Brownwood High School head football coach and athletic director Sammy Burnett announced Wednesday that the Lions’ 2024 and 2025 pre-district football schedules have tentatively been finalized – though that could all change when the UIL releases its biennial realignment on Feb. 1.
As of Wednesday, the Lions will open the season against Class 5A Division II Abilene Wylie as they did the past two seasons. Recently added for Week 2 is Class 3A Division II Wall, as both the Lions and Hawks have struggled to find pre-district opponents.
“This may be a shocker to some but we’ve penciled in Wall simply because we cannot find a Week 2 game and Wall cannot find a Week 2 game,” Burnett said. “I spoke to their coach and told them to pencil it in and if I can find another game Feb. 1 or 2 I’m going to, and told them if they find another game to do so, I won’t be upset about that. We’re just trying to assure a 10-game schedule because the first year I was here we only had nine games and that’s not good for the kids.”
The Lions are then slated to face Glen Rose in Week 3, Waco La Vega in Week 4 and Graham in Week 5 – all Class 4A Division II schools. The first five pre-district have solid chances of becoming reality as none of those foes are Class 4A Division I as Brownwood will again be for the next two seasons.
In Week 6, if Brownwood again lands in a district with an odd number of teams, Stephenville is on the schedule. There has also been some speculation, however, that Brownwood and Stephenville may be placed in the same district when realignment is announced, which would ensure the Battle of 377 is played for the 84th time in 2024.
As for where he expects the Lions to land come Feb. 1, Burnett said, “I don’t have any idea. I have heard rumors and got to speak to (Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s) Matt Stepp, and he’s pretty knowledgeable, but you never know and it’s really just guessing. The UIL is very tight-lipped, they don’t let information out. I’ve been doing this for 30 years and not one time have I seen where the UIL hand its information leaked out.”
DCTF expects the Lions to remain in District 2 of 4A Division I along with Andrews, Big Spring, and San Angelo Lake View, with Pecos taking the place of Lubbock Estacado, which is dropping to 4A Division II.
The Twitter page Texas HS Sports has a projection of 4A Division I District 4 consisting of Brownwood, Andrews, Big Spring, San Angelo Lake View and Stephehville.