Every year as one season ends and high school football teams look ahead to the next, the first thing is take inventory. Key players graduate. How many? Who will replace them? That leads us to try and define what next year looks like most often as reboot, rebuild or maybe reload. For the 2026 Beechwood Tigers, despite losing in the state semi finals, the word for 2026 is repeat. There is a talented and deep group of players returning from a team that was the 2A state champion in 2024 and fell a 2 point conversion of returning to the title game in 2025. In 2025 the Tigers lost one regular season game to their rival Covington Catholic, and then lost that state semifinal game on the road to state runner up Owensboro Catholic when a two point try for the win fell short. It was an excellent season led by arguably the top offense in 2A.

Repeat? When the Tigers didn't win a state title? That is what defines success for a season at Beechwood. But so often we all know a state championship often comes down to a couple plays. There are a few plays that Beechwood doesn't want to repeat, but if they repeat everything else it will be another great season and very well can lead to another state title.

Key Losses: This is why it isn't rebuild or reboot. Beechwood returns the vast majority of last year's team. The key losses are standout DE Chase McDaniel, two way starter RB/LB Brody Aylor and top linemen Austin Stephenson and Carson Eshelman. The Tigers also will need to replace excellent PK Colson Lair. 

Who Returns: Every skill position player except Aylor. This may be the most talented and deep returning group of skill players I can recall at Beechwood. D1 recruit QB Emmett Queen, D1 recruit WR/S Tyler Fryman (ranked #4 player in KY), RB/WR/CB Nathan Pabst, TE/DE Bo Sowder, WR/S Caleb Arrasmith and others. The leading rusher, the top 7 receivers and 6 of the top 7 tacklers on defense all return.

Outlook: With all of that firepower returning, repeating 2025's production is certainly a reasonable expectation, even for the state's #1 scoring offense and #1 in scoring margin. The Tigers do have one challenge. It is almost always the same every year for Beechwood - the line of scrimmage. Beechwood plays a big boy schedule. Finding the size at the line of scrimmage to compete with the 6A and 5A teams is always the challenge. Who will step in to those losses in the line is the challenge for Beechwood in 2026. But programs like Beechwood do a great job building depth and turning young men into very good football players over their 4 years. There are players who have been waiting their turn and this year will be their time to step in. The Tigers will be a state title contender in 2026. Developing that line of scrimmage very well may be what makes the difference between a semifinal loss and another state title.

Edited January 10Jan 10 by Voice of Reason

I'm sure Beechwood will be in the hunt. Don't really know about the other teams and what they have. I'm also sure it will be the usual suspects contending for a State Title.

Does anyone have a rough estimate of the 2026 schedule?

46 minutes ago, FatNate said:

Does anyone have a rough estimate of the 2026 schedule?

Should be the same as last year, just flip home field. Only game I think might change is New Cath if Beechwood finds a good big school matchup as a replacement.

Here is the schedule from 2025:

Fri, Aug 29, 25 Newport Central Catholic at Covington Catholic (W) 53-6
Fri, Sep 5, 25 Dixie Heights away (W) 48-7
Fri, Sep 12, 25 Simon Kenton home (W) 45-6
Fri, Sep 19, 25 Covington Catholic home (L) 14-42
Fri, Sep 26, 25 Owen County home (W) 68-6
Fri, Oct 3, 25 Walton-Verona at Walton Verona Sports Complex (W) 69-0
Fri, Oct 10, 25 St. Henry home (W) 70-0
Fri, Oct 17, 25 Gallatin County away (W) 56-0
Fri, Oct 24, 25 Bracken County home (W) 49-6
Thu, Oct 30, 25 Campbell County home (W) 44-7
Fri, Nov 14, 25 Walton-Verona home (W) 42-7
Fri, Nov 21, 25 Prestonsburg home (W) 42-0
Fri, Nov 28, 25 Owensboro Catholic at Steele Stadium, KWC (L) 40-41

Anyone have an idea about the up and coming linemen for next season?

2 hours ago, FatNate said:

Anyone have an idea about the up and coming linemen for next season?

