10 storylines to follow in 2026 PIAA football season at Butler, Karns City, Moniteau, Mars and more
The high school football season begins in just two weeks, and Butler County teams’ rosters and expectations are starting to take shape.
Here is one storyline from each local team to follow when as the 2026 season gets underway.
The Golden Tornado’s downhill, physical run game of 2025 is giving way to a thunder-and-lightning combo of seniors Jake Kollinger and Kevin Shriver, who last year combined for just nine carries and 53 yards.
Kollinger provides the between-the-tackles physical running, and Shriver, one of the WPIAL’s best sprinters on the track, brings the speed. Returning quarterback Nicco Baggetta is a tweener of the two, giving Butler (7-3 in 2025) even more dynamism in the run game.
The Tornado are excited about the possibilities.
“I’ve kind of focused on speed and agility more this year just because (as a) fullback, you don’t really need as much,” Kollinger said.
“(Shriver’s) definitely stronger than he was last year, and I think he’s gonna be a problem,” fullback-turned-center Jordan Vicari said.
– Jake Merda Adams
The Yellowjackets (9-5) will undergo some turnover at the top this season, having graduated offensive stars Drew Ross and Amos Glenn, the former of which is at Westminster now and the latter attempting to walk on at Indiana (Pa.), per his former Freeport teammates.
Senior Danny King steps in for Ross, while classmate Brayden Pomaybo takes over for Glenn in offensive coordinator Dylan Henderson’s attack.
“We run a no-huddle offense, so we’re able to tire (defenses) out quickly,” senior center/defensive tackle Cameron Manke said. “So getting to the line quick, opening the holes is a key for us.”
Sometimes in practice, the pace on that side of the ball acts as conditioning.
“It definitely catches other teams off guard,” senior receiver Brycen Paga said. “We are well conditioned.”
– Brendan Howe
The Gremlins’ defense is switching to a 3-4 formation after running with four defensive linemen in recent years.
“We are senior-heavy at linebacker and in the secondary,” Karns City (9-3) coach Joe Sherwin said. “A 3-4 fits our personnel a bit more this season.”
Returning starters at linebacker include Shane Emrick and Ronald Szczygiel, who combined for 141 tackles in 2025. Also returning in the defensive backfield are cornerback Owen Kaufman and safeties Cole Johnston and Bryce Galan. The trio accounted for eight turnovers between interceptions and fumble recoveries last year and broke up nine pass attempts.
KC’s change in strategy is due, in part, to the graduation loss of defensive end Mason Bell, who totaled 39 sacks and 69 tackles for loss in his varsity career.
– Derek Pyda
The Knights aim to build a winning culture, and having a player like senior linebacker Carter Beres on the roster can only help them in that regard.
He was one of the few bright spots on last season's 0-10 squad, making 16 of his 75 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
“Playing on the outside is his best position, though he played middle linebacker in a few games out of necessity,” Knoch coach TJ Wiley said.
In a series of 7-on-7 scrimmages at Grove City High School's Forker Field last month, Beres intercepted five passes in six games.
Beres will also factor into the offense as an H-back.
“He's athletic and big (6-feet-1, 220 pounds),” Wiley said. “He can be dynamic at that position.”
– Pyda
The Planets (8-3) established themselves as a perennial WPIAL contender under former head coach Eric Kasperowicz, who brought Mars to a pair of Class 4A semifinals. With Kasperowicz off to North Hills, he was replaced by a relative unknown in 25-year-old Zachary Benedek.
The Planets are ready to prove doubters wrong.
“I saw (someone predict) 5-5,” senior offensive lineman/defensive tackle Jameson Dickman said. “Our mindset has always stayed the same: it’s to be the best team we can possibly be. ... It’s WPIAL championship.”
Benedek pushes his players to practice to that standard.
“I think it’s (of) big importance to recognize where we were and the success that we’ve had, but also (ask), ‘How do we break through to get to that final game? How do we get to the WPIAL championship?’” he said.
– Howe
The Warriors hope to build off of last year's 3-7 season, and the return of junior quarterback Weston Cook is one reason for optimism.
Cook passed for 944 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a sophomore.
“He had some growing pains, but as a first-year starter, we expected that,” Moniteau coach Clay Kohlmeyer said, adding Cook participated in a 7-on-7 passing scrimmage at Shenango High School in the summer after the baseball season ended.
The Warriors have switched from a Power-I offense to a more diverse scheme that will include variations of West Coast, Power-I and spread concepts. The blocking scheme is also changing from man-to-man to zone.
“Everybody seems to be using it these days, and we've been getting our guys up to speed on it,” Kohlmeyer said.
– Pyda
A 3,300-yard passer, 1,100-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver have all graduated from the Trojans’ offense. With only three defensive and two offensive starters returning, fourth-year head coach Chris Rizzo isn’t overly concerned.
“We have plenty of quality kids in this program who can make it work,” Rizzo said. “And we’ve had a good offseason.”
The Trojans (9-4) will “piece it together,” Rizzo said, with a “bunch of guys” with varsity experience. Nate Swisher and Anthony Greene will be the running backs, combining for more than 600 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Returnee Will Waskiewicz had 53 catches for 898 yards and 11 TDs.
Will Toprani, a senior who served as a backup quarterback at North the past two years after starting at Ringgold as a freshman, is the new starter under center.
– John Enrietto
Don Barclay played with the same school name across his chest his players are. The second-year head coach moved on to a successful career at West Virginia and then in the NFL.
The Raiders put up a 4-6 mark in his first season leading his alma mater.
“We’re just trying to springboard that into this season coming up,” Barclay said.
Senior Jamen Alwine slides in at quarterback, operating a spread offense that uses “a zone-based scheme with some pin-and-pull action to offset it,” Barclay said. “We want big plays. We want splash plays, and we’re just trying to put athletes in place.
Tailback Josiah Edwards and wideouts Julian Hunt and Rory O’Shea figure to be the team’s biggest playmakers.
– Howe
The Rockets (4-6) will have plenty of familiar faces on the field this fall. Nine starters — part-time or full-time — return on both sides of the ball.
It’s on the sidelines where things will look different. Steve Monteleone, last year’s offensive coordinator, replaces the departed Larry Wendereusz. Many former Rocket players comprise the staff.
“I love that because these guys have stayed involved in the community,” Monteleone said. “They’ve played for this program, and they care about this team.”
Four of the Rockets’ six losses came by 14 points or fewer.
“We were a first-half team last year,” receiver/cornerback Logan Schlobohm said. “For whatever reason, we didn’t come out in the second half and finish the job. I think we’ll be more disciplined and focused this season.”
– John Enrietto
Losing Max Gallagher and Logan Skibinski to graduation is a major blow for the Falcon Knights (10-2) after they combined for 2,400 yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground last year.
Head coach Dan Reed won’t downplay that output, but he believes he has players who can help the rushing attack remain formidable.
Junior Parker Bish, a “slasher with speed,” and sophomore Micah Kindel, a “straight-ahead runner,” offer complementary skills, he said.
“I would have been confident if they were our two backs last year because both are very talented,” Reed said. “They just weren't gonna start ahead of Max and Logan.”
Bish led the Falcon Knights in receiving yards and TDs in 2025, adding 184 rushing yards on 15 carries. Kindel rushed for 142 yards on 22 attempts.
– Pyda
