Coming off the best record in program history at 18-5-1 and a share of the District 5-4A championship, the Brownwood Lady Lions are aiming for a deeper postseason run in 2026 despite the loss of nine seniors from last year’s squad.
The Lady Lions finished tied with Stephenville and drew the No. 2 seed in Class 4A Division I for the playoffs a year ago, and were upended by District 6 champion and top-ranked Waxahachie Life in the opening round of the playoffs.
“We have to expect to play teams like that no matter if it’s the first round or the final round,” said Lady Lions head coach Alexis Walker. “Our expectation this year is to get our play up to that level. We lost nine seniors, which is the most I’ve lost in a season, but the girls that are returning have played a lot of minutes on varsity, so I expect it to be a really good season for us.”
Players returning for Brownwood include Nylah Hall, Nixon Johnson, Kynlie Lewis, Icess Hall, Bella Garza, Madison Weckwerth, and Khloe Galvan, among others.
“Nixon is our center back and the heart of the team,” Walker said. “Kynlie’s a forward for us and they’re our seniors so we expect a lot from them. Juniors to keep an eye on are Bella Garza, I think she’ll be a really solid competitor in our midfield. Madison Weckwerth is our center midfielder so everything goes through her. Rebekkah Delgado is on defense and has a lot of speed back there and our defense keeps us in most games. Khloe Galvan is another sophomore who saw a lot of minutes for us last year. We also return both Hall sisters, Nylah was our top goal scorer last season and Icess is a great leader on our back line. We will be thankful for their leadership when we return those girls from basketball, but we pray their basketball playoff run is a long one, and exciting one as well.”
Walker is also excited about the incoming freshman class and what they could bring to the team.
“We have a good, solid group of freshmen with a high soccer IQ,” Walker said. “A lot of them play soccer all year round and to have girls like that on your team is awesome, especially after we lost so many seniors.”
The Lady Lions open the season Monday, Dec. 29 at Alvarado. Adjusting to a new offensive scheme is among the biggest priorities for Brownwood ahead of the Feb. 3 District 5-4A opener against Lampasas.
“We’re going to transition from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, which gives us more opportunities in the final third, which is what we need to have more people put the ball in the back of the net,” Walker said. “We have to get comfortable with that formation, and we have a lot of games before district to where we should be able to play that flawlessly. That’s my expectation and they know that.”
Regarding the race for the 5-4A crown, Walker said, “District should be about the same as last year. Stephenville lost about as much as we did, but they’re always going to be good, they have players to fill the other ones’ shoes. Our goal is to win a district championship, they know that, and by the time we get to district I hope that’s where we are.”
Asked how good the 2026 Lady Lions squad can be, Walker said, “I think the girls have all the ability in the world. We have to get this new formation down and there’s going to be some growing pains, but the younger girls are fully ready to transition into a bigger role. I’m excited to see how their soccer IQ and knowledge will be an asset.”
Brownwood Lady Lions 2026 Soccer Schedule
| D29 | at Alvarado | 5:30 p.m. |
| J2-3 | at Gatesville tournament | TBA |
| J9-10 | at FW Castleberry tournament | TBA |
| J16 | at Marble Falls | 5 p.m. |
| J20 | at Godley | 4:30 p.m. |
| J23 | FW Castleberry | 5:30 p.m. |
| J27 | Burkburnett | 5:30 p.m. |
| J30 | at Mineral Wells | 5:30 p.m. |
| F3 | Lampasas* | 5:30 p.m. |
| F10 | Little River Academy* | 5 p.m. |
| F13 | Gatesville* | 5 p.m. |
| F17 | at Stephenville* | 5:30 p.m. |
| F20 | at Lampasas* | 5:30 p.m. |
| F27 | at Little River Academy* | 5 p.m. |
| M3 | at Gatesville* | 5 p.m. |
| M6 | Stephenville* | 5:30 p.m. |
| M12 | Lake Worth | 4 p.m. |
District 5-4A Game