Wildcat coaches and captains at Back Country BBQ.
Lake Highlands Exchange Club members kicked off the new year Thursday with their annual Wildcat Football Preview at Back Country BBQ. Cory Campbell, 2024 District 7-6A Coach of the Year, introduced his 2025 coaching staff and captains to the club.
“Our school is growing, and our participation is growing,” Campbell told the Exchangites, noting the 280 players on varsity, JV and freshman rosters. “You guys are in the community doing great things for us, and we notice.”
After last year’s undefeated season and playoff win against South Grand Prairie — the first shutout playoff win since 1996 — Campbell believes his team can put lots of tally marks in the win column this fall. His motto for the year is “believe,” but you won’t hear him talking much about November, the month when playoffs begin. He’s working to keep players tethered to the here and now. That’s why he repeats an old coaches’ refrain: Be where your feet are.
“Goals are a necessity in everything we do, but we can’t get so tied up in the end result that it takes away from today. This moment, this time is the most important thing we have. Our actions today need to match our goals from tomorrow.”
Campbell and his coaches are focused on building relationships. The results, they say, will take care of themselves.
“Expectations are hot, and I’m not going to shy away from that,” Campbell said. “We’re ready to do something this community hasn’t seen in a while. We want to be special, and we’ve talked about kicking the door in, but at the end of the day it’s about these guys (pointing to his players). We have a relationship that’s tight.”
His team has been busy over the summer, competing in 7-on-7 football and hosting football camps for elementary and junior high students. The 7-on-7 team won two qualifying tournaments to make a serious run at the state title (they made it to the final eight), and the camps helped more than 400 youth hone their running, passing and kicking skills. Participants will have a chance to run through the giant inflatable onto the Wildcat Stadium turf at a home game this fall. Thousands of fans will be watching.
“I grew up in a small town where, literally, they have to turn the lights off in town because everybody leaves to support whatever’s going on at the stadium,” said Campbell, who coached at seven different places before landing in Lake Highlands. “Those camps are important, because I want those kids to be able to run through the tunnel on Friday night. I want them to dream about it when they are in the second, third, fourth, fifth grade. I’ve got a son who’ll be in the fifth grade, and I want every kid who lives in our community to have that dream. Lake Highlands is a small town in a big city. They said that before I got here, but I’ve lived it, too.”
Campbell and his staff are using more technology on the field and in the press box than ever before to improve coaching schemes and player performance. They’ve implemented drones to help create film of games and practices, and they’re using artificial intelligence to label plays and players. There are still a few things, though, that AI cannot do. It can’t block for the runner, blitz the quarterback or catch a well-thrown pass.
Some things still require good old-fashioned grit and hard work.
“Football in general is an unforgiving sport,” said Nathan Hattemer, offensive coordinator. “It’s grueling, and it takes a lot. It’s a huge character-building opportunity. You’ve got to overcome a certain kind of selfishness and come together. That’s why we’re excited about this team and this year.”
Lake Highlands will scrimmage at Coppell Aug. 21 and play their first home game against Forney Aug. 28. You may purchase tickets here.
Note: There are only four official home games this season, but there are five more games less than nine miles away: North Garland, JJ Pearce, Jesuit, Richardson High and Berkner (at Wildcat Ram Stadium). Go Cats.
Players enjoy a barbecue dinner, courtesy of Exchange Club of Lake Highlands.
Bell Boys Sammy Rinck, Benjy Wrightsman, Ivan Salgado and Liam Henning.
