The bye week is behind the Brownwood Lions and the stretch run toward the postseason begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Gordon Wood Stadium as the Burnet Bulldogs visit for a pivotal District 4-4A Division I showdown, as well as the 2024 homecoming game.

Barring any potential upsets down the line, Friday’s game between the Lions (3-3, 0-1) and Bulldogs (5-3, 1-1) could determine District 4’s third and fourth postseason seeds.

“We’ve done well in practice, our sense of urgency is there with the kids and they know we need to do whatever it takes to win the game on Friday,” said Lions seventh-year head coach Sammy Burnett. “Let’s go get it done. That’s a big one for us, we have to get back in the win column mentality wise and that’s our mission.”

The Brownwood-Burnet series of games has featured several close contests, though the Lions have come out on top the majority of the time. The last two years, the Lions had to overcome early deficits, a trend Burnett wants to see reach its end Friday night.

“The last couple of years against Burnet we’ve started off slow and they’ve been ahead and we’ve had to bounce back and make adjustments to win those games,” Burnett said. “They’re always going to bring something new that we haven’t seen and we’ll have to adjust on the fly, but we have to stop their bread and butter and what they want to try and do and make them do something different.”

The Bulldogs lost their first two games, then reeled off five straight victories before falling to Lampasas, 42-38, last week, a game in which Burnet held the lead with less than a minute to go.

“They’re a good football team and they lit up the Lampasas defense through the air last week,” Burnett said. “They have some good schemes and they do a good job executing.”

Quarterback Rhett Murray makes the offense go for Burnet – which averages 31 points and 375 yards per game, 193 passing and 182 rushing. Murray has completed 122 of 200 passes for 1,443 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Receiving threats include Colt Stanford (26-398, 3 TDs), Matthew Williams (18-262, TD), Khris Kassner (13-146, TD), and Riley Howell (11-152, 4 TDs), while weapons out of the backfield are Josiah Coronado (737 rushing yards, 3 TDs), Peyton Lopez (318 rushing yards, 3 TDs), and Marcus Pimentel (15-199, 4 TD receiving; 128 rushing yards, 6 TDs).

“Pimental is the back up quarterback and he’ll play, too, and when he’s in there he’s a runner,” Burnett said. “They’ll run a double pass with him and several other trick plays and usually he’s involved. He also plays receiver for them a lot.”

The Brownwood defense allows 25 points and 346 yards – 192 on the ground and 154 through the air – with seven takeaways.

Standouts include Brinson Martin (79 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack), Noah Gonzalez (71 tackles, 2 for loss), Wyatt Wolf (53 tackles, 1 FR), Robert Trowbridge (47 tackles, 1 for loss), Devin Eanes (37 tackles, 2 for loss, 2 INTs), Jack Field (36 tackles, 2 sacks), Enrique Vazquez (30 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack), Raven Prado (26 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT, 1 FR), Ben Wilson (26 tackles, 2 for loss), Weston Wolf (23 tackles, 3 for loss) and Julius Lara (20 tackles, 1 for loss).

On the opposite side of the ball, Burnet is giving up 25 points per game with 12 sacks and eight takeaways – six fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

Leading the charge are Kassner (64 tackles), Alejandro Ochoa (60 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries), Noah Billock (46 tackles, 4.5 for loss), Trevin Park (43 tackles, 4 for loss), Demetrius Taliaferro (10 tackles, 3 sacks), Howell (18 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries), and Evan Joiner (13 tackles, 2 sacks).

“They switch in a lot of guys defensively, they’ll send in three players for a few plays, then send three more in,” Burnett said. “They’re going to be fresh, but either way we have to be able to run the football to set up the pass. We have to play action because their linebackers do a great job sitting for the run but as soon as they realize it’s a pass they’re flying out of there and trying to get underneath in coverage.”

Brownwood produces 24 points and 280 yards – 142 rushing and 138 passing – per outing, with only three turnovers on the season.

Quarterback Judson Coalson has connected on 63 of 112 passes for 813 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 108 yards and three more scores. Top receiving threats include Carson Noe (21-242, TD), Aaron Edmonds (15-202, 3 TDs), Grant Gray (12-180, 2 TDs), and Devin Eanes (6-122, TD). Trey Mosley (646 rushing yards, 7 TDs) is the leading rusher.

The Lions will welcome back receiver Stone Ratliff, tight end Aiden Driskill, and safety/returner Caven Webster to the lineup, but injuries continue to creep up as lineman Luke Hagood, kicker Rory McNeese, cornerback Raven Prado, and Edmonds at receiver were all banged up during practice this week and their status will not be known until Friday night. Two more Lions starters will be missing the game for disciplinary purposes, Burnett said.

“It’s crazy how we seem to keep losing players over the weirdest things,” Burnett said. “We prepare the guys as best we can through treatment and see if they can get on the field and perform. If not, it’s the next guy up, but with us it’s starting to become the next guy up is a JV kid that we’re having to move up.”

As for what it will take for the Lions to emerge victorious Friday night, Burnett said, “We have to play with passion and great character, fly around and overwhelm them and execute our game plan. I think we have a great game plan on both sides of the ball, Simply go do what you’ve been taught to do and do it with great passion. I think if they do that, we’ll be successful.”

According to Harris Ratings Weekly, the game is a toss up.