Lions end playoff run with loss to Muenster
The Albany Lions’ season came to an end Friday, November 28, in a 28–7 loss to defending state champion Muenster in the regional semifinal round in Graham. The matchup continued what has become one of the most familiar postseason pairings in Class 2A Division II.
Albany and Muenster have now met six times in the playoffs since 2017. The Lions won three straight in 2021, 2022, and 2023—the latter two during Albany’s back-to-back state championship seasons. Muenster won the first meeting in 2017 and has now taken the last two in 2024 and 2025. The Hornets went on to win the state title after last season’s victory.
Head Coach Denney Faith said the final score didn’t change how he felt about the way his team competed.
“I was just really proud of the effort our kids gave,” Faith said. “We played with great effort, and we just didn’t have things go our way. There’s only going to be one team at the end of the year that’s happy, but I’m pleased with how hard our kids played.”
A familiar challenge
Faith said the Hornets were exactly who Albany expected to face. “They’re always a really good, well-coached football team,” he said. “Their kids are really tough, like ours. They didn’t do anything we weren’t expecting. We knew what the game was going to be like—we just didn’t have the ball bounce our way a couple of times.”
Several short-field situations in the first half allowed Muenster to build early momentum, putting Albany’s defense under pressure for much of the night. Despite that, the Lions held the Hornets well below their season scoring average.
“They’ve averaged over 50 points a game, and we held them to 28,” Faith said. “It could have been less if we hadn’t given them short fields.”
A season defined by defense
Albany finishes the year 10–3 after one of the strongest district performances in program history. The Lions lost only two regular-season games—non-district matchups against larger schools Coahoma and Anson—and dominated District 8-2A Division II, shutting out every district opponent. According to program archives, this is the first time an Albany team has ever completed an undefeated district schedule without allowing a point.
That defensive identity carried into bi-district and area victories before Friday’s regional semifinal.
“We played really good defensively,” Faith said. “I was really proud of them the other night and all year long.”
Senior leadership and what comes next
Faith praised the senior class for leading the group throughout the season. “We put a lot of responsibility on our seniors to take that leadership role,” he said. “I thought this group did as good a job as any seniors we’ve had.”
Some players will move directly into basketball season, while others transition into spring off-season workouts. Faith said the bulk of the spring will be focused on basketball, baseball, track, and the program’s strength and conditioning schedule.
“We’ll give them a chance to rest until after the break, and then we’ll get back into our off-season program,” Faith said. “In the spring, the focus will be on basketball, baseball, and track, along with our regular lifting and conditioning.”
He emphasized that football-specific conditioning will not begin until the summer, when the team shifts from general off-season work into preparing for the 2026 season.
Faith added that the JV group moving up next year gives him confidence. “They had a really good season, and it’s always fun to see another group come in,” he said. “It’s going to be a totally different team, and it’s fun to see how those guys respond.”
Season
appreciation
Faith said he reminded his players not to overlook what reaching the third round represents.
“I appreciate our fans and all the support we get,” he said. “I told our guys—don’t take playing 13 football games for granted. A lot of teams don’t get this opportunity. With our tradition here, we get to do it pretty consistently, and we need to appreciate that.”
