STAFF REPORT

KYLE – A new district could help the Lehman High School football team to not only win its first district game ever, but to qualify for the Class 4A playoffs in 2008.

It’s still too early to tell, but the new District 17-3A doesn’t figure to be nearly as demanding as the old District 26-4A, where the Lobos failed to win a game in their first two years of varsity football.

Towards preparing for playoff contention, Lehman will play three Austin ISD schools during the preseason, including Johnston, Reagan and Lanier. The Lobos also will play San Antonio Edison and Gonzales.

The Lobos will open on Aug. 29 against Johnston at Bob Shelton Stadium. The following week, they will move on to House Park in downtown Austin for a Thursday night meeting with Reagan on Sept. 4.

Lehman will play Edison on Sept. 12 at Shelton Stadium for homecoming before finishing the non-district portion of its schedule with road games at House Park against Lanier on Sept. 19 and at Gonzales on Sept. 26.

The Lobos will take the week of Oct. 3 as their bye week while they prepare for the District 17-3A schedule.

The district schedule begins on Oct. 10 at Shelton Stadium against Manor, followed by an Oct. 17 date at Elgin. On Oct. 24, the Lobos return home against Del Valle before going to Lockhart on Oct. 31.

With marginal improvement this year, it’s distinctly possible the Lobos could be playing for a playoff berth when they finish their regular season against Hays at Bob Shelton Stadium on Nov. 7.

Because the new University Interscholastic League (UIL) playoff format calls for four entrants from each Class 4A district, it’s possible for a team to make the postseason with as few as two wins in District 17-3A.

RELATED IN THE MERCURY:

• Hays, Lehman take week off from football
• Lockhart smashes Lehman, pushes for playoff berth
• Hays to play defending state champs in fall football
• Lehman seeks first district football victory in history
• Hurricane moves football games up to tonight