COMANCHE — Call it an investment. Call it public service. Call it what you will. Both are correct.
At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what you call the Comanche football program’s efforts to clean up its community in the summer and spread some Christmas cheer each December. The town benefits from it, and so do many people who are less fortunate than others.
The brainchild of sixth-year football coach Jake Escobar, the program involves roaming groups of Comanche football players who search out various locations that may need some clean up.
“People will message me saying ‘I’ve got some things I need to clean up,” Escobar said. “Do you have a couple of kids who can come help?
“Because they know that if they post that an area needs to be cleaned up our kids are always willing to help — always.”
COMANCHE— After battling through a tough schedule with a young team last season, the Comanche Indians are poised for a step forward from their 5-5 record of 2025. 
MERKEL — When one sees Merkel’s Easton “Moose” Malone standing on the sidelines for the first time, they may assume he’s an offensive or defensive lineman. At 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds, he’s certainly big enough to take on both challenges. 
MERKEL — When examining the 2026 Merkel football team two things become apparent: First, the Badgers will have their share of skill, including one of the area’s most athletic quarterbacks in junior Easton “Moose” Malone.
At 6-foot and 225 pounds, Will Treadway is built more like a linebacker than a defensive tackle. But if there’s any question about his fitness for his position, a quick glance at his stat sheet will answer that in a hurry.
BRECKENRIDGE — The late great NFL coach George Allen once said that “there’s no substitute for experience.” His track record proved him correct, since he continually loaded his roster with aging players, yet never once suffered a losing record in 12 seasons of coaching in the NFL.
When the 2025 season began, the plan for Austin Joslin was to make the full-time switch from quarterback to wide receiver.
When San Saba coach Andreas Aguirre looks at running back Jason Everett, he immediately thinks of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer bulldozer Mike Alstott.
When San Saba opens its season next week against De Leon, Andreas Aguirre’s squad will have already been battle-tested.
MASON — Football coaches love players who can play several different roles when called upon. And why shouldn’t they? Any player who can lend a significant amount of depth and flexibility all by themselves are keepers in any sport — so much so, that the term “Swiss Army Knife” is now a common way to describe them. 
MASON — Since 2010, the Mason Punchers have posted 12 seasons with 10 wins or more, 16 district titles and two state championships. 
Before examining Coleman’s expectations for this football season, you have to set the table with the Bluecats’ late head coaching change.
When watching the Brady football team play, it doesn’t take long to find Nasir Menefield. At 6-foot-5 and 365 pounds, the senior lineman draws eyeballs like a porchlight draws moths.
High school football teams that finished 6-5 and lost 16 seniors from last year might not be optimistic about the upcoming season. But third-year Bangs head coach Colton Buzzard is optimistic because of what positions the returnees play.
Last year, with quarterback Tyler Jackson and fellow senior Cole Heutzenroeder carrying the bulk of the on- and off-field leadership load for Hico, Tyler Hunt was able to shine in a supporting role.
HAWLEY — In high school football, there are standard move-ins during the off-season. And then there are move-ins — players who bring a little extra to the table, both in terms of physical ability and knowledge. 
HAWLEY — When Hawley coach Mitch Ables feels good about the team he’s returning prior to a season, he should be taken seriously. Unless, of course, one wants to discount the 126-34 record and one state title he’s posted in 12 seasons with the Bearcats. 
De Leon graduated a special senior class that helped the Bearcats win nine games last season.
CISCO — When the Cisco Loboes lost talented juniors Garrett Offutt and Hudson Hernandez last year to collarbone injuries, it was actually worse than it appeared. Cisco wasn’t just losing two starters, it was actually losing four, since both players played both ways — Offutt doubling as an OL/DL and Hernandez doubling as a LB/FB. 
CISCO — In the eyes of many, the 2026 Cisco Loboes are a team with a legitimate shot at reaching the state championship game in Arlington. 
After an 8-4 season in 2025, during which Anson came one point from having a chance to advance to the third round of the Class 2A Division I football playoffs, there’s plenty of speculation focused on how good the Tigers might be this year.
If an experienced Forsan team is to achieve the type of success it’s hoping to this season, there’s a good chance senior linebacker Korbett Worden will be at the center of it.
With a year under his belt as a starter at the toughest position on the field, Colorado City quarterback Ace Mejia stands to be one of the area’s more interesting breakout candidates this fall.
The short answer for why Ballinger slipped to 3-7 last year and lost all five of its district games by an average of 41.8 points is injuries. The Bearcats lost four starters with season-ending injuries and were down to their third-team quarterback.
At 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds, Rylan Griffith isn’t the biggest quarterback around. Nor is the fastest or strongest.
A year ago, as coach Ryan Pannell was just settling into his new office after being named the football coach at Winters, there were more questions than answers.
When Miles Follis opened the 2025 season as Stamford’s junior varsity quarterback, it was the expectation that he’d finish the year in that same role. But fate had other plans.
In 2025, little came easy for a Miles squad that returned just six lettermen and two starters both ways from an 8-3 team the previous year. But through a tough 2-8 campaign, the play of then-sophomore Ryder Satepauhoodle shined through as a major bright spot for the Bulldogs.
While Rowdy Holden’s 2025 defensive statistics were head-turning in and of themselves, they probably didn’t do justice to what the now-senior linebacker means to the Hamlin Pied Pipers.
