MIDLOTHIAN, Texas β The 2022 high school football season is upon us, which means it's time for Friday Night Football once again, on all of WFAA's digital platforms.
This year, the season opens up with a defending state champion. The top-ranked Stephenville Yellow Jackets are fresh off a 4A-Division I state championship in 2021, and begin their quest for a repeat title on Friday night, as they visit Midlothian Heritage.
Stephenville brings one of the top quarterbacks in the state of Texas, in senior signal-caller Ryder Lambert. He'll lead the charge for a Yellow Jackets offense that averaged better than 40 points per game in 2021.
"It's huge to bring back your starting quarterback, especially off of the year he had," Stephenville head coach Sterling Doty said. "But he knows he's only as good as the guys around him."
Lambert threw for 52 touchdown passes in 2021, but 31 of those touchdowns were to Coy Eakin. Eakin has since graduated, and is beginning his career at Texas Tech. So Lambert needs to break in a new favorite receiver. Or two.
"It's a big task, but they grew up playing Stephenville football, and throwing and catching in the backyard, and doing 7-on-7, those types of things," Doty said. "They're ready for their opportunity. And Ryder's done a really good job of leading them, and bringing them along."
Meanwhile, Midlothian Heritage makes the jump this season from 4A-Division I to 5A-Division II. So the challenge laid before the Jaguars is more substantial than in the first few years of their immensely successful program.
Fortunately for the Jaguars, virtually every player who made a significant statistical impact on the offense in 2021 is back for this fall.
"Having those guys return was huge," Heritage head coach Eric Edwards said. "And from the get-go, [I've just been] just telling the seniors 'this is yours. How this season is goes is [based on] how you lead, and how you do, every day, day-in and day-out.'"
Those seniors, in particular starting quarterback Kaden Brown, are prepared. Especially for Stephenville, who they've played each of the last four years, with the Yellow Jackets winning in 2021, 38-27.
"They came to our house last year and beat us," Brown said. "So... we're ready for them."
To watch the game, go to the WFAA YouTube channel. Or watch here on WFAA.com, via the WFAA app on your smart phone, or on the WFAA+ app on your television, via Roku or AmazonFireTV.
WFAA's Mike Leslie and Hek'ma Harrison will be on the call.
