Whitehouse head football coach Randy McFarlin is excited about the Wildcats’ schedule next fall. He expects the non-district portion to get them better.

“It’s a very tough non-district schedule,” he said. “We have quality people there — good programs, good teams. It should get us ready for district play.”

The non-district schedule includes two recent Class 3A state champions — Chapel Hill and Carthage — and three tradition-rich 4A programs — Hallsville, Sulphur Springs and Marshall.

The Wildcats, coming off a 5-6 season in 2011, kick off 2012 on Aug. 31 at home against Hallsville and then face Chapel Hill the following week at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

They return home to meet Sulphur Springs on Sept. 14 and then complete non-district on the road against Marshall and Carthage.

“We keep some familiar names there,” McFarlin said. “We still have Sulphur Springs and Carthage and then we picked up two of our old district teams (Marshall and Hallsville). We’ve always scrimmaged Carthage and now we are going to play them in the regular season.

“That’s the way you get better — playing quality people — and that’s what we hope to do there.”

The district slate isn’t any easier.

Whitehouse begins league action at home against Lindale on Oct. 12 and then travels to Jacksonville the following week.

The Wildcats play consecutive home games against Nacogdoches and Corsicana before completing the regular season against John Tyler at Rose Stadium.

McFarlin would love to see a district title on the line in the final game.

“Two undefeated teams playing together at Rose Stadium would be special,” he said.

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Whitehouse 2012 Football Schedule

Date Opponent ’11 Rec. ’11 Result

Aug. 3 Hallsville 5-6 W, 35-24

Sept. 7 Chapel Hill 15-0 DNP

Sept. 14 Sulphur Springs 8-4 L, 70-49

Sept. 21 at Marshall 2-8 W, 49-24

Sept. 28 at Carthage 9-4 DNP

Oct. 12 Lindale* 10-2 DNP

Oct. 19 at Jacksonville* 4-6 W, 22-21

Oct. 26 Nacogdoches* 1-9 W, 49-28

Nov. 2 Corsicana* 13-2 DNP

Nov. 9 at John Tyler* 11-4 L, 42-14

– All games will kick off at 7:30 p.m.