BRYAN, Texas — The Somerville Yeguas are stepping onto the field for the 2026 football season with a blend of experience and ambition that could rewrite the program's history books. Coming off a 6-5 record in head coach Luke Klingler's first year at the helm—a season that ended in the Class 2A Division II bi-district round against Junction—the team returns a veteran core hungry to push further. A third consecutive playoff appearance would be unprecedented for Somerville, making this season a potential milestone.

Leading the charge is senior quarterback Andrew Espinoza, who completed 123 of 213 passes (57.75%) for 1,696 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions last season. Standing 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Espinoza brings both poise and experience to the offense. His top target, junior wide receiver Jayden Young, caught 49 passes for 672 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, while also contributing as a defensive back. Young is one of several dual-threat players on the roster, including Jaille Deere and Greg Fowler, both of whom line up at receiver and defensive back. Fowler, a senior, also plays linebacker, posting 62 tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries last season.

On the defensive side, the Yeguas are anchored by senior Martin Espinoza, the reigning District 13-2A Division II Defensive Lineman of the Year. At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, he recorded 69 total tackles, six sacks, and five forced fumbles in 2025. Another key returner is Aiden Parker, a 6-foot-4, 365-pound senior who missed his junior year due to an ACL injury but is now back to bolster the line. Junior Sabino Vasquez, at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, adds depth alongside him.

Head coach Luke Klingler, who holds a 6-5 overall record and has eight years of coaching experience, is entering his second season with the Yeguas. His staff includes defensive coordinator Logan Naiser, offensive coordinator James Klingler, and assistants Lukas Bontrager, Josh Vela, Christopher Barrera, Sean Daly, and Sheldon Bell. The 2025 season saw key losses to graduation, including Christopher Deere (now at McMurry), Ja'Keith Daniels, Moses Stickel, and Roberto Garcia-Vega. But the returning core gives Klingler a solid foundation.

"I feel like every game that we played last year, we were definitely in it, but we just didn't finish the game," Espinoza said. "After the third quarter, we just gave up and started thinking that the team was better to us, or we weren't conditioned enough. And I feel like we should condition ourselves and discipline ourselves to be more able to finish those games that we would like to win."

Klingler echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the long-term growth of the program. "We've been here. We've gone through it with the kids," he said. "The kids that are going to be graduating this year were our seventh graders when we first got there. So we've gotten to watch them grow up. And it's been a big thing for us to really be a tribe. I think last year we weren't disciplined enough mentally or physically, and really that's what we focused on this past offseason. And, man, I'm excited. I'm ready to get going."

Somerville enters 2026 as one of the most experienced teams in Class 2A Division II Region 4. With 14 all-time playoff appearances and a streak of two consecutive postseason berths, the Yeguas are chasing a third—something the program has never achieved. The season kicks off at home against Normangee on August 28.