Coming off another state championship, Stephenville head football coach and athletic director Sterling Doty sat down with Texas HS Football Editor in Chief KP Kelly at the Hudl booth during the 2026 THSCA Coaching School and Convention. 
Doty knows the expectations surrounding Stephenville football from nearly every possible perspective. He played offensive line for the Yellow Jackets during their 1998 and 1999 state championship seasons before later playing at the University of Houston. After coaching stops that included seven seasons at Abilene Cooper and five years as Magnolia’s head coach, he returned home to take over Stephenville in 2019.
Since then, Doty has added two more championships to his Stephenville résumé. His 2021 Yellow Jackets finished 16-0 and captured the Class 4A Division I title. Four years later, Stephenville did it again. The 2025 Yellow Jackets completed another perfect 16-0 season with a 10-0 shutout of Kilgore at AT&T Stadium.
The accomplishments extended beyond football. The 2025 team also posted a perfect 4.0 team GPA and received the Hatchell Cup, recognizing Stephenville for combining championship-level football with extraordinary academic success.
Stephenville Turns Its Attention to 2026
Now comes the challenge of doing it again.
Doty told Kelly that winning a championship guarantees nothing for the next team. He recalled advice from one of his former coaches: championship teams need to stay healthy, catch a few breaks and, most importantly, be good enough to capitalize on those opportunities.
The Yellow Jackets enter 2026 with expectations as high as ever after last season’s undefeated championship run. Stephenville must replace significant production from that team, but returns an experienced core on both sides of the football.
Doty also emphasized the value of multi-sport athletes. As athletic director, he believes competing throughout the year exposes players to pressure situations that football workouts simply cannot recreate.
A full-count pitcher trying to win a district championship or an athlete competing late in a meaningful basketball game learns how to perform under pressure. Doty believes those experiences translate directly to football while also helping athletes avoid some of the burnout associated with year-round specialization.
How Hudl Has Changed Coaching at Stephenville
Doty has watched football film technology transform dramatically during his coaching career.
He remembers when coaching staffs needed dedicated film rooms, servers and coaches responsible for uploading and exchanging video. He even remembers coaches initially questioning the idea of putting game film online when Hudl first arrived.
Today, that relationship looks completely different.
Stephenville uses Hudl throughout the week to review practices, teach players, study games and create recruiting highlights. Doty said the technology allows coaches and players to access video almost anywhere, creating more opportunities for immediate teaching and self-evaluation.
The impact becomes particularly noticeable on game nights. Players can enter the locker room at halftime, grab tablets and begin reviewing plays before the coaching staff even finishes its initial conversations.
That instant feedback allows players to identify mistakes, reinforce successful plays and begin making adjustments almost immediately.
Doty believes the technology has changed coaching, too. Younger assistants can quickly review what happened instead of relying exclusively on what they saw live from the sideline or press box. In his view, that access has helped advance the game.
Still, Doty’s philosophy extends far beyond technology or championships.
He said fans see only a small fraction of what a football program truly represents. The workouts, team meetings, bus rides, locker-room conversations and relationships formed along the way make up the overwhelming majority of the experience.
Those moments, Doty believes, are what players will remember long after their final Friday night.
Two Stephenville Brands and One Small Gesture
There was also a moment immediately before the interview that offered a glimpse into Doty’s connection to his community.
Across from the Texas HS Football interview area, two Stephenville-based brands — Barefoot Athletics and High Creek Outdoors — were sharing a booth.
Doty noticed the hometown connection, walked across to visit them, acquired a High Creek hat and immediately put it on for the interview.
It wasn’t some elaborate promotional setup. It was simply a local coach seeing people from his community and finding an easy way to support them.
During the interview, Doty talked about Barefoot Athletics, High Creek and the Copeland family’s connection to Stephenville. He also pointed to the important financial and community support local businesses provide the Yellow Jackets and their booster club.
That small gesture may have lasted only a few seconds before the cameras rolled, but it said plenty.
High school athletic programs and local businesses often grow alongside one another, especially in communities like Stephenville. Coaches, schools, parents, athletes and businesses support each other in ways that extend well beyond Friday nights.
Doty had an opportunity to give two hometown brands a little extra exposure, and he took it.
For a coach who spent much of the interview talking about relationships, community and developing people, it was a fitting way to demonstrate those values without having to say much at all.
