An evening of Brenham football is an event. No, the city doesn’t shut down like a small Texas town, but the Brenham community comes out in full force for Cubs football especially on a beautiful Friday night at Cub Stadium.
Brenham has tradition, swagger and legendary coach Glen West, who has a knack for churning out great teams.
Last year the Cubs finished second place in District 20-5A behind Magnolia. Brenham’s two losses in district (Willis and Magnolia) both came on the road.
The Cubs squeaked by Georgetown, 31-28, in the first round of the playoffs before rekindling an old rivalry with A&M Consolidated in the second round. The schools met down the road in Prairie View, with Consol winning in impressive fashion, 27-7.
Brenham finished the season with a respectable 8-4 record. But if anyone knows West and the Brenham faithful, the Cubs will use a season with a second-round playoff exit to fuel the fire for a deeper playoff run the next year.
Brenham might have just the right pieces to do that in 2017.
Key Losses
DE Marqez Bimage, QB Jacob Oehrlein
Bimage was named the district’s defensive player of the year. He was unstoppable coming off the ball, and his quickness made opposing offensive tackles frustrated when trying to block him.
Oehrlein had a soft touch downfield and was brought into the game for the more obvious passing situations. He helped rally the Cubs to a come-from-behind victory over Magnolia West in front of a sellout Brenham homecoming crowd.
Key Returners
RB Ralph Kallie, QB Kendarin Ray, MLB Terrell Nickerson
Kallie was a workhorse, averaging 200 yards a game and piling up 1,400 yards in just seven contests. Kendarin Ray was a potent running quarterback who showed promise as a passer as the year went on. One of his top receivers, Monterrious Moore (6-4, 195) returns for a senior campaign.
Nickerson was a force at middle linebacker and he’ll be joined on the Cubs defense by junior Tyree Jackson, who was one of the Cub’s leading tacklers in 2016.
The Verdict
Coach Glen West nears 30 years of coaching at Brenham, and he never seems to run out of talent. 2017 will be no exception.
Kendarin Ray proved to be a reliable signal-caller last season, and that experience should go a long way in guiding the Cubs offense this fall.
The Cubs travel in two of their three non-district games (Westside and Bellaire Episcopal) and get Elgin at home. They open district on the road at Magnolia West and return home for games against Waller and Tomball Memorial.
The final stretch should show what Brenham is made of this year with games against Tomball, Willis (home), Huntsville and Magnolia (home).
The Cubs will have a stingy defense and their offense could be explosive. Coach West knows how to get his teams ready for postseason, and Brenham might have what it takes to get into December.
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