Godley Wildcat football players and their families celebrated success in the classroom and prepared their helmets for the upcoming season during the program’s third annual Star Party on August 26, 2026, at Godley High School.

Godley ISD athletic director and head football coach Danny Dudgeon launched the Star Party in 2024 to recognize student-athletes for their academic achievement during the previous semester. Players receive stars based on the high grades they earned, and those stars are placed on their helmets alongside the team’s other decals.

During the event, players and their families worked together to apply the academic stars and team decals to each helmet. The hands-on tradition allows families to help prepare the players’ equipment for the season while celebrating their accomplishments in the classroom.

The academic stars provide a visible reminder that success in the Wildcat football program includes a commitment to both athletics and academics. Placing the stars alongside the other helmet decals makes academic achievement part of the team’s identity throughout the season.

“The Star Party is a great tool for our coaches to tell our athletes ‘thank you’ for being great students first,” Dudgeon said. “We are proud we have so many wonderful students and want to celebrate all the success they achieve academically.”

The annual gathering has become a preseason tradition that brings athletes, families and coaches together while reinforcing the football program’s emphasis on achievement in the classroom and on the field.