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The Bastrop Bears varsity football team will open the 2025-26 season on the road against the Alvin Yellowjackets Friday, Aug. 29, at Alvin High School.
The Bears are looking for a repeat of last year’s season opener, when they rolled past Alvin 41-6 to set the tone for a strong campaign. Bastrop finished 9-3 overall and captured a district championship, and the Bears enter this season eager to build on that success.
Leading the charge will be junior quarterback Weston Nielsen, who is coming off a breakout sophomore season. Nielsen threw for 37 touchdowns in 2024, cementing himself as one of the top young quarterbacks in Central Texas. His ability to lead an offense that lost several key pieces will be one of the biggest storylines heading into the year.
Bastrop will have to replace its top three receiving targets from last fall — Keyshon Moore, Ramonz Adams and Jaylen Gratten — all of whom graduated. However, the Bears return junior wide receiver Diego Rangel, who flashed playmaking ability last season, and senior tight end Brent Carter, a reliable target in the passing game. Both will be counted on to step into larger roles as Nielsen develops chemistry with a retooled receiving corps.
Alvin, meanwhile, will feature a senior-heavy roster and brings back several key players from last season. The Yellowjackets’ experience could provide a challenge, particularly in the early going, but Bastrop hopes its mix of proven talent and rising playmakers can offset Alvin’s depth.
Defensively, the Bears return veteran leadership in senior linebacker Tiki Hola, who committed to Notre Dame during the offseason. Hola will anchor a defense that must replace multiple graduated starters but is expected to remain one of Bastrop’s strengths. Alongside Hola, the Bears will look for younger contributors to step up and solidify the front six of the team’s 4-2-5 alignment.
This matchup will serve as an early measuring stick for a Bastrop team entering a new era with several new faces in key roles.
