Most Surprising 3-0 Starts

Beaumont West Brook

Coach Chuck Langston is a lifelong Bruin. He grew up going to every Beaumont West Brook game with his parents, then graduated from the school in 1991. He knows all about the program’s tradition, with two state championship appearances in 1982 and 2018 and 17 alumni appearing in the NFL.

But when Langston took the head coaching job in March 2021 during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had 11 kids in the athletic period. Team meetings featured more coaches than players. After a 5-5 campaign in 2021, the Bruins went a combined 1-19 in Class 6A ball from 2022-23. 

Langston said last year’s senior class and a move to Class 5A DI started the rebuild process with a 4-6 record last year. He knows the state is surprised by his team’s 3-0 start to the 2025 season, but those inside the locker room knew they had the ingredients for a special season. 

“These guys want to leave a legacy of getting that winning culture back,” Langston said. “I think that’s why they’re so committed, doing it for our school and the community, getting West Brook football back where it used to be.”

The Bruins’ defense has allowed just 8 points per game. Defensive back Brayren Briscoe has notched four interceptions, including a pick-six last week against Aldine MacArthur.

The offense, meanwhile, has unlocked a different gear after junior quarterback Tam Anderson’s offseason development. Last year, Anderson ran for more yards (856) than he passed for (780). Anderson’s improved accuracy has prevented opponents from stacking the box against him. West Brook also has multiple wide receivers who can go the distance in Cam Chambers, Brandon Jackson and D’Andre Carter. Langston also moved freshman Brock Anderson (the younger brother of Texas A&M safety Bryce Anderson) to the varsity.

West Brook will face their biggest test of the young season in Week 4 against Silsbee (3-0).

Goose Creek Memorial

Goose Creek Memorial’s 3-0 start, the first in school history, matches the program’s win total from the last four seasons combined. But first-year head coach JayMond Cleveland isn’t focused on the results. He’s focused on the process. 

“We don’t talk about wins and losses,” Cleveland said. “If you do what you’re supposed to do, you trust your training, you’ll have some success. If you’re successful enough play-to-play, then those wins will take care of themselves.”

The first three weeks of the season are living proof.

Cleveland, a former SMU wide receiver and 2003 graduate of nearby Baytown Lee, has the Patriots rewriting the school’s record books in 2025. Goose Creek Memorial has scored more points in three games than it did the entirety of last season, including a record 78 points against Baytown Lee. Wide receiver Joshua Babin has set program single-game records with 284 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Ricco Richards set a single-game record of his own with six touchdown passes. 

The defense, coordinated by Joshua Harris, gave up just seven points in last week’s win over Clear Brook. Robert Rollins has emerged as the defensive line’s anchor, while linebackers Gustavo Gutierrez and Mario Jackson have notched double-digit tackles. In the secondary, Jorie Mitchell flies all over the field. 

The remarkable start propels Goose Creek Memorial into its District 23-6A schedule, which DCTX dubbed the toughest district in Class 6A this summer. The Patriots open against Humble Kingwood on September 27 after this week’s bye. Many will doubt that Goose Creek Memorial can compete for a playoff spot in this loaded district. Then again, many doubted they’d start 3-0, too.

“I think the GCM community and my student athletes here on campus are showing that with a strong belief and a good plan, you can manifest and be whatever it is you want to be,” Cleveland said. “And that’s bigger than football.”

Hurst L.D. Bell

Coach TJ Dibble feels his 2025 Hurst L.D. Bell team is a testament to why Texas high school football is so special. He understands that everybody loves rankings, and he also understands why his team wasn’t put in them. Coming off a 2-8 season, the Blue Raiders didn’t return a starting quarterback or have any five-star recruits.

But they’re 3-0.

“I think the beauty of Texas high school football is that cultures, programs and kids play the games.” 

Brenden Gleim has blossomed into L.D. Bell’s Swiss Army knife, rushing for 363 yards on 6.26 yards per carry. He’s also the second-leading receiver. He’s had plenty of room to work behind a young offensive line (one senior starter) that gained valuable experience in 2024. Braylon Harris has emerged as the leader at quarterback with eight total touchdowns through three games. 

L.D. Bell secured a massive 35-28 district win over Keller Timber Creek last week. In a loaded District 4-6A with Southlake Carroll, Euless Trinity and Byron Nelson, L.D. Bell and Timber Creek usually compete for the third or fourth playoff spot. Now, the Blue Raiders have the tie-breaker.

Mansfield Lake Ridge

Mansfield Lake Ridge’s 3-0 start is not only surprising because the Eagles were 1-19 over the past two seasons. Coach Kirk Thor’s ballclub had both their spring scrimmage and fall scrimmage against Prosper Walnut Grove cancelled due to lightning. Despite the lack of a preseason, Mansfield Lake Ridge looks like it’s in mid-season form. 

The Eagles opened eyes across the state in Week 3 when they came back from a 27-14 halftime deficit against Richardson to win 35-27. 

“We talk about moving your quit line around here a lot,” Thor said. “Everybody has a quit line, at what point do you want to quit? We want to make sure that we’re going to keep going longer than our opponent.”

That comeback was the sign of a player-led locker room that Thor and his staff tried to build over the offseason. He said DCTX five-star and Texas Tech offensive line commit Felix Ojo has led that charge.

“Felix Ojo, he signed that record NIL deal, but Felix is all about his teammates and takes coaching well,” Thor said. “When you’ve got a guy like that who’s got that kind of humility and his teammates just love being around him and they’re excited for him, you’ve got a pretty good culture.”

Over the past two years, Mansfield Lake Ridge has started six different quarterbacks. But junior quarterback Deshawn Edwards has emerged as a stabilizing force. Edwards has thrown for 637 yards and four touchdowns while adding 334 yards and five scores on the ground. Thor says Edwards’s poise reminds him of program legends Jett Duffey, Jason Bean and Chandler Rogers had. He’s paired well in the backfield with running back Jaiden Cotton, who’s averaging 7.7 yards per carry.

A correction was made on September 17: Goose Creek Memorial head coach JayMond Cleveland played college football for SMU, not Kansas. DCTF regrets this error.