Editorial
Lisa Chappell PUBLISHER
Kent Miller EDITOR
Alex Havardansky SPORTS EDITOR
Ashley Garey
PAGE LAYOUT
Laurie White King David Claybourn Buster Clem
PHOTOGRAPHY
Holly Day ADVERTISING SALES
Herald-Banner Publications 2305 King Street Greenville, TX 75401 903-455-4220
Copyright © 2026 by Herald-Banner Publication. Reproduction in any form without prior permission is strictly prohibited,
On the Cover
Original photo by Greenville ISD and cover created using AI. The Greenville players are( from left) Zayden Armstrong Teeters( 4), Edward Fluellen( 14) and Levi Davenport( 17)
Friday Night Lights Never Lose Their Magic
There are some things that never really leave you. For me, one of those is Texas high school football. Long before television cameras followed every recruiting prospect and before million-dollar stadiums became commonplace even for high schools, there was an unmistakable aura surrounding Friday nights. Football wasn’ t just a game. It was something people lived.
But I must admit, my own football career didn’ t exactly make history.
At 7 or 8 years old, I suited up for the black-and-white Falcons in peewee football. My one and only big highlight came when I recovered a fumble in the city championship game. Looking back, it wasn’ t exactly a Hall of Fame résumé but at that age, it felt like the biggest play in the world.
Fortunately, my years covering the sport have provided a few more memorable moments.
I’ ve had the privilege of watching and reporting on some incredible players before they became household names. I never saw Matthew Stafford lose a high school football game and years later, I found myself writing the final story of Patrick Mahomes’ remarkable prep career. Mahomes threw for an astonishing 605 yards for Whitehouse in a 65-60 regional semifinal loss to Mesquite Poteet, a performance that ranked among the best passing games in Texas high school football history at the time. Even in defeat, it was obvious you were watching someone special.
I’ ve also learned that sometimes the venue can be just as memorable as the players.
Many schools have built incredible stadiums over the past two decades. They’ re beautiful facilities with towering video boards, luxury seating and amenities that rival small colleges.
But if you ask me to pick my favorite place to watch a game, I’ d still choose the Tomato Bowl in Jacksonville. The nostalgia just overwhelms you.
Built in 1940, it has a character that’ s hard to describe. Maybe it’ s the history. Maybe it’ s the atmosphere. Whatever it is, it reminds you that football is about more than bricks, steel and scoreboards.
There was a stretch during my newspaper career when Friday nights became an exercise in logistics. I’ d spend the first half of one game roaming the sidelines with my camera before hightailing it up the road a short distance away to another stadium to shoot their second half. It made for some long nights but I wouldn’ t trade those memories for anything.
One of the strangest moments I’ ve experienced came years later while covering a game at Baylor’ s old stadium. A young man I had covered – one of my favorites – during his high school days was now wearing green and gold. As I stood on the sideline, it suddenly dawned on me that every player on Baylor’ s roster was shorter than I was— even in full pads.
Of course, me being 6-foot-6 probably had something to do with that.
Ironically, Baylor has been part of my football story from the very beginning. I was born at Baylor Hospital in Dallas and my parents received one of those keepsake certificates featuring a crawling baby wearing a football helmet. Printed across the bottom was an invitation to report to the field house on my 18th birthday to join“ that good ol’ Baylor Line.”
Life had other plans, but it’ s still one of my favorite football keepsakes.
These days, my body has made it abundantly clear that sprinting up and down sidelines with a camera isn’ t nearly as appealing as it once was. Knees, back and shoulders have a way of reminding us that time never loses. Thankfully, the game hasn’ t. Every August brings a fresh wave of optimism. New coaches arrive. Seniors prepare for one last run at gridiron greatness. Freshmen put on varsity uniforms for the first time. Communities gather under the lights, bands fill the air with fight songs and generations of fans settle into familiar seats.
The names and faces change every season but the feeling never does.
That’ s what has always made Texas high school football special. It’ s never just about wins and losses. It’ s about hometown pride. Family traditions. Lifelong memories. It’ s about moments that become stories told for decades and decades.
As we present another edition of our high school football preview, I hope you’ ll enjoy reading about this year’ s players, coaches and teams as much as we’ ve enjoyed putting it together. Somewhere among these pages is another unforgettable Friday night just waiting to happen.
And that’ s why, after all these years, Texas high school football still feels like home.
Kent Miller, Editor
4 END ZONE | 2026