New Coach… New Season… Brownfield Cubs Ready For Friday Nights!

It’s almost that time again when Friday nights come alive with hitting, rushing, catching, and touchdowns. With the new football season ahead, the Brownfield Cubs will certainly want to avenge themselves after their loss in Bi-District action last season, and it looks like they are ready to go.

The Cubs from the 2022 season had a lot to be proud of, however, their Bi-District game against Muleshoe certainly didn’t live up to expectations. The Cubs during that game found themselves doing very well until about 8 minutes left in the first half. That’s when everything fell apart for Brownfield and allowed the Mules to score 40 unanswered points right before halftime. In the second half, the Cubs tried to recover, but there just was not enough time.

But, it’s a new season with a new head football coach. It was a crazy few weeks beginning in mid-April to the first week in May after former Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Aarrhon Flores resigned. Flores moved on to Lubbock Coronado after four seasons at the helm and posting a 16-26 overall record, and 2022 being his most successful going 8-3. Then BISD hired on April 22 former Idalou Head Football coach Jeff Lofton, who spent his 2022 season as an assistant at the new West Plains HS in Canyon ISD. However, a week later Lofton announced he would be staying in Canyon. That did not shake BISD or the Cubs, because they got a familiar face with Taheric Brantley who had left Brownfield and became the Lubbock Coronado Co-DC and he was hired on May 8.

Coach Brantley has spent time at BISD. From 2018-2019: he was Co-Defensive Coordinator for the Cubs, from 2018-2021: Head Boys and girls Track Coach, 2020-2021: Defensive Coordinator, and in the 2021 season Brantley was still Defensive Coordinator and he was added to the Special Teams Coordinator. Brantley left BISD in 2021 to take the Co-Defensive Coordinator and Head Boys Track Coach for Lubbock Coronado High School. Coach Brantley did not hold back coming in and has been 

According to Coach Brantley, he was able to hire five new assistant coaches, and Coach Ricky Smith will be leading on the offensive side being the Offensive Coordinator. Coach Jacob Perez will lead as Defensive Coordinator. “I have a lot of trust in these two men… they know their game and we will be in great hands with them, “said Coach Brantley.

When comes to the “X’s & O’s” Coach Brantley is going with the spread offense. With the speed the Cubs have, Coach Brantley feels they will be able to put up some major points. Coach Brantley said, “We will light up the field and be explosive.” On the defense side of the ball, the plan is to run the nickel defense. With 15 defensive backs on the roster, the defense is sure to come out hitting, but most importantly being in the right spot to get the job done.

One issue Coach Brantley is looking at is the Cubs district rival Denver City. Since the 2012 season, the Cubs are 3-8 against Denver City, losing seven in a row and their last win was against the Mustangs in 2015 winning 33-14. In 2018, the Cubs lost a heartbreaker at home against DC 3-0, with 16 penalties on the Brownfield and 15 penalties on the Mustangs. Last season, the Cubs traveled over to Denver City and lost 28-21 in a delayed rain-soaked game. “Denver City has been our Achilles heel… we’ve come close a few times, but just could not get past them. We are going to focus on one game at a time and we take on Denver City, we’ll focus on them,” said Coach Brantley.

The Cubs bring back six starters on offense and six starters on defense. Coach Brantley will be leaning on junior quarterback J.J. Martinez who had 3,015 yards in 2022 and is considered one of the top QBs on the South Plains. Although his number-one wide receiver Kaydyn (K. Mo) Moore graduated, he will still have two wide receivers coming back who were 2022 1st Team All-District standouts, Quavience “Q” Busby and Jo Jo Carrillo. These three will be all over the field come Friday nights. Also, Coach Brantley will mix it up and most likely you’ll see Gage McPherson running the ball.

On the defensive side, there are several secondary players ready to get busy. Kaden Wise as linebacker will use his strength and height to put pressure on the opponent’s quarterback and skill players. A lot of speed will come from defensive backs Jayden Gonzales and Q Busby. Coach Brantley is looking to the defense to help make the difference in all games this season.

One positive of the 2023 season is the Cubs will have six (6) home games. Week 1, August 25, 2023, the Cubs will host Post. The Cubs won last season 45-12. Week 2, September 1 they travel to Tulia. Last season the Cubs swatted the Hornets 35-7. In week 3, Sept. 8 the Cubs stay home to take on LBK Roosevelt. Last year Brownfield beat the 2021 State Semifinalist team 49-34. In week 4, Sept. 15 Brownfield will travel north to Dimmitt. Last season at home, the Cubs won handily 61-10.

The Cubs will come home for three weeks beginning with Littlefield in week 5, Sept. 22. Last season, the Cubs upended the Wildcats 28-14. In week 6, Sept. 29 the Mules will come to Cub Stadium. Last season the Cubs got their first loss against Muleshoe 37-39. To round out the three-week home games Brownfield will take on their arch-rival and district foe Denver City in week 7, Oct. 6. Last season the Cubs fell 28-21.

In week 8, Oct 13 the Cubs will travel south on TX-137 to play another arch-rival Lamesa. Last season the Cubs won 30-22. Next up in week 9, Oct 20, the Cubs will host Kermit. Last season Brownfield shut out the Hornets 34-0. Finally, in week 10, the Cubs will get much-needed rest as they have a bi-week. Then they travel to southeast Lubbock County in week 11, Nov. 3 to play Slaton. Last season Brownfield won 20-6.

Brownfield Cubs Varsity Roster

2023 BROWNFIELD CUBS VARSITY SCHEDULE ( * denotes district games, ** denotes Senior Night, $ denotes Homecoming)