No. 1 Stephenville, No. 10 Jarrell Set for Showdown of Unbeatens

Seven state championship appearances. Seven victories on the state's biggest stage. Twenty-three consecutive wins.

Stephenville's place among Texas high school football's most accomplished programs has been secured for decades. Jarrell, meanwhile, is determined to build a legacy of its own.

Friday night, the defending state champion Yellow Jackets (7–0, 2–0) travel to face the unbeaten Cougars (7–0, 2–0) in a District 12-4A Division I matchup with major implications for the district championship.

Stephenville enters at No. 1 in Dave Campbell's Texas Football rankings, while Jarrell makes its first appearance in this season's Top 10 at No. 10.

Seven State Titles

Stephenville's championship tradition stretches back more than three decades.

The Yellow Jackets captured consecutive state titles in 1993 and 1994 before adding two more in 1998 and 1999. Championships followed in 2012 and 2021, with the program claiming its seventh crown last December.

That latest title came in a defensive battle against Kilgore, as Stephenville prevailed 10–0 in the lowest-scoring UIL state championship game since 1991.

The victory completed a perfect 16–0 season and delivered head coach Sterling Doty his second championship at Stephenville.

The Yellow Jackets have carried that momentum into 2026, maintaining their position atop the Class 4A Division I rankings.

A Familiar Face, a Different Sideline

Jarrell head coach and athletic director Alan Haire knows Stephenville's football tradition from experience.

He served as Stephenville ISD's athletic director during the 2015–16 school year before leaving to become the head football coach at Salado. After later coaching at Killeen Chaparral, he took over Jarrell's program in June 2024.

Haire inherited a team coming off a 3–8 season. In his first year, the Cougars improved to 6–4, then took another significant step forward in 2025, finishing 9–3.

That nine-win campaign included a 66–28 bi-district playoff victory over Devine before Jarrell's season ended with a 52–21 loss to Sinton in the area round.

Now in his third season, Haire has guided Jarrell to a 7–0 start and a chance to challenge for the district championship against the school district he once helped lead.

Built to Run

While Stephenville has become one of the state's most dangerous passing teams, Jarrell has found success with a vastly different approach.

The Cougars operate a Slot-T offense built around deception, physical blocking and a rotating cast of playmakers capable of attacking defenses from multiple positions.

Senior quarterback Jamari Livsey directs the offense, using backfield movement and a balanced rushing attack to keep opponents guessing. Livsey recently announced his first Division I scholarship offer from Hampton University.

Sophomore tailback Brayden Henderson has emerged as one of the program's most promising young players. After rushing for 815 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman in 2025, Henderson has attracted Division I scholarship offers from programs including Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Wisconsin and USC.

Henderson is joined by junior running back Joseph Travis and senior slotback Maurice "Riece" Tolden, giving Jarrell several options in its backfield.

Last Friday against Lampasas, that versatility was on full display.

Travis rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns, Henderson added 157 yards and a score, and Tolden contributed 106 yards and a touchdown on just three carries.

Together, the trio accounted for 502 rushing yards and five touchdowns in Jarrell's 41–23 victory.

The Cougars' offensive approach extends beyond running between the tackles. Henderson has also been utilized in the passing game, while junior Adonis Brown provides another receiving threat. Senior offensive lineman Andy Muco helps anchor Jarrell's physical front.

Through seven games, Jarrell is averaging 42.6 points while allowing just 15.9.

The Cougars have demonstrated an ability to win in different ways, including a 32–13 victory over Class 6A Austin High in September. They have also overwhelmed opponents in victories over Eastside Early College and Marble Falls while surviving close contests against Midland Christian and Madisonville.

Through the Air

Where Jarrell relies on misdirection and its ground game, Stephenville has built its offensive success around an explosive passing attack.

Senior quarterback Trot Jordan, who committed over the summer to NCAA Division II Henderson State University in Arkansas, has been at the center of that success.

Through seven games, Jordan has thrown for 1,926 yards and 22 touchdowns, completing more than 70 percent of his passes.

His primary target has been dynamic sophomore receiver Caden Monk, who has already drawn Division I scholarship offers from Texas Tech and Baylor. Monk has recorded 54 receptions for 940 yards and nine touchdowns this season, averaging 17.4 yards per catch.

But Stephenville's offense extends well beyond one quarterback-receiver combination.

In last week's 55–21 victory over China Spring, Jordan completed 19 of 23 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns. Monk caught eight passes for 136 yards and two scores, while Austin Jergins added two touchdown receptions.

Pecos Tally contributed 98 receiving yards, and Jhett Banuelos added another 80 as the Yellow Jackets totaled 439 passing yards.

The Yellow Jackets are averaging 41 points per game, and their ability to distribute the football across multiple receiving threats has made them difficult to contain.

When Opposites Collide

Friday's matchup presents a contrast between two offenses producing nearly identical scoring numbers through entirely different methods.

Stephenville thrives on explosive passing plays and the ability to score quickly. Jarrell's Slot-T attack emphasizes the running game, deception and sustained possessions.

The Cougars' ability to control the clock could become particularly important against a Stephenville offense capable of scoring from almost anywhere on the field.

Yet the Yellow Jackets have developed a defensive trend that could complicate Jarrell's plans.

Through seven games, Stephenville has allowed an average of just five points per second half. Last week, the Yellow Jackets shut out China Spring after halftime, turning a 35–21 advantage into a convincing 55–21 victory.

Jarrell's rushing attack will test that defensive discipline, while Stephenville's passing game will challenge a Cougar defense allowing fewer than 16 points per contest.

Both teams have defeated Lampasas in district play. Stephenville won 35–14 on October 9, while Jarrell followed with a 41–23 victory last Friday.

Now, the district's two remaining unbeaten teams meet with sole possession of first place awaiting the winner.

A Legacy to Defend, a Statement to Make

Stephenville arrives with the weight of championship expectations and a winning streak that has stretched across two seasons. Jarrell has transformed itself from a three-win program into a Top 10 contender under Haire.

For the Yellow Jackets, Friday is an opportunity to maintain their place atop Class 4A Division I. For the Cougars, it's a chance to prove their rise belongs in the same conversation as the state's established powers.

One team has already established its place in history.

The other is determined to earn its own.