Eye-Opening Performances from Week 1 of the 2026 TXHSFB Season

North Crowley Spoils Aledo's Most Anticipated Class 6A Debut of All-Time with a Shutout

Final Score: North Crowley 26, Aledo 0
Computer Projection: North Crowley by 12

We might’ve spent all week talking about the wrong debut.

12-time state champion Aledo’s first game as a Class 6A program grabbed all the headlines – and a Dave Campbell’s feature story – leading into Week 1. Instead, the Demarcus Harris era at North Crowley got off to the best start since the Jackson 5 released “I Want You Back” as their first song.

North Crowley handed Aledo its first shutout loss since 2003, when the Bearcats fell 17-0 in a fourth-round playoff game against Denton Ryan. But the stat most indicative of North Crowley’s dominance: Aledo had -17 rushing yards on 40 attempts. 

What in the world did Harris say to his team in the pregame locker room? Turns out, the internet had already done most of the talking for him. 

“We used propaganda all week,” Harris said. “All the stuff that was posted on Instagram and Facebook: them saying that they were the real 817 and all those things. I kind of addressed that (in the pregame locker room) – ‘If they’re the real 817, why isn’t it on their helmet?’”

There wasn’t an empty seat in Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium. Fort Worth’s two most dominant programs – Aledo on a 135-game district winning streak, and North Crowley on a 55-4 tear over the past four seasons – were now on the same 6A level. This was a battle for the city. It wasn’t much of a fight.

North Crowley’s front seven terrorized Aledo’s offensive line all night. Senior defensive tackle Antonio Smith (6-foot-2, 260) was a man possessed, racking up 10 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery. The Panthers’ linebackers, meanwhile, tallied eight sacks as a position group. 

Harris, North Crowley’s defensive coordinator the previous two positions before taking the head job, said that Smith was the Defensive MVP. The defensive tackle currently holds one Division I offer to Wagner College, but more will flood in if he keeps stacking performances like that. 

“He’s always been one of our hardest workers and our biggest dawgs,” Harris said. “He’s also on our leadership council, and he takes a lot of pride in taking care of our facilities and being a good teammate and holding guys accountable. He was also Dave Campbell’s Scholar Athlete of the Week.” 

Smith wasn’t the only North Crowley player with a breakout performance. Senior quarterback Jacob Torres shined in his long-awaited first start in a Panthers’ uniform with 189 passing yards and three touchdowns. Torres was the District Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore at Burleson Centennial but was ruled ineligible after he transferred back to North Crowley last fall, where he played ninth-grade football. Harris says that Torres won over the team, even when he couldn’t play, by organizing extra players-only workouts.

“We talk about him being ineligible last year, but he also broke his collarbone and was out for the year,” Harris said. “The Burleson Centennial coach said he couldn’t come back to their place, and he was ineligible at our place, so that kid could’ve gone to private school. But he comes into the coaches’ office and says, ‘Coach, I’m gonna stay. I want to be the quarterback at North Crowley.’ He stuck it out, and that showed what that kid was about.”

Torres’s downfield accuracy unlocked North Crowley’s wide receiving corps. Juniors Kade Smith (4 catches, 116 yards, 1 TD) and Damarion Mays (7 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD) went off on Friday night.

Harris and Co. don’t have much time to bask in the glory of the Week 1 drubbing. There’s another battle of Fort Worth on the horizon.

“We did such a good job that now we’ve got to play Southlake!” Harris said. “That’s the reward.” 

Well, it is a reward for TXHSFB fans. That game will be streamed on Dave Campbell’s YouTube as part of the DCTX Friday Night Football series.

Southlake Carroll Overcomes 27-0 First Half Deficit, Stuns Oklahoma Juggernaut Jenks 

Final Score: Southlake Carroll 34, Jenks 33
Computer Projection: N/A

In the moments after Southlake Carroll’s thrilling 34-33 win over Jenks (Ok), Fort Worth Star-Telegram high school sports editor Charles Baggarly asked Southlake Carroll head coach Lee Munn what was running through his mind when his team was down 27-0 in the first half.

Munn gave him a confused look. We were down 27-0? 

At some point during the first half of what felt like a nightmare coaching debut at one of Texas’s most prestigious programs – Munn believes it was when Jenks went up 21-0 – Munn stopped looking at the scoreboard. He was no longer focused on winning his first game as Southlake Carroll’s head coach. He wanted a first down. He wanted a tackle. 

But somewhere along the chain of third-down stops and touchdown passes, Southlake Carroll went from playing for respect to playing for the win. As the game wore on, the Dragons won the war of attrition.

“We knew going into the week that they were going to play all their guys both ways,” Munn said. “We knew we were the deeper team. We just had to keep plugging away.”

The most vulnerable area was Jenks’s secondary group, which consisted almost entirely of two-way players. Their fatigue – combined with Southlake trailing by so much that they were forced to throw – opened the door for a legacy game from Southlake Carroll senior wide receiver Brody Knowles. The Illinois commit caught seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, willing the Dragons back into the game. 

