Perhaps the most talented team, aside from Stephenville, that the Brownwood Lions have faced all season awaits in the Class 4A Division I Region I area round of the playoffs as the Canyon West Plains Wolves are the foe.

Kickoff for the first-ever meeting between Brownwood (6-4) and West Plains (8-3) is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Snyder’s Grant Teaff Tiger Stadium.

“They’re in their third year, they were 4A Division II last year and got beat by Glen Rose deep in the playoffs,” said Lions seventh-year head coach Sammy Burnett. “They’re the largest school in Canyon now with about 1,200 kids. They have 12 seniors on their 72-player playoff roster. They have a lot of sophomores and juniors playing.”

The Wolves started the season at 2-3 with losses to Seminole (56-21), Bushland (28-15) and Argyle Liberty Christian (56-7) and wins over Lubbock Estacado (38-7) and El Paso Horizon (63-14).

Since the start of District 2-4A Division I action, West Plains has reeled off six consecutive victories over Canyon (42-28), Pampa (45-13), Randall (43-21), Dumas (42-14), Hereford (45-14), Clint (42-8). In that span the Wolves have scored at least 42 points in every game while allowing an average of just 16 points per outing.

“They’re a good football team,” Burnett said. “I put them just a little under Stephenville but ahead of Lampasas if I was guessing based on the evaluation we see. But we plan on beating them. We have a great game plan, and we have to play physical, fast and do what we do.”

For the season, West Plains averages 36 points and 413 yards – 232 passing and 181 rushing – per contest, with nine turnovers.

Quarterback Reid Macon has completed 72 percent of his passes, 187 of 260, for 2,434 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions, while also rushing for 324 rushing yards and nine more scores.

The ground game is anchored by Slade Russell (1,144 rushing yards, 15 TDs; 21-238, 4 TDs receiving), while primary receiving threats include Kaden Hooker (39-581,4 TDs), Kane White-Tinsley (39-685, 8 TDs), Boston Ladd (30-307, 4 TDs), and Lawson Betancourt (26-337, 3 TDs).

“Their running back is a 6-1, 185-pound sophomore,” Burnett said. “He’s a good back and we have to keep him from busting the big one. Their quarterback is a junior, 6-0, 170 pounds. They’re very big up front – Jay Harris 6-3, 335, Omar Lopez 6-5, 275, and Keedon Collins, 6-6, 280. We have to be quicker than they are. They’re big off the ball, they mash people around. The opponents they played in district, Canyon, Randall, Hereford, they all have big linemen. For us, we have to beat them with quickness and we can’t allow them to have the big play offensively. We have to make them drive the field and earn everything they get which will slow down their opportunities to score.”

Meanwhile, the Brownwood defense yields 25 points and 317 yards – 173 on the ground and 144 through the air – per outing, with 10 takeaways.

Leading charge are Brinson Martin (132 tackles, 2 for loss, 2 sacks), Noah Gonzalez (110 tackles, 3 for loss), Wyatt Wolf (93 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FR), Robert Trowbridge (81 tackles, 2 for loss), Caven Webster (70 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT), Jack Field (51 tackles, 2 sacks), Devin Eanes (49 tackles, 2 for loss, 3 INTs), Enrique Vazquez (48 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack), Raven Prado (46 tackles, 3 for loss, 2 INTs, 1 FR), Ben Wilson (44 tackles, 2 for loss), Weston Wolf (43 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 for loss, 1 FR), Julius Lara (40 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack), Kenyan McDowell (29 tackles, 1 sack), and Keedan Brooks (28 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack).

On the flip side, the Lions are coming off their best offensive outing of the season with eight touchdowns scored by six different players and 533 yards of total offense – 287 passing and 246 rushing – with no turnovers.

For the year, Brownwood – behind the play of offensive linemen Weston Wolf, Ian Barrera, Aidan Packheiser, Logan Flores and Isaiah Rosas – enters its 11th game of the season averaging 27 points and 326 yards – 164 passing and 162 rushing – with 10 turnovers.

Quarterback Judson Coalson has connected on 118 of 192 passes for 1,559 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions, while rushing for 259 yards and three scores. Leading receivers include Carson Noe (35-453, 3 TDs), Aaron Edmonds (28-331, 3 TDs), Grant Gray (23-388, 5 TDs), Stone Ratliff (9-137, TD) and Devin Eanes (6-122, TD). Weapons out of the backfield include Levi Pearson (201 rushing yards, 3 TDs), Matthew Rodriguez (187 rushing yards, 2 TDs), Kaleb Grabast (95 rushing yards, TD), and Noah Gonzalez (84 rushing yards, 6 TDs).

“We have to move the ball offensively to control their defense,” Burnett said. “They’re an odd front, similar to what we ran with a 3-3-5. We have more success against an odd front so that’s going to be big for us. We’ve got to be able to run the football. If we run the football we’re able to tighten the box and stretch them over the top. They play three different coverages and you never know what they’re going to be in. They’ll be in cover 4, trap you and go to cover 2, or they’ll play trap cover 3, or play just straight cover 3 or cover 2, and every once in a while they roll over into man. We have to identify that, understand what they’re trying to do to us, and be able to attack it.”

The Wolves defense yields 23 points on average with 14 sacks and 22 takeaways – 13 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries.

Defensive standouts include linebacker Tryston Hernandez (110 tackles, 22 for loss, 5.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), defensive back Brody Tupin (73 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery), linebacker Cash Lofton (63 tackles, 2 for loss), defensive back Boston Ladd (61 tackles, 5 for loss, 4 interceptions), linebacker Brycen Williams (47 tackles, 5 for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery), linebacker Eric Vu (45 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 fumble recovery, linebacker Hudson Hawley (42 tackles, 1 for loss) and defensive back Kane White-Tinsley (40 tackles, 2 for loss, 6 interceptions).

“Defensively their leader is Kane White-Tinsley,” Burnett said. “He’s a safety, 6-1, 170, and he flies around, sets their coverages, keeps everybody on the same page, communicates really well and does a great job coming up in the run.”

Other keys to come away with a win, according to Burnett, include, “winning the turnover game and the field position game. We also need to win the special teams and control the clock, be on the field as much or more offensively than defensively. We can’t leave our defense out on the field all night long. We have to move the chains and get points when we can get points. We need to make it a knock down drag out. If we’re in that kind of game I think we can be successful.”

Friday’s winner faces either Lampsasas (9-2) or Dumas (5-6) in the regional semifinals next week.

According to Harris Ratings Weekly, Brownwood is a 10-point underdog.