Tonight the varsity football team plays in its season opener against Anderson. The team is coming off a 7-4 record last season and a major turnaround of players due to a large amount of last year’s team graduating. Of the returning is senior quarterback Luke Dunham who will be carrying his experience from last season into this year’s new district alignments.
“We were super excited when we saw the new district had better competition,” Dunham said. “It pushed us in the offseason to work harder because we know it will be more difficult to win district games this year.”
Dunham wanted to focus this season on being a leader because of his veteran status on the team as a senior. He also thinks that as a team they were centered on focus and execution.
“Everyone had the same goals so we all came together to push the whole team forward,” Dunham said.
He believes the team can improve because of the players’ close relationships and ability to have fun with each other outside of the game, which translates to having fun and playing cohesively on the field.
“We have a lot of explosive players that can make a big play at any time,” Dunham said. “Opposing teams have to respect our passing game this year more than in the past which opens up more options.”
TONIGHT vs. Anderson Trojans
The Knights’ first game of the season is the Taco Shack Bowl against rival team Anderson. McCallum lost 42-0 last season but hopes for a bounce back this time around. Some key players for the Trojans are senior wide receivers Ed Small and Zayden Sharp who rushed for 1,164 and 328 yards, respectively, last season. The Trojans are coming off of a losing season last year after spending two years as a 6A school but have now dropped back to 5A.
SEPT. 6 vs. Travis Rebels
Last season, the Knights beat the Rebels 35-24 in their annual Battle of the Bell. Although Travis has dropped down to 4A this season the teams are still going to face each other. Some key players to watch for Travis are senior quarterback Jordan Davis who had 17 rushing touchdowns last season and senior running back Frank McChriston who rushed for 1,175 last season. The Rebels are coming off their first winning season since 2013, led by head coach Joe Frank Martinez.
SEPT. 13 vs. Dallas Pinkston Vikings
Due to a hole in McCallum’s schedule, they are playing Dallas Pinkston on the road in their last non-district game. Some key players for the Vikings are senior running back Tawnerien Williams who had seven rushing touchdowns last year and junior defensive lineman Jayden Kimble. Although the Vikings missed out on the playoffs last season, a strong offensive line could pose a problem for the Knights this season.
SEPT. 20 vs. Elgin Wildcats
The Knights will take on the Wildcats in their first district game of the season. Some key players for Elgin are senior defensive end Tanner Magnuson who had 38 tackles and three sacks last season and junior defensive lineman Jeffery Love who had 35 tackles last season. The Wildcats have a seasoned offensive and defensive line that will be a strength to their season.
SEPT. 27 vs Bastrop Bears
The Knights will play at Bastrop for their first away district game of the season, with the Bears as a new district opponent. Some key players for the Bears are sophomore quarterback Weston Nielson who had 13 passing touchdowns last season and senior defensive lineman Tiki Hola who had 77 tackles and 4 interceptions. Bastrop has 10 starters returning this season and other important players returning from injuries.
OCT. 10 vs. Pflugerville Panthers
McCallum will face the Panthers who are another new addition to the Knights’ district. Some key players for Pflugerville are senior quarterback Cole Taylor who had 2381 passing yards last season and senior running back Rhyder Miller who rushed for 1,124 yards last season. The Panthers hope to make the playoffs for the first time in recent years and their head coach, former McCallum head coach Charles Taylor, believes that the team is strong enough to do just that.
OCT. 18 vs. Connally Cougars
The Knights lost 56-42 in a non-district matchup against the Cougars last season and are getting a chance for revenge this season in district. Some key players for Connally are senior defensive lineman Jaydus Bell who had 80 tackles last season and senior defensive back Cameron Anderson who had 57 tackles last season. Connally is coming off a 3-7 season with only one district win but has a large amount of returning players to help this season.
OCT. 25 vs. Liberty Hill Panthers
In McCallum’s last game against Liberty Hill in 2021 they were defeated 46-16. Some key players for the Panthers are senior linebacker Garrett Lindgren who had 105 tackles last season and senior running back Jack Pitchford who had 500 rushing yards last season. In the last three seasons, the Panthers have reached at least the state semifinals and hope to have a repeat of their deep playoff run this season.
OCT. 31 vs. Navarro Vikings
The Knights took down the Vikings 38-0 last season in a shutout game. Some key players for Navarro are senior defensive end Trae’von Washington who had 25 tackles last season and senior wide receiver Irabel Avila. The Vikings will struggle with being on the lower end of the 5A class after having only two wins last season and suffering six games with less than 10 points.
NOV. 8 vs. Crockett Cougars
Last year McCallum won 37-22 over Crockett giving the Cougars their first district loss of the 2023-24 season. Some key players for the Cougars are senior defensive end Caleb Dickey who had 146 tackles last season and senior wide receiver Jamari Wilson who had 1183 passing yards last season. Last year Crockett had their second playoff win ever but with the lead of now-graduated quarterback Cameron Dickey.
