Lion football is down to its final game of 2026. The team has shown progress over last year, and still has an opportunity to avoid a losing record. Huffman Hargrave is the opponent, and carries one of the district’s best offenses. An improved Livingston defense will have a challenge, and the offense will need to stop beating itself with penalties and turnovers.
Lion coach Tucker Carter reviewed the season, pointing out a few opportunities his team did not seize.
“We went into Rusk the first game, got beat like a drum, and figured out a lot about ourselves. We played at Anahuac and were down, showed some resiliency, came back and ended up going on a four-game winning streak and kind of feeling pretty good. Then, obviously won in a district game for the first time in a long time here. We did not play well at LC-M, and then rolled into two very important district games (Bridge City and Lumberton), where it felt like we were the better team in both of them.
“Some of the things that have accumulated over the years, as far as not closing out games and figuring out a way to win, kind of showed up. Those two definitely hurt, We did not play well the other night (versus Vidor), so the thing that you look back on is how much more competitive we were in almost every single game relative to previous seasons, but we've still got to figure out a way to make up that ground and kind of win the ones you have to win if you want to be a consistent playoff contender.”
The Lions had a chance for playoff contention in contests with Bridge City and Lumberton. Livingston outgained each opponent, but penalties and turnovers were the undoing in both.
“After falling to 1-1 against LC-M, you want to get back on the right track and get in contention,” Carter said. We kind of knew in the district it was going to be who could sit at three to four wins because of how much parity there was week to week. Those two games were emotional losses, because you come down to the last drive in both. It was just an emphasis at that point of trying to get another one and get right back in the mix.”
When asked to gauge progress from the results of last year, the coach said he had mixed emotions.
“I felt like at this point in the year, with a year of offseason and our kids kind of maturing, that we would handle some clutch situations a little bit better. I think the most disappointing thing the last, really, three weeks, has just been how many penalties we've had. You live with the ones on film that your kids are playing hard and it's a holding call. The ones that are hard to live with are extracurricular 15-yarders that are just a lack of discipline and character. Obviously, your pre- and post-snap stuff, that's just inexcusable.
“I am happy with the way we've played physical this year. I felt like we kind of missed that last year, as far as just being tougher, especially in the box. It's frustrating, because you look at how close you are, but those are things that show up from a long time ago, not just when you get out there on the field on Friday night. That's got to continue to get better.
“It really starts with your year-round mindset of how you are preparing the kids in the offseason from a weight room and speed and agility standpoint. That's kind of been preached all the time. I feel like that's been a real positive. We've got to clean up the details that win you those clutch games and down the stretch of district.”
The Lions will miss their biggest goal of reaching the playoffs this season, but a few still remain for the final game in Huffman.
“Anytime you're out of the playoffs and you know you're out of the playoffs, you tell the kids that we want to finish with some pride and some integrity and some character. I want nothing more for our seniors than to send them out 5-5. If you just take a broad scope, look at how the regular season has finished here for a while, that would be the best mark in a while. There'll be something for them to be proud of.”
Hargrave is 4-5 on the season, but holds a 3-2 mark in District 9-4A, good for third place. They have clinched a spot in the postseason behind the performance of star running back Drayden Bacon.
The Falcon back had 24 carries for 326 yards and four touchdowns in last season’s game over the Lions. For 2026, he has eclipsed 2,000 total yards.
“The entire district wants to stop him. He's a really good player, so we've got to get hats to the ball and try to stop him and make the other kids beat us. He's just a good, big, physical kid that runs hard and has good breakaway speed. I mean, he's the real deal.”
The offense still runs the spread, and Hargrave is not scared to throw the ball. James Nevil also leads the district in passing, with over 1,600 yards. Dailen Bacon is the top receiver in 9-4A with 762 yards.
Carter said the Falcons changed defensive alignments early in the season, ditching a four-down look after dropping a game to Liberty.
“Since then, they've been a bear front, basically covering all your gaps up and have been a lot more aggressive on defense in trying to stop the run,” he said. “It seems like they've kind of settled in on being a little more aggressive on defense and playing a five-down front and trying to take away the run game. They've had a good run since then, really.”
