By Michael Adams
madams@austinsportsjournal.com
The 2024 Texas High School football season got underway on Monday as teams that didn’t participate in spring practice had their first workouts of the season early in the morning.
Most Austin area teams began practice at 6 a.m. this morning, whole a few others waited until the afternoon or evening.
Out at Marble Falls, first-year head coach Keri Timmerman scheduled the first practice for midnight at a community event at Mustang Stadium
The Anderson Trojans and LBJ Jaguars began their seasons as part of a new classification.
Anderson (4-6 in 2023) will be in Class 5A-Division I after spending the past two seasons in District 26-6A with state heavyweights Westlake, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs.
“The energy has been a lot different this year,” said Anderson head coach Donald Thatcher, who enters his third season with the Trojans. “We have 24 days until the Taco Shack Bowl, these guys have been waiting for that all summer.”
Wide receiver Ed Small, one of the Austin area’s top players, said he couldn’t sleep.
“It’s just great being out here,” Small said. “I got up at 5 a.m., so yeah, I’m really excited. I think everyone else is, too. No one was late today.”
On the east part of town, LBJ began its season in Class 4A-Division I, dropping down from Class 5A-Division II. Head coach Joseph Rauls
ill return to Class 4A where the Jaguars reached the state championship game in 2021. LBJ head coach Joe Rauls and quarterback Ali Scott both said there’s a new level of excitement and hope, and they think LBJ has everything in place for that level of success once again.
“Without a doubt,” Scott said. “Everyone out here, everyone on this team wants to win. We’re all going for one goal. We’re all love to play football with each other, we all have the same personality, and we all have one goal – to win.”
Third-year Pflugerville head coach Charles Taylor sees the new season with an abundance of opportunity at success for the Panthers.
Pflugerville (3-8) put together some late season momentum he hopes will carry over into this season. The Panthers won three of their last four games to make the playoffs. In that stretch, Pflugerville upset Waco University and Rouse, and beat rival Connally in overtime on a defensive touchdown.
“We were really young last year, but we got it going and got into the playoffs,” Taylor said. “We have high hopes for this team this season.”
The Panthers should be one of the top teams in the newly aligned District 11-5A-II, which includes Elgin, Bastrop, Connally, Liberty Hill, Navarro, Crockett and McCallum.
Teams will practice in helmets only through Friday. Teams practicing this week can start working out in full pads on Saturday, and will play their first scrimmages next weekend.
Area teams that held spring workouts begin practice on Monday, Aug. 12.
Important dates
Aug. 10: The first day for full pads for 4A-1A schools, and 6A and 5A teams without spring training.
Aug. 12: The first day of practice for 6A and 5A teams with spring training
Aug. 15: First scrimages can be played
Aug. 17: First day for full pads for 6A and 5A teams with spring training
Aug. 22: Second/first scrimmages can be played
Aug. 29: First day of games