The Bandera Bulldogs are ready to turn the page on last year’s 10-0 regular season and begin a new campaign Friday night against a familiar Hill Country rival.
Bandera wrapped up its preseason Thursday, Aug. 20. at Bulldog Stadium, hosting the Pleasanton Eagles in its final scrimmage before opening the 2026 regular season at Fredericksburg.
The Bulldogs’ offense found the end zone three times through the air. Quarterback Dalton Parks connected with Jaymin Klein for a touchdown, while Breydan Gherman hauled in two touchdown passes from Parks.
Defensively, the Bulldogs continued to improve as the scrimmage progressed. Bandera stopped Pleasanton on several third-down attempts, demonstrating its ability to make plays in key situations and get off the field.
Following the scrimmage, Head Coach Fontenot-Amedee said the effort displayed throughout the Bulldogs’ two scrimmages has been one of the team’s biggest positives.
“The thing I am most proud of over our first two scrimmages is that our guys played hard,” Fontenot- Amedee said. “We scrimmaged two very different teams, and while there are always momentum swings in high school football, our guys didn’t waver. They played hard through the whistle. We caused several turnovers and had several big plays as well, all of which we are excited about moving forward into Week 1.”
The Pleasanton scrimmage gave the Bulldogs one final opportunity to fine-tune their execution before the games begin to count. With the preseason officially in the books, Bandera now turns its attention to Fredericksburg and its first regular-season game since the Bulldogs’ 2025 campaign ended in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
Last season, Bandera finished the regular season undefeated before its run came to an end with a 24-14 loss to Gonzales in the Bi-District Championship.
Parks and Gherman connected for a 46-yard touchdown in that game, while the Bulldogs built a 14-0 halftime lead before the Apaches rallied in the second half.
The 2025 senior class left behind a strong legacy, including five consecutive playoff appearances and three straight district titles.
Fontenot-Amedee said that group established a standard for the players who would follow.
“These seniors have set the bar extremely high for the groups to come,” he said. “As important as any win, our guys play the game the right way. They played the game with integrity and class. We never lowered our standard, and the expectations and standards will remain high because this group of seniors gave us the blueprint.”
Now, with another season beginning, the Bulldogs will travel to Fredericksburg for a matchup that marks the first meeting between the two teams in approximately a decade.
“We are ready to play,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We are excited to be playing Fredericksburg for the first time in about a decade. I know the stadium will be packed, and it’s going to be an electric atmosphere Friday night in the land of the Battlin’ Billies!
“I can’t wait to see the Bandera faithful throwing up their money signs on third down and getting their fours up at the beginning of the fourth quarter. We Are One!”
After two scrimmages and weeks of preparation, the Bulldogs are ready to begin the games that count.
Bandera will face the Fredericksburg Billies on Friday, Aug. 28, in Fredericksburg. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Game results were not available by press time.
The Bulldogs will then return home to host Hondo on Sept. 4 before traveling to Lytle on Sept. 11 and Ingram Moore on Sept. 18. Bandera opens District 13-4A Division II play Oct. 9 at Gonzales.
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