With fullback Brode DuBose, left, returning from a two-week suspension tonight and senior Edward Hall moving to tailback, the Badgers now have a backfield combination head coach Joey McQueen refers to as "Thunder and Lightning." Lampasas has seen its share of storms of late, but the Badgers are about to provide the town with a different form of thunder and lightning.

While the Badgers have seen flashes of brilliance from senior Edward Hall and their other backs over the past two weeks, they have been missing a key component to their ground-and-pound offensive strategy.

But tonight when Lampasas hosts Gatesville (2-1) at 7:30 p.m., fullback Brode DuBose returns from a two-game absence, and head coach Joey McQueen believes a perfect storm could be developing in the backfield.

DuBose and Hall will play complementary roles to one another against the Hornets, instead of substituting for each other, as Hall slides over to the tailback position, allowing DuBose to resume his duties at fullback.

"We'll call Brode 'Thunder' and Edward 'Lightning'," the coach said.

PHOTOS BY RICHARD AKRIDGE The pairing could create a firestorm in the backfield.

In his only game, the seasonopener versus Manor, DuBose ran the ball 33 times for 171 yards. Despite having three games in the books, no Lampasas player has more yards or more carries on the season.

Hall is close, however, with 28 rushes for 166 yards.

After shouldering the bulk of the rushing load during the Badgers' last two games and accounting for 162 yards on 27 carries, Hall had no problem making the move.

"When I told [Hall] we might move him to the H-back, he goes, 'That's all right Coach, I'll take my play book home and I'll learn it,' " McQueen said. "So, I like that attitude.

"Then he said, 'I think that will be good, because they'll focus on Brode, and they won't focus on me, and then Brode will get them, and then I'll get them.' I said, 'Kind of like thunder and lightning?' He goes, 'Yes sir.' "

The duo currently rank seventh and eighth in rushing yards for District 25-4A and account for 337 of the team's 606 total yards of offense, reaching the end zone three times between them.

McQueen expects DuBose to pick up right where he left off two weeks ago.

"He's been hungry in practice," the coach said. "You've got to practice like you play."

Lampasas' production on offense has dwindled without DuBose in the lineup.

After the team churned forward for a total of 280 yards in a seasonopening win over Manor, the numbers have slowly declined. On the road at Rockdale, the team had 217 yards of offense in a 7-6 loss.

Last week, the Badgers were limited to just 123 yards on 36 carries in a dismal performance at San Marcos. The result was a 33- point shutout loss, dropping the team's record to 1-2.

While McQueen believes the move will bolster his backfield, it is also a move he made out of necessity.

Gabe Terrell is suffering from a minor leg injury and will see limited playing time tonight. The senior speedster is the district's 11th-best rusher with 108 yards on 27 carries.

Other backfield players expected to make an impact tonight are B.J. Alexander, who will backup Hall, and Tanner Mobley, who will allow DuBose to take a breather from time to time.

Junior quarterback Colton Perkins also has the ability to make plays with his feet in McQueen's slot-T scheme.

In fact, those are the only kind of plays he has made this year as the Badgers have yet to complete a pass (0-6).

With district play beginning in just two weeks, Lampasas desperately wants to grab a victory and end its two-game slide. The team has a bye next week before traveling to Pflugerville Hendrickson for the districtopener.

"This is a big game for us. [A win] puts us at 2-2," McQueen said. "2-2, a bye week, two weeks to prepare for your first district game; you can't ask for anything better than that. We're excited about it."

After being on the road for the last two weeks, the coach is also looking forward to returning to his home field.

"I think that is going to be a big factor. It was a big factor in the first game," McQueen said of the raucous opening-night crowd. "That's what it's all about. You want people to say, 'Hey, it's Friday, we get to watch football at home tonight.' "

If all goes according to plan, a Badgers' win could be in the forecast tonight.