For most people time feels like it flies by. For Killeen ISD football coaches and players, the 2026 season has been a long time coming.
The wait is just about over, though, and an 11-week regular-season march that’s sure to take twists and turns is about to get underway.
Standards are set, expectations raised and goals plastered on white boards in weight rooms. And Shoemaker senior defensive end Cayden Logan recently echoed the thoughts of every KISD player as opening night approaches.
“We want to win a district championship and make a run in the playoffs,” he said.
Kicking off the Week 1 slate in KISD are the Killeen Kangaroos, who open their first season with head coach Roderick Sneed at the helm at 7 p.m. Thursday on the road against Liberty Hill.
“The excitement this week is through the roof. This will be the last first game for our seniors, and they are fired up and ready,” Sneed said. “Our coaches are fired up as well because this will be our first game as a staff.”
The Roos, who didn’t participate in the UIL’s allotted spring practice window, have been in fall camp since Aug. 3 and have two scrimmages under their belts heading into their opener.
Sneed said his squad took steps forward between scrimmage No. 1 against Chaparral and scrimmage No. 2 against Waco in terms of understanding the overall scheme, and now the attention shifts to the Panthers.
“The biggest key to being ready is focusing on the process and not the results. With this week being a short one, our goals are efficiency and obsession with the process of practice so that the game reflects that obsession,” Sneed said.
The Friday agenda is filled with four contests –– two at home and two on the road.
At Leo Buckley Stadium, first-year head coach Roy Locks will lead the Shoemaker Grey Wolves into battle against Nuevo Leon. And, at Joseph L. Searles III Stadium, the Chaparral Bobcats led by third-year head coach Tyrell McCrea, welcome Waco University. Both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. starts.
“We've been preparing for this week since we put the pads away last fall. Each phase of the offseason had this week in mind. We're taking it day by day, brick by brick, as we say. We pray we can put a good product on the field and be proud of the results,” said McCrea, whose Bobcats scrimmaged Killeen and Round Rock Cedar Ridge.
Friday’s opener is the first of three straight games for the Bobcats at Searles Stadium to open the season.
“Our biggest keys are to do what you've been coached to do, not what you want to do. When pressure hits, we have to rely on our fundamentals,” McCrea said. “The more we can put them in pressure situations in practice, the more we can prepare for game-like scenarios.”
Last season’s playoff qualifiers Harker Heights and Ellison are traveling to begin 2026.
The Eagles, aiming for a third straight playoff berth, are at Copperas Cove for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Meanwhile, Harker Heights, the four-time reigning District 12-6A champion, plays at 7:30 p.m. versus Hutto.
HHHS head coach Mark Humble said his team’s lone scrimmage last week against Round Rock “was an excellent night for the Knights,” whose focus shifts to prepping for the Hippos.
“We will continue on our normal weekly process to gear up for a very good opponent,” Humble said. “The only thing really different is now they start putting results in the history book in ink. As a result, we know our kids’ focus and attention to detail will turn up even more. Our biggest keys will be focusing on us, our team and what we do.”
With the exception of Ellison in District 8-5A-II –– which also has Belton, Brenham, Bryan Rudder, Waco and University –– the road to the postseason will have to go through some new opponents for KISD’s other four squads, following the UIL’s biennial reclassification and realignment.
The Knights still will meet Temple, Copperas Cove, Bryan and Waco Midway in 12-6A, but also have new challenges in Lake Belton and KISD counterpart Chaparral.
The Roos and Grey Wolves, after two seasons in Class 6A, returned to 5A, and were squeezed into nine-team District 12-5A-I that also includes College Station, College Station A&M Consolidated, Georgetown, Leander Glenn, Pflugerville Connally, Pflugerville Hendrickson and Pflugerville Weiss.
“Our kids are looking forward to ‘Repping the Shield’ and ‘Honoring Heights’ as our official journey begins,” Humble said.
Stadium information/rules
Leo Buckley Stadium: https://tinyurl.com/2hztkzaw
Joseph L. Searles III Stadium: https://tinyurl.com/ba9sz9hm
Clear bag policy
https://www.killeenisd.org/page/event-clear-bag-procedure
Tickets
Tickets for football games are available through HomeTown Ticketing (https://events.hometownticketing.com/) or at www.killeenisd.org/tickets. Just search for your team. The HomeTown Ticketing App is also available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Special event nights
Chaparral
Aug. 28: Peanut Butter Bowl
Sept. 4: TopFan dance special
Sept. 11: Teacher/Military appreciation night
Oct. 9: Homecoming
Oct. 23: Pink Out/Little Cats
Nov. 5: Senior night
Ellison
Sept. 18: Military Appreciation
Sept. 25: Middle School Night
Oct. 9: Homecoming
Oct. 16: Cheer Chicks (cheer camp for elementary age)
Oct. 30: Senior Night
Harker Heights
Sept. 4: Teacher appreciation
Sept. 11: Senior night
Oct. 1: Homecoming/Little Belles performance
Oct. 15: Military appreciation
Oct. 29: Middle school night
Killeen
Sept. 18: Military appreciation/senior night
Oct. 2: Homecoming
Oct. 16: Feeder night
Oct. 30: Teacher appreciation night
Shoemaker
Aug. 28: Senior Night
Sept. 3: Military Appreciation
Oct. 8: Pink Out and Little Stars Performance
Oct. 23: Homecoming
Nov. 5: Middle School Night