PHOTO BY GABE WOLF Brode DuBose (9) and Vann Millican (4) run sprints following Tuesday's practice. The Badgers will look to put an end to their losing streak by grabbing their first district victory of the year against defending state champion Lake Travis on the road tonight at 7:30 p.m. When Ryan Bailey met with his fellow District 25-4A coaches to exchange film Wednesday morning, they all had the same question.

"They were all like, 'The wishbone? Really?'" Bailey said. "It got their attention and earned some respect for our players."

Despite losing 34-6 to Pflugerville Hendrickson last weekend, the Badger offense looked drastically improved compared to the squad that lined up to play Gatesville prior to the bye week.

After installing the wishbone formation during the off week, the Badgers accumulated 238 yards (170 rushing) of total offense and moved the chains with regularity, earning 12 first downs against the Hawks. At Gatesville, the offense produced just four first downs and 113 total yards.

So, what exactly makes the change effective for Lampasas?

It's simple: There is really no change at all, according to Bailey.

"We didn't change all that much," he said. "We just moved everybody up tighter.

"There weren't a whole lot of changes. It's just a different way of getting there."

The glaring argument against calling the tweak a complete success was illuminated brightly on the scoreboard last Saturday afternoon: the number "6", as in six points.

But Bailey feels certain that with time the team will become more familiar with the scheme, and the running backs will find the holes quicker, increasing the points per game.

Unfortunately, time is of the essence. Lampasas (0-5, 0-1 district) will have a difficult time trying to win tonight against defending state champion Lake Travis without significantly increasing its point total from last week or the week before when Gatesville shut out the Badgers 34-0.

In fact, Lampasas has posted only 39 points for the entire season.

The Cavaliers (6-0, 2-0) average 41.8 points and just under 470 yards of offense per game.

Much of the credit for packing such a powerful punch goes to quarterback Garrett Gilbert. The 6- 4, 205-pound signal caller has thrown for 1,840 yards and 20 touchdowns in six games, impressing scouts -- especially at the University of Texas, where he has given a solid verbal commitment to attend -- and dropping jaws from Austin to Amarillo and everywhere in between, including Lampasas.

"I've coached for 14 years now, and he's the best [quarterback] I've ever seen," Bailey said. "As far as pure passing, reading defenses and picking you apart, it's unbelievable how he gets it where he gets it.

"I've seen a lot of good quarterbacks play, and [they're] nothing like this kid."

The Badgers must pick their poison when deciding between pressuring the quarterback and dropping back to cover the receivers because Lake Travis possesses a potent ground game as well.

Either way, the defense will have its hands full.

"We're going to make sure we do both and see which one's working best for us," Bailey said. "Our motto right now is 'Go for it,' and we're letting the kids have some fun."