With the start of another high school football season looming, BrownwoodNews.com will again be covering 18 local squads throughout the 2026 season. Along with attending all Brownwood Lions football games and scrimmages, and providing weekly previews, game stories, and season stats, BrownwoodNews.com will also have weekly game stories and previews for the Early Longhorns and Bangs Dragons. Weekly previews, wrap-ups and season standings for May, Zephyr, Blanket, Brookesmith, Comanche, Coleman, San Saba, Goldthwaite, Cross Plains, Santa Anna, Panther Creek, Richland Springs, Rising Star, Sidney and Mullin will also be part of the coverage. Returning for the second year in a row will be the Pigskin Picks Panel, as 14 local residents make their best guesses at 40 high school, college and pro football games per week, with a winner to be crowned at the end of the Lions’ 2026 campaign. Season previews for each of the 18 teams in the BrownwoodNews.com coverage will run on the following dates:Thursday, Aug. 13 – ComancheFriday, Aug. 14 – Rising Star / SidneySaturday, Aug. 15 – Richland Springs / MullinSunday, Aug. 16 – Panther Creek / Santa AnnaMonday, Aug. 17 – Goldthwaite / Cross PlainsTuesday, Aug. 18 – San Saba / ColemanWednesday, Aug. 19 – May / BrookesmithThursday, Aug. 20 – Blanket / ZephyrFriday, Aug. 21 – BangsSaturday, Aug. 22 – EarlySunday, Aug. 23 – BrownwoodHigh school football practices for teams around the state begins this Monday, Aug. 3.