Are The Woodlands Highlanders District Title Contenders? Strong Quarterback Play Gives Them A Fantastic Shot

THE WOODLANDS – Heading into the season, The Woodlands Highlanders promised to be an interesting team. After an eventful 2025 season, the Highlanders replaced many longtime starters with fresh faces, ready to carry on the program's tradition of success. Growing pains were bound to happen at the start, but overall, they looked like a team that could live up to this program's expectations.

So far, the season has followed that path of growth, as an early loss to Bridgeland has fueled them over the last few weeks. They now enter this bye week 2-1 before district play and are quickly becoming one of the more fascinating teams in District 13. With a dynamic, fast offense, the Highlanders look like major contenders for a district title. Let's check in on the Highlanders before district play begins to see how they’ve been faring and how that could set up their district schedule.

2026 Games:

• Vs. Bridgeland: 31-30 (L)
• Vs. Klein Oak: 41-38 (W)
• Vs. Humble: 58-0 (W)

Record: 2-1

Highlander Offense

So far, the Highlander offense has more than proven itself. They currently lead the district in points scored by a wide margin (129 points to 2nd-place Grand Oaks’ 93 points) and don’t look to be slowing down. They are fully capable in the pass game, coming up with some huge plays in almost every game and seemingly able to score with ease on some drives. This offense looks like a force going into district play and will be scary for any opposing defenses.

Quarterback: Kaden Copelin

Quick Stats

• 681 passing yards, 11 TDs, 83% completion rate, 0 interceptions
• 103 rushing yards, 1 TD

So far, junior QB Kaden Copelin has been excellent in these opening weeks. The young QB has stepped into the starting role seamlessly, leading a dynamic passing attack that threatens any defense. Some of his throws are insane to watch, with amazing pocket mobility and an arm that fires the ball like a cannon. His awareness and footwork are other notable traits that make Copelin stand out when he is asked to throw the ball. Copelin’s strong start has already produced 681 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, with no interceptions and an incredible 83% completion rate. Last week, he threw 7 touchdown passes, breaking a program record set during that amazing 2016 season. Copelin can also do damage on the ground, adding another skill set opposing defenses have to worry about. #15 is shaping up to be a dangerous QB in district play, and we can’t wait to see more of him in the coming weeks.

Wide Receiver & Running Back

Notable Skill Players

• #1 Bryson Bourn (14 catches, 214 yards, 2 TDs)
• #0 Carter Cass (16 catches, 82 yards, 4 TDs)
• #17 Kaiden Stewart (5 catches, 122 yards, 1 TD)
• #9 Colton Weddel (4 catches, 107 yards, 1 TD)
• #4 Jason Haskins (27 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD, 5 catches, 79 yards, 1 TD)
• HM: Harry Miller, Beckett Barefoot, Kaiheem Pondexter

A big part of this season's solid offensive production is a deep and talented Highlander WR room, with multiple players capable of big moments. We caught glimpses of some of these players last season, with Carter Cass and Bryson Bourn both coming off 300-yard seasons and Colton Weddel making some awesome catches in big games. This experience was vital in helping their new QB get comfortable throwing the ball, and so far it's paid off. The speedy Bourn currently leads the team in yards, recording 214 yards on 14 catches and averaging an amazing 71.3 yards per game. Cass is up there in catches as a steady target for Copelin and leads the team in TDs with 4. Newcomer Kaiden Stewart has also been solid for the Highlanders, catching 5 passes for 122 yards and a TD. Senior TE Colton Weddel is also getting more involved, catching 4 passes for 107 yards and a TD. Hopefully we get to see him get even more touches as the season goes on, as he might be one of the Highlanders' biggest assets. Overall, this WR room has been excellent so far this season. They are an incredibly fast bunch who will only get better with their QB as the season goes on.

