High school football starts practice in less than a month. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine is headed to the shelves shortly. The BCA Sports team well, we got our copy early. That said, let’s find out what Texas Football says is going to happen in Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie’s districts. The Abilene High Eagles enter 2026 riding a streak of three straight district titles.
Texas Football says head coach Mike Fullen’s Eagles will make that four [music] district championships in a row this season. Abilene High returns five starters on the offensive side of the ball including quarterback Tristan Beall. Beall shared snaps [music] with BCA Sports Player of the Year Braden Henry last year and he threw for 1,480 [music] yards. The position is his in 2026. The offensive line is going to be green, but expect them to come along.
Defensively, the Eagles are searching for six new starters. Abilene High is expected to finish ahead of another black and gold team. The Amarillo High Sandies have a chip on [music] their shoulders in 2026. They were forced to forfeit six games late in 2025 for playing an ineligible player. The Sandies need seven new [music] starters to show up on offense.
The offense will have time to mesh though because the eight starters are back on the defensive side of the ball. Lubbock Monterey and Tascosa are picked to claim the final two playoff [music] berths in District 2-5A Division 1. District newcomer Friendship is picked fifth after dropping from Class 6A. Caprock is next. Friendship Memorial [music] is picked seventh in their first year playing varsity football and Lubbock High is eighth.
On to Class 5A Division 2 and the Palo Duro Dons are picked to remain at the top of District 2. The Dons return 23 lettermen and 10 [music] starters from a 10 and 2 team last year that ran through the district with an undefeated record. Texas commit Kairon [music] Brown returns at receiver. Julian Reese II is back at quarterback. >> [music] >> The Wylie Bulldogs missed the playoffs after an injury-plagued 2025, but that was then.
The 2026 Bulldogs are expected to battle for the district title. Head coach Clay Martin returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense for the new year. Quarterback Jayden Curlskins dad left Abilene to be the head coach at East Texas Baptist, but Jayden is back for his senior season and he’s got Blaze Ruffin and Dylan Wigall returning to catch his passes. The Cooper Cougars are next according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. The Cougars went through some upheaval in the off-season.
Former head coach Aaron Rhone resigned to become the assistant athletic director of AISD. Defensive coordinator Scott Stewart [music] is now the head coach. He takes over a program that’s riding an 18-year playoff streak. >> [music] >> The Cougars return 11 starters from last season’s 7-5 team. Quarterback is a question mark as Mason Cole and Joel Soto fight for the starters job.
The Lubbock Cooper Pirates [music] are picked to take the last playoff berth. Wichita Falls Memorial and Legacy and Lubbock Coronado are on the outside looking in at fifth, sixth, and seventh.
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