Growing up in West Texas, where Friday Night Lights was a way of life, Argyle coach Todd Rodgers couldn’t wait to don the purple and gold.

He knew the names of the Crane High School football players and eventually became one.

“I was conditioned that purple and gold was the thing to be,” said Rodgers, who won state titles as Argyle’s coach in 2013 and 2020. “We had good athletes in my grade and we talked about how many games we were going to win… it was very unifying.”

In Argyle, a boomtown about 40 miles northwest of Dallas, community members value high school football just like Rodgers did in his youth. Voters approved a new football stadium that is scheduled to be completed this fall, and an indoor facility on campus is under construction.

“One of our mission statements in athletics is to meet the kid where they are and grow them to their full potential,” Rodgers said. “ In my mind, that should be a goal for every school district, but it’s important for us.”