The varsity football team plays Chaparral High School tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Badger Stadium.
“We will prepare the same way this week as we do every week,” head football coach Troy Rogers said. “We focus on our opponents on Monday and then the rest of the week it is about us.”
The team has played two games this season so far, the latest against Salado with a winning score of 43-12 and the first against Fredericksburg with a winning score of 52-14.
“We have gotten off to a good start this season,” Rogers said. “Every week the goal is to be 1-0 and continue to take the next step as a team. I feel like we have done that these first two weeks. We have a long way to go, but our progress over the first two weeks is good.”
The home game’s student section theme Sept. 5 was neon and tonight’s theme is wild west. Senior Jmesen VanLiew plays safety for the team and said the community’s support is incredible.
“It’s more than people may think, going out there on Friday night it’s not just parents and fans of football,” VanLiew said. “It’s also kids who want to be like us, it’s people who work the food and security taking the time out of their day to make an enjoyable environment for our fans, and obviously the fans are incredibly supportive and passionate.”
Preparation for this season began in December of 2024. The team practices multiple times a week both during the school day and at after school practices.
“Our players have spent a great amount of time in the weight room getting more explosive, stronger and confident,” Rogers said. “Our weekly practice schedules involve a lot of time and commitment to ensure that we are putting the most prepared product on the field and we can represent Lampasas well, play fast, physical and fearless.”
VanLiew said that football is time-consuming and takes commitment but it is not impossible to balance and is worth it.
“I never have any regrets about choosing to play my last year of high school,” VanLiew said. “The best part is being with my family, my teammates, who are always supporting me and hyping me up, and I’d do the same for them 10/10 times. There’s no better feeling than winning and seeing them succeed.”
