The Jeryl Brixey coaching era for Brownwood Lions football begins as the maroon and white targets a 17th consecutive trip to the playoffs, a fourth straight bi-district championship, and a third district crown in four seasons.
The Lions are coming off a 6-5 campaign a year ago that ended in the second round of the playoffs to eventual Class 4A Division I Region I champion Canyon West Plains.
A 33-year coaching veteran, Brixey – most recently the offensive coordinator at Katy, which won a state championship in 2020 while he was on staff – replaces Sammy Burnett after seven seasons.
Brixey is serving as a head coach for the second time in his career, the first coming in Comanche from 2007-11 where the Indians went from 0-10 his first season to 9-3 his second year with the program’s first postseason victory in 54 years.
Overall, Brixey carries a 17-35 record as a head coach into Friday night’s season opener for the Lions against the Class 5A Division II Abilene Wylie Bulldogs, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
“I’m looking forward to the year,” Brixey said. “I’m feeling curious about how we’re going to progress and how the kids are going to react and what the season holds. It’s exciting to have this opportunity. It got here fast. March 18 was my first day and that doesn’t seem very long ago, but here we are.”
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COACHING STAFF
Along with Brixey, all but two members of the 2025 Brownwood Lions coaching staff are new as well.
Joining the coaching staff are offensive coordinator Jacob Marwitz, defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Steve Fanara, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Chris Bright, offensive line coach and assistant head coach Lee Grimes, offensive line assistant CJ Marsh, receivers coach Graylon Brown, running backs coach Colt Bertrand, cornerbacks coach Darren Bailey, safeties coach Brandon Long, defensive line coach JaMichael Jordan, and assistant defensive line coach Kory Owen. Grimes, Brown, Owen and Bertrand are all Brownwood High School graduates, while Bailey and Long are the returnees from 2024.
“I feel like we have a very strong staff, diverse in age with different styles, experiences and backgrounds,” Brixey said. “I think they’re going to have a good rapport with our kids. They’re going to coach our kids hard, they’re going to challenge them, they’re going to push them. I want them to coach every single play, find something to correct, to point out, to praise. We’re not going to sit back with our arms folded and watch practice. We’re going to coach with our ears pinned back, going at it, because that’s how you get better.”
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SCRIMMAGES
The Lions competed against Class 5A Division II Wichita Falls Legacy, coming off an 0-10 campaign in its first season a year ago, back on Thursday, Aug. 14. Then, on Thursday, Aug. 21, Brownwood welcomed Class 4A Division I No. 10 Alvarado, fresh off a 13-1 season and trip to the regional finals in 2024.
The results from the scrimmages varied, as would be expected against foes with considerably different levels of success in the recent past.
“We got a lot of out of those two scrimmages, we’re able to see where we are,” Brixey said. “We stayed very basic in what we’re doing because we want the kids to know the nuts and bolts and what we do.
“The first scrimmage I felt like we had a good scrimmage. Part of that is Legacy struggled last year and they’re building. Alvarado had a big year last year and is an established program and we struggled in that scrimmage. In coach speak, it’s usually always not as good as you thought it was or not as bad as you thought it was. Walking out of the second scrimmage I felt a little frustrated, but then when you watch the video with the kids, we just have to learn from it because all the struggles we were having were self-induced. We were just not executing – not blocking the right guy or fitting the right gap on defense. We weren’t out-manned, it was just us stepping on our own toes and keeping ourselves from making the plays we need to make. That’s encouraging because that’s all correctable and all fixable.”
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PROGESSION OF NEW OFFENSE AND NEW DEFENSE
Brixey is bringing with him a pro-style, west coast offense from Katy, that he has said before is reminiscent to what you’d see the Los Angeles Chargers run in the NFL – a major shift from the spread that has been the foundation for Brownwood’s offense for several years.
Defensively, the Lions are shifting as well to a monster three-high safety look to go along with their odd front, similar to what Austin Vandegrift utilizes, where Fanara – the new defensive coordinator – has previous coaching experience, along with prior stops at Brownwood, Early and Howard Payne.
“You always want them to be further along, but I have to remind myself and our coaching staff to not get frustrated and get down on themselves or the kids,” Brixey said in regard to the progression within the offensive and defensive schemes. “In reality, these kids have the same exposure to what we’re doing both offensively and defensively as an eighth grader. They’ve seen what we do over the spring and the summer, they don’t have three or four years in it. For the amount of time they’ve been in it, there some things that are encouraging. We’ve just got to keep pressing and working to get better.”
