By Chad Conine

Tribune-Herald staff writer

Nowhere in Central Texas will the onset of football season be felt more this weekend than under the bright lights at New Road and Bagby Avenue.

Waco ISD Stadium hosts the fifth annual H-E-B Heart O’ Texas Kickoff Classic with a slate of four games.

Belton will take on Ennis in the Kickoff Classic opener at 7 tonight. Waco High meets San Marcos at 7:30 Friday night.

On Saturday, Midlothian meets Boerne at 1 p.m. in the first game of a doubleheader, and University opens the Matt Carroll era against Crosby, capping the event at 7 Saturday night.

For the two Waco ISD schools, the Kickoff Classic will double as their home openers. It will also be the first of six “home” dates for each team — Waco High and University face each other at Waco ISD Stadium on Oct. 3.

“It guarantees us a home game,” Waco High coach Johnny Tusa said. “This year we’ll have six home games, and we love that.”

Tonight’s game features a pair of teams that, at first glance, are moving in opposite directions. Ennis, which defeated University, 48-0, in the Kickoff Classic last year, won seven games and advanced to the area round of the playoffs last season.

Meanwhile, Belton, making its first appearance in the opening weekend event, went 3-7 last fall and dropped its last four contests.

The Waco High-San Marcos game could be a track meet as both teams are rebuilding their defenses. Waco High has two starters returning on defense, one fewer than San Marcos.

The Saturday afternoon game offers Waco High, University and Midway an opportunity to scout district foe Midlothian and specifically Panthers quarterback Bryce Petty, who passed for 2,101 and 16 touchdowns last season.

Finally, University will deploy an experienced offense, featuring quarterback Randy Price and wide receivers Demarcus Hicks and Vencent Finley, against a Crosby offense led by speedster running back Chance Casey.

cconine@wacotrib.com

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