In early August when Tim Knicky stepped onto the field for the first official day of practice as Legacy Ranch head football coach, he already had a head start as the Wranglers look to building their own tradition of excellence during the program's inaugural season.

“All summer, our teams have all had sports-specific practices along with strength and conditioning,” said Knicky of the program's Wrangler Performance Course. “So, our players have had the ability to be with our coaches, so we can start to build those relationships.”

Legacy Ranch will field a pair of freshman squads for the first season, then add junior varsity next year before finally debuting at the varsity level for the 2026 campaign.

However, despite the fact there will only be freshmen representing the Wranglers this year, Knicky knows there will be a spotlight on them the likes of which first-year high-school players usually don't have.

“People are going to be looking at this group now and in the future,” he said. “Normally as freshmen, nobody knows you exist, but all eyes will be on them.”

Much of the Wranglers' roster will be stocked with players from last season's Santa Rita Middle School team that won its district championship, so the foundation for success is certainly there, but that doesn't mean anything should be taken for granted moving forward, said Knicky.

“Just because you've reached the top in eighth-grade football doesn't mean anything,” he said. “But, we have phenomenal kids – they're not afraid to work and have already shown a willingness to do what it takes to be successful.”

If that sounds like a familiar formula to longtime Liberty Hill football followers, it's because it is – and despite the newness of a second school in town doesn't mean the overall mindset will change.

“We have a Liberty Hill ISD mentality here,” said Knicky. “We want people to know just because we're going to have a different playbook on this side of town, we're not going to be soft.”

Indeed, the Wranglers will run a spread offense that features multiple wide receivers designed to stretch the field – a polar opposite approach compared to Liberty Hill High School's famed Slot-T running game – but, Knicky said it won't be an all-or-nothing game plan.

“We're still going to run the ball,” he said. “But, we're going to add a little spice to what people are used to seeing around here with a vertical passing game.”


Which is where the newly-formed Legacy Ranch Youth Football Association enters into the equation, featuring players from third grade and up that must be indoctrinated into the Wrangler way despite the fact many older players have already spent years in the Liberty Hill Youth Football setup, which teaches the Panthers' powerful ground attack.

According to Knicky, though, it usually doesn't take much convincing to get youngsters to embrace the idea of a wide-open passing game.


“Kids turn the TV on and see the kind of football that's being played at the pro and college levels,” said Knicky. “So, we might have a kid that says 'Hey, I've always been a halfback,' but we might not have that in our offense, so we'll tell him “Okay, go out and catch passes now, you're a wide receiver.”

A big part of the youth piece to the puzzle has been provided by a dedicated group of parents that has been more than enthusiastic to contribute to the cause, he said.

“We had a meeting with about 15 of the dads from this side of town who are ready to rock and roll,” said Knicky. “The community has already played a big part in what we're trying to do.”

Knicky added his entire staff will constantly be evaluating talent to make sure pieces are put in the right places.

“We have a great staff of veteran coaches who know where to put kids to be most successful based on their individual skills,” he said. “Which is why WPC this summer has been so valuable.”

Building a new program from scratch gives Knicky and his coaches the rare opportunity to instill their way of playing the game without potential obstacles in the form of previous regimes, said Knicky.


“Sometimes when a new coach comes into a school, it's because the old one got fired or something, but that's obviously not the case here,” he said. “So, we have a blank canvas and don't have to change things from how they were before and it's going to be awesome to grow a program from the ground up.”

Legacy Ranch will play an “outlaw” schedule this season, meaning the Wranglers won't be affiliated with a district and were free to schedule games with whoever Knicky saw fit – and the selected opposition is certainly a reflection of the high standards that will be set from the get-go, with no less than a traditional powerhouse across the line of scrimmage in the season-opener at home on Aug. 29.

“We're not going to shy away from anyone, which is why we're playing Lake Travis in our first game,” he said. “We want opponents that are going to make us better because you gain nothing from winning 70-7.”

Wranglers home games will be played on the new field on the site of Legacy Ranch Middle School on County Road 258 that is adjacent from the site of Legacy Ranch High School, which will serve as the Wranglers' high-school campus until the full high school is finished and opens in August 2026.

Although the first-ever football season in school history and even the following year will be geared toward building the Wranglers' first varsity team two years from now, that doesn't mean there won't still be an emphasis on the scoreboard, said Knicky.

“Don't get me wrong – I want to win every game we play,” he said. “But, whether we go 10-0 or 0-10 this year, it won't be a reflection of the progress the program will be making – the question is are we going to be able to win at the varsity level when we get there.”


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