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STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Heading to the season opener, the skill positions are considered the strength of the Lions, as they also hold the most experience. Getting the offensive and defensive lines up to speed, according to Brixey, will be the key to how 2025 turns out for the Lions.
“We have some good athleticism with our skill kids,” Brixey said. “The receivers, DBs and linebackers, athletically that’s our strong suit. We don’t have the experienced kids on the line on either side really, offensively or defensively. That’s going to have to be where we really progress and that will be the measure of how this year goes.
“The least experienced guys are at the positions that require the most learning. When you look the offensive line in our system it’s a technical job. Right now we just want to play like we want to whip the guy in front of us, and that’s what we never do in this system. Offensive line is a third how tough you are, a third about your size and strength, and a third is how well you communicate, and all of those are important. Where we’re struggling right now is the communication.”
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ROSTER
Six members of last year’s starting offense and only three starters from last year’s defense are back for the Lions in 2024.
The projected starting offense heading into the opener is Judson Coalson (1,653 passing yards, 13 TDs, 7 INTs; 353 rushing yards, 3 TDs in 2024) at quarterback, Levi Pearson (846 rushing yards, 8 TDs the last two seasons) at running back, Robbie Robinson at fullback, Carson Noe (38-473, 3 TDs) and Connor Cornelius at receivers, Grant Gray (27-437, 5 TDs) at tight end, and a combination along the offensive line of Gustavo Gonzalez, Aidan Packheiser, Avuid Gomez, Omari McNeal, Jackson Rainey and Ryland Martin.
The Lions are looking to improve upon last year’s 26 points and 327 yards – 169 rushing and 158 passing – per game, with 15 turnovers, as Brownwood was shutout twice in the same season for the first time since 1994.
“Judson Coalson’s back, a kid that’s played a lot, along with Carson Noe and Grant Gray at receiver and tight end,” Brixey said. “Connor Cornelius is our other wide receiver and through the fall and scrimmages has caught a lot of footballs for us. Levi Pearson played running back the last couple of years, and Robbie Robinson has come in and is playing a new position in this day and age at fullback, and that’s a different animal and different position to play. Daylyn Ansons is challenging there a little bit and plays with a lot of heart.
“On the offensive line, Gus Gonzalez is playing center for us and he’s going to be a really good player. But when you talk about playing center in our offense, he’s the boss up there and there’s so many things he has to know to put us in the right calls. That’s a lot for a kid to learn that hasn’t played a lot of football. We found out we lost Logan Flores for the year and Aidan Packheiser has been out with a shoulder but he’ll be back soon. Because of those injuries, a sophomore and a freshman, Jackson Rainey and Ryland Martin, have been playing. For a sophomore and a freshman they’re doing a really good job, it’s just a matter of progressing. Aviud Gomez is our quick guard and he’s growing, doing a good job and coming along. Omari McNeal was playing quick tackle and got a little banged up against Alvarado but I think he’ll be back pretty quickly.”
On the flip side of the ball, Brownwood yielded 27 points and 335 yards – 185 on the ground and 150 through the air – per game, with 11 takeaways, a season ago.
From back to front, the 2025 defense will likely feature Caven Webster (71 tackles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery), Wyatt Wolf (100 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery) and Sirr Beam at the safeties, Raven Prado (52 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery) and Nick Rodriguez at the corners, Brinson Martin (145 tackles, 1 sack) and Isaac Gonzales have locked down linebacker spots with Durham Brown, Hudson Fry and Trent Buffington also fighting for playing time. The defensive line will be anchored by Christian Gray, Hayden Fulkersin and Raul Eberhardt.
“Caven Webster, Raven Prado and Wyatt Wolf, those kids all played a lot last year and Sirr Beam will also be a starting safety,” Brixey said. “Nick Rodriguez is playing the other corner and he’s really athletic, and he’s also going to play some running back for us.
“At linebacker you’ve got Brinson Martin, who was the top tackler last year, so on the back end there’s some experienced kids. Isaac Gonzales is our other inside linebacker and he’s been competing well there. We’ve got a battle going on for what we call our joker, our outside linebacker, between Durham Brown and Hudson Fry, who is a sophomore that’s going to play some tight end but it also battling for the job at the joker position. Trent Buffington, whose also a running back, is getting a look at joker, too.
“On the defensive line, Christian Gray is going to be a great football player but he’s a sophomore and still plays like a sophomore at times. Hayden Fulkersin is playing nose and Raul Eberhardt right now is playing the other end. That’s the guys right now that are penciled in as starters. There’s a lot of movement on our defensive line, a lot of gap exchange and a lot going on with the calls they’ll have to learn, along with being patient and watching the football.”
