In the lead-up to the 2026 Ohio high school football season, we’re previewing all the Stark County-area teams.
Today we’ll look at the Alliance Aviators. The Aviators have a lot of new faces in new places but remain a team with talent.
Here are head coach Tim Goodman’s returning lettermen, impact players, top newcomers, schedule and other tidbits for the 2026 season.
Alliance Aviators
Watch Ohio High School Football Live on NFHS Network all year
Alliance football’s returning lettermen (15)
Watch Ohio High School Football Live on NFHS Network all year
Alliance football’s impact players
Gavin Offill is one of the top offensive linemen in the area. Offill has prototypical size (6-4, 290) and has emerged as a key leader and mentor for the younger players on the team. … Brody Fast is a three-year starter at linebacker. Fast has a high motor and recorded more than 100 tackles last season. Expect him to be in on a lot of tackles this season. … Cashe Brisker and Breyonn Edwards return at safety. The secondary is often a strong unit for Alliance and Brisker and Edwards will ensure that continues. The Aviators will have two new starters at cornerback. Brisker and Edwards will help them find their way. … Jayden Lott (6-foot-1, 350 pounds) returns at nose tackle and excels at eating space and stuffing the run. He will occupy lineman and free up linebackers such as Fast and Gavin Schrader to make plays.
What’s new with Alliance football in 2026
Alliance lost quarterback-cornerback JR Jackson to graduation. Jackson was one of the most dynamic and athletic players in the area last season. Caydan Sanders will step in to his shoes at QB. Sanders is a different type of player. He was the quarterback in some goal-line sets last season and played linebacker on defense. Sanders (6-3, 194) is big, versatile and hard to tackle with just one player. He also generates a lot of velocity on his throws. … Four offensive line spots are up for grabs. Evan Grandy, Ben Melchor-Arroyo, Tonio Horton and Zayden Miles are names you can expect to see prominently in the mix. … Jackson Yost is a name to watch along the defensive line. He is likely to fill one of the spots next to Lott on the edge. … Amir Burt and Damiere Jones step in at cornerback for Jackson and Kam Burton. Both are athletic and talented and should give Alliance a strong unit in the secondary. Both are also expected to contribute on the other side of the ball at wide receiver.
Alliance’s football’s outlook
Alliance lost quite a few impact players to graduation but the cupboard is far from bare. The Aviators have an intriguing mix of athleticism, veteran players and youth. Sanders is compared to a Tim Tebow-style quarterback by head coach and has the potential to make Alliance a fun offense to watch. The defense is solid. This is a team that will likely compete for its fourth playoff appearance in five years and be near the top of the Eastern Buckeye Conference standings.
Alliance football schedule for 2026
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Alliance High School football schedule, lettermen, 2026 preview
Reporting by Cliff Hickman, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cliff Hickman, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
