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The Rice Raiders got their first taste of game action Thursday, Aug. 13, in a preseason scrimmage against Hallettsville at Rice Consolidated High School.
The scrimmage gave Head Coach Brad Dumont and his staff an opportunity to evaluate a young roster and begin making decisions about where players wi l l fit as the Raiders prepare for the regular season.
Rice enters 2026 having lost several key starters to graduation, leaving younger players with opportunities to step into larger roles.
Dumont understands that inexperience wi l l lead to mistakes early in the season. During the preseason, his focus has been on teaching players to compete hard, maintain a good attitude and play unselfishly while learning from mistakes and moving on to the next play.
The Raiders also worked through several game situations against Hallettsville, including redzone and third-down scenarios. The situational work gave the coaching staff additional opportunities to evaluate players on both sides of the ball as Week 1 approaches.
With a young roster, the scrimmage was as much about development as execution. Players were encouraged to play freely, learn quickly from mistakes and continue competing.
Rice has one more scrimmage before opening the regular season. The Raiders will travel to Royal for a 6 p.m. scrimmage.
