Ranking The Toughest Non-District High School Football Schedules

We are just over two months away from the start of Texas high school football here in the Borderland. Teams are completing their summer workouts and preparing for fall camp. From Fabens to Anthony, 600 ESPN El Paso has you covered with all the coverage you need.

Today, we'll run down the 10 toughest non-district schedules from around the city, based on our ratings for each game. The higher the score of a game, the tougher it is. These ratings take into account home-field advantage, returning talent, rivalry factor, and more.

Buckle up! Football is right around the corner. Let's see who wasn't afraid to schedule the big dogs.

10. Del Valle Conquistadores (83 Schedule Score)

Del Valle enters a new era after QB Jake Fette heads to Arizona State following an illustrious three-year career with the Conquistadores. That won't change their scheduling approach, however, as they will play five quality opponents. Head coach Rudy Contreras will lead his team into road games at the SAC against Eastlake in week one and El Dorado in week three, while also hosting Montwood, Coronado, and Americas. When it's all said and done, this could end up being one of the toughest schedules in the city, with all five teams being programs that have the potential to be some of the city's best. However, El Dorado was the only team that won over seven games last season, which leaves Del Valle at No. 10 here.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/28 7:30pm	@Eastlake
9/4 7:00pm	vsMontwood
9/10 6:30pm	@El Dorado
9/18 7:00pm	vsCoronado
9/25 7:00pm	vsAmericas

9. El Dorado Aztecs (83.4 Schedule Score)

El Dorado is another program entering a new era after losing one of the best playmaking duos the city has ever seen (Ryan Estrada to Minnesota and JaDarius Sanders to NMSU). QB Brycen Booth will take his Aztecs to Coronado in week one before returning to host Eastlake and Del Valle. They'll also take on Chapin to close out non-district play. Trips to both the westside and the northeast combined with hosting two perennial district contenders might have landed them higher on this list, but a road game against a chippy Burges team brings the schedule down a bit.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/28 7:00pm	@Coronado
9/4 7:00pm	vsEastlake
9/10 6:30pm	vsDel Valle
9/18 7:00pm	@Burges
9/25 7:00pm	@Chapin

8. Eastlake Falcons (85 Schedule Score)

JB Frontz will enter his first full season as the head coach of the Eastlake program after his interim tag was removed following his mid-season takeover of the Falcons last year. The Falcons' non-district schedule is highlighted by a marquee home matchup with Midland Lee on Sept. 11. Before that game, their season opener against Del Valle will tell us where this team stands. Add in a matchup with El Dorado at the SAC in week two, and Frontz's first three games at the helm are no joke.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/28 7:30pm	vsDel Valle
9/4 7:00pm	@El Doradovs Midland Lee
9/18 7:00pm	@Bel Air

7. Montwood (86.5 Schedule Score)

The Montwood Rams have only finished over .500 once this decade, and their non-district schedule does them no favors in their pursuit to make it twice this decade. An opener against a now veteran Hanks squad that will contend for a district title will be a good challenge before they take on another couple of title contenders in Del Valle and Americas in back-to-back weeks. Did I mention the Hanks and Del Valle games are on the road? The Rams will then host a San Angelo Central squad that made it to the Area round last year.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/287:00pm	@Hanks
9/47:00pm	@Del Valle
9/117:00pm	vsAmericas
9/187:00pm	vsSan Angelo Central

6. Andress (87 Schedule Score)

The list becomes very close and nearly interchangeable from No. 6 to No. 2, and this Andress schedule begins with a brutal three-game stretch that includes New Mexico powerhouse Centennial, Americas, and Franklin. Right after that, the Golden Eagles take on their bitter rivals Chapin. If that was their full schedule, they most certainly would've had an argument for No. 1 on this list, but it's not. Games against Irvin and Burges bring their score down and land them at No. 6.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

VS Centennial (NM)

Date/Time	Opponent	Game Info
9/3 7:30pm	@Americas
9/11 7:00pm	vsFranklin
9/18 7:00pm	vsChapin
9/25 7:00pm	@Burges
10/2 7:00pm	@Irvin

5. Americas (87.2 Schedule Score)

Americas narrowly edged out Andress to sneak into the top 5, due mostly to the fact that the Trailblazers play three defending district champions on their schedule. Noe Robles' squad will host Andress and Eastwood while also traveling to play Del Valle right before district play begins. A trip to Canutillo is always difficult, and that is where the season begins for Americas.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/277:00pm	@Canutillo
9/37:30pm	vsAndress
9/117:00pm	@Montwood
9/177:00pm	vsEastwood
9/257:00pm	@Del Valle

4. Franklin (87.8 Schedule Score)

After a wild, roller coaster first season for head coach Rueben Torres III, which saw Franklin equal its most wins since 2021, the Cougars enter 2026 with games against defending district champions Chapin and Andress, and a playoff rematch with Midland Lee on the road. Their final game against Parkland drags their score down a little, but there is no doubt those first three games will be no joke for a squad that lost the majority of its offensive production.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/28 7:00pm	vsChapin
9/4 7:00pm	@Midland Lee
9/11 7:00pm	@Andress
9/18 7:00pm	vsParkland

3. Eastwood (88 Schedule Score)

Julio Lopez is not afraid to schedule the best of the best, and the Troopers will have a huge opportunity to play national power Corner Canyon in Utah this season. That game alone puts their schedule among the best in the city. The Troopers get a couple of rivalry games as the Battle of the Helmet is revived for the first time in seven years, and a trip to the SAC to play Americas looms after that. Despite only playing two teams that finished above .500 last year, the Corner Canyon game and the two rivalries give them a boost into the top 3.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/28 7:00pm	vsBel Air
9/4 7:00pm	vsCanutillo
9/11 7:00pm	@Corner Canyon
9/17 7:00pm	@Americas

2. Chapin (88.4 Schedule Score)

Chapin's late run at the district title sent shockwaves through the city last season and cemented them as one of the premier programs not just in 5A, but in El Paso. The Huskies will certainly have their hands full, however, to start this season. All five of their non-conference opponents won at least seven games last season. They'll open up on the road against a Franklin squad that has had the Huskies' number the past two seasons. They then host their former coach Ryan Warner and his Pebble Hills Spartans. Road trips to Riverside and rivals Andress will not be any easier, nor will a home game against El Dorado to close out non-district play.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE:

Date/Time	Opponent
8/28 7:00pm	@Franklin
9/4 7:00pm	vsPebble Hills
9/11 7:00pm	@Riverside
9/18 7:00pm	@Andress
9/25 7:00pm	vsEl Dorado

1. Pebble Hills (90.0 Schedule Score)

Year three of the Ryan Warner era at Pebble Hills brings cause for excitement, but their non-district schedule spares no one. The Spartans will hit the road to the Permian Basin twice in their first four weeks, taking on Midland in week one and an Odessa Permian squad that is coming off an 11-win season in week four. Sprinkle in a matchup against defending district champions Chapin out of 1-5A and a Hanks squad that is primed for a breakout season in between those, and you see why the Spartans have the hardest non-district schedule in the city.

FULL NON-DISTRICT SCHEDULE: