Allen Spring Football: Eagles Eye Redemption After Semifinal Heartbreak

Allen, Texas — Eight weeks before the pads pop on Eagle Stadium turf, head coach Lee Wiginton’s program will begin its 2025 reboot at dawn. Spring football opens March 31 with practices scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. each day, save for two evening sessions on April 7 and April 22. The condensed schedule culminates in the annual spring game at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, giving fans an early glimpse at a roster that must replace six All-State graduates.

Gone are defensive back Lebron Bauer, defensive linemen Devin Palmer and Josh Shaw, linebacker Ja’Prei Wafer, punter Ethan Nava, and kick returner-wide receiver Caleb Smith — every Eagle honored by the Texas Sports Writers Association last season. Their departures leave sizable voids on both sides of the ball, but the staff welcomes the competition after a 14-1 campaign that ended with a 31-9 semifinal loss to Duncanville.

That December defeat remains the freshest memory for a program that has amassed a 27-2 record over the past two seasons. Allen’s defense allowed just 11.4 points per game in 2024, posting four shutouts and holding two additional opponents to a single touchdown. Offensively, the Eagles churned out 2,672 rushing yards, averaging 267.2 yards per contest on the ground and 178.1 through the air.

The road back to the state semifinals begins August 28, when Duncanville returns to Eagle Stadium for a rematch of last year’s Class 6A Division I showdown. Week 2 brings DeSoto — the reigning Division II champion — on September 4, followed by a trip to Southlake Carroll on September 11. Carroll also reached the Division II semifinals a year ago. After surviving that gauntlet, Allen will visit Prosper on September 16 in a sequel to last year’s 31-30 thriller.

District 6-6A realignment adds fresh faces while subtracting familiar ones. Dallas Jesuit and Prosper Walnut Grove move up from 5A, joining McKinney, McKinney Boyd, Princeton, Prosper, and Prosper Rock Hill. Plano East and Plano are no longer on the district docket, tightening an already formidable lineup.

Spring practices are slated for April 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, and 28. With new starters auditioning across the depth chart, Wiginton and his staff hope the early mornings lay the groundwork for another deep playoff run.