Gordon Central Looks to Build on 8-Win Season as Warriors Prepare for 2026

Gordon Central is looking to continue the progress made over the past two seasons as the Warriors prepare to take the field in 2026 under head coach Billy Blizzard.

The Warriors are coming off a strong 2025 campaign that saw them finish 8-3 overall and 5-2 in region play, good enough for third place in the region. Blizzard said the program entered the offseason focused on continuing the steady improvement it has seen in recent years.

“The last two years, actually, I think we’ve been on the uptake,” Blizzard said. “We’ve just continued to work and do the same things that we’ve been doing, just trying to add to it.”

Gordon Central will have some familiar faces returning from last season’s successful team, but the Warriors will also be relying on several new players to step into important roles.

Blizzard said the offseason provided those players with an opportunity to develop through spring practice, summer workouts and camps. While several newcomers have impressed the coaching staff, the real test will come when they experience varsity action under the Friday night lights.

“We’ve got some guys that we still have to see what’s going to happen on Friday night,” Blizzard said. “We’re excited about them. We’ve got some key players in spots, and we really don’t know exactly how they’re going to perform until we get out there.”

Among the biggest changes will come at quarterback, where Gordon Central will have a new starter this season. The Warriors will also feature an almost entirely new secondary, putting several players without significant Friday night experience into key positions.

Despite that inexperience, Blizzard said those players have put in the necessary work to prepare themselves for the season.

“We’ve got pretty much a whole new secondary,” Blizzard said. “Those are some guys that don’t really have Friday night experience that are stepping into those roles, but they’ve been doing the things that they need to do in order to prepare and get ready for Friday night games.”

Blizzard has also been encouraged by the approach his team has taken throughout the offseason. With plenty of new faces in the program, he said the emphasis has been on making incremental progress each day.

“Every day you come in and try to get a little bit better, and that’s what our kids have done,” Blizzard said.

Leadership will also be important as Gordon Central attempts to build on last season. Blizzard said several players have begun stepping into those responsibilities and learning what it takes to lead their teammates.

“Leadership is something you kind of step into, and you’ve got to learn it,” Blizzard said. “We’ve got kids who have stepped up and taken roles in that, and they’re doing a great job with it.”

After an eight-win season, Gordon Central enters 2026 with a mixture of proven returners and inexperienced players preparing for larger roles. For Blizzard and the Warriors, the next step will be seeing how that offseason work translates when the lights come on and another season of Gordon Central football gets underway.

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Sonoraville Looks to New Faces, Returning Experience Ahead of 2026 Football Season

The Sonoraville Phoenix will feature plenty of new faces on offense this fall, but head coach Denver Pate believes a productive offseason has helped prepare his team for the challenges ahead.

Sonoraville is coming off a 5-6 season in 2025, including a 4-4 mark in region play. Pate said the Phoenix had strong participation throughout the spring and summer as several players worked to step into larger roles.

“I thought we had a good summer,” Pate said. “We had good attendance. We got a lot of new faces in some critical areas, so getting those guys in here this summer and allowing them to get a lot of reps in hopefully will pay dividends for us this fall.”

Most of the turnover comes on offense, where Sonoraville must replace its leading passer, rusher and receiver from last season.

Defensively, however, the Phoenix return more experience after being forced to play several younger players a year ago. Pate said Sonoraville started three freshmen on defense last season, giving those players valuable varsity experience heading into 2026.

One of the biggest changes will come at quarterback, where Jacob Hood is expected to take over the offense. Hood already has varsity experience on the defensive side of the ball, and Pate believes his athleticism could give the Phoenix a different dimension at quarterback.

“He’s more of a dual threat than we’ve had in the past,” Pate said. “He can pull it down, and he’s got good wheels. In the past, we’ve had more pocket passers, so it makes it interesting, but it allows us to bring out another dimension offensively.”

The Phoenix will also look to Rush Falk and Josiah Cruz to carry much of the workload in the running game. While Sonoraville will be breaking in new starters at several skill positions, Pate said the offensive line will be an important source of experience and leadership.

“We’re going to go as they go,” Pate said of the offensive line. “We’re going to rely heavily on these guys to lead us this fall.”

On defense, Pate pointed to the inside linebacker group as one of the team’s strengths, with returning starters expected to provide stability and leadership.

Sonoraville also has athleticism on the perimeter with Braxton McMahan and Gunner Washington. Washington started at cornerback as a freshman last season and is expected to contribute on both sides of the football this year. Pate said both Washington and McMahan are accomplished track athletes who performed well in sectional and state competition.

The Phoenix hope to use that speed to create opportunities in space.

“We’re looking forward to being able to try to get the ball on the perimeter and see what they can do,” Pate said.

Pate also expects the kicking game to be a strength for Sonoraville as the Phoenix prepare for the new season.

While several players will be stepping into new roles, Pate said he has been encouraged by the attitude and work ethic he has seen throughout the offseason.

“The kids have been very respectful, very hard-working,” Pate said. “I’m looking forward to these guys putting their best foot forward this fall.”

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Calhoun Yellow Jackets look to build on region championship season in 2026

The Calhoun Yellow Jackets are preparing for the 2026 football season with plenty of new faces stepping into larger roles, but head coach Clay Stephenson likes what he has seen from his team throughout the spring and summer.

Calhoun is coming off a strong 2025 campaign that saw the Yellow Jackets finish 9-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 in region play, capturing the region championship.

Despite that success, Stephenson said his returning players entered the offseason feeling like they still had more to accomplish.

“Spring and summer have been great. Kids are working hard,” Stephenson said. “We kind of left last year a little bit unfulfilled, so the seniors have really been working hard.”

One of Calhoun’s biggest challenges will be replacing a large and experienced senior class. The Yellow Jackets lost 26 seniors from last year’s squad, leaving a number of positions open heading into the new season.

“We lost a lot of great seniors last year,” Stephenson said. “A lot of positions are up for grabs, and competition is great for everyone. I feel like it pushes everybody on the team to get better.”

While there are holes to fill, Calhoun does return some significant talent.

Leading the Yellow Jackets will be four-star quarterback Trace Hawkins, who has committed to continue his football career at Clemson University. Hawkins enters the season as one of the key pieces of a Calhoun offense looking to help the program make another run at a region title and beyond.

Stephenson said having standout players returning is important, but Calhoun’s success will also depend on finding players capable of filling the numerous other roles across the offense, defense and special teams.

“We’ve got some great players returning, no doubt, that we’re definitely proud of,” Stephenson said. “But when you look at a football roster, you’ve got 11 starters on offense, defense, special teams, 11 backups of those, so that’s up into the 60s of players that you need on a team.”

As those position battles continue, Stephenson said one of the most encouraging aspects of the preseason has been the chemistry developing within the team.

“I think that team chemistry is great,” Stephenson said. “This year we’ve got a lot of guys who’ve been together for a long time, and they’re ready to just get back out there. I’m hoping that chemistry that we seem to be building carries over into the fall and helps win some games.”

Calhoun will also be looking for a new group of leaders to emerge following the departure of last year’s seniors, several of whom had been two- and three-year starters.

Stephenson said the players who spent the past few seasons waiting behind that experienced group are now getting their opportunity.

“A lot of them have waited their turn,” Stephenson said. “The upcoming juniors and seniors, and even sophomores coming up this year, have really had to — like I said — it’s kind of open season for who’s going to fill those roles. So it’s been a lot of good, friendly competition.”

With Hawkins leading a talented group of returners and plenty of competition underway for the vacancies left by last year’s senior class, Stephenson and the Yellow Jackets will spend the final weeks of the preseason working to put the pieces together for another run in 2026.