Pools for the 32-team Division II 7-on-7 state tournament were released Monday morning, and the Brownwood Lions landed in Pool B along with Anna, Silsbee and Smithville.
The 7-on-7 Division II state tournament takes place Thursday, June 23 and Friday, June 24 at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex, and Brownwood is making its 22nd consecutive appearance at the event.
Brownwood will face Anna at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, Smithville at 3:15 p.m. Thursday and Silsbee at 4:45 p.m. Field assignments will be determined Thursday morning. All teams will then complete in single elimination championship bracket play beginning at 8:45 a.m. Friday, with seeding based on the results of Thursday’s pool contests.
The Anna Coyotes are coming off a 7-3 campaign in 2021 and will compete in District 8-4A Division I this coming season. The Silsbee Tigers posted a 5-5 record a season ago and will be a member of District 9-4A Division II in 2022. Last year, the Smithville Tigers finished with a 7-4 and will be located in District 12-4A Division II this fall.
The Lions qualified in their first state qualifying tournament of the season hosted by Ponder on May 21. In 12 qualifying games overall, the Lions posted a 6-6 record.
Brownwood has scored on 31 of 78 possession this summer – a 40 percent success rate – as quarterback Ike Hall has connected on 177 of 303 passes – 58 percent – with 31 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 46 four-second calls, the equivalent of a sack in 7-on-7.
Leading receivers for the Lions include Jason Jackson (59 catches, 10 TDs), Konlyn Anderson (30 catches, 4 TDs), Case Markham (33 catches, 6 TDs), Jordan Leach (23 catches, 1 TD), Brayden Daub (12 catches, 2 TDs), Thad Hinds (7 catches, 3 TDs), Jake Jetton (7 catches, 1 TD), Jaylan Brown (2 catches), Hayden Noe (2 catch), Jordyn Nickerson (3 catches, 1 TD), and Morsello Hooker (2 catches, 1 TD).
Defensively, the Lions have yielded touchdowns on 22 of 76 drives – a mere 29 percent – with 10 interceptions in 12 contests. Noah Barron has picked off two passes, Jetton and Colton McMillan have each added a pair of interceptions, and Morsello Hooker and Chance Jones have recorded one apiece.
The Lions have surrendered two touchdowns or less in eight of 12 games, with one shutout, and no opponent has tallied more than 20 points in a game in qualifying tournament action.
