The 2026-27 high school football season is around the corner, and several teams across the Wichita Falls area enter the fall with real reasons to believe they can make a run deep into December.
Some bring back experienced All-State quarterbacks, while others return large chunks of playoff-tested rosters. A few have already proven they know what it takes to win on the biggest stage.
We’ll spend the coming weeks breaking down the teams, players and storylines that could shape the season, but before the first games are played, we want to hear from you.
Which Wichita Falls-area team has the best chance to win a state championship in 2026?
We narrowed the field to 10 programs with some of the strongest cases entering the season. Take a look at what each team brings back, and cast your vote for the program you think is most likely to cap the season with a state title.
Benjamin
Benjamin has gone 64-6 over the past six seasons and is not far removed from back-to-back Class 1A Division II state championships in 2022 and 2023. The Mustangs finished 10-1 last season and enter 2026 ranked No. 3 in Division II, giving them both the recent track record and preseason expectations of a legitimate championship contender.
Brock
Brock went 14-1 last season and has won at least 11 games in each of the past six years, but this year’s roster gives the Eagles more than pedigree. Quarterback Holt Frazier returns after throwing for 3,445 yards and 50 touchdowns, while linebacker Hayden Waller had 104 tackles and eight tackles for loss as the District Defensive Player of the Year.
Graham
Graham reached the third round last season despite returning only four starters. This year, 10 offensive starters are back. The Steers also won the Division II state 7-on-7 championship this summer behind quarterback Cooper Corley and receiver Brodie Martin, while an offensive line featuring five returning starters gives that passing attack plenty of protection.
Gunter
Few teams on this list have a stronger championship résumé than Gunter, which has won three state titles and gone 86-7 over the past six seasons. The Tigers move into Class 3A Division I ranked No. 2 in the state, and return seven starters on each side of the ball as well as quarterback Knox Gage.
Holliday
Holliday slipped to 7-5 last season after injuries derailed a team accustomed to double-digit victories. But the Eagles’ young talent is significant: their JV squad went 9-1 last fall, their incoming freshman class hasn’t lost a game in two years, and injured playmakers Landon Jones and Brayden Hamill are returning. Just as important, Gunter and defending regional champion Wall have moved out of Class 3A Division II, opening a postseason path that has repeatedly hindered Holliday in recent years.
Jacksboro
Jacksboro won its district last season and returns eight starters on both offense and defense, giving the Tigers proven experience in Class 3A Division II. Dave Campbell’s projects Jacksboro to win a district that includes Henrietta, Holliday and City View and advance all the way to the Region I championship game.
Muenster
No recent evidence is stronger than two straight state championships. Muenster went 14-2 in both 2024 and 2025 and has won its last two Class 2A Division II titles, although the Hornets now move up to Division I and must replace star quarterback Casen Carney. Even with that loss, running back Dustyn Croft, receiver Maverick Bayer and several defensive standouts return for a program whose coach, Brady Carney, owns a 47-13 career playoff record with three state championships.
Newcastle
Newcastle has steadily established itself as one of the area’s strongest six-man programs, going 8-3 last season after posting ten wins in 2023 and seven in 2024. The Bobcats finished the 2025 regular season ranked No. 9 in Class 1A Division I and return in 2026 with a program that has now reached the playoffs consistently enough to make a run come December.
Paradise
Paradise has won exactly 12 games in each of the past three seasons. It won Region I in 2024 and returned to the regional championship game last fall. This year’s team brings back 13 starters and 25 lettermen, including three-year starting quarterback Ayden Olalde, who threw for 3,050 yards and accounted for 40 touchdowns last season. Ranked No. 3 in Class 3A Division I, the Panthers are also Dave Campbell’s preseason pick to win Region I.
Windthorst
Windthorst’s championship case starts with one of Class 2A’s most productive players. Three-time All-State quarterback Brock Belcher threw for 3,491 yards and 55 touchdowns against only three interceptions last season while adding 850 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He tacked on 53 tackles and four interceptions on defense as well. The Trojans return seven starters on both sides from a 9-3 team and enter 2026 ranked No. 7 in Class 2A Division II, giving an already dangerous program an experienced senior quarterback capable of making a deep playoff run.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Which Wichita Falls-area football team is most likely to win a State title in 2026?
Reporting by Andy Mathis, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andy Mathis, Wichita Falls Times Record News | USA TODAY Network
