The Lexington football team is accustomed to the feeling of coming up short and it’s become an emotion that the Eagles, quite frankly, would like to change.

“It’s a feeling of coming up short and when we get back to it, it’s about getting to that next level that we’ve been trying to for the last couple of years,” Lexington head coach Kirk Muhl said.

The Eagles have grown up in a big way over the past three seasons, knocking down new barriers of making the playoffs in 2022, advancing to the regional semifinals in 2023 and a step further in 2024, falling in the regional final.

Lexington’s now building up for a season that they hope ends at the state level.

The Eagles, who are ranked fourth in 3A-II of the Dave Campbell Texas Football rankings, have not made it to state since 2011 when they fell to Refugio in the 2A state semifinals.

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“We have a chance to be really good,” Muhl said. “We’re not quite as deep as we have been, so we’ll see what happens, but we’ve got some more two-way players this year.”

Lexington overcame its previous big obstacle by downing Poth in the Class 3A-II regional semifinals last season, but a new one appeared in Tidehaven. The Tigers not only knocked out the Eagles in back-to-back years at the State 7-on-7 tournament, but in last year’s playoffs as well, 35-21.

“We came up short in last year’s fourth round, but we’re coming back this year,” Eagles quarterback Kase Evans said. “We graduated 13 seniors and it was definitely a good group that came when they graduated, but I think we got just as much talent this year. I think that just drives us this offseason for all four quarters and get after it during the playoffs.”

The next step would obviously be the state round. And the Eagles have one of the best signal-callers in the state donning the green and gold in Evans.

“He plays a major part in what we do, but he’ll be a major part in our success this year, he’s just been able to throw it and we’re going to run it some with him and kind of turn him loose,” Muhl said.

Evans has been spreading the ball around the yard throughout his high school career. The four-year starter has thrown for 8,695 yards and 87 touchdowns so far. His completion percentage also has risen every year, reaching a peak last year at 61.2%.

“I think just being able to play so many snaps since his freshman year has helped him help us with everything that he’s gained knowledge-wise and then he’s grown a lot in the last year, so it’s going to open up kind of what we were able to do,” Muhl said.

Evans has leaned into bettering his mental side, alongside doing more film study and more knowledge of the playbook over the offseason.

Offensively, the team’s top rusher and receiver return in senior running back Noah Wright-Harris and senior wide receiver Weston Bayer, respectively.

“I’m excited looking offensively, because we didn’t lose a whole bunch, and our offensive line is going to be good this year,” Wright-Harris said. “I think we’re going to score a lot of points, but I’m also excited for how deep we’re going to make this playoff run.”

Wright-Harris returns after having one of the best stats of any running back in the Brazos Valley in 2024 with 1,527 yards and 22 touchdowns.

“He’s a playmaker, for sure,” Evans said of Wright-Harris. “I mean, he can do it all. He’s great and I’m definitely confident with him back there in the back with me.” 

Evans has a plethora of options to choose from on the outside, but Muhl feels the offensive line is one of the fundamental strong foundations for the 2025 Eagles.

“Offensive line is what we hang our hat on and I know we have Kase and we have some skilled guys and whatnot, but the thing that set us apart last year was our offensive line and defensive line, and it’ll be that way this year, because you can have all the skill guys in the world but if you can’t protect them, you can’t open up any holes,” Muhl said.

That offensive line put in some extra work over the summer, by not only competing in the Texas State LineMAN Challenge at Hardin-Simmons, but winning it at the 3A level.

“It was a surreal experience,” center Jordan Muhl said. “It was good to see everybody else and what they were working with and show us our competition that we have coming up.”

All-state lineman Cutter Smith is the leader of the unit and has used the summer as a stepping stone in preparing for college by going to a handful of camps.

“Cutter started going to football camps and he started going to these camps in recruitment and he saw that being able to do different things really has helped him and it’s made him more marketable,” Coach Muhl said.

The Tidehaven loss last season not only stung for the Eagles, but also showed the holes they had.

And one of them was winning in the trenches.

“If we practice this a little bit more, the technique could have been better,” Smith said. “If we had worked out here, I’m sure they could have been better. Sure, we could overcome that challenge, but I think this summer, we worked on that. I don’t think we’re having that problem.”

The Eagles’ skill players felt the 7-on-7 state tournament experience over the summer helped decipher coverages they normally wouldn’t go up against.

