Crandall’s move to Class 5A Division I brings a schedule built to test the Pirates immediately.
Two Class 6A opponents open the year, a nationally relevant Class 5A Division II program follows in Week 3, and the new district race features West Mesquite and Tyler, two of the area’s more talked-about teams entering the fall.
The Pirates went 7–4 and reached the playoffs a season ago. Whether that translates into a district championship run in 2026 may come down to how Crandall handles its first three games and the four-game stretch that follows the team’s bye week.
2026 Crandall Schedule
| Date | Opponent | 2025 Record | Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 28 | Denton Braswell | 2–8 | Away |
| Sept. 3 | Rowlett | 6–5 | Away |
| Sept. 11 | Terrell | 12–1 | Home |
| Sept. 17 | Sunset | 4–6 | Away |
| Sept. 25 | Bryan Adams | 2–8 | Home |
| Oct. 2 | Bye | — | — |
| Oct. 9 | North Mesquite | 5–6 | Home |
| Oct. 16 | Tyler | 4–7 | Away |
| Oct. 23 | Mesquite | 1–9 | Home |
| Oct. 30 | West Mesquite | 11–2 | Away |
| Nov. 5 | W.T. White | 5–5 | Home |
A Non-District Slate That Doesn’t Ease Anyone In
Crandall opens Aug. 28 at Denton Braswell, and the Bengals’ 2-8 record from a year ago undersells what’s waiting.
Braswell hired Justen Evans, who previously built Corpus Christi Miller into a consistent Class 6A playoff program, and the Bengals return running back Zahir Trufant, who rushed for 627 yards and eight touchdowns last season, along with safety Emmanuel Fuller, who recorded 95 tackles.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football projects Braswell fourth in District 5-6A; the Dallas Morning News has the Bengals fifth. Either way, it’s a difficult opener against a team trending upward.
Six days later, Crandall travels to Rowlett, a Class 6A program that reached the playoffs at 6-5 after finishing 6-2 in district play.
Quarterback Sam Loera returns after throwing for 2,428 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding nine more scores on the ground, and the Eagles bring back several experienced receivers along with nine defensive starters.
Dave Campbell’s projects Rowlett second in District 9-6A; the Dallas Morning News places the Eagles fourth. It’s one of the tougher road tests on Crandall’s entire schedule.
The non-district finale is the biggest game of the three. Terrell went 12-1 last season, won its district and reached the regional semifinals, beating Crandall 63-13 along the way before eliminating Seagoville in the playoffs.
Running back Julian Ashley returns after rushing for 1,448 yards and 21 touchdowns, and quarterback Nolan Hall and fullback Lebron Tucker are back as well, though Terrell must replace all five starting offensive linemen.
Dave Campbell’s ranks Terrell No. 7 in Class 5A Division II; the Dallas Morning News has the Tigers No. 13 among Dallas-area Class 5A teams. The Sept. 11 rematch at Pirate Stadium gives Crandall its clearest measuring stick before district play begins.
Two Winnable Games to Open District Play
District play starts Sept. 17 at Sunset, which finished 4-6 last season and sits near the bottom of both preseason projections — seventh according to the Dallas Morning News, eighth according to Dave Campbell’s.
Crandall returns home the following week to face Bryan Adams, another team projected near the district’s cellar after a 2-8 finish, ranked eighth by the Dallas Morning News and seventh by Dave Campbell’s.
Both games arrive as clear opportunities for Crandall to build early district momentum before its bye.
The Bye Sets Up the Season’s Real Test
Crandall’s open week falls on Oct. 2, after five games and two district contests.
The timing works in the Pirates’ favor: what follows is a four-game stretch against North Mesquite, Tyler, Mesquite and West Mesquite, three of which are projected to compete for postseason position.
North Mesquite reached the playoffs at 5-6 last season and enters 2026 projected fourth by the Dallas Morning News and fifth by Dave Campbell’s, putting the Stallions right around the playoff cutoff.
Crandall should be favored at home on Oct. 9, but a district game against a team this close to the bubble carries added weight for tiebreaker and seeding scenarios later in the season.
Tyler may be the biggest wild card in the district. The Lions went just 4-7 a year ago, yet the Dallas Morning News projects them to win District 7-5A Division I outright, while Dave Campbell’s has them third.
Running back CaDarius McMiller, an Oregon commit, returns after rushing for approximately 940 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior, and he’s joined by SMU receiver commit Trey Haralson.
Tyler does lose quarterback Caden Granberry, who threw for 2,525 yards and 28 touchdowns last season, leaving a significant question mark under center.
Crandall’s Oct. 16 trip to Tyler has the makings of a district-title game regardless of how that quarterback competition resolves.
Mesquite is the toughest team on the schedule to read. The Skeeters stumbled to 1-9 last season, but Dave Campbell’s projects them fourth in the district and the Dallas Morning News has them fifth, both notably more optimistic than the record suggests.
Crandall hosts Mesquite on Oct. 23 as a favorite, but the gap between last year’s results and this year’s projections makes it a game worth watching closely.
The stretch closes Oct. 30 at West Mesquite, and it may be the most consequential district game on Crandall’s schedule.
The Wranglers went 11-2 last season, the best recent record of any District 7-5A Division I opponent, and enter 2026 ranked No. 19 among Dallas-area Class 5A teams by the Dallas Morning News, which projects them second in the district.
Dave Campbell’s goes further, picking West Mesquite to win the district outright. Arriving in Week 10, this game should carry clear championship and playoff-seeding stakes for both teams.
Closing at Home
Crandall finishes the regular season Nov. 5 against W.T. White, a 5-5 team a season ago that both major projections place sixth in the district.
Depending on how October unfolds, the finale could still carry real weight for Crandall’s district standing or playoff seed.
The Bottom Line
Crandall’s non-district schedule is difficult enough on its own, but the season likely comes down to the four games following the bye.
North Mesquite, Tyler, Mesquite and West Mesquite arrive in consecutive weeks, and three of them are built to contend for playoff position.
The Pirates have the offensive talent to enter 2026 as a legitimate district contender. How they perform in October will decide whether that talent turns into a championship.
