Coach Cory Campbell with Holden Layne, Conrad Ince, Mason Busch, Chris Theriot, Franklon Evans Jr, Mason Spangler, John Cothern and Israel Samuel. Photo by Jeffrey Huebner.
Lake Highlands Exchange Club members kicked off the year with their annual Wildcat Football Preview Thursday night at Back Country BBQ. Head coach Cory Campbell brought along his coaching staff and newly elected team captains to discuss prospects for the coming season.
“Last year, we graduated 44 seniors — the most in school history — and a lot of pieces fell off,” Campbell said. “You’ve seen (that movie) Friday Night Lights where all the magnets fall off that board? Well, that’s what it looked like in January in our office.”
Campbell and his crew used spring practice sessions to evaluate incoming talent and move the chess pieces around.
“We video from five different angles,” he said. “We’ve got multiple different drones going — all different stuff — and the coaching staff comes back in and watches video and says, ‘Okay, we think we’re here.’”
The Wildcat football program is in growth mode, with more than 400 kids participating in summer camps and a record 106 freshman on the current roster.
“Our community is growing. You guys live here and see these houses being scraped and rebuilt, and new families are coming in,” Campbell said. “That’s just because this place is so awesome.”
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football will honor Lake Highlands with two awards in the coming weeks — one recognizing the Wildcat linebacking unit as one of the top five in 6A, and one for Mason Busch as one of five Unsung Heroes in the state of Texas. During his sophomore year, Busch started at tackle, but he tore his ACL in the final series of the game against Forney. He missed the entire season, but he worked hours through pain to rehab and recover. The next year, playing against Forney again, he tore his ACL once more.
“Mason didn’t say, ‘Oh, poor pitiful me,’ He just went back to work. And Dave Campbell’s is going to come to Lake Highlands, which is super impressive.”
When season play begins, Lake Highlands will see some new brand-new foes and some who aren’t new at all. During February realignment, District 7-6A lost the Irving schools and added Plano ISD and Coppell High. The last time LHHS competed in district with Plano schools was 2019.
“We were standing there at UIL realignment in Birdville, and the ball drops,” Campbell recalled. “We weren’t surprised by (the addition of) the Plano schools, but we were surprised by the kicker. They like to keep Jesuit moving around, because Jesuit doesn’t have women’s sports, and that week is always a bye week for your women’s teams. So, the kicker was that we lost Jesuit and gained Coppell.”
LHHS’ nondistrict schedule will also include Forney, which won three playoff games last year, Wylie and Mansfield Lake Ridge.
With the substitution of opponents like Coppell, Plano West, Plano East and Plano High for weaker teams from Irving in 7-6A, the Wildcats could be better prepared when playoffs roll around. Earning a spot in the playoffs, though, could be tougher. For now, Campbell is focused on the players and the games he has in front of him.
“We want to be where our feet are,” he said. “If we start worrying about November right now, then today is not the best it could be. Our motto is WIN: What’s Important Now. We want to try and stack days on days on days to do that. All that is is a bunch of little things that are going to equal something big.”
ECLH President Ken Riney with Charlie Allen, Garner Reese, Charlie Mars and Luke Woodard. Photo by Carol Toler.
The Exchange Club presented honorary megaphones to Bell Boys Charlie Allen, Garner Reese, Charlie Mars and Luke Woodard. The Bell Boys traditionally ring the bell and run the flags to celebrate each Wildcat score.
The football schedule is below. You may purchase tickets here.
