2026 Countdown to Kickoff: Amarillo High Sandies

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - As the regular season approaches for the Amarillo High Sandies, there is a distinct, hungry energy surrounding the team.

The upcoming 2026 season represents a fresh start, a clean slate, and a chance to step out from the shadow of one of the most wild years in Texas high school football history.

While the Sandies are breaking in fresh faces and sporting a new underdog mentality, the lessons of last year are serving as the ultimate fuel for the journey ahead.

Leaving 2025 in the Rearview

To understand the fire driving this year’s squad, you have to look back at the sheer madness of the 2025 season.

On paper, Amarillo High finished with a 2–9 overall record. In reality, they were a highly competitive team stripped of six on-field victories due to a late-season UIL ruling regarding an ineligible player.

Overnight, the clerical error plummeted their record to 1–8. Yet, the team refused to fold, blowing out rival Tascosa in the regular season finale to force a three-way tie for the final spot in the post-season.

In a moment of pure gridiron theater, Amarillo High won a dramatic three-way coin toss to miraculously snag the final playoff spot.

Though their year ended in a bi-district round shootout, the adversity forged an unbreakable bond that has carried directly into the 2026 offseason.

Now, with a new campaign on the horizon, the Sandies are ready to write a different story.

Rebuilding the Offense and Finding New Leaders

The biggest challenge facing Amarillo High in 2026 is replacing a massive graduating class that carried the program through last year’s storm.

“We lost some guys, especially on the offensive side of the ball,” head coach Chad Dunnam said. “We lost some kids who were significant players for us for quite some time. Our quarterback played for three years. We had receivers that have played for three years. A running back who had been in our program and had a great senior year, great junior year... just some kids who have held some spots down for a while.”

While the offense breaks in fresh skill players, senior defensive end Oliver Crinella is stepping up as a crucial leader.

Having spent time on the sidelines last year recovering from a injury, Crinella learned how to lead even when he couldn’t play.

Now entering his senior year, he is embracing the challenge of the upcoming season.

“I feel like I should be nervous, but I’m just excited,” Crinella said. “I’m excited for what this year’s got. Excited to see what they can bring. I know we’re kind of considered the underdogs... but we’re definitely better than a lot of schools.”

Crinella and the rest of the rising senior class are ready to pass down the leadership style they inherited from the departed veterans.

“It’s different, you know. Time flies by,” Crinella said. “I remember looking up to [the class of 2026] and watching them go, but taking aspects from each and every one of them. Great leadership.”

A Brotherhood Built on Chemistry

With a younger offensive unit finding its footing, the Sandies will rely heavily on a veteran defense that brings back a wealth of experience.

For junior linebacker Raider Payne, the strength of the 2026 squad lies in their tight-knit connection.

“I’m really excited. I feel like we look good. We have a lot of team chemistry,” Payne said. “We bond really well. We’re not the most talented group, but we make up for it with our chemistry and our positiveness and all around. We’re just a great team together. Our new QBs are doing great, and our defense brought back a lot, so we came back there strong.”

For Payne, much of his motivation on the field is fueled by playing for the seniors he has shared the locker room with for the past two seasons.

“I’ve been playing with them for two years now,” Payne said. “A lot of them on the defense, and it feels good, because I want to go out there and do it for them.”

Carrying the Torch

For Coach Dunnam, the grueling offseason workouts, summer camps, and fall practices have all built toward a single goal: proving that Amarillo High’s culture is stronger than any administrative setback.

As they prepare to take the field for week one, Dunnam is confident this group is ready to define their own legacy.

“They’re prepared and they’re ready to go,” Dunnam said. “It’s their time. They understand the responsibility. They understand what our program’s about, and they’re ready to go and ready to step up and carry the torch.”

When fans pack Bivins Stadium this fall, Dunnam promises they will see a team that represents the community with pride, grit and relentless effort.

“A high-energy style of football, physical,” Dunnam said of the team’s 2026 identity. “That’s one thing we’ve stressed. We want to be physical on both sides of the football. You’re going to see a disciplined football team. You’re going to see a group of kids that care about their high school, care about their team, care about their community, and want to represent that school, that team, and that community in the best possible way they can. You’re going to see some kids that play really hard.”

2026 Amarillo High football Schedule

*denotes district games

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