HUTTO – The Hutto Hippos varsity football team will once again enter the season under new leadership as firstyear head coach Casey Walraven looks to establish his culture and identity with a program coming off a co-district championship under former head coach Eli Reinhart.
Hutto recently released its 2026 schedule, which features a challenging non-district slate along with an entirely new district lineup that should test the Hippos early and often. Despite the coaching transition, expectations remain high for a program that has become one of the area’s top contenders in recent years.
The Hippos will waste no time facing elite competition as they open the season at home against Harker Heights on Aug. 28. The Knights are coming off an impressive 9-3 season and finished undefeated in district play with a 6-0 record in 2025. Harker Heights also made a deep playoff push, giving Hutto an immediate measuringstick matchup to begin the year.
Hutto will then face a familiar opponent in Converse Judson on Sept. 5 at Judson High School. The rivalry has produced close contests over the past two seasons, with the Hippos earning a 27-14 victory last year after suffering a heartbreaking loss on a last-second field goal the season before. Both teams will look to gain momentum in what has quickly become a competitive non-district series.
The Hippos will remain on the road the following week when they travel to face Copperas Cove on Sept. 11. The Bulldawgs narrowly missed the postseason last season after finishing 3-3 in district play and are expected to field a competitive roster once again.
Hutto returns home Sept. 18 to host Temple in its final non-district matchup. The Wildcats finished 7-4 overall and 3-3 in district last season before falling to Duncanville in the opening round of the playoffs. Temple’s physical style of play should provide another tough test before district competition begins.
District play opens Sept. 25 as the Hippos travel to Georgetown to take on East View. The Patriots are coming off one of the stronger seasons in program history after finishing second in district with a 5-2 record. East View emerged as one of the area’s biggest surprises last season and will look to continue building momentum entering 2026.
Hutto then returns home Oct. 2 for a matchup against longtime district rival Vista Ridge. The Hippos escaped with a dramatic 35-34 victory over the Rangers last season in one of the team’s most exciting games of the year.
The Hippos will continue navigating their new-look district schedule with a road matchup against Cedar Park on Oct. 9 before returning home to host Leander on Oct. 16. Hutto then travels to face Rouse on Oct. 23 in another key district showdown.
After a bye week, the Hippos will close the regular season with what could become the marquee matchup of the year when they host Vandegrift on Nov. 6. The two programs shared the district title last season, but the Vipers handed Hutto its lone district loss in a high-scoring 44-34 contest. The rematch is expected to have major district championship and playoff implications once again.
Although the Hippos will be adjusting to a new coaching staff, the roster returns plenty of talent and experience entering the season. Hutto is expected to bring back its entire receiving corps, led by standout playmakers Dylan Owens and Jaiden Fields, giving the offense continuity and explosiveness heading into the fall.
The Hippos also return several key contributors on both sides of the ball, fueling optimism that the program can remain among the top teams in Central Texas despite the transition at head coach. With a demanding schedule, experienced returning talent and heightened expectations, Hutto enters the 2026 season with an opportunity to build on last year’s success and contend for another district championship.