As I said in the intro, linemen are almost always the challenge for the Tigers - mainly from a size point of view. I can't explain why finding size is a challenge at Beechwood, but it is. 

As to specific players, I would expect Kingston Brockett, Kyle Shaw and Landry Queen to be starters. I think Jacob Bystry will most likely start. There are a number of others including Chase Wulfeck, Oliver Tieman and Abe Greber that should have a good shot at a lot of playing time. Players can grow a lot in an off season, especially sophomore to junior year so I am not counting anyone out, just going by who got more playing time last year.

On 1/19/2026 at 6:34 PM, Voice of Reason said:

As I said in the intro, linemen are almost always the challenge for the Tigers - mainly from a size point of view. I can't explain why finding size is a challenge at Beechwood, but it is. 

As to specific players, I would expect Kingston Brockett, Kyle Shaw and Landry Queen to be starters. I think Jacob Bystry will most likely start. There are a number of others including Chase Wulfeck, Oliver Tieman and Abe Greber that should have a good shot at a lot of playing time. Players can grow a lot in an off season, especially sophomore to junior year so I am not counting anyone out, just going by who got more playing time last year.

They got Oliver Tieman listed as a TE/OLB on max preps. Will be very interesting to see what this offensive line looks like next year, I can imagine they would get some transfers that could potentially compete for starting spots like they have done the past 2 years. This year may be different, I think they got enough depth and if these up and comers hit the weight room hard enough could become really good lineman for the tigers this season. I’m curious where you got the list of Bystry, Wulfeck, Tieman, and Greber did they play JV last season?

9 hours ago, Thespade said:

They got Oliver Tieman listed as a TE/OLB on max preps. Will be very interesting to see what this offensive line looks like next year, I can imagine they would get some transfers that could potentially compete for starting spots like they have done the past 2 years. This year may be different, I think they got enough depth and if these up and comers hit the weight room hard enough could become really good lineman for the tigers this season. I’m curious where you got the list of Bystry, Wulfeck, Tieman, and Greber did they play JV last season?

The names I listed came primarily from the team roster and playing time in varsity games last year. I could see Tieman at DE. 

The other thing that happens at Beechwood as they look for size on the line is they move DE's and LB's and TE's inside, especially when they get to senior year and have been in the weight room for 4 years. Look at Landry Queen. He played LB in varsity games last year and will almost surely play OL this year as well. In recent years we have seen players like Austin Waddell and Jack Meier who are really more like LB/FB players move to the line because that is where their strength was needed. Chase McDaniel played DE last year and he worked with the WR on offense. I saw him return a kickoff for a TD in a JV game. At Beechwood, players move to where the team needs them. That is the way it goes at a small school looking for size on the line.

4 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

The names I listed came primarily from the team roster and playing time in varsity games last year. I could see Tieman at DE. 

The other thing that happens at Beechwood as they look for size on the line is they move DE's and LB's and TE's inside, especially when they get to senior year and have been in the weight room for 4 years. Look at Landry Queen. He played LB in varsity games last year and will almost surely play OL this year as well. In recent years we have seen players like Austin Waddell and Jack Meier who are really more like LB/FB players move to the line because that is where their strength was needed. Chase McDaniel played DE last year and he worked with the WR on offense. I saw him return a kickoff for a TD in a JV game. At Beechwood, players move to where the team needs them. That is the way it goes at a small school looking for size on the line.

I'm curious to see in your opinion who takes the biggest leaps this off-season for the up and coming seniors. Could we expect someone surprising to steal a starting spot this season? I feel like it's always the guys with already good frames (long arms, tall, etc) that are able to take the biggest leaps filling out those frames in the weight room.

4 hours ago, Thespade said:

I'm curious to see in your opinion who takes the biggest leaps this off-season for the up and coming seniors. Could we expect someone surprising to steal a starting spot this season? I feel like it's always the guys with already good frames (long arms, tall, etc) that are able to take the biggest leaps filling out those frames in the weight room.

When August gets here, I am happy to share my thoughts.

I.M.O. Beechwood’s defense will need a major overhaul where returning players get much better and tougher as well as new players coming into the fold learn quick and make a major impact early into the season start.  If the defense finds themselves then we have a contender for a State title.

