Week 1 of the 2026 high school football season in Ohio is here. Let’s take a look at how teams stack up in the Stark County area via a power poll.
We’ll break it into two groups — a big-school poll for Divisions I-II and a smaller-school poll for Divisions III-VII.
Massillon and West Branch ended last season in the No. 1 spots of the two polls, respectively. And that’s right where they’ll begin 2026.
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Big Schools (OHSAA Divisions I-II)
1, Massillon (9-4 last year)
What to know: It’s difficult to consider any other team for the top spot when Massillon has won 28 consecutive games against Stark County opponents, including 10 straight over rival McKinley. And, anyway, these Tigers are loaded. The Feister brothers — Brayton and Brydon — have transferred from Hoban and join D1 college commits in Massillon such as WR-CB Deontay Malone (Ohio State), RB Savior Owens (Michigan State), S Braylon Gamble (Boston College) and WR Giorgio Jackson Jr. (Miami, OH). Brayton Feister committed to Oregon on Aug. 14. After winning the 2023 state championship, Massillon has fallen in regional finals the last two seasons. This Tigers team certainly has the firepower to get past that level and back to the title game.
2, Canton McKinley (9-3)
What to know: Renzy Parnell’s first year as Bulldogs coach was a success in many ways. Year 2 should be even better. McKinley returns an impressive array of talent, led by junior RB Kyelin West and seniors Antonio Stevens, Amare Mitchell and Shad Davis on defense. The Bulldogs went 6-0 in Federal League play last year to win a fourth consecutive league title. The 10-game losing streak to Massillon looms over the Bulldogs like a dark cloud. But there are other droughts they would like to erase as well. The Bulldogs haven’t earned double-digit wins or been past the third round of the playoffs since 2006.
3, Jackson (6-6)
What to know: The Polar Bears have plenty of reasons to be excited for 2026. DE Reese Myers is one of the best defensive players in the area. RB Chase Maurer is back and healthy after missing most of last season with a collarbone injury. Carter Muhleman looked very good in his opportunities to play last year and now is the QB1. Jackson has the kind of depth and playmaking that could make for a special season.
4, Lake (7-4)
What to know: The Blue Streaks are in a good stretch of football, going 12-2 in 2022, 9-4 in 2023, 7-5 in 2024 and 7-4 in 2025. A full season of Ty DeGeorge would go a long way in making it a fifth straight winning season for Lake. The dynamic DeGeorge, who played less than five full games last year because of an ankle injury, should be all over the field for Lake. DE-FB Aaron Mitchell is another three-year varsity starter along with DeGeorge.
5, Louisville (6-5)
What to know: The Leopards earned their first playoff berth since 2015 last season (every team got in the playoffs in 2020), and they are capable of building off that. UConn commit Aden Norris and fellow D1 recruit Trevor Burick anchor the offensive line for new coach Jake Adkins. Owen Wilson could be in line for a big junior season at running back and linebacker after his sophomore season was cut short because of injury.
Others: GlenOak (2-8), Green (6-6), Hoover (9-3), Perry (5-5)
Small Schools (OHSAA Divisions III-VII)
1, West Branch (10-2)
What to know: The Warriors graduated a ton of talent from last year’s team, including two-time first-team All-Ohioan Jeremiah Thomas and University of Cincinnati recruit Gavin Gregory. But there always seems to be talent in Beloit. Youngstown State commit Grady Hirst returns at quarterback and D1 prospect Landon Coffee — a junior TE-DE who goes 6-6 and 225 pounds — steps into a bigger role for a West Branch program that has won six consecutive EBC championships and 31 straight league games. The Warriors have reached double-figure wins each of the past five seasons.
2, Manchester (8-4)
What to know: The Panthers are 19-6 the past two seasons and hoping to continue their resurgence under coach Kevin Stacy. A full season of RB Phil Partin would help. After 1,941 yards and first-team All-Ohio status as a sophomore, Partin was limited to six games last year because of injury. He still rushed for 1,141 yards. He’ll have a strong offensive line led by tackle Blaze Johnson to run behind.
3, Alliance (8-3)
What to know: The Aviators are retooling after graduating a good senior class that included standout quarterback JR Jackson, who accounted for 3,269 yards and 35 touchdowns last year. LB Brody Fast and OL Gavin Offill are two of the veteran leaders who should keep Alliance a threat to West Branch’s supremacy in the EBC.
4, Canton South (5-6)
What to know: After consecutive sub-.500 seasons, the Wildcats look to bounce back under new coach Badre Bardawil. He’ll have an experienced quarterback to work with in Brodee Beegle, along with impactful skill players such as brothers Torez and Braylon Conley.
5, Northwest (6-5)
What to know: Northwest has been a consistent winner under coach John DeMarco, now in his seventh season. Northwest is 42-24 during his tenure, including 29-10 with two championships in PAC-7 play. DeMarco will build this year’s team around outstanding senior linebackers Jakob Garber and Conner Stephenson.
Others: Carrollton (4-6), Central Catholic (1-9), East Canton (10-3), Fairless (4-6), Malvern (7-5), Marlington (3-7), Minerva (5-5), Sandy Valley (0-10), St. Thomas Aquinas (0-10), Tuslaw (4-6)
Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com
On X: @jweirREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio high school football 2026 Stark County area preseason power poll
Reporting by Josh Weir, Canton Repository / The Repository
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By Josh Weir, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
