The Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Class 4A Division I No. 7 Brownwood Lions have cleared every hurdle in their path thus far on the 2023 schedule, but Friday night’s challenge awaiting at Gordon Wood Stadium could be their toughest yet.

The Waco Connally Cadets (3-1), ranked No. 10 in Class 4A Division II in the most recent Harris Ratings Weekly, comes calling to tangle with the undefeated Lions (4-0) in a 7:30 p.m. non-district tilt.

“The next couple of weeks will be great tests,” said Lions sixth-year head coach Sammy Burnett, as Brownwood follows Friday’s contest with next week’s Battle of 377 rivalry game against Stephenville. “We’re playing a real strong Connally team Friday, senior-heavy with a lot of talent, a lot of DI kids with speed and they’re big and physical. We’ll see if we’re where we need to be or what we need to fix. We just need to play to the best of our ability and if we win it’s because we executed and did our jobs and if we lose make sure it’s because the opponent is better, not because we did something to allow the opponent to beat us.”

Connally enters the game fresh off a 61-41 loss at defending two-time 4A Division I state champion China Spring. Prior to Friday’s outing, the Cadets had collected victories the first three weeks over Mexia (64-13), Waco La Vega (48-40), and Cameron Yoe (59-38).

The Cadets average 53 points and 550 yards – including 491 rushing – per contest, led by running back Kiefer Sibley who has produced 1,090 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. Sibley averages 14.3 yards per carry and 272.5 yards per game, and has also caught two passes for 76 yards and another score. The Lions picked up a 52-21 victory in Waco last year as Sibley provided most of the Cadets’ offense with 227 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Other offensive weapons for Connally include quarterback Jamarion Vincent with 436 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns, an 8.7 yards per carry average that translates to 109 rushing yards per game. Vincent has also completed 10 of 24 passes for 239 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Five-star athlete Kobe Black – the Class 4A cover boy for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine – has caught three passes for 127 yards with two touchdowns while rushing for 192 yards and two more scores. Black also returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown against China Spring last week.

“I compare them to a Lubbock Estacado or Waco La Vega,” Burnett said. “We played Sibley last year and no matter who they play he can outrun anybody so we have to get him lateral and not let him get north and south on us. Black, they’ll line him up at receiver, he’ll run the jet sweep, he’s just very talented. Their quarterback, Vincent, is another talented kid. He doesn’t throw it as well as he runs it, and that’s because he runs it extremely well. We’re going to have to be sure tacklers and make sure we don’t miss.”

Controlling the run game has been the strength of the Brownwood defense thus far, which is yielding just 18 points and 283 total yards per game, with 189 coming through the air to just 94 on the ground.

Leading the charge have been Sam Kallman (57 tackles, 4 for loss, 3 sacks), Steve Ramirez (50 tackles, 1 INT), Jake Jetton (38 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT), Noah Gonzalez (38 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack), Jaylan Brown (21 tackles, 1 for loss), Zakk Zebecki (20 tackles, 2 for loss), Robert Trowbridge (19 tackles, 2 for loss), Hayden Noe (19 tackles, 1 INT), Jordyn Nickerson (19 tackles), Weston Wolf (18 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack).

Defensively, Connally is yielding 38 points per contest with four takeaways – two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. In last week’s outing against China Spring, the Cadets gave up 518 total yards with 421 of those yards, along with 48 points, being allowed in the first half.

Standouts for the Cadet defense include Jaylin Petty (33 tackles, 4 for loss, 1 sack), Malachi Knowles (24 tackles, 1 for loss), Je’corey Mays (22 tackles), Black (22 tackles, 1 for loss), Gaige Coffman (19 tackles, 7 for loss), and Ja’morris Sayles (18 tackles). Black is rated as a five-star cornerback by multiple recruiting services, though he is currently uncommitted.

“Offensively we’re going to try and keep the ball, slow the game down a little bit, keep the ball out of their hands and keep our defense off the field as much as possible,” said Burnett, whose team scored on its first two possessions of the first two games, but got off to slower starts the last two weeks. A fast start, according to Burnett, will be crucial against Connally.

“If we’re really physical like we can be I feel like we’ll set the tone and we may repeat what happened last year,” Burnett said. “The last couple of games we’ve come out a little flat and Friday night we have to be amped up and ready to go. To do that, we can’t bust assignments up front when we’re running the football. If they’re giving us a different look we have to fall back on what we know and not second guess ourselves up front and get behind the chains. Our quarterback has to start well because we go as he goes. The last couple games, coming off an injury and not practicing much, he knows now being out of practice for a while puts you back in terms of being as successful as you want to be.”

