The Brenham Cubs will take on the Belton Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Brenham is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against University on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Cubs had to suffer through a 42-14 loss at the hands of the Trojans. The matchup marked the Cubs' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Despite their loss, Brenham saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Chris Guidry, who picked up 192 receiving yards and one score, was perhaps the best of all. Guidry showed off some serious burst, cutting upfield on a catch for 55 yards. Xyran Upshaw was another key signal caller, throwing for 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 3.1 yards per carry. The team can thank Caleb Espinoza for the heroic effort on defense: he. Sadly, that's becoming something of a trend for Brenham; they were averaging 6.5yards per carry per game earlier this season, but in their last three contests they've fallen to only 3.6 per game.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Belton's strategy against Waco on Thursday. The Tigers blew past the Lions 42-18. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Tigers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 283rd, while the Lions are ranked 805th).
Brenham better keep an eye on Will Shepard. He was instrumental in Belton's win, rushing for 101 yards and one TD on only 12 carries, while also throwing for 146 yards and one touchdown while completing 72.7% of his passes.
Belton pushed their record up to 5-4 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 43.3 points over those games. As for Brenham, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 8-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Brenham has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 163.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Belton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 176.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Brenham strolled past Belton when the teams last played back in November of 2024 by a score of 42-24. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Shepard, who rushed for 71 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries, and also threw for 262 yards on 19 of 28 attempts. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Cubs still be able to contain Shepard? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
