Who’s got the best high school football in the country? Texas, Florida and California have each long laid stake to that claim, but it’s rare that we see good teams from those states play each other. But that’s what’s happening at Chaparral Stadium in Friday’s much anticipated 2026 season opener between the Westlake Chaparrals and the Inglewood (Calif.) Sentinels.
Westlake is one of Texas’ top programs. Inglewood is packed with FBS talent, including two defensive linemen committed to Texas A&M and Oklahoma and a defensive back who’ll play at Cal. And Chaps quarterback Patton Jones is making his first start against a defense that had seven sacks in Inglewood’s season opener last week.
But that’s not the only big game of note tonight. While the big Lake Travis vs. Dripping Springs opener was canceled, there are still a couple of high-profile matchups that we’re watching, including Weiss at Round Rock, a matchup of two of the American-Statesman’s top 10 preseason power poll teams; Cedar Park and A&M Consolidated as the Timberwolves make their Class 6A debut; and Vandegrift at San Antonio Brennan, a matchup of two teams expected to win their Class 6A districts.
We’re at three games tonight. Colby Gordon is covering the Weiss-Round Rock game at Dragon Stadium, Caleb Yum is at Westlake vs. Inglewood, watching all those college prospects at Chaparral Stadium, and Cory Mull is at Wrangler Stadium in Liberty Hill, where he’s watching the Legacy Ranch Wranglers – Central Texas’ newest high school – play their first varsity game ever at home against Manor New Tech.
Catch up on our 2026 season preview coverage, including breakdowns and team rankings from our Class 6A and Class 5A districts, our 15 top college prospects in Central Texas, our top season storyljnes and an area coaches survey where they answered knowing their responses wouldn’t be identified. What did they really have to say?
Follow here for live updates throughout the night from those games and others around Central Texas:
MORE:Our staff picks for Westlake vs Inglewood and other top Week 1 games
MORE:Our annual list of the 100 Central Texas football players to watch this season
Central Texas football: Live updates from Week 1
Another weather delay at Dragon Stadium
Colby Gordon, at Dragon Stadium for tonight’s Weiss-Round Rock opener, reports that the 7:30 p.m. delayed kickoff has now been pushed back to an 8 p.m. start (“at the earliest,” he said).
Meanwhile, up at Legacy Ranch …
An update from Cory Mulles, who’s covering the Manor New Tech game at Legacy Ranch – Central Texas’ newest high school. The Wranglers are playing their very first varsity game tonight.
From Cory:
While a short burst of wind and rain limited the full extent of a pregame tailgate, it didn’t dampen the mood. Not one bit. Hundreds swept into the school’s parking lot in light blue and navy T-shirts to enjoy pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, jalapeno poppers with bacon, and macaroni and cheese. Girls wore cowboy boots and hats as boys threw mini footballs and hung their feet off truck tailgates.
Officials opened Wrangler Stadium’s gates at 6 p.m. sharp, letting in a sea of fans. Twenty minutes before game time, the Legacy Ranch band and drill team opened with a prepared musical number.
“This is amazing,” said Ashley Arrasmith, a parent of Wranglers right guard Blake Arrasmith. “The culture, the atmosphere, the support, the community.”
And the brand new $18 million football stadium that most are seeing for the first time?
“It’s on a whole ‘nother level,” she said.
Update from Westlake’s Chaparral Stadium: It’s wet.
We got a report from Caleb Yum, who’s braving the weather day as they wait for kickoff between Westlake and Inglewood, Calif.:
“Rain has hit Chaparral Stadium and lightning is scattered throughout the area. The staff isn’t letting fans into the stands yet. This game, originally scheduled to start at 7 p.m., is in delay until the weather calms down.”
Tonight’s games around Central Texas
Weather delays aside, there are more than 20 games on tap tonight around the Austin area:
Class 6A
Inglewood (Calif.) at Westlake
Weiss at Round Rock
Vandegrift at San Antonio Brennan
McNeil at Bowie
Boerne at Westwood
A&M Consolidated at Cedar Park
San Antonio Wagner at Austin High
Akins at Lehman
Hays at San Marcos
Harker Heights at Hutto
San Antonio Taft at Del Valle
Class 5A
Bastrop at Montgomery Lake Creek
Temple at Georgetown
Leander at Pflugerville
Hendrickson at Belton
Manor New Tech at Legacy Ranch
Travis at Cedar Creek
Elgin at Manor
Class 4A/others
San Antonio Sam Houston at LBJ
Austin Achieve at Smithville
Taylor at Eastside
Canyon Lake at Wimberley
Rockdale at Giddings
Lockhart at Marble Falls
Lorena at Lago Vista
Lampasas at Gatesville
Burnet at Llano
Navarro at Jarrell
Thorndale at Burton
Thrall at Hearne
Rosebud-Lott at Florence
Louise at Granger
Westlake vs Inglewood is in a weather delay, too
The Weiss-Round Rock game at Dragon Stadium that’s in a 30-minute lightning delay isn’t the only Central Texas matchup that’s getting impacted by weather. The Westlake vs. Inglewood, Calif. game at Chaparral Stadium also has been pushed back from its original 7 p.m. kickoff time due to inclement weather.
Caleb Yum is staffing that Westlake game for us and has his own live coverage going for that one. Here’s a link.
Weiss vs Round Rock is in a lightning delay
Colby Gordon has checked in from Dragon Stadium and reports that the Weiss vs. Round Rock game is in a lightning delay.
It will be a 7:30 p.m. start now – “at the earliest,” Colby says.
The weather around Dragon, though, has been pretty calm. It’s cloudy to the south and southeast and there’s a slight breeze. The temperature is probably in the upper 80s, Colby guesses.
Around Central Texas, there’s rain but only in pockets here and there.
Anderson looked impressive in first game
The Anderson Trojans are used to opening up the high school football season on Thursday night. Just not against the Johnson Jaguars. And certainly not at Bob Shelton Stadium. Yet, thanks to UIL realignment that booted the always-good Anderson-McCallum rivalry game from an opening-night clash at House Park into an October district meeting, there were the Trojans on Thursday, opening with Johnson, expected to challenge for a playoff spot this year in District 26-6A.
It was all Anderson. Covert Darbyshire threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores in the Trojans’ 34-6 win last night. Darbyshire was sharp throughout (20 of 32 for 290 yards and four total TDs), scoring on 30- and 43-yard passes and a pair of 1-yard runs.
Here’s Colby Gordon’s story on how complete Anderson looked so early in the season.
Thursday night’s scores
Anderson 34, Johnson 6
Glenn 14, Stony Point 3
Liberty Hill 34, Killeen 30
Waco Midway 19, Rouse 0
Lake Belton 58, Vista Ridge 27
Cedar Ridge 21, East View 6
Geronimo Navarro 27, McCallum 14
Blanco 60, Crockett 15
This article originally published at Austin-area high school football Week 1 scores: Legacy Ranch debuts its $18 million stadium.
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