CROWLEY – Turnovers can create the highest of highs, or lowest of lows, depending on which way the ball bounces. For the No. 6 Brownwood Lions Friday night, the fortunes were in their favor as they exorcised the ghosts of the 2022 postseason.
A season-high four takeaways for the Lions defense translated into 23 points, and a 37-17 Class 4A Division I Region I semifinal victory over the Springtown Porcupines – extended Brownwood’s season into December a year after falling short of that goal in the same round of the playoffs.
“I talked to the kids and told them in games like this where there’s only 16 teams left you’re going to have peaks and valleys, you’re going to have momentum swings and it comes down to how you handle those situations,” said Lions sixth-year head coach Sammy Burnett. “Our kids did a good job with that, they made plays when they needed to make plays and they came up with a big win. I couldn’t be any prouder of the kids. They don’t know how to quit and that’s special.”
Springtown entered the game having committed 20 turnovers in its previous 12 games, and was without starting quarterback Hudson Hulett, who broke his leg during last week’s 62-21 area playoff victory over El Paso Riverside. After Friday night, the Lions have now forced seven takeaways in the last two games after creating just 10 over the first 11 games.
The first of the takeaways for Brownwood (12-1) may have been the most crucial as Springtown (8-4) was on the verge of potentially opening a two-score advantage. Down 3-0 following a 27-yard field goal by Bryce Smith and Brownwood’s lone turnover on the ensuing possession, the Lions defense allowed Springtown to drive from its own 24 to the Brownwood 40.
Quarterback Hayden Nichols, filling in for Hulett, broke free on a zone read keeper and sprinted down to the Brownwood 10. There, however, Jake Jetton stripped the ball away from Nichols and Zakk Zabecki recovered at the Lions 6 with 9:17 left in the first half.
“They got a momentum swing in the first half but we stripped the ball in the red zone and got the momentum,” Burnett said. “Our defense did a phenomenal job of bending but not breaking.”
To that point, Brownwood had mustered just 12 yards of total offense and no first downs in three possessions, but the Lions needed just four plays to march 94 yards as Ike Hall connected with Carson Noe on a 19-yard touchdown pass and suddenly Springtown was down 6-3, after a missed extra point, at the 8:19 mark of the second quarter. The score was set up by an earlier toss of 47 yards from Hall to Noe, which served as the initial first down of the contest for Brownwood.
“Ike put some balls in some great spots and how bout sophomore Carson Noe making three phenomenal catches,” Burnett said. “You never who we’re going to throw it to, who we’re going to pick on, but Ike’s a leader and threw some great balls. We go as he goes of course, but we had some kids step up and it was a total team effort in all three phases of the game.”
The Lions tacked on two more touchdowns before halftime to open a 20-3 advantage.
The second score of the quarter came after a Springtown punt to the Brownwood 27, which set up a 73-yard, seven-play scoring trek. A 36-yard run by Hall on third-and-8 moved the ball to the Porcupine 20, and three plays later Hall finished the drive with a 9-yard keeper for a 13-3 edge with 2:29 left before intermission.
Then, with 1:12 left in the first half, Springtown converted a fourth-and-1 run from its own 28 to the Porcupine 32. But on the very next snap, the exchange in the backfield was bobbled and Jordyn Nickerson dove on the loose ball.
Four snaps later, Hall and Noe connected again on an 8-yard out pattern with eight seconds left in the half to boost the advantage to 17 points, 20-3, at intermission.
The Porcupines dominated the third period, similar to the first, but this time turned both their drives into touchdowns, closing the gap to 20-17.
Springtown first moved 76 yards in seven plays before Nichols scored on a 23-yard scamper. The Porcupines then ventured 99 yards in six snaps as Nathan Johnson scored on a 1-yard plunge with four seconds left in the third period. A Nichols 43-yard run from the Springtown 1 on the first snap of the series got the offense rolling again for the Porcupines.
Brownwood’s third drive of the second half also ended in a quick punt and Springtown took over at its own 38 with a chance to take the lead.
“Just lack of execution on offense, getting beat on plays, not moving the ball like we need to and getting behind the chains just a little bit,” Burnett said of the third-quarter offensive woes.
But a holding call on the first play pushed Springtown behind the chains and the Porcupines were eventually forced to punt. Nickerson was interfered with on the attempt to catch the punt at the Brownwood, then Morsello Hooker was later interfered with going out for a pass.
Those three penalties for 40 yards changed the complexion of the game and set the Lions up at the Porcupine 23. Four snaps later, Hall scored again on a 1-yard dive to stretch the Brownwood lead to 27-17 with 5:39 left.
“They came out in the second half and got the momentum again and we turned around and took it right back,” Burnett said. “You have to win all three phases of the game and tonight I think we did.”
Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Noah Gonzalez jarred the ball free from the returner and Enrique Vazquez hopped on the fumble at Springtown 19. That led to a 35-yard field goal by Junior Martinez with 4:01 left, which chewed 1:38 off the clock.
Leading 30-17, the Lions witnessed Springtown march to the Brownwood 11 with 2:01 left, where Zabecki stepped in front of a Nichols offering at the 10 and returned the interception 90 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.
“How bout Zakk Zabecki and the big plays he made,” Burnett said “We have a combined team, he was on that team last year and moved up to the JV and by the end of the year he moved up to the varsity and he gained confidence. But it was because he was on that combined team and played every game he got the confidence to become a player and he turns around this year and was a crucial part of our defense, made some humongous plays for us and it couldn’t happen to a better kid and to a better team.”
The Lions surrendered 458 yards of total offense – 334 rushing and 124 passing – while amassing 306 yards – 220 on the ground and 86 through the air. But the takeaways either allowed for a short field for the offense, or points from the defense, that negated any yardage advantage the Porcupines possessed.
Hall rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 86 yards and two more scores. Noe led the way with three catches for 74 yards and two trips to the end zone, while Jaylan Brown chipped in 61 yards rushing.
For Springtown, Nichols finished with 156 rushing yards and a touchdown, while completing 7 of 12 passes for 124 yards. Johnson churned out 149 yards and a score. Brayden Fox led the Porcupines with five catches for 39 yards and Dylan Crutchfield added three grabs for 42 yards.
Next week, the Lions will clash with reigning regional champion Decatur (9-4) – a 52-21 winner over Lubbock Estacado (10-3) Friday – for the right to advance to the Class 4A Division I state semifinals. Brownwood scrimmaged at Decatur in the preseason, the first action for either team against an opposing foe.
“They’re leaving their mark as the 2023 Lions,” Burnett said of the importance of the team reaching the regional championship round. “No team has won this many since 2010, that’s 13 years, but we’re not finished yet, we still have work to do. We’re facing a very good Decatur football team, but we’re pretty good as well.”