“It helps us understand the schemes a little bit better and maybe get us a better game plan for different coverages that we haven’t seen yet,” Wright-Harris said. “Nobody plays man against us, and nobody hides a cover three, so it’s always a cover two or a cover four, and they don’t hide it very well, but seeing all these different coverages really helps us out game plan.”

The Eagles’ 13 starters are balanced between both sides of the ball, with seven offensive and six defensive players returning.

“When we start, we get to go in and fine-tune instead of teaching,” Kirk Muhl said. “And so when you can fine-tune things, you’re gonna start out ahead of everybody else, but the veteran group that we have is, I don’t know, they’re a good group.”

Kirk Muhl points to the strength of the defense being the front and secondary and gives the Eagles the ability to give different looks with that much experience returning.

One of the difference makers along the front seven is defensive lineman Gabe Turner.

“Turner is a kid that is coming back and he’s really gotten after it this year and put on the weight and strength — he’s over 700 pounds squatting — and so we’re going to also use him on offense in more of an H-back, running back, blocking back, fullback, type guy,” Kirk Muhl said. “But him on defense will be a major thing for us.”

Last season, Turner racked up 73 tackles — 14 for loss and four sacks.

The secondary is anchored by a slew of returners, with first-team all-district selection safety Lincoln Bryan leading the unit. The rest of the secondary filled up the second team with all of them returning in senior cornerback duo Brock Herring and Tripp Hellenberger, to go with junior safety Colten Smith.

“It’s good that a lot of people are coming back and knowing what they’re doing, so we can have that consistency and energy going into it,” Smith said.

Lexington Eagles at a glance

Head coach – Kirk Muhl (92-52 in 12 years at Lexington)

Assistant coaches – Chris Koester, B.L. Miller, Courtney Ward, Kogan Garrett, Rodney Patschke, Nathaniel Clifford, Bobby Sugg, Jace Robinson

District – 13-3A Division II

2024 record – 12-2 (3-1, second in district)

2024 playoffs – bi-district: Rice Consolidated 38-27; area: George West 76-0; regionals: Poth 50-27; state quarterfinals: Tidehaven 21-35

Returning lettermen – 18 (7 offensive, 6 defensive starters)

Key returners – QB Kase Evans, sr. (un. Off. MVP); OL Cutter Smith, sr. (Off. Lineman of the Year); DT/LB Gabe Turner, sr. (13-3A Utility POY); WR Weston Bayer, sr. (A-D); RB Noah Wright-Harris (A-D); S Lincoln Bryan, sr. (A-D); OL Jordan Muhl, sr. (2nd A-D); OL Kasen Miller, jr. (2nd A-D); CB Brock Herring, sr. (2nd A-D); CB Tripp Kellenberger, sr. (2nd A-D); S Colten Smith, jr. (2nd A-D); DL Trace Kieschnick, jr. (2nd A-D); WR Jakece McDaniel, sr. (HM A-D); special teams Jason Cargill, sr. (HM A-D); utility Timothy Dillon, sr. (HM A-D)

Key losses – DL Zack Carter (un. Def. MVP); DL John Williams (Def. Lineman of Year); Kevin Nava (Special teams POY); OL Grant Herring (A-D); WR Mason Biehle (A-D); WR Cade Patschke (A-D); WR Mason Biehle (A-D); DL Matthew Ortiz (A-D); S Noah Nededog (A-D); OLB Kaiden Chappel (A-D); OLB Conner Clopton (A-D); WR Owen Rhodus (2nd A-D); OL Jesse Smith (2nd A-D); DL Logan Wilcox (2nd A-D); OLB Connor Crow (2nd A-D); special teams Daniel Goff (HM A-D)

All-time record – 478-461-26

Playoff trips/record – 24 (43-25)

Playoff appearances – 1964, 1968, 1978, 1997, 1999, 2002-07, 2009-12, 2015-24

Sept. 13;at Rockdale;66-7

Sept. 20;at Groesbeck;38-13

Nov. 14;vs. Rice Consol;38-27

Nov. 22;vs. George West 76-0

Dec. 6;vs. Tidehaven;21-35

Aug. 14;$Schul./Columbus;TBD

Aug. 29;at Marlin;7:30 p.m.

Sept. 5;Academy;7:30 p.m.

Sept. 12;Rockdale;7:30 p.m.

Sept. 19;^Groesbeck;7:30 p.m.

Sept. 26;at Hearne;7:30 p.m.

Oct. 3;at Caldwell;7:30 p.m.

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