Ridge Point High School will open its football field to the community on Friday, Aug. 28, for Panther Kick Off, a free evening event showcasing all fall sports and activities as the school year begins.

Gates open at 7 p.m. Merchandise and concessions will be available, according to the school's announcement.

The event falls the same weekend Ridge Point opens regular-season play. The Panthers bring 11 consecutive UIL district championships and a 44-game district winning streak into 2026, the longest active run in the Houston area, dating to the 2019 season, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Ridge Point is ranked No. 15 in the Class 6A preseason state poll and returns eight starters to a defense that allowed just 12 points per game last season. In their 11 wins, opponents managed only 10.2 points per contest.

The linebacker corps alone drew national attention. TexasFootball.com ranked it the best in Class 6A on Aug. 6, anchored by senior Dyllon Bennett, a four-year starter and Hampton University commit who posted 77 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two sacks last year. Rising junior Brayden Bonik, a four-star recruit with more than 40 college offers, earned District Defensive Newcomer of the Year after recording 58 tackles and 10 tackles for loss.

Head coach Rick LaFavers praised Bonik's intensity in an Aug. 6 TexasFootball.com feature. "He is just a relentless competitor. All he sees is Red. There's no neutral in him," LaFavers said, as we reported Aug. 6.

Junior Khalen Taylor rounds out the group at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. His father, Herb Taylor, played offensive line for TCU and the Kansas City Chiefs. Safety/linebacker Aaron Williams, whose uncle is former University of Texas and Kansas City Chiefs legend Derrick Johnson, is among the returning defensive starters.

The program's recruiting pipeline remains strong: 19 seniors from the Class of 2026 signed to play at the next level, including 17 at Division I programs, and 127 college coaches from 94 programs visited campus during the spring and summer.

Panther Kick Off is free and open to the public at the RPHS football field in Missouri City. Regular-season play begins that same weekend.