The Rockwall Yellowjackets and Rockwall-Heath Hawks open the 2026 football season Friday, Aug. 28, and both programs face a loaded District 10-6A field where the margin between a playoff berth and an early exit could come down to a single game.

District 10-6A features eight teams this cycle: Longview, North Forney, Rockwall-Heath, Royse City, Rockwall, Forney, Tyler Legacy and Mesquite Horn. A DFW Inside High School Sports breakdown projects Longview first, North Forney second and the Hawks third, with Rockwall slotted fifth. Local sports outlet Rockwall County Gameday tagged all eight programs Aug. 18 and called it "a deep 10-6A district."

Not everyone makes the postseason. With that many competitive programs fighting for limited spots, every district game carries weight.

Rockwall: Brooks builds around four captains

Head coach Trey Brooks, a former Yellowjackets assistant who rose through the program, enters the year with a team that watched the Hawks advance to the state playoffs last season while Rockwall stayed home. The Yellowjackets finished one seed behind Heath in district standings.

The program announced Christian Lawyer, Kaydon Castro, Wade Day and Brayden Puffer as 2026 team captains May 15, calling them "great representatives for our program both on and off the field."

Rockwall opens against Prosper on Friday, Aug. 28, before beginning district play Sept. 25 against North Forney.

Heath: Dick's first season, peer-voted captains

Casey Dick takes over as Rockwall-Heath's head coach and athletic coordinator after the Rockwall ISD Board of Trustees approved his hiring in March. Dick brings head coaching and coordinator experience from programs in Arkansas and Texas.

His first move toward building culture: letting the locker room choose its leaders. The Hawks announced their 2026 team captains July 31, noting the group was "voted on by their teammates" and had "earned the opportunity to lead."

Heath opens against Denton Guyer on Friday, Aug. 28, and begins district play a week before Rockwall, hosting Tyler Legacy on Sept. 18.

The I-30 Classic looms Nov. 6

The regular-season finale for both programs is the I-30 Classic on Friday, Nov. 6. Last year's edition was a 47-41 offensive shootout won by the Hawks, and the outcome separated the two teams by one playoff seed. That result sent Heath to the postseason and left Rockwall on the outside.

With preseason projections placing both squads near the playoff bubble, the Nov. 6 meeting could again decide which side of the bracket each team lands on.

What's ahead

  • Friday, Aug. 28: Rockwall vs. Prosper; Heath vs. Denton Guyer (season openers)
  • Sept. 18: Heath at Tyler Legacy (Hawks' district opener)
  • Sept. 25: Rockwall vs. North Forney (Yellowjackets' district opener)
  • Nov. 6: I-30 Classic, Rockwall vs. Rockwall-Heath (regular-season finale)