The Lions are coming off a season-high 555 yards of total offense last week as Brownwood is churning out 40 points and 405 yards – 213 through the air and 192 on the ground – on average behind the front line of Quinten McCarty, Cole Miller, Davis Le, Aidan Packheiser and Logan Knight.

Quarterback Ike Hall has completed 33 of 61 passes for 703 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions, while also rushing for a team-best 415 yards and four more scores. Primary receiving threats include Carson Noe (17-197, TD), Aaron Edmonds (10-155, TD), Morsello Hooker (5-175, 4 TDs), Hayden Noe (5-129, TD), Weston Wolf (4-71, TD), Stone Ratliff (2-61) and Xavier Zepeda (2-34). Out of the backfield, Jaylan Brown (192 yards, 5 TDs) and Levi Pearson (95 yards, TD) have shared the majority of the carries.

On the injury front, no players are expected to miss Friday’s game other than the two who been out since Week 1 – Jaiden Gordon with a knee injury and Logan McKibben with a bruised kidney

According to Harris Ratings Weekly, Brownwood is a 3-point favorite.

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Brownwood Lions 2023 Football Season Stats

Through 4 Games (4-0)

TEAM OFFENSE

40.3 points per game (161)

404.8 yards per game (1,619)

191.5 rushing yards per game (766)

213.3 passing yards per game (853)

59.7 completion percentage (46 of 77)

PASSING

* Ike Hall

33 of 61 for 703 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs

* Braeden Stacks

13 of 16 for 150 yards, 3 TDs

RUSHING

* Ike Hall

415 yards on 32 carries, 4 TDs

* Jaylan Brown

192 yards on 36 carries, 5 TDs

* Levi Pearson

95 yards on 30 carries, TD

* Braeden Stacks

43 yards on 9 carries, TD

* Case Burnett

27 yards on 7 carries

* Logan McKibben

12 yards on 4 carries

* Noah Gonzalez

8 yards on 1 carry, TD

* Aaron Edmonds

-2 yards on 1 carry

* TEAM

-4 yards on 1 carry

RECEIVING

* Carson Noe

17 catches, 197 yards, TD

* Aaron Edmonds

10 catches, 155 yards, TD

* Morsello Hooker

5 catches, 175 yards, 4 TDs

* Hayden Noe

5 catches, 129 yards, TD

* Weston Wolf

4 catches, 71 yards, TD

* Stone Ratliff

2 catches for 61 yards, TD

* Xavier Zepeda

2 catches, 34 yards

* Levi Pearson

2 catches, 30 yards

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TEAM DEFENSE

18.0 points per game (72)

282.8 yards per game (1,131)

94.0 rushing yards per game (376)

188.8 passing yards per game (755)

59.0 opponents completion percentage (62 of 105)

TACKLES

* Sam Kallman

57 tackles, 4 for loss, 3 sacks

* Steve Ramirez

50 tackles, 1 INT

* Jake Jetton

38 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT

* Noah Gonzalez

38 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack

* Jaylan Brown

21 tackles, 1 for loss

* Zakk Zebecki

20 tackles, 2 for loss

* Robert Trowbridge

19 tackles, 2 for loss

* Hayden Noe

19 tackles, 1 INT

* Jordyn Nickerson

19 tackles

* Weston Wolf

18 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack

* Julius Lara

13 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 for loss

* Morsello Hooker

12 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT

* Quinten McCarty

11 tackles, 3 sacks

* Kenyan McDowell

11 tackles, 1 INT

* Cole Miller

6 tackles

* Isaiah Rosas

4 tackles

* Ricky Vasquez

4 tackles

* Jamaria Harmon

3 tackles, 1 for loss

* Case Burnett

2 tackles

* Yovani Figueroa

2 tackles

* Davis Le

1 tackle

* Xavier Zepeda

1 tackle

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KICKING

* Junior Martinez

4 of 5 FGs – long of 52, missed from 44

21 of 21 PATs

33 points

12 punts, 484 yards, 40.3 average – long of 52; 1 inside opponents’ 5

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TURNOVER MARGIN (+1)

* Brownwood: 5 (3 fumbles, 2 interceptions)

* Opponents: 6 (1 fumble, 5 interceptions)

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PENALTIES

* Brownwood: 27 for 233 yards (6.8 for 58.3 per game)

* Opponents: 22 for 152 yards (5.5 for 38.0 per game)