Week 1 of the football season always conjures up feelings of fresh starts and high hopes. It also marks the official return of bands playing school alma maters, echoes of fired up fans pulling for their favorite team and bright lights. It’s touchdowns, tackles, and the whole 100 yards.
The first Friday of the high school season is here, and Killeen ISD’s teams are ready to show what a year’s worth of preparation amounts to on the field.
“We are excited about kicking off the 2024 football season with this team and this senior class,” Harker Heights head coach Mark Humble said. “I believe our school, our school district and our community will be proud of our team that takes the field each Friday night when they ‘Rep the shield’ and ‘Honor Heights’ with their play week in and week out.”
Opening night, Friday, Aug. 30, features home games for Killeen and Harker Heights. Chaparral, Ellison and Shoemaker board the buses for away contests.
The Roos welcome a visit from Cedar Park Vista Ridge to Leo Buckley Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff while the Knights host Cedar Park at 7:30 p.m. in Joseph L. Searles III Stadium. A Clear Bag Procedure is in place for spectators attending any event held within a Killeen ISD athletic facility. For more on the procedure visit https://www.killeenisd.org/clearbag.
Also on the docket for Week 1: the Bobcats visit Kyle Lehman, the Eagles are on the road to face Copperas Cove and the Grey Wolves are at Round Rock. All three are slated for 7:30 p.m. starts.
A lot will unfold between Friday and the end of the regular season in November. Here’s a glance at the five KISD varsity teams set for action in 2024.
Chaparral
Coach: Tyrell McCrea, first year
Last season: 3-7; fifth in district
2023 points scored: 25.5
2023 points allowed: 32.7
2024 District: 8-5A-I
District opponents: Cedar Park, Georgetown, Georgetown East View, Lake Belton, Leander, Leander Glenn and Leander Rouse
Players to watch: QB Kylin Moses, senior; OL/DL Torrie Henry, senior; DB Justice Tuimavave, senior; OL/DL Bryan Brundidge, junior; RB/WR Kenneth Johnson, junior; DB William Ellison, senior; RB/WR Davian Arthur, junior; DL Sem Wohlgemuth, junior
Ellison
Coach: Danny Servance, fourth
Last season: 2-8; seventh
2023 points scored: 15.5
2023 points allowed: 36.5
2024 District: 10-5A-II
District opponents: Belton, Brenham, Bryan Rudder, Waco and Waco University
Players to watch: OL Aiden Uresti, senior; QB Sidney Holland, senior; DL Sema’J Howard, senior; WR Trevaris Turner-Smith, senior; WR/RB/DB Joseph Fowlkes, senior; WR/DB Prince Hall, junior; LB/RB Ja’Kiree Teal, senior; RB Trevon Jones-Lockhart, senior
Harker Heights
Coach: Mark Humble, second
Last season: 7-4; co-district champ
2023 points scored: 32.3
2023 points allowed: 28.9
2024 District: 12-6A
District opponents: Killeen, Shoemaker, Bryan, Copperas Cove, Temple, Waco Midway
Players to watch: RB Zy’riyan ‘C2’ Evans, senior; RB Kaden Butler, senior; WR Tyler ‘TJ’ Johnson, senior; WR Kai McMillan, senior; DB Brian ‘BJ’ Hood, senior; LB/TE Rocky Crooks, senior; DL Alvion Candia, senior; LB Taneel Nelson, senior
Killeen
Coach: Josh Sadler, third
Last season: 6-4; fifth
2023 points scored: 31.1
2023 points allowed: 34.3
2024 District: 12-6A
District opponents: Harker Heights, Shoemaker, Bryan, Copperas Cove, Temple, Waco Midway
Players to watch: WR Timothy Boatner, senior; RB Kardae Hicks, senior; LB/RB Shadrach Gordon, junior; DL Kelton Adair, senior; LB Vincent Moody, sophomore; DB Jadan Montgomery, senior; OL Jonah Tauillili, senior; WR Raymond Howard, senior
Shoemaker
Coach: Toby Foreman, eighth
Last season: 7-4; fourth
2023 points scored: 39.9
2023 points allowed: 18.2
2024 District: 12-6A
District opponents: Harker Heights, Killeen, Bryan, Copperas Cove, Temple, Waco Midway
Players to watch: DL Travonne Woodley, senior; RB Johnathan Pompey, senior; WR Lamont Reed, senior; WR Maurice Starr, senior; TE Isaiah Butler-Tanner, senior; QB Malachi Jerome, senior; OL Xavier Watkins, senior; RB Brandon Brown
KISD teams hope to build off the 2023 season when they combined to go 25-27, delivered a pair of playoff qualifiers in Harker Heights, which defended its 12-6A crown, and Shoemaker, and produced 23 first-team all-district selections.
