The UIL’s biennial realignment has reduced District 5-5A Division I to eight teams, allowing schools an extra preseason game and a league-wide bye week on Sept. 18. The district now includes six Frisco ISD schools: Centennial, Heritage, Lebanon Trail, Liberty, Lone Star, and Reedy, along with McKinney North and newcomer Melissa.
Lone Star, Melissa, and Reedy enter the season ranked within the state’s top 25, while the remaining programs aim to secure positioning within the league.
Frisco Lebanon Trail and Frisco Centennial open their district schedules against each other at 7 p.m. on Sept. 24 at Kuykendall Stadium. The two teams have split their last four meetings, with each game decided by seven points or fewer. In their most recent matchup, Lebanon Trail won 28-27 after Jordan Jones scored from one yard out with 1:09 remaining.
Both programs are targeting postseason contention this season.
The district’s marquee contest features Frisco Lone Star hosting Melissa at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Kenny Deel Stadium. Lone Star won all eight of its district games last season by an average of 32.9 points and advanced to the Class 5A Division I state championship game. Melissa, which finished as a state semifinalist in Division II, seeks to challenge the Rangers.
Lone Star’s offense is led by junior quarterback Trey Wright, a recent USC commit, while Melissa relies on a young defense to improve during the preseason.
