Lions Await Bearcats In season Opener

The waiting ends Friday night.

After two weeks of scrimmages and a summer of preparation, the Albany Lions will officially open the 2026 football season at home against longtime rival Hawley, beginning a year that carries high expectations and a little history of its own.

Albany enters the opener ranked No. 6 in Class 2A Division II by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, while Hawley is ranked No. 11 in…