“The thing I’ll probably remember is Brody Knowles’ performance,” Munn said. “It was pretty special.”

As the Dragons’ offense began breathing fire, the defense turned the lights out. Senior Mike linebacker Landon Harris, a South Dakota State commit, made a critical fourth-down stop in the third quarter as Jenks attempted to push the lead to 33-21. On the game’s final drive, Munn inserted a 14-year-old freshman, Jason Maxiell, on the defensive line. Maxiell hit the quarterback three times on three plays. Munn also shouted out junior safety Cole Spaeth for being a vocal leader in the back end.

Southlake Carroll faces 1-0 North Crowley next Friday in a game that will be streamed live on Dave Campbell’s YouTube page as part of Friday Night Football.

New-look Wall Starts Class 3A Title Defense in Style, Beats Class 4A Power Canyon West Plains

Final Score: Wall 42, Canyon West Plains 35
Computer Projection: Canyon West Plains by 5

Heading into last season, Craig Slaughter knew his Wall Hawks had a chance to be really freaking good. But he also knew there was a chance everyone would tell his kids that they were going to be good, too. Not wanting his team to get high on their own supply, Slaughter printed shirts that said, ‘Work Like We Suck.’ He wanted the Wall Hawks to fly around every practice like they hadn’t won a game in ten years. 

As a coach, you never really know what’s going to catch on. But the Wall players ate it up, and their moms even painted posters for the locker room with the slogan on them. That mantra powered Wall’s first state championship in program history. But it took on a whole new meaning this offseason. In February, Dave Campbell’s ranked Wall 8th out of 12 for most likely 2025 state champions to repeat in 2026. It’s not that people necessarily thought Wall would suck. But the Hawks did face a ton of question marks with only three returning starters on each side of the ball – and a jump from Class 3A DII to DI.

“Not many guys get to go 16-0 and get to convince their kids that nobody thinks we’re any good,” Slaughter said. “There have been so many comments, like, ‘Man, you lost everybody!’ It puts a chip back on our shoulders.”

Wall’s 42-35 win over Class 4A powerhouse Canyon West Plains – with a 35-8 record over the last three seasons – was Slaughter and Co.’s first response. 

Quarterback Gunner King looked like a seasoned veteran in his first varsity start, throwing for 415 yards and four touchdowns. Two years ago, Wall changed their entire offensive scheme from the splitback veer to the spread to highlight quarterback Landon York’s arm. King’s performance ensures the Hawks’ now-signature “Wall Ball” can continue even after the generational York’s graduation.

King flourished behind a rock-solid performance from the “Great Wall” offensive line and help from running back Gunner Garza, who finished with 110 rushing yards and also led the Hawks with 76 receiving yards. 

“The one thing people undervalued (this offseason) is that we still have some serious speed. We lost some absolute dudes, now. But we got second in the state track meet in the (4x100M) sprint relay, and three of those dudes are on that offense.”

Senior inside linebacker Slayton Hallmark led Wall on the tackle chart, which Slaughter says should be expected every Week. Hallmark (6-foot, 160) is one of two returning First Team All-District performers on Wall’s defense and also won silver medals at the UIL State Track and Field meet in the 110M hurdles and 300M hurdles. 

While Hallmark is a returning starter, Slaughter says that edge rusher Kaden McFarden flourished in his first test at “the guy” at edge. As a sophomore last season, McFarden rotated with two seniors. He has serious game-wrecker ability entering his junior season.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Wall’s win – especially for a team with such little returning production – was how the Hawks responded to adversity. Wall didn’t have the lead until 22 seconds left in the game. The offense fumbled inside Canyon West Plains’s five-yard line twice, and still managed 42 points. Turns out, that’s the type of resilience you build up when you work as if you suck. 

Columbus Plays Clean, Punches Up Two Classifications to Beat Top 10-ranked Bay City

As a former TCU tight end, eight-year NFL veteran, and state champion high school coach, Matt Schobel has seen too much football to fall for the rat poison. He knew his Columbus Cardinals had a chance to be good, but he was not ready to crown them like Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine did when it named Columbus the preseason Class 3A DI State Champion pick.  

“We do have a lot of guys back, but we have shuffled some guys around, so there really was a lot of uncertainty,” Schobel said. “We didn’t scrimmage particularly well, but that’s not uncommon. We don’t usually game plan for those. But we had some turnovers and were loose with the ball in the scrimmages. More than anything, I was like everyone else – curious to see how we would play.”

So, how did Columbus punch up two classifications to beat preseason No. 9-ranked Bay City handily 34-19? What happened?

“I would say, more than anything, it’s what didn’t happen,” Schobel said. “We didn’t turn it over. The times that we would call plays that weren’t there, we threw it away or tucked and ran. All of our runners took care of the ball.” 

