2026 HS football -some old, some new

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

Some things may never change but others will when the 2026 high school football season kicks off in August. If you take out the COVID-19 season, Van Wert and Bryan have opened the regular season against each other seemingly forever and they’ll do so again this year. Crestview and Parkway met in the season opener for over 20 years (minus 2020), but they won’t square off at all this season.

Van Wert Cougars

The Cougars will continue their longstanding opening game rivalry against the Bryan Golden Bears August 21 at Eggerss Stadium. Except for the COVID-19 season of 2020, the two teams have opened the season against each other for a number of years. In fact, it’s thought to be one of Ohio’s longest season opening rivalries.

By the way – during the shortened COVID-19 regular season, the two teams were expected to meet once their respective playoff runs were complete. In 2020, the OHSAA allowed teams to schedule regular season games after a playoff loss. Just one thing – the Cougars kept winning in the postseason and went on to win the Division IV state championship.

If you’re keeping track, Van Wert has won eight straight games against the Golden Bears. Bryan’s last victory in the series came in 2016.

Van Wert’s WBL opener will be at home against Elida on August 28, giving the Cougars two straight home games to begin the season. Other regular season home games this year will be against Defiance on September 18, vs. St. Marys Memorial on October 2, and vs. Shawnee on October 16. A special dedication ceremony for the massive Eggerss Stadium renovation project is scheduled prior to the September 18 game vs. Defiance.

Crestview Knights

Crestview’s non-conference schedule is getting a two-thirds makeover.

Last season, the Knights opened the season against Parkway and powerhouse Marion Local. In 2024, the first two games were against Parkway and McComb. This year, Crestview will host a former NWC foe Paulding in the August 21 season opener. The northern Panthers are replacing Parkway, a team that the Knights faced in the season opener since 2003, except for the 2020 COVID-19 season. The Knights then will hit the road against a different, but still consistently strong team from the MAC – Minster. The third and final non-conference matchup will be a familiar one – the Wayne Trace Raiders. In addition to home games against Paulding and Wayne Trace, the Knights will also host Allen East, Bluffton and Columbus Grove.

The NWC opener for Crestview will be September 11, at Spencerville.

Other schools

After opening against Crestview since 2003, Parkway will begin the 2026 season at home against Brookville on August 21.

Wayne Trace’s non-conference schedule has the same three opponents as last year – New Bremen, Spencerville and Crestview.

Spencerville too, will have the same three non-conference opponents – Anna, Wayne Trace and Riverside, as will Delphos Jefferson, with Evergreen, Parkway and Paulding on the slate.

The Delphos St. John’s Blue Jays will see the same two non-conference opponents this season. The Blue Jays will open their season at home on Thursday, August 20 against Lehman Catholic, then will travel to Spartan Stadium to face Lima Central Catholic on Saturday, August 29.

There’s one other non-conference schedule that’s notable – Marion Local. The Flyers, who had their 76-game winning streak snapped by St. Henry in the Division VII regional final last fall, have two new non-conference opponents, Carey, and powerful Harvest Prep. Marion Local hasn’t had the same two non-conference opponents since 2021-2022.

• 2025: South Adams (IN) (W 56-0), Crestview (W 63-0)
• 2024: Linton-Stockton (IN) (W 45-6), Franklin (49-0)
• 2023: Wapakoneta (W 29-26), Franklin (W 63-7)
• 2022: Wapakoneta (W 21-7), McComb (W 42-0)
• 2021: Wapakoneta (W 31-6), McComb (W 10-0)

If you’re wondering, the last time Marion Local lost a regular season non-conference game was in Week No. 2 of the 2019 season, when the Flyers fell to Division III power Bishop-Watterson 31-7). Marion Local still has a 58-game regular season winning streak. The last regular season loss came in Week No. 8 of the 2019 season, 27-26. The Flyers went on to win the Division VII state title that season.