tackles, while Zac Soto finished with nine tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. Aiden Vasquez added 6.5 tackles, and Mata contributed six.
Johnson said the Cubs must improve their execution and attention to detail as they prepare for their next opponent.
“We have to execute calls on both sides of the ball,” Johnson said. “I take full ownership in emphasizing the details of our offensive and defensive schemes this week as we prepare for Tulia. As always, I am proud to be a Cub, and our team is prepared to respond.”
The victory was Roosevelt’s first of the season, improving the Eagles to 1-2. Brownfield also sits at 1-2 following the loss.
The Cubs will travel to Tulia to face the Hornets at 7 p.m. Friday. Brownfield won the previous meeting between the teams, defeating Tulia 40-14 in 2023. Roosevelt will also be on the road Friday, traveling to face Brownfield district rival Denver City at 7 p.m.
CURRENT DISTRICT 1-3A DI RECORDS
Broncos Blank Amherst 62-0 on Homecoming Night
The #21 Meadow Broncos put another victory in the bag Friday night, defeating the Amherst Bulldogs 62-0 to keep their perfect season alive.
Meadow played well from start to finish, protecting its home field on a special homecoming night and improving to 3-0. The Broncos have dominated their early-season schedule, winning each of their first three games by more than 20 points.
Brayson Parker led Meadow’s rushing attack with 105 yards and two touchdowns on only four carries. Parker also returned a kickoff for a touchdown, giving him three total scores in the contest.
Josiah Yannis added another explosive performance, rushing three times for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Parker and Yannis combined for 175 yards and four rushing touchdowns on only seven carries.
The Broncos also found success through the air. Pancho Arita completed one of his two passing attempts for 35 yards and a touchdown. EJ Piedra caught the pass and took it 35 yards for the score.
Meadow’s special teams provided an additional spark. Along with Parker’s kickoff-return touchdown, Marty Garcia also returned a kickoff for a score.
The Broncos were equally impressive defensively, holding Amherst scoreless throughout the game. Garcia recorded seven tackles and forced a fumble, while Arita finished with six tackles.
“We played well from start to finish and protected our home field on a special homecoming night,” Meadow head coach Blake Jackson said. “I applaud Amherst for the heart they showed while playing shorthanded.”
The competition will get tougher this week when Meadow travels to face No. 12 Hart. Both teams enter the matchup with perfect 3-0 records. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Wildcats Fall Short in Second Straight Nail-Biter
The Wellman-Union Wildcats came up just short for the second consecutive week, falling to Petersburg 44-36 in another tightly contested game.
The loss followed Wellman-Union’s 62-58 setback against Silverton and dropped the Wildcats to 1-2 on the season. Despite the back-to-back losses, the Wildcats have shown they can compete offensively. Head coach Brett Labadie said eliminating mistakes and responding better to adversity will be the keys to turning close losses into victories.
“The last two games have shown us that we have to eliminate the self-inflicted mistakes that are holding us back and become mentally stronger as a team,” Labadie said. “We have to learn to respond to adversity, quit pouting and find a way to fight through the tough moments. We figure that out, and we’re a heck of a football team.”
Gabe led Wellman-Union’s offense against Petersburg, rushing for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw for 36 yards. Noah added 15 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Fabian contributed 38 yards on the ground.
Edgar completed passes for 27 yards and two touchdowns. Braxton caught a 22-yard touchdown pass, while AJ recorded a six-yard touchdown reception. Noah led the Wildcats’ receiving corps with 31 yards, and Edgar added four receiving yards.
Gabe also led the defensive effort with 12 tackles. Noah finished with seven tackles, while Edgar and Braxton recorded six apiece. Fabian added five tackles and two pass breakups, while Casar finished with four tackles.
AJ recorded an interception, and the Wildcats forced three fumbles—one each by Noah, Edgar and Fabian. Noah and Edgar each recovered a fumble.
Wellman-Union will now turn its attention to homecoming night and a matchup with the unbeaten Highland Hornets. Highland enters the contest with a 2-0 record after having an open date last week.
The Wildcats will look to clean up the self-inflicted mistakes, respond to adversity and get back into the win column in front of their homecoming crowd.
CURRENT DISTRICT 4-1A DII RECORDS
Week 4 Texas High School Football Ranking
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 highlighted in yellow. In Classes 2A and 1A, teams shown highlighted in yellow are Region I teams, while teams highlighted in blue are from Region II.