The lack of turnovers, a stark difference from the scrimmages to the season opener, was a testament to sophomore quarterback David James. The son of Aldine MacArthur legend Odell James, now a Columbus offensive assistant coach, David made excellent decisions all night. Coach Schobel said his ability to tuck it and run – or even throw it away – when the play wasn’t there, was just as encouraging as his deep-ball accuracy. David’s emergence has allowed Schobel’s son, Jack, to move back to his more natural position of slot wide receiver after he earned District Offensive MVP stepping in for Columbus at quarterback last fall. 

A Columbus defense needing to replace four senior linebackers also aced a daunting first test against dynamic Bay City quarterback Keimarion Wiggins. It wasn’t perfect, and it never is in Week 1. Wiggins still managed 244 total yards and two touchdowns. But a defensive front headlined by Zayde Cunningham made him uncomfortable all night, and a secondary led by cornerback Brennan Hicks and free safety Kash Wilbert held Wiggins under a 50 percent completion rate while forcing an interception. Meanwhile, Trey Kohleffel (6-foot-3, 180) emerged as a potential stalwart at linebacker after playing mainly wide receiver last season.

George West Stomps Refugio, Hands South Texas Power First Shutout Loss Since 2018

Final Score: George West 40, Refugio 0
Computer Prediction: George West by 1

Granted, George West is a Class 3A DII program playing Class 2A DI Refugio. But Refugio doesn’t get beat like this. The Bobcats’ last shutout loss was September 7, 2018, against Goliad. Since 2010, Refugio is 204-26 and has played in seven state championship games. George West, on the other hand, is coming off an 11-1 season but was unranked in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine after returning just three offensive starters.  

There were whispers in South Texas that Refugio may be entering a rebuild with a new head coach and just three returning starters. But I think this score says more about the team Rod Blount is building at George West.

One position change this offseason exemplifies the program’s culture. Cason Campos, a rising junior, has emerged as one of the region’s best linebackers in his first two years on varsity, earning District Newcomer of the Year as a freshman and First Team All-District as a sophomore. But Blount asked Campos to move to safety so the team could take advantage of his speed and athleticism while playing more guys in a deep linebacker rotation.

“He said, ‘Coach, I’ll do whatever I can to help the team win,’” Blount said. “He moved back to safety and allowed another talented kid who had played well for us to start at the same time. It’s just that unselfishness – guys playing their tails off and playing for each other.” 

Campos – along with reigning First Team All-District linebacker Dylan Thomisee (110 tackles, 14 tackles for loss) – blanked Refugio’s offense. Parker Heard and Jackson Alaniz were also highlighted as vocal leaders at the forefront of a hungry George West squad. 

A seemingly easy, breezy 40-0 victory was anything but smooth. A weather delay forced George West to cancel the pregame Parents’ Night and prevented either team from warming up until 7:30 p.m. On the third play of the game, George West’s strong-side offensive tackle went down with an injury, and his backup broke his leg on the first snap of relief. Blount’s staff was forced to move their starting defensive tackle to offensive tackle and tell him his assignment before every offensive snap. Blount said young offensive linemen Jayden Paiz and Wyatt Burnett stepped up, filling big shoes from last year’s dominant front.

Ganado Gets Revenge on Tidehaven, Avenges Last Year's Only Regular-Season Loss 

Final Score: Ganado 49, Tidehaven 28
Computer Projection: Tidehaven by 9

Tidehaven and Ganado have developed a friendly Gulf Coast rivalry over recent years. Not only are both experiencing a golden age on the field, but their head coaches also share a history. Tidehaven head coach David Lucio was Ganado head coach Josh Ervin’s offensive coordinator when Ervin was a quarterback at Bay City. 

As two of the nicest guys in Texas high school football, the trash talk between Lucio and Ervin probably doesn’t rise to bulletin board material. But don’t be mistaken, this game means a lot to both coaches – and their respective programs. Don’t believe me? Ganado onside kicked on the game’s opening kickoff. To what extent these coaches even boast, Ervin has bragging rights for a year after his Ganado team punched up to Class 3A DII and beat the preseason No. 3-ranked team 49-28.

Both teams lost their starting quarterback midway through the game, although Ganado’s Landyn Arriaga put on a show before he was sidelined. Arriaga, the reigning District Offensive MVP, had 186 total yards and a touchdown, while also posting five tackles and a tackle for loss from his outside linebacker position. Freshman quarterback Kyle Stancik performed valiantly in relief, leading Ganado to a win. Stancik relied on senior star Logan Bures, who tallied 199 yards and four touchdowns. Bures, the Preseason Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine, also posted 11 tackles. 

Ganado fans have come to expect that kind of performance from Bures, but his cousin, freshman Beau Bures, put on a show in his varsity debut. Beau intercepted a pass in the end zone to keep Tidehaven’s promising opening drive scoreless, then caught a touchdown pass from Stancik.

Even if Ganado had lost, the Dave Campbell’s staff would’ve still felt great about picking Ganado to win the Class 2A DI State Championship. The fact that the Indians won convincingly – all while overcoming Arriaga’s injury – should put the state on notice.