As for special teams, Eli Valenciano (16 of 16 PATS, 1 of 2 FGS in 2024) is back at kicker – and did not miss a field goal or extra point attempt in either of the two scrimmages – as well as punter, while Prado and Webster will likely be the primary returners.
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PRE-DISTRICT
As is the custom for Brownwood football, another daunting pre-district slate awaits the Lions in 2025. Friday night, Brixey’s squad makes it debut at Class 5A Division II Abilene Wylie, a 9-2 team a year ago that the Lions did not play due to a lightning storm in week one of the 2024 campaign.
Next is the home opener against Class 3A Division II No. 3 Wall (13-2), who the Lions fended off 17-7 a year ago. A trip to 4A Division II No. 14 Glen Rose (10-3), which downed Brownwood, 44-16, awaits, followed by the drive to 4A Division II No. 3 La Vega (12-4), which blanked the Lions last year, 44-0, en route to a state championship game appearance. China Spring (2-8) visits for homecoming in a rematch of Brownwood’s come-from-behind 37-21 victory a year ago. The Lions then wrap up pre-district play in Smithson Valley with another neutral site game against Ingleside (5-6), a team the Lions dominated by a 55-7 count in Boerne last year.
In total, the Lions’ pre-district opponents combined for a .742 winning percentage in 2024, five of the six advanced to the postseason, and four squads collected at least nine victories.
“It’s a heck of a schedule,” Brixey said. “I don’t want it to sound like I don’t care if we win the games or not, of course I do, but that’s not ultimately the whole focus. If the whole focus is winning the game, sometimes you can win the game with a subpar performance and you’re just happy you won that game because that’s the goal. But our goal is to be the best football team we can be.
“My goal for game one is to go out and be better than we were this past week, fix some of the things we didn’t have fixed and progress in how hard we play. If you want to have a great season and play a long time, you’re going to have to have some guys that play their guts out for 48 minutes, and that’s what we need to be moving to and what we want to see, progress in that direction. When you look up at the scoreboard when the game ends you hope you have more points than the other team did, but that’s more of a result of doing things the way you need to do them week in and week out. When you do those things, the scoreboard takes care of itself. I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about what’s on the scoreboard, I worry about how we’re playing, how we’re working, and how we’ve progressed in practice.”
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DISTRICT AND BEYOND
The Lions are coming off a third-place finish in District 4-4A Division I a year ago falling at Lampasas, 30-20, holding off Burnet in overtime, 31-30, dropping the Battle of 377 at Stephenville, 44-0, and toppling Marble Falls, 42-14.
Heading into this season, Stephenville again is the district favorite, ranked No. 4 in 4A Division I by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, followed by Lampasas at No 23, the Lions, Burnet and Marble Falls.
League play kicks off at home this year – one of just four contests at Gordon Wood Stadium in 2025 – as the Lampasas Badgers come calling Oct. 10.
“We start district here against Lampasas which is the preseason No. 2 district pick, so that’ll be a big game for us,” Brixey said. “We need to play well and win that game to get district started right. Then we’ll have Burnet, which was an overtime game last year and we’re playing them down there this year, so we don’t want to get into a situation like that again because it’s always a disadvantage if you’re at someone else’s home in an overtime game. Then Stephenville’s here for Halloween night, the Battle of 377, and there’s two or three organizations around the state already that are focused on that game as a tradition rivalry, so there will be a lot of attention on that game. If we play our cards right and get better every week, I feel like that game should be for the district championship. Then we close out with Marble Falls and progress into the playoffs.”
Regarding how good the 2025 Lions could be, Brixey replied, “Ultimately our goal is to be playing deep into December and that goal is not going to change because it’s year one. I feel like if we progress at a level that we could progress at that, then we’ll be there.”
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BROWNWOOD LIONS 2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| August 29 | at Abilene Wylie | 7 p.m. |
| September 05 | Wall | 7:30 p.m. |
| September 12 | at Glen Rose | 7 p.m. |
| September 19 | at Waco La Vega | 7 p.m. |
| September 26 | China Spring# | 7:30 p.m. |
| October 03 | Ingleside (at Smithson Valley) | 7 p.m. |
| October 10 | Lampasas* | 7:30 p.m. |
| October 17 | OPEN | |
| October 24 | at Burnet* | 7:30 p.m. |
| October 31 | Stephenville* | 7:30 p.m. |
| November 07 | at Marble Falls | 7:30 p.m. |
* District 4-4A Division I game
# Homecoming