The opening night jitters are by the wayside. Week 2 is on the horizon. Opportunities are endless.
With one game under their belts, Killeen ISD’s football teams are now preparing for their next encounters. And, fortunately for fans, they won’t have to travel far to check out the action.
All five teams will appear inside KISD’s regional stadiums Thursday or Friday, providing for the perfect plans heading into the Labor Day holiday weekend.
The matchups
Ellison (0-1) at Killeen (0-1)
7 p.m. Thursday, Leo Buckley Stadium
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/4dw27v2u
The Roos will be the home team for the 48th edition of the original crosstown rivalry game. Ellison has won four out of the last five in the series, including a 19-14 win a year ago that was the sixth straight time an outcome was decided by nine points of less.
It is the final non-district game for Killeen, which has an open date next week before kicking off District 12-5A-I on Sept. 18.
It will be all general admission seating on the visiting side for Eagles fans, who should enter the stadium on the visitor's side.
Del Valle (0-1) at Shoemaker (0-1)
7 p.m. Thursday, Joseph L. Searles III Stadium
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/2fr8da98
Like the Grey Wolves, Del Valle will look to bounce back after falling to Taft, 27-21, last week.
Shoemaker’s brief non-district portion of its schedule ends with its matchup against the Cardinals. The Grey Wolves hit the road for the first time next week for the District 12-5A-I opener against College Station.
Odessa Permian (1-0) at Harker Heights (1-0)
7 p.m. Friday, Leo Buckley Stadium
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/vufsxvxh
The Knights and Panthers last played a home-and-home, non-district series from 2022-2023 when both games were decided by two points of less. Permian notched a narrow 28-27 win at venerable Ratcliff Stadium in 2022 before Harker Heights returned the favor at historic Leo Buckley Stadium, 27-25, in 2023.
The Panthers defeated Amarillo Tascosa 38-7 in their opener last week.
Bastrop at Chaparral
7:30 p.m. Friday, Joseph L. Searles III Stadium
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/5n6scvrm
It’s a Bobcats vs. Bears Battle in Week 2 with both squads looking for their first win. Bastrop is coming off a 52-34 loss to Montgomery Lake Creek. It is Chaparral’s second of three straight home games to open the season.
Week 1 rewind
Harker Heights 53, Hutto 50
Arshawn Spann’s back-shoulder touchdown grab from Hudson Humble with about 14 seconds remaining capped Harker Heights’ stirring comeback victory Friday night against Hutto and closed out an up-and-down opening week of the high school football season for Killeen ISD’s teams.
The Knights trailed the Hippos 50-38 late in the fourth but scored the final 15 points to exit a contest that ended close to midnight after kickoff was delayed.
Brandon Fowlkes Jr.’s 31-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to 50-45. A 31-yard completion to Naythan Smith set up Spann’s winning 12-yard catch.
Humble finished 26-of-38 for 270 yards and five touchdowns, four of them to Ryan Taylor, who nabbed nine catches for 133 yards. Eric Young III churned out 137 yards rushing and Fowlkes Jr. added 101 yards. Defensively, Jalen Hines had an interception and Aubrey Anduze tallied a team-high 11 tackles.
Copperas Cove 49, Ellison 27
The Bulldawgs used a 21-point third quarter to pull away from the visiting Eagles.
Ellison starting quarterback Marlyn Smith completed 16 of 25 passes for 263 yards and three TDs –– two of them to Tyler Reed, who had eight catches for 133 yards.
Smith also was Ellison’s leading rusher with 89 yards on 12 carries. Zayondre Crable added six catches for 103 yards, Samuel Bass caught a 28-yard score, backup quarterback Mikah Augustus tossed a touchdown. Da’Wayne Castille pocketed an interception.
Nuevo Leon 28, Shoemaker 13
The Tigres outscored the Grey Wolves 14-0 in the second half at Leo Buckley Stadium.
Shoemaker’s Cayden Logan caught a 7-yard TD pass from quarterback Reshard Hicks Jr., Syntel Fielder had a rushing TD, Tano Wooten posted a team-high 73 yards rushing, Jamon Sanders recorded two sacks and Da’Mariyon Dye’Allen and Devin Hartsfield had one interception each.
Photos of the game: www.killeenisd.org/photos
Waco University 49, Chaparral 20
The Trojans jumped out to a large first-quarter lead and held off the Bobcats at Joseph L. Searles III Stadium.
Wide receiver Tytus Hines caught one touchdown from Bryson Coleman, who also ran for a score, and running back Jamarcus Nails had a rushing TD for the Bobcats.
Photos of the game: www.killeenisd.org/photos
Liberty Hill 34, Killeen 30
The Roos’ season opener Thursday night was called off with about 6 minutes to play in the third quarter because of weather, giving the host Panthers a 34-30 win.
Before the stoppage, Jataveion Harris had touchdown runs of 58 and 11 yards, Isaiah Jones and Tavaris Miles caught TD passes from D'Angelo Ingram, and the defense recorded a safety.