The Woodlands Highlanders Look To Start The Season Hot Against The Bridgeland Bears

THE WOODLANDS – After a long offseason, football is finally back, so we’ve got a fresh batch of games to look forward to this week. With every team having a brand-new set of starters, this 1st week is a chance to see what they can do and what the team might look like for the rest of the season.

The Woodlands Highlanders are chock-full of fresh starters on both sides of the ball, setting up this week’s game to be an interesting one. Luckily, it will be in front of a home crowd as they host a solid Bridgeland Bears team looking for their own big win to start the season. The Bears won their last and only meeting against the Highlanders back in 2021, and with some of their recent success, they set the Highlanders up for a tough season opener.

The Woodlands Highlanders: Hoping To Start Strong

With so many question marks heading into this season, The Woodlands Highlanders are looking to start strong and showcase their new starting units. On offense, new QB Kaden Copelin will look to prove himself early, along with his supporting cast, including Colton Weddel, Carter Cass, Jason Haskins, and more. Defensively, the Highlanders will look to edge rusher Magnus Herndon for leadership, as the returning starter will be essential to this unit's success.

Offense

Notable Players:

• #15 QB Kaden Copelin
• #0 WR Carter Cass
• #19 TE Colton Weddel
• #4 RB Jason Haskins

On offense, the Highlanders boast a talented group eager to kick off the season. QB Kaden Copelin, a junior, steps into the starting role, looking to kick off his Highlander career with a bang. He didn’t see much serious action last season, so this will be the first time we get to see him in an expanded role.

Copelin will have a solid rushing attack behind him, with returner Jason Haskins looking to build on a 651-yard, 8-TD season. Haskins is joined by junior Solomon Woods, a newcomer to this offense who can help form a dynamic duo in the backfield. With the strong offensive line led by T Jacob Corley, this run game can hopefully make things easier for the new QB.

On the perimeter, junior Carter Cass and senior Bryson Bourne return to this WR core, both coming off solid seasons in a crowded WR room. Senior Kaiden Stewart also steps into a larger role, impressing in preseason scrimmages and promising to be a speedy outside threat for this offense. Sophomore Kaiheem Pondexter is another name to watch. He’ll have to work his way into this system, but the young wideout was impressive in scrimmage reps and should see the field soon. Lastly, TE Colton Weddel should also see an uptick in usage. The new team captain saw limited use last season but should be a valuable piece in this offense. The towering Weddel should be an easy target for Copelin and provide valuable help in the middle of the field. We’ll just have to see how often they are willing to get him involved.

Defense

Notable Players:

• #11 DE Magnus Herndon
• #8 LB Vinny Lewis
• #2 LB Max Mitchell
• #5 LB Matthias Molito

The theme of new faces largely carries over to the Highlander defense, which features several new additions. One of the biggest returning starters is DE Magnus Herndon, who led the district last season with 14.5 sacks. Herndon was named a team captain this season, making him the player newer starters will turn to throughout the season.

There are other returning players on defense, though this will be the first time they’ll be asked to step into a full-time role. At LB, seniors Max Mitchell, Nate Beagle, and Matthias Molito each recorded more than 20 tackles last season, while players like Vinny Lewis and Jacob Montgomery aim to round out a solid LB unit. On the back end, defensive backs like Mike Tellison and Joey Bolander aim to shut down opposing wideouts.

Team

The Woodlands has never had an issue with rebuilding, as they’ve proven they can restack a roster quickly and come back just as strong. This will be a tough challenge for the new team, but it could be an opportunity to show what they're really made of.

Bridgeland Bears: A Challenging 1^st Opponent

Since coming onto the scene in 2018, the Bridgeland Bears have been a very successful team in 6A. They finished last season with a 7-4 record and a 2nd-place finish in a competitive district. They lost a couple of key starters but return several key players from last season.

Returning Trouble

RB Kash Schwab headlines this team, having run for well over 1,000 yards last season and spearheading a fast, dynamic offense. Schwab returns for his senior season in 2026 and, with fresh legs, could be trouble for the Highlanders if not contained quickly. WRs Micaiah Stevens and Jackson Ewing are other returning players to watch, as the wideouts were key pieces in the passing game and could be just as dangerous as the run game.

A Former Rival Shows Up

A major point of interest in this game is Bridgeland’s head coach, none other than Lonnie Madison, the former head coach of the College Park Cavaliers. Madison helped lead College Park to a district title in 2020, coaching the Cavaliers from 2017 to 2022 and building a solid program in the process. Now he will face an old rival in The Woodlands and have a chance to spoil the Highlanders’ season opener. He’ll no doubt have some tricks in store on Friday, making this game even more intriguing than it already was.

Final Thoughts

The Highlanders have repeatedly shown that bringing in many new faces doesn’t faze them, as the program is known for producing talented teams. There will certainly be some growing pains, but this game against Bridgeland is a strong start to a season with many question marks. The Bears have a strong offense, headlined by an amazing rushing attack that could stuff the Highlanders early, and a head coach eager for another shot at an old rival. Home-field advantage will be a big factor here, and with the crowd on their side, the Highlanders have a chance. We’ll have to see how things shake up this Friday and hope the game is as good as advertised.