Monday, Aug. 3 marks the official start of the 2026 football season. Schools that opted out of spring practice can begin full team workouts, while teams that did hold spring practice can welcome their 9th graders before full teams can resume practicing Aug. 10.
As the season approaches, what’s the biggest challenge facing each of the area’s 6A teams as they gear up for kickoff on Aug. 27 or 28?
District 24-6A
Perennial district champion Vandegrift, Vista Ridge and Hutto join a new district that includes a quartet of teams moving up from 5A: Georgetown East View and the Leander ISD group of Cedar Park, Leander and Rouse. Looking big picture, how quickly that quartet can acclimate to 6A football would be the most obvious question. A second question would be how the move from Region 4 to Region 3 – meaning early matchups with Houston-area schools – changes the playoff picture.
Here’s a quick look at each school as practice begins:
Vandegrift
The Vipers will set out for a 9th consecutive district title, and veteran coach Drew Sanders’ team certainly has experience to fall back on. Vandegrift also has plenty of talent. Despite losing a strong senior class, the defense welcomes back linebacker Luke Davis and defensive backs Colt Stevens and Griffin Gorrebeeck to lead the way. Offensively, the Vipers will build around a massive offensive line led by Kaden O’Rourke and the running back duo of Evan Williamson and Preston James.
Biggest question: Gavin Koester missed all of 2025 after suffering a knee injury in the opener. Along with serving as the backup quarterback, he would have been one of the Vipers’ main receiving weapons alongside now-graduated Brock Chilton. How quickly can the speedy Koester get back to 100% with his knee and take the controls of a balanced offense that could benefit from a gamebreaker?
Hutto
The Hippos wasted little time this offseason after coach Eli Reinhart left to become the offensive coordinator at Grand Valley State University. Casey Walraven takes over a team that’s eager to build on a shared district title and earned its first playoff win since 2019. Hutto returns the most versatile player in Central Texas in WR/DB Jaiden Fields, and Fields and Dylan Owens might be the most dangerous 1-2 receiving combination as well.
Biggest question: With the Fields and Owens ready to terrorize opposing secondaries again, who will deliver them the ball? Kaden Stefek graduated after passing for more than 5,000 yards and 64 touchdowns in his career. Junior Ethan Carlson is a player to watch, as is newcomer Micah Antoun. Whoever wins the job gets the comfort of playing behind an experienced offensive line.
Vista Ridge
Few teams work – and compete – as hard as coach Chad Scott’s Rangers, who are looking for their 4th straight playoff berth. Vista Ridge brings back proven playmakers on both sides of the ball as well as beef up front: Mason Capesius (6-2, 275) anchors the offensive line; Tife Akinboro (6-0, 260) anchors the defensive line.
Biggest question: The Rangers, along with many schools in the area, will rely on a new quarterback in 2026. With weapons such as RB Quinn Szczytowski (1,000 all-purpose yards, 11 TDs) and WR Kieran Paegle looking to test defenses, senior Preston Froelich looks to get the first chance at leading the offense. If he can get the ball to his playmakers while keeping it away from opposing defenses, the Rangers should once again punch a playoff ticket.
Cedar Park
The Timberwolves make the leap into the 6A ranks and will immediately compete for a playoff spot against 3 of their Leander ISD rivals. Coach Michael Quintero’s team brings back something that no one else in the district does: a returning starter at QB in David Cooper (nearly 2,700 yards of offense and 30 TDs last season).
Biggest question: The Timberwolves have the reputation for being one of the area’s top defenses consistently, but recent teams haven’t exactly lived up to the program’s Black Rain standard. Over the last 4 seasons, Cedar Park has allowed nearly 28 points per game. After allowing 21.5 ppg in 2022, opponents have found more joy, and last season the Timberwolves allowed 33.4. By contrast, between 2016-19, Cedar Park allowed just 17.8 ppg. Can the 2026 defense – led by DL Olujimi Aluko and DB CJ Rogers - reverse the recent trend?
East View
The Patriots reached the playoffs in coach William Robertson’s first year and bring back some key pieces on both sides of the ball who look to make another run. It won’t be easy, Robertson says, playing 6A football with a program that more closely resembles a 5A, Division 2 program (only 170 players at all levels), but the Patriots have adopted a “Do Hard Things” mentality.
Biggest question: Can the Patriots’ key leaders stay healthy for the long run if they are pressed into double-duty? DB Jalani Culpepper and DL Tre Marshall are both 3-year starters, and RB Jayvion Clayter and WR Sammy Williams had strong 2025 seasons. Both could be asked to take defensive snaps at linebacker and defensive back, respectively. Very few players go both ways in today’s 6A football – Hutto WR/DB Jaiden Fields is a notable exception. How soon can the Patriots develop the depth to keep Clayter and Williams in their primary roles?
Rouse
It’s a new era at Rouse in several ways. Not only are the Raiders stepping up to 6A, they’re doing it without Josh Mann on the sidelines for the first time in school history. New coach Mark Hopkins expects success and will rely on a sizable group of returning lettermen to start that process.
Biggest question: Led by returning WR Aubryn Davis, the Raiders are capable of lighting up a scoreboard, especially if new QB Chase Whitten can come close to what graduated London Morgan did last season. With 5 starters back on defense, what can the Raiders to do slow opposing offenses after allowing nearly 33 points per game last season? DBs Liam Mongold and Miles Burrell are back to anchor the secondary, but the Raiders need to win more at the line of scrimmage.
Leander
If there’s a team facing the toughest road to 6A success, it could be a Leander team that’s replacing nearly its entire starting lineup from 2025 as well as getting used to a new coach. Ahmad Zaidan joined the staff after longtime coach Kris Price resigned on April 29. His late arrival ruled out spring football, so the Lions begin in full on Aug. 3.
Biggest question: Without the spring to learn a new system, how quickly can the Lions get used to their new coach’s system, expectations and style while developing the next group of players to carry the Lions proudly into this new era? Only WRs Izaac Montgomery and Braxton Hernandez played extensively as offensive skill players, and DB Trysten Adames is the lone returning defensive starter.
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