They’ll aim to do so in spite of a few changes in the league landscape.
After the UIL released its biennial realignment and reclassification in February, it might be a good time to recap which league each school is in for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons.
Harker Heights has some Killeen ISD company in Class 6A this season with Killeen High and Shoemaker moving up from 5A. Chaparral, in its third year as a program, went from 5A Division II to 5A Division I. Ellison moved the other direction and dropped from 5A-DI to 5A-DII. Classification is based on school enrollment.
The Knights, Kangaroos and Grey Wolves are in District 12-6A with familiar foes Temple, Waco Midway, Bryan and Copperas Cove.
The Bobcats, with new head coach Tyrell McCrea steering the ship, are in District 8-5A-I with Cedar Park, Georgetown, Georgetown East View, Lake Belton, Leander, Leander Glenn and Leander Rouse.
“We are looking to bring a different atmosphere to the field this season. We want to play fast on both sides of the ball and spread the field both vertically and horizontally,” McCrea said of his Bobcats. “We want to be the toughest and most disciplined team on the field. Class is our culture, and we plan to play with it and represent ‘the C’ well. The team has bought in and the trust is growing daily. We plan to change the perception of Chaparral one day, one moment, one step at a time.”
The Eagles will navigate District 10-5A-II against Belton, Brenham, Bryan Rudder, Waco and Waco University.
There are two all-KISD matchups during the non-district portion of the schedule. After Killeen’s thrilling, 34-28 double-overtime victory last season over rival Ellison, the two schools square off in Week 2 with the Roos designated as the visitors at Leo Buckley Stadium on Sept. 6.
The Eagles also have a date set with their neighbor Shoemaker at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Crusader Stadium.
There is one Saturday contest this season as Ellison travels to Shotwell Stadium in Abilene on Sept. 28 for a neutral-site encounter with Odessa High to wrap up non-district.
“I’m looking forward to watching our players reap the rewards of all their hard work,” Ellison head coach Danny Servance said. “All I ever want is for them to reach their full potential.”
District 12-6A kicks off Thursday, Sept. 26, when the Grey Wolves host Temple. Chaparral begins its 8-5A-I journey Sept. 27 at home against Cedar Park, and Ellison opens 10-5A-II on Oct. 10 by hosting Belton.
Killeen ISD teams collide on a few occasions during 12-6A action. The Roos and Knights play each other Oct. 4, and, six days later on Oct. 10, Killeen and Shoemaker line up across from one another. The Grey Wolves and Knights go toe to toe Nov. 1.
“I’m impressed with how we are progressing,” Killeen High head coach Josh Sadler said. “We’ve been working hard all summer long. I’m pleased to see what our offseason has produced. We’re going to make mistakes, and that’s OK. But we will make sure that we will fix them and get better each and every day.”
The Knights enter as the two-time defending 12-6A champions and have qualified for the playoffs five straight seasons. The Grey Wolves have a two-year playoff streak in tow, and can make it five postseason berths in the last six seasons by finishing in the top four this year.
Killeen High (2016) coming off a six-win season –– the most since 2012 –– and Ellison (2017) have sights set on ending playoff droughts, while the Bobcats can make history in Year 3 by qualifying.
“I think this is going to be an exciting team. We have a great combination of new and old faces,” Shoemaker head coach Toby Foreman said. “The bulk of this coaching staff has been together for a handful of years, and there are high expectations.”
Check out https://www.killeenisd.org/football for schedules, stadiums, tickets, special events, live stream links and more, and follow X.com/KilleenISD_ and Facebook.com/KISDSports all season long.
