The Meadow Broncos enter the 2026 football season with high expectations and a sense of unfinished business after seeing a promising 2025 season derailed by injuries.
Last season, Meadow was rolling through its non-district schedule before the injury bug hit hard. In Week 6 against Lorenzo, three starters got hurt, and two of those injuries ended their seasons. Meadow still picked up the win over Lorenzo and improved to 6-0, but the timing could not have been much worse. District play was about to begin, and the Broncos’ bye week did not arrive until Week 11.
Nobody can say for certain that Meadow would have won any of its district games with a completely healthy roster, but things certainly could have looked different. The Broncos went 0-4 in district play and missed the postseason. Still, Meadow finished 6-4 overall, giving the Broncos the best football record in Terry County, even though they had to roll out the basketballs much sooner than they had hoped.
Now, head coach Blake Jackson enters his second season at the helm, and the goal is clear: compete for a district championship and play meaningful football deep into November. The latest UIL realignment could help open that door. Meadow dropped into Class 1A Division II while several Region I powers moved into Division I, including defending state champion Jayton, state semifinalist Klondike, area-round playoff team Sands and former District 3-1A Division II champion Whitharral.
That does not mean the Division II road will be easy.
Region I still includes Motley County, one of the state’s most consistent six-man programs. Motley County has suffered only one losing season in the past two decades, has won a state championship, reached the state championship game twice, and made several other semifinal appearances. Valley also dropped into Division II and has traditionally been a formidable opponent, while Panhandle programs such as Follett and Miami can always make noise when playoff time arrives.
Before Meadow can worry about November, however, the Broncos face a challenging regular-season schedule.
Meadow opens the season on the road against Lorenzo on Thursday, August 27th. The Broncos have handled the Hornets convincingly over the past two seasons, but season openers can often be unpredictable. Lorenzo will also have the opportunity to defend its home field against a Meadow squad expected to enter the season with plenty of confidence.
In Week 2, Meadow travels northeast again, this time to take on Petersburg on September 4. The Broncos have not defeated the Buffaloes since 2017. Meadow and Petersburg met during both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with Petersburg taking both contests.
The Broncos finally return home in Week 3 when they host Amherst. It has been more than two decades since the two programs last met. Their previous meetings came during district play in 2004 and 2005, with Meadow coming away with victories.
Week 4 sends the Broncos to Hart to battle the Longhorns. Meadow and Hart have not faced each other since the 2019 season, when the Broncos earned the win.
Like Meadow and Wellman-Union, Hart dropped into Division II during the latest realignment. The Longhorns narrowly missed the postseason last year despite finishing 8-2 overall, with both losses coming during district play. Hart is expected to be one of the top teams in District 3-1A Division II this season, making the matchup an important test for Meadow.
The Broncos then begin a three-game homestand on September 25 against Ira.
Ira finished 8-3 last season before being eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs. It has been 33 years since Ira and Meadow last met on the football field. They last met on October 1, 1993, when Meadow rolled to a 52-6 victory.
The next week, the Broncos host Christ the King. The Golden Lions are coming off an impressive 10-1 season in which they advanced two rounds deep into the TAPPS playoffs. It will give Meadow another strong opponent before district play begins.
The third consecutive home game will also serve as Meadow’s district opener when the Broncos host Southland.
The Eagles have not posted a winning season since 2015, when they made a deep postseason run before falling to Follett 58-42. Follett eventually finished as the state runner-up that season. Meadow and Southland have not played since 2009, when the Broncos earned a convincing 53-8 victory.
After Southland, Meadow travels to Loop for another district matchup.
The Broncos and Longhorns have grown familiar over the past two seasons. Before 2024, the two programs had not shared a district since 1999. When they finally met again in 2024, Loop handed Meadow a 51-6 mercy-rule loss.
Meadow answered in a big way last season, defeating Loop 52-30 and avenging the previous year’s loss. Loop could be one of the sleeper teams in District 4-1A Division II, making this another game that could significantly affect the district standings.
The Broncos will then receive a much-needed bye week before hosting cross-county rival Wellman-Union.
Although both programs are located inside Terry County, the Broncos and Wildcats have met only 34 times (combined before and after consolidation). Meadow leads the overall series, and the rivalry has become much more consistent in recent years.
For the past eight seasons, Meadow and Wellman-Union have met in district play, with the Broncos holding a 5-3 advantage during that stretch. Depending on how the season unfolds, this year’s matchup could very well determine the district championship.
Meadow closes district play on the road against Dawson in Welch.
The Dragons went through several seasons with virtually no football program from 2018 through 2024 before returning to the field last season. Dawson finished 3-7 in its first year back, but that record should not be taken lightly. Rebuilding a program after several years away is no easy task, and the Dragons showed progress during their return season.
One of the biggest reasons for optimism in Meadow is experience.
The Broncos return every starter from last season’s offense and four of their six starters on defense. That gives Jackson an experienced roster that already understands the system and knows what it takes to compete.
Possible senior standouts include Brayson Parker, Pancho Arita, Isaac Estrada and Marty Garcia. The junior class features EJ Piedra, Cody Clanton and Esteban Estrada, while sophomore Lucas Vazquez is another player expected to contribute.
Incoming freshman Steven Gonzalez could also make an immediate impact. At 6-foot-1 and approximately 215 pounds, Gonzalez brings additional size to an already experienced roster.
Jackson believes the combination of experience, size and quickness gives Meadow an opportunity to do something special.
“We’re returning all starters from our offense and four of six from defense,” Jackson said. “Incoming freshman Steven Gonzalez will help us with his size. He’s 6-foot-1, 215 pounds.”
The expectations inside the program are high.
“I expect us to compete for a district championship and have a shot to win some games in November,” Jackson said. “Our strength is our experience mixed with size and quickness from our smaller guys to complement it.”
Last season’s frustrating finish has also provided plenty of motivation throughout the offseason.
“Not finishing healthy last year has this group hungry to continue where they left off from last season,” Jackson said. “We’re excited to get going.”
The Broncos showed last year they can put together a strong regular season. This time around, they hope experience, better health, and a favorable realignment will let them finish what they started.
For Meadow, the goal is no longer simply putting together a winning season. The Broncos want a district championship, a return to the playoffs and the opportunity to still be playing when November arrives.
2026 Meadow Bronco Varsity Football Roster
2026 Meadow Bronco Varsity Football Schedule
