The Season Starts With the Rivalry: Sherman at Denison, Aug. 28

Sherman does not have to wait for its biggest game of the regular season. It is the first one.

The Bearcats open the 2026 season Friday, Aug. 28 at Denison, putting the county's oldest rivalry in the opening slot on the calendar. Sherman is ranked No. 387 in Texas by On3, Denison No. 261.

A long road slate

The rivalry game begins an unusual stretch: Sherman's first three games are all away from home. After Denison, the Bearcats travel to Joshua, ranked No. 216, on Sept. 4, then to Liberty Christian, ranked No. 95, on Sept. 11.

Liberty Christian is the highest-ranked opponent on Sherman's schedule until Ryan, ranked No. 29, appears later in the season. In all, the Bearcats play 10 regular-season games.

Why the opener matters beyond the record

Rivalry games rarely respect rankings, and an opener between two neighboring towns tends to draw the largest crowd either program sees before the playoffs. For Sherman, the practical question is how quickly a young team can find its footing when the first three Fridays are spent in someone else's stadium.

Kickoff is Friday, Aug. 28. Rankings are On3's preseason Texas rankings.

Source: On3.

Sources

https://www.on3.com/high-school/scores/football/texas/