Allen Opens Against No. 2. Then No. 1. Then No. 3.

Allen's 2026 schedule does not ease into anything.

The Eagles, ranked No. 5 in Texas and No. 11 nationally by On3, open the season Friday, Aug. 28 at home against Duncanville, ranked No. 2 in the state. The following Friday they host DeSoto, ranked No. 1. The Friday after that they travel to Southlake Carroll, ranked No. 3.

Three games. The second, first and third-ranked teams in Texas.

The rest of it does not soften

After that opening stretch, Allen still has Prosper, ranked No. 12, and Walnut Grove, ranked No. 53, on the schedule. The Eagles play 10 regular-season games, and a substantial share of them come against teams ranked inside the state's top 60.

For a program that measures itself against the best in Texas, the schedule is less a gauntlet than a statement of where Allen believes it belongs.

What it means in practice

Early-season losses against that caliber of opponent carry less weight than they would elsewhere, because district seeding and playoff position are decided later. The value of a schedule like this is preparation: by the time the postseason arrives, Allen will have already seen the level of competition it expects to face in December.

The opener kicks off Friday, Aug. 28. Rankings are On3's preseason Texas rankings.

Source: On3.

Sources

https://www.on3.com/high-school/scores/football/texas/