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?
The merging of southern Travis County with Hays County results in an interesting district that moves Austin ISD’s 6A schools south to pair with Del Valle, Dripping Springs and the 2 Buda schools – Johnson and Hays. On paper, Dripping Springs should be more than just a paper Tiger, and bidding farewell to the likes of Lake Travis and Westlake means there are more playoff places to play for. Dripping Springs and Bowie are the only schools who tasted playoff football in 2025, so the other 5 schools have every opportunity to return. Who puts it together?
Here’s a quick look at each school as practice begins:
The Tigers reached the D2, Region 4 final last season and don’t want to take a step back. Dripping Springs brings back plenty of experience in the trenches and have a plethora of linebackers and defensive backs ready to step into leading roles for a unit that allowed just 14 points per game.
Biggest question: Loaded up front with the likes of Hudson Whitenight and Holden Yeldell, Chase Ames should have plenty of time to throw the ball around. Who will be his primary targets? Ames completed 244 passes for 3,682 yards and 47 touchdowns, but 206 catches, 3,250 yards and 42 touchdowns went to a quartet of players (Cooper Reid, James Montgomery, Merrik Bloomgren and Jaceton Gotta) who graduated. The cupboard isn’t bare, however. Dodge Reid and Harrison Rohrer saw significant playing time in big moments. That experience should shorten the learning curve and keep the Tigers’ big-play offense moving.
The Bulldogs spent the last few seasons battling with Austin High to claim the final playoffs spot in the former District 26. With standout running back Rhys Moreno back after a brilliant junior season and a defensive line featuring Marrell Hinton and Cade Venable, veteran coach Jeff Ables’ team knows who it is.
Biggest question: Opponents know that Moreno will get the ball early, often and most likely in every big situation. What can the other offensive pieces do to keep opposing defenses from sending all 11 helmets to Moreno at the snap? Bowie gained twice as many yards on the ground as it did through the air last season, and that ratio must change for the Bulldogs to do more than just compete for a playoff spot. Receivers Evan Dranguet and Hunter Willingham flashed at times, but Bowie needs consistent play from a new quarterback: Deuce Brown and Conor O’Dea split snaps during the spring.
After years of beating their collective heads against the likes of Westlake and Lake Travis (the last 5 years have seen the Maroons lose to Westlake and Lake Travis by 51 points on average), the Maroons have new life and a much more manageable path to a playoff spot (never mind that Westlake might be waiting in the bi-district round).
Biggest question: Coach Jason Cecil’s offense should be better equipped to move the ball in 2026 with 5 starters returning, but the Maroons may not set the scoreboard on tilt – last year’s team scored more than 14 points just twice. So the big question lies on the other side of the ball: how do the Maroons rebuild a defense that needs to do better than allowing 8 opponents to score at least 34 points last season? Ethan Kahle returns as one of the area’s leading tacklers, and Ryder Moody can be an edge presence, but the rest of the unit must come together quickly.
The Jaguars have taken fans on a bit of a roller-coaster ride over the last few years. After a 9-win season in 2021, the Jags missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 before reaching the regional semifinals in 2024 before stumbling to a 3-7 mark in 2025. Still, there were bright spots, including a 17-10 late-season win over a Converse Judson team that reached the playoffs.
Biggest question: Both sides of the ball return playmakers who gained valuable experience, including QB Jonah Montgomery, WR Devan Brown, DB Jordan Stewart and DL Clayton Vinson. Coach Sam Carlin also welcomes back sizeable offensive linemen Zachary Antoine and James Lurhman. They’ll anchor the line, but who rounds out the group tasked with protecting Montgomery and opening holes for a running game that didn’t produce a runner who gained more than 210 yards on the season?
With 14 starters back, Hays instantly becomes one of the most experienced teams in the new district. Gabriel Peach, Eyan Stigall and Jayden Gingrow are offensive playmakers who just need a new quarterback – former Manor New Tech QB Christian Salazar is at Hays now – to get them the ball in space. Kru Allen is a defensive playmaker as well.
Biggest question: Can the Hawks use their returning experience to snap a long postseason drought? Hays last tasted playoff football in 2020, during a 10-4 season that reached the 6A, Division 2 state semifinals. If Salazar can bring the playoff experience he got at Manor New Tech, and the defense improves on last year’s performance (allowing 30 ppg), Hays could be squarely in the playoff hunt in a fairly open district.
Routinely among the most athletic teams in its district, the Cardinals will look to rebuild their nest in a new district. Second-year coach Colin Williams set the tone early in his first season looks to keep moving in the right direction. Del Valle didn’t hold spring practice so they’ll have an extra week of preseason to get up to speed.
Biggest question: QB Trevon Hill-Lias, DB Isaiah Haws, RB Frist Green and WR Gavyn Patina give Del Valle a nice nucleus of skill players who earned plenty of playing time – and experience – in 2025. Can the Cardinals find enough big bodies to begin to win the line of scrimmage so their playmakers have the time and space to do their thing? DEs Axel Prado and Julio Ramirez had success on the edges last season, but getting better in the trenches is a priority.
How best to describe Akins’ 2025 season? The Eagles sprinted out to a program best 4-0 start only to see their coach depart in the next week and dropped their final 6 games of the season. Former defensive coordinator Jerry De La Huerta, who stepped in when Joey Saxe left mid-season, begins his first full season at the helm with work to do.
Biggest question: How quickly can the Eagles’ youth movement adjust to the point where difference-makers are leaving their mark on the game? DB Nico Lutz-Carillo earned all-district honors last season, and TE Joseph Gonzalez is an experienced blocker and receiver. There will be plenty of opportunities for young players to develop and emerge.
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