I’m going to prove to you early on that I don’t have much of a memory because this was a few years back, not all that many, probably 2017. I’m not sure even what Brownwood team it was but we were hosting this new team from the Houston area. We played them like the eighth game of the year and it wasn’t because they were on probation or anything like that, but because it was a brand new school so they had a probationary period of that one year. I do remember the coach and his name was Brad Butler. He played at Brownwood High School and played under Coach Randy Allen I think.
Brad I can remember well! The first game at Brownwood we go to Kerrville for the season opener. We got beat but Brad finished with eighteen of nineteen passing I think, but it was one of the most phenomenal individual shows I’ve ever seen. He was a terrific young man and was a terrific quarterback too. Anyway we lost that ballgame.
I lost touch with Brad and didn’t know anything about him until his team was coming to town that coming Friday night. This team out of Houston area, I didn’t even know we were favored for some reason, but I looked at them and I asked Brad, “Well, do you have a quarterback?” He said, “Not really but he’s pretty good.” He talked about his receiving core and these kids were still in the dressing room at that time. Brownwood I knew about and I knew why we were favored a little bit. Well, it was a more than a little bit. I’ll tell you this Houston area team was better than advertised. They came out of the dressing room and I was just amazed. They had size and I figured they were pretty good. Then they had a small quarterback. He was about 5’5” or so and I thought surely they can’t make it with him, playing in that Houston area, they’ll get killed. They were really good looking physically. We won and won big. I think it was forty something to seven or something like that.
When the next year came around I looked up Brad’s team, Alvin Shadow Creek, and saw where they were expected to finish in the District. I think it was somewhere around half way. They might qualify for the playoffs if they get in the top four. Well, they got into the playoffs AND they won State. This is one of the most unbelievable stories I have ever seen in playoff football.
Why did I bring this up today? The reason I bring it up is because I think Brownwood is in that same position this year. We’ve got some kids that a lot of them need some experience and things like that, but I’m going to tell you, Brad told me after the game, “We’ve started working on next year right now.” That stayed with me and I think when you have to start over, you clean house as best you can, then you hand the reins to the guy that needs them.
So, Brownwood this year, I don’t know the quarterback, but I could fill the column with a bunch of I don’t knows. I do know this much, Coach Brixey is bound and determined to win. I thought it was a heck of a coaching job last year at 7-5, but he wasn’t happy and I think he’s already started on next year. I’m excited for him because we’ve got everything we need. We got stripped a little bit last year, but hopefully those spots have been filled, and those kids can do a good job. They’ve got what looks like a new stadium to play in. Certainly at the high school they have a huge beautiful indoor facility, updated workout room and a whole bunch of stuff. The main thing they’ve got is the belief in Coach Brixey that he will make it right. You see, I think because of what happened in Brownwood last year, Brixey was nice enough to take the brunt of it. He wants real bad, real bad, to say I’m fixing to – with the help of the kids – turn this thing around but he won’t do that yet. Fact is, I’ve seen him bite his tongue as if to say “I’d love to say next year” but then he backed off and said “year after next”.
Those who wait will gain a lot. I think the Brownwood Lions, based on what was done by Brad Butler several years ago, I’m not going to predict the Brownwood Lions will win State, but they’re going to be pretty high, if not this year, next year.
By the way, Congrats to Coach Brad Butler who will retire at the end of this year!
Until next time, so long everybody.
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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at lindalh2@verizon.net.