As for the offense, they’ll be ready against any team in 2A.  However; would be nice if they’d play a harder schedule outside of conference play so that they could battled tested leading into post season.

23 hours ago, Thespade said:

They got Oliver Tieman listed as a TE/OLB on max preps. Will be very interesting to see what this offensive line looks like next year, I can imagine they would get some transfers that could potentially compete for starting spots like they have done the past 2 years. This year may be different, I think they got enough depth and if these up and comers hit the weight room hard enough could become really good lineman for the tigers this season. I’m curious where you got the list of Bystry, Wulfeck, Tieman, and Greber did they play JV last season?

Bistry will be a good one! Great kid from Independence! 

17 hours ago, The_Bull44 said:

I.M.O. Beechwood’s defense will need a major overhaul where returning players get much better and tougher as well as new players coming into the fold learn quick and make a major impact early into the season start.  If the defense finds themselves then we have a contender for a State title.

As for the offense, they’ll be ready against any team in 2A.  However; would be nice if they’d play a harder schedule outside of conference play so that they could battled tested leading into post season.

The only slot to make the schedule harder AND help RPI is replace New Cath.

On 1/10/2026 at 1:16 PM, Voice of Reason said:

Every year as one season ends and high school football teams look ahead to the next, the first thing is take inventory. Key players graduate. How many? Who will replace them? That leads us to try and define what next year looks like most often as reboot, rebuild or maybe reload. For the 2026 Beechwood Tigers, despite losing in the state semi finals, the word for 2026 is repeat. There is a talented and deep group of players returning from a team that was the 2A state champion in 2024 and fell a 2 point conversion of returning to the title game in 2025. In 2025 the Tigers lost one regular season game to their rival Covington Catholic, and then lost that state semifinal game on the road to state runner up Owensboro Catholic when a two point try for the win fell short. It was an excellent season led by arguably the top offense in 2A.

Repeat? When the Tigers didn't win a state title? That is what defines success for a season at Beechwood. But so often we all know a state championship often comes down to a couple plays. There are a few plays that Beechwood doesn't want to repeat, but if they repeat everything else it will be another great season and very well can lead to another state title.

Key Losses: This is why it isn't rebuild or reboot. Beechwood returns the vast majority of last year's team. The key losses are standout DE Chase McDaniel, two way starter RB/LB Brody Aylor and top linemen Austin Stephenson and Carson Eshelman. The Tigers also will need to replace excellent PK Colson Lair. 

Who Returns: Every skill position player except Aylor. This may be the most talented and deep returning group of skill players I can recall at Beechwood. D1 recruit QB Emmett Queen, D1 recruit WR/S Tyler Fryman (ranked #4 player in KY), RB/WR/CB Nathan Pabst, TE/DE Bo Sowder, WR/S Caleb Arrasmith and others. The leading rusher, the top 7 receivers and 6 of the top 7 tacklers on defense all return.

Outlook: With all of that firepower returning, repeating 2025's production is certainly a reasonable expectation, even for the state's #1 scoring offense and #1 in scoring margin. The Tigers do have one challenge. It is almost always the same every year for Beechwood - the line of scrimmage. Beechwood plays a big boy schedule. Finding the size at the line of scrimmage to compete with the 6A and 5A teams is always the challenge. Who will step in to those losses in the line is the challenge for Beechwood in 2026. But programs like Beechwood do a great job building depth and turning young men into very good football players over their 4 years. There are players who have been waiting their turn and this year will be their time to step in. The Tigers will be a state title contender in 2026. Developing that line of scrimmage very well may be what makes the difference between a semifinal loss and another state title.

I think the line of scrimmage also won’t be as big of a challenge as people think it will be. They most likely will have 5 senior starters on the Offensive Line and these guys have played with each other for 4 years, they know the system, and have built trust and chemistry with each other. It might take longer than last year to get the ball rolling because it will be some of the guys first time starting at the varsity level, but I think towards the middle of the season this unit will start putting together some strong performances and help bring #19 back to Fort Mitchell.