When they aren’t throwing the ball, the Highlanders have been effective in the rushing game. We mentioned Copelin’s rushing ability, but the guy taking the handoffs from him is senior Jason Haskins, who has been solid so far. Haskins was thrust into the starting role last season after early injury trouble, giving him valuable experience behind the line. This season, he’ll try to build on a 650-yard, 8-TD season that saw him average 6.8 yards per carry. So far in 2026, the Highlander RB has carried the ball 27 times for 113 yards and a touchdown, averaging about 38 yards per game and 4.2 per carry. They aren’t the craziest numbers, but he’s asked to carry most of the workload, and he’s been solid in that role. Haskins’ biggest task is to be more effective in the big games coming up, as he struggled against teams like Willis and College Park last season. There’s no doubt he’ll get even more opportunities as the season goes on, and hopefully he can get this rushing game to match the passing output.

Offensive Line

Notable Blockers:

• #76 T Armando Lazzari
• #73 G Waite Cswaykus
• #60 C Micah Matlock
• #51 G Alejandro Camacho
• #57 T Jacob Corley

Lastly, a part of every successful team is a group that doesn't always get talked about, that being the offensive line. While there isn't much to say in the stats, this line has been a workhorse for the offense in these first few games, a driving force behind many of the big plays Copelin has made through the air. They haven’t been perfect, as some sacks have slipped through the cracks, but overall they have been very good to their young QB and deserve some flowers for their performance so far. As the season goes on, hopefully they keep this protection up and continue to mesh together for those bigger games on the schedule.

Highlander Defense

Notable Players:

• DE Magnus Herndon
• LB Nate Beagle
• OLB Vinny Lewis
• LB Cash Mock
• OLB Max Mitchell

So far, the biggest question about this team has been the defense, as many of the new faces we discussed were on this side of the ball. With very few returning starters and a new defensive coordinator, this defense was bound to go through some growing pains, and that’s shown in the first few games. While they did record an excellent shutout over Humble last week, the games against Klein Oak and Bridgeland both turned into shootouts, with that first game really standing out. Tackling has been a big issue, with multiple misses on all 3 levels, as well as some missed assignments that led to huge plays. The team has plenty of young talent, with a strong line led by senior Magnus Herndon and a LB core that includes Vinny Lewis, Nate Beagle, Max Mitchell, Jacob Montgomery, and Cash Mock. On the perimeter, DBs like Joey Bolander and Bryce Stott will continue to improve as the season goes on and hopefully lead a group that can get some key pass defenses. This Highlander defense needs to improve if they want to win more efficiently and capture that district title, and hopefully they are able to build off a solid performance in last week's game.

Putting It All Together

Overall, this Highlander team has had its ups and downs so far in the 2026 season, but things are looking up heading into district play. The offense has been great so far, with QB Kaden Copelin stepping into his role nicely and having the weapons to make some awesome throws. The rushing game could use some work, but it's still positive overall, and we expect it to improve as the season progresses. This offense is what's going to get these Highlanders into the win column and is the key to their success this season. They’ll be tested early by both Willis and College Park, and if they can keep this pace in those contests, a district title might be in their future.

To get to that district title, though, they are going to have to clean up this defense, as they have come up short in many areas and don’t do their offense any favors. They need to get the opposing scoring under control. While a shutout last week was great, it was against an opponent who is largely inferior to teams like Bridgeland, Willis, and College Park. If these problems can be fixed and they can build on last week’s performance, they have a good shot at being great, but they need to find a balance to make this Highlander team truly scary.

The Woodlands Highlanders open district play next week at home against Caney Creek, then face a gauntlet of College Park and Willis in back-to-back weeks. If they can make it through, this team could be scary come playoff time and will no doubt be in contention to claim their 1^st district title since 2021 and continue a 31-season playoff streak.

District Schedule:

• Vs. Caney Creek (9/25)
• @ College Park (10/2)
• Vs. Willis (10/9)
• Vs. Cleveland (10/15)
• @ Conroe (10/23)
• Vs. Grand Oaks (10/30)
• @ Oak Ridge (11/6)