MILES, TX — After three straight seasons of eight wins, the Miles Bulldogs had to struggle through a tough season in 2025 with only two victories.
It wasn’t entirely unexpected after the Bulldogs graduated all but two starters in 2025.
The good news for Miles is that almost everyone is back from last year, and they’ve added some exciting new players.
The Bulldogs return nine starters on both sides of the ball, including running back/linebacker Weston Beck, who broke his collarbone last year in Week 2.
A significant addition is Kane Brock, who produced over 1,000 yards of offense during his sophomore season at Eldorado as a pass-catching running back. He projects to be the Bulldogs’ top receiver and a linebacker on defense.
“We knew there were going to be a whole bunch of new kids on the field last year, and we kind of threw them to the wolves, so to speak,” Miles head coach Jayson Wilhelm said. “But I thought they grew a lot and improved a whole bunch. And the good part about that is they’re all coming back.
“We’ve got a lot of guys with a whole lot of varsity experience coming back, and we have some good sophomores who played on JV last year that had some success there. So we’re pretty excited about what we have coming back.”
Among the returners is senior quarterback Liam Yancy, who is hoping to return to form after a sophomore season in which he threw for nearly 2,500 yards. Miles’ young offense took a big step back last season by averaging only 13 points per game.
“I’m going into Year 7, and I’m still on my second quarterback, so I’ve been very fortunate having some really good quarterbacks,” Wilhelm said. “It’s a big bonus because (Yancy) knows the offense in and out, and we have some new wrinkles we’re putting on him this year to keep him on his toes a little bit, but he picks that stuff up so quick. …
“Last year was tough because we were breaking in everybody new except for him. But I fully anticipate his stats — and hopefully our win total — will look like it did two years ago.”
Miles’ power spread offense will utilize more two-back sets this year because the Bulldogs have two good options with Ryder Satepauhoodle, who rushed for 738 yards last year, and Beck.
“I feel really good about it,” Wilhelm said. “(Satepauhoodle) had a really good year for a sophomore, and he’s faster this year. Weston Beck is a bigger kid, and we kind of had him playing out of position at guard last year, and we’re excited to see what he can do.”
At wide receiver, the 6-foot-2 Brock could be a game-changer for the Bulldogs after catching 29 passes last year at Eldorado as a running back.
“He’s someone Liam feels real comfortable throwing to, and what he’s shown so far has been exciting,” Wilhelm said.
Kaden Karmany also returns at wideout after leading the Bulldogs last season with nearly 400 yards. He also filled in at QB when Yancy was injured for two games.
Two other receivers to keep an eye on are sophomores Cooper Smith and Jaxton Boggs.
“They’re both really speedy and have put in a lot of work and went to a lot of camps. They’ve looked real good the first week of practice,” Wilhelm said.
Senior Caleb Guzman will be moving from running back to tight end and is a dependable pass catcher, Wilhelm said.
Up front, the Bulldogs’ offensive line will be anchored by Jaxon Hohensee (5-11, 210), a third-year starter who was a first-team all-district pick last year.
Another senior, Jace Holik, should return after the first few weeks from an injury suffered in the spring. He was a second-team all-district lineman.
A sophomore who is loaded with potential is Will Christian, who Wilhelm said stands 6-4 or 6-5 and weighs 260 pounds.
“He’s got all the physical traits of what you want to see. Obviously, he’s still developing and growing up … but he’s going to be a handful for people,” Wilhelm said. “We’re definitely going to be bigger than we have been maybe since I’ve been here.”
The strength of Miles’ defense will be their linebacker corps, Wilhelm said, led by Beck and Brock.
The defensive line, featuring Jaylen Flores and Hunter Travis, could also be strong.
Amidst all of Miles’ optimism, the Bulldogs also have the reality of what Wilhelm called the “toughest district in the state in 2A.” District 7-2A Division II includes No. 6 Albany, No. 13 Goldthwaite and No. 17 Stamford.
Texas Football predicted Cross Plains to claim the fourth and final playoff spot ahead of Hamlin, Miles and Winters.
“Right now, we’re going to have to fight for that No. 4 spot,” Wilhelm said. “I’d really, really like to upset one of those top three teams, if not a couple of them, to get a better seed, because we don’t have to go to the Metroplex anymore. I think whoever gets out of district, even the No. 4 seed, could make a little playoff run.”
Instead of drawing its first-round playoff opponent from a district that included state powers like Muenster, Collinsville and Lindsay, Miles would now see a more manageable district with teams like Crawford, Mart and Santo.
Miles will open its season Aug. 28 at home against Sonora. The Bulldogs will begin district play Sept. 25 at Stamford.
Miles Bulldogs
2026 schedule
Aug. 28 Sonora
Sept. 4 at Christoval
Sept. 11 Reagan County
Sept. 18 at Eldorado
Sept 25 at Stamford*
Oct. 2 Goldthwaite*
Oct. 9 at Winters*
Oct. 16 OPEN
Oct. 23 Hamlin*
Oct. 30 at Albany*
Nov. 6 Cross Plains*
*District 7-2A Division II game
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