2026 Countdown to Kickoff: Palo Duro Dons

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Palo Duro enters the 2026 season looking to build on a historic 2025 campaign, finishing 10-2 for the program’s first 10-win season since 2001, its first outright district championship in more than two decades and its first playoff victory since 2014.

Head coach Eric Mims Sr. said the excitement surrounding the program will not outweigh the work required to sustain that success.

“All of the excitement and the expectations can’t be greater than the work that we put in,” Mims said. “Our kids are resilient. Whatever we ask them to do, they do it. We say 5:30 a.m. practice, they’re here at 5:30.”

Blocking out distractions

Mims said he wants his players focused solely on what happens on the field, not outside attention.

“You don’t win games on social media. You don’t win games making hype videos,” Mims said. “You only win games on that field working. So we got to keep our focus there.”

Team identity

Mims said physicality will be the trademark of this year’s Dons.

“We want to be physical. We want to line up and be the most physical team on the field. Offense, defense, special teams,” Mims said. “We want to go lay it all on the line, every single play, as hard as we can go, and giving everything up for our brothers.”

Avoiding complacency

UIL realignment keeps Palo Duro in Class 5A Division II, with Plainview moving out of the district and Lubbock Coronado joining. Mims said the coaching staff carries the responsibility of making sure last year’s success doesn’t breed complacency.

“We can’t be content. Sometimes people say the kids are content with last year’s success — we got to make sure that doesn’t happen with the coaches,” Mims said. “One year can be lucky, but we got to do it over and over and over again.”

Mims said the program’s four pillars remain the standard both on and off the field.

“The pillars of our program is discipline, dedication, development, and domination,” Mims said. “I hope they see a group of kids that’s disciplined who act right on the field and off the field.”

Players speak

Senior running back Raymond Johnson said this year’s group stands out.

“I feel like this is the best team we had,” Johnson said. “We’re going to put on a show every Friday, every Thursday, to come out and compete.”

Senior Eric Mims Jr. said he wants to leave a legacy with this year’s senior class.

“I feel like this is gonna be our year, like all of the seniors,” Mims Jr. said. “I just show everybody that we’re gonna be back at the top, and PD gonna run the city again.”

2026 Palo Duro football Schedule

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