Simple formula has lifted New Deal football to 4-0 - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

The Lions faced their first real test of the year Friday in Seagraves and came out on top again, leaning on that same bare-bones formula. No trick plays, no gimmicks. Just a defense that hits hard and a ground game that wears teams down possession after possession.

That kind of start matters for a program like New Deal, a small-town team where football Fridays carry weight beyond the scoreboard. Four straight wins, especially one that came under pressure, tells a locker room something about its identity. Nobody on this roster is a standout arm or a breakout receiver. Instead, it's defense and downhill running, repeated until the other side breaks first.

For folks in New Deal and the surrounding area, an undefeated start means Friday nights stay worth showing up for. Small-school football runs on momentum and belief as much as talent, and a 4-0 record built on toughness gives a town something to rally behind heading into the tougher stretches of the schedule.

Simple doesn't mean easy. New Deal has proven that four times now, and Seagraves found out the hard way.