Terry Co. HS Football Week 6, recap, preview and rankings

Brownfield Cubs (0-5) vs Merkel Badgers (4-1) at Brownfield, Homecoming 7:00 pm Kickoff

The Cubs put up a strong performance in the first quarter against Littlefield last Friday night, ending the quarter tied at 14-14. However, Brownfield struggled to stop the Wildcats’ rushing attack, which amassed 382 yards on the ground and scored all six touchdowns in their 42-21 victory. Littlefield totaled 433 offensive yards, with 51 of those coming from passing plays. The Cubs’ passing game remained impressive, as Braylon “B-Money” Bruno recorded 236 passing yards, but the rushing game suffered, finishing with a negative six yards.

This week, the Cubs will face a 4-1 Merkel team, which went 0-10 last year. The last time these two programs met on the field was 84 years ago during a playoff game in mid-November 1941, Brownfield winning 13-12, just weeks before the United States entered World War II. The Badgers are currently averaging 45 points per game, demonstrating their ability to score quickly.

For the Cubs to gain momentum, they must establish a solid running game, as they have been heavily reliant on passing to move the ball. Defensively, the team needs to develop a more physical identity by making stops behind the line of scrimmage through effective blitz execution. This will help defend against their opponents’ running game. Merkel comes in with confidence, making this a challenging matchup. Coach Johnson stated, “We can expect them to take some shots downfield, and we must be ready for their trick plays. Physical play and executing in all three phases are essential this week! I’m looking forward to our guys showing up this Friday to welcome back our alumni.”

Current District 2-3A DI Standings

Meadow Broncos (5-0) vs Lorenzo Hornets (2-3) at Lorenzo, 7:30 pm kickoff

The Broncos achieved something they hadn’t accomplished since 2006 by marking a 5-0 start to the season. Their victory over Wilson on Friday night came with minimal challenge, as Wilson displayed only seven players, three of whom were ejected before the first quarter ended. Consequently, the Broncos won 14-0 and improved to 5-0 for the season. However, Coach Blake Jackson was not pleased, as his team had worked hard all week, and he wanted non-starters to have significant playing time.

Fast forward to tomorrow night’s game, where the Broncos will travel to face Lorenzo. The Hornets enter the match with a 2-3 record, sharing common opponents with Meadow in Loop and Wilson. The Broncos secured wins against both teams, while Lorenzo defeated Wilson but lost to Loop 67-56. Of the five games the Hornets have played, their two wins came against winless teams: 0-5 Wilson and 0-4 Southland. Their losses were against 4-1 Roby (59-50), 3-1 Guthrie (69-58), and Loop, who was 0-3 at the time.

Coach Jackson’s team will need to continue their current strategy—being quick and physical. They should maintain pressure on the backfield and create opportunities for turnovers.

Wellman-Union Wildcats (1-4) vs Grady Wildcats (5-0) at Grady, 7:30 pm kickoff

Tomorrow night, the battle of the Wildcats will take place, and Wellman-Union is eager for another victory. In last week’s loss to Hart, where the final score was 57-24, the Wildcats took too long to get into the game. However, the team’s perseverance was a notable bright spot. Now, Wellman-Union needs to shift their focus to Grady.

This week, Wellman-Union will be traveling to face a tough Grady team, which boasts a record of 5-0. One of those wins came from a forfeit by Wilson. The other four victories were against teams with losing records: defeating 1-3 Loop 57-6, 0-4 Midland Trinity 45-0, 1-3 Fort Davis 50-0, and 2-3 Lubbock Titans 46-0. Grady has applied the 45-point mercy rule in all four games that were played.

Wellman-Union’s defense will need to focus on containing #7 Braxton Dillard, as most of Grady’s scoring comes from their ground game, with Dillard contributing to many of the touchdowns. Additionally, many of his touchdowns have been long-yardage plays. Grady’s defense is known for applying pressure in the backfield and causing fumbles, which adds to the challenge for Wellman-Union.

Coach LaBadie said, “We have to get out of the slump we’re in and focus on getting better and getting back to playing like I know we can. I feel it’s crucial to bounce back, especially with the district starting next week.”