The Magnolia Bulldog football team will be looking to rebound from a disappointing 2010 football season in which they finished 2-8 overall and 2-5 in district 17-4A play under head coach Andy Sexton.

The Bulldogs will have the opportunity to right the ship beginning in less than a month when the 2011 high school football season kicks off in Magnolia. On Aug. 26 the Bulldogs will play their first game of the season, a Friday night road game to take on the Galena Park Yellow Jackets at Galena Park ISD Stadium.

Last year, the Yellow Jackets finished with a 7-4 overall record and were knocked out of the first round of Class 4A playoffs.

Following their season opener against a playoff-caliber team, the Bulldogs’ schedule will likely ease up a bit, with back-to-back non-district games against teams that did not qualify for the playoffs last year.

On Sept. 2, Magnolia will host its first game of the season against the Humble Summer Creek Bulldogs, who finished their first season of varsity play with a 3-7 overall mark in 2010.

After a week off, the Bulldogs will once again play host to a non-district opponent on Sept. 16 when they face their lone 5A opponent in 2011, the Houston Westbury Rebels. Last year, the Rebels went 6-4 overall in district 20-5A.

The Bulldogs will open district play on Sept. 23 with their third straight home game when they host the Houston Northbrook Raiders. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated Northbrook, 35-6, in one of their only two wins on the season. The Raiders finished 2-8 in 2010.

The string of home games continues on Sept. 30 when the Houston Spring Woods Tigers visit Magnolia. The Tigers were the other win for the Bulldogs last season, a 35-14 win for Magnolia at Tully Stadium.

The Bulldogs will take to the road for the first time in more than a month when they travel to face the Stratford Spartans, a 6-5 team a year ago and one of four playoff teams from 17-4A last season.

The Spartans handed Magnolia a 28-7 loss in 2010.

The annual rivalry game with Magnolia West will be renewed this season on Oct. 14 when the Bulldogs return to play yet another home game. Last year in what was perhaps each team’s most thrilling contest, the Mustangs out-gunned the Bulldogs 56-44 at Magnolia West.

On Oct. 21 Magnolia will travel north to take on a Waller Bulldog team looking to rebound from an uncharacteristic 4-6 record last year. One of those wins was a 35-17 defeat of Magnolia at Magnolia Stadium.

If the Bulldogs hope to have a winning record in 2011, they likely should get their wins early in the season, because the final two contests will come against two of the top 4A programs in the state.

On Oct. 28, the Bulldogs will host a Brenham Cub team that finished the season 10-1 overall and 7-0 in district. The following week, Magnolia will travel to play its season finale against Montgomery, who made a deep playoff run last season on their way to a 12-2 overall mark.

Both Brenham and Montgomery handed the Bulldogs one-sided defeats in 2010.

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