Inside District 10: 2026 4A & 6A Football Season Preview
Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 10, News, pfn
Shane Lux | August 27, 2026
6A
McDowell Trojans
Head Coach – Aaron Slocum
Key Starters Returning
Joseph Clark, Joe McLaughlin, Andrew Tarasovitch, Deonte Flemings
Outlook – McDowell will look to remain the kings of 6A in District 10. To do so, they’ll need to replace Region Player of the Year, Brody Bonsell, alongside key skill players like Owen Haffey and Kameron Bastow. They will also look to improve from their 3-8 campaign a season ago.
Erie Royals
Head Coach – Andre Henderson
Key Starters Lost
Paul Johnson
Natavion Tenon
Tahjae Thomas
Nijon Young,
Lykure Stanback
Returning Starters
Mike Henry – RB, 5’11, 190, 2027
Edwin Guzman – OT, 6’7, 300, 2027
Alan Anderson – OL, 5’10, 310, 2027
Emari Beason – OL/DE, 6’1, 240, 2029
Sheiede Smith – RB/S, 5’7, 165, 2027
Travis Barnes – OL/DL, 5’9, 250, 2028
Chad Duck – LB, 5’10, 210, 2027
Jordan Selby – 5’10, 170, 2027
Key Newcomers
Jack Musone – QB
Adlen Gilmore – WR/SS
Jordan Selby – WR/CB
Darry Woodard – RB
Andre Carson – MLB
Season Outlook
We expect to finish with a winning record, win the Region Championship, capture the District 10 Championship, and make a strong run in the PIAA state playoffs while competing with Pennsylvania’s best teams.
4A
Cathedral Prep Ramblers
Head Coach – Mike Mischler
Key Starters Lost
Maxwell Spaulding OL/DL
Matthew Oblich WR/S
Jack Adams OL/DL
Davin Friedman QB
Gavin Easter WR/CB
Returning Starters
Cam Miller MLB/FB 6′ 2″ 221 2027;
Tucker Palotas ILB/TE 6′ 2″ 205 2028;
Kholton Cleveland G/DT 6′ 2″ 275 2027;
Da’Zarie Carson RB/SS 5′ 11″ 205 2027;
Mason Keister 5′ 10″ 236 2028;
Thomas Goodwin, Jr. WR/CB 5′ 08″ 141 2027;
Jameson Hertel TE/OLB 6′ 00″ 195 2027;
Jose Colon C/DT 5′ 10″ 240 2027;
Brycen Brooks DE 6′ 1″ 165 2027
Key Newcomers
Zion Clark WR/CB 2027;
Eli Elwell WR/S 2028;
Javon’tae Hampton T/NG 2027;
Christian Hutcherson G/NG 2029;
Alex Kamholz QB 2027;
Jackson Lauria WR 2028;
Joseph Makela RB/SS 2028;
Broegan McCarthy QB 2028;
Deangelo Nolen G/NG 2027;
Montrell Stonewall RB/OLB 2028;
Sawyer Whitney RB/SS 2028
Outlook –
On offense, the loss of key linemen and a two-year starter at QB leaves huge holes to fill. QB position is up for grabs between Alex Kamholz ’27 and Broegan McCarthy ’28. Two returning starters on the OL are Kholton Cleveland 2027 and Jose Colon 2027, but several spots will need replacing. RB room is a team strength, led by returning 1000 yd. rusher Da’Zarie Carson 2027, with 3-4 extremely capable RBs to push Carson for time.
Thomas Goodwin, Jr. 2027 and Robbie Brown 2027 provide some depth at the WR position, with many young guys pushing for a spot. The kicking game is untested and will be competed for between soccer players Zeke Rees ’28 and Andrew Spitzer ’27, with Will Baumann ’30 waiting in the wings. The Ramblers have multiple guys who can run and have concentrated on improving their special teams in the offseason. They should see marked improvement if they figure out the kicking game.
The defense is stacked at the LBer level with returning starters and potential all-state players Cam Miller 2027 and Tucker Palotas 2028, both named captain of the 2026 squad along with two-way linemen Cleveland. Newcomers Sawyer Whitney 2028 and Joey Makela 2028 will strengthen the defense at the nickel spot, and returning starter Jameson Hertel 2027 and Montrell Stonewall 2028 vie for the OLB positions. Eli Elwell 2028, Thomas Goodwin, Jr. 2027, Robbie Brown 2027, and Zion Clark 2027 will anchor the defensive backfield, with many younger players poised to make a run for a starting position.
The defensive line has two returning starters in Mason Keister 2028 and Brycen Brooks 2027, who will be joined by Cleveland ’27, Colon ’27, Javon’Tae Hampton 2027, William Welch 2028, and Deangelo Nolen 2027 to round out depth on the DL. The offseason was busy with many players actively in the weight room. A repeat performance of last year would be a huge disappointment for this team. The Ramblers must avoid key injuries and figure out the QB position early. The defense gave up record points and yardage last season. If they don’t improve in this area greatly, they will be in for a tough year again, but most likely expect the Ramblers to rebound in a big way.
General McLane Lancers
Head Coach – Marshall McCormick
Key Starters Returning
Caiden Holler, Mitch Kovski, PJ Mitchell, Cole Gillette, Andrew Kennedy, Greedy Sharp, Charlie Bennett, Gabe Montroy
Outlook – General McLane will look to reclaim their District 10 crown after falling just short a season ago. The Lancers will need to replace the 2,700 yards and 30 touchdowns Matt Caro gave them through the air a season ago. Caiden Holler, a Maine recruit, returns after catching 33 passes for 473 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had 60 tackles and led the team in sacks. Though they lost their top three receivers to graduation, McLane returns three offensive linemen to lead the way.
Meadville Bulldogs
Head Coach – Ray Collins
Key Starters Returning
Hudson Palmiero, Keithen Arnold, Luke Curtiss, Dane Moody
Outlook – Meadville will look to return to the District 10 playoffs after a 4-6 season in 2025. The Bulldogs return an experienced offensive line but will need to replace the 1,651 yards and 14 touchdowns Jordan Lawrence provided. Tymir Phillips, who was an all-state selection, was also lost to graduation after rushing and receiving for over 600 yards. Quarterback Jacoby Thompson will also need to be replaced after accounting for over 1,000 total offensive yards and 18 touchdowns.
Franklin Knights
Head Coach – Austin Ion
Key Starters Returning
Caiden Mincer, Jacob Riddle, Aaron Moore, Kaiden Kelselka, Anthony Martin
Outlook – Under first-year head coach Austin Ion, the Knights will look to improve from their 1-9 season a year ago. Franklin returns leading rusher Caiden Mincer.
Harbor Creek Huskies
Head Coach – John Angerer
Returning Starters
Tyler Angerer, OG and DE, 6’0, 220, SR/
Jacob Smith, OT and DE, 6’6, 220, SR/
Conner Fortin, QB,6’2, 190, JR/
Gavin Zillman, RB and DB, 6’0, 180, SR/
Brady Powers, RB and DB, 5’9, 180, JR/
Brady Wassell, OL and LB, 6’0, 210, SR/
Eion Eighmy, RB and LB, 5’10, 185, Soph/
Caspin Herman,DB, 5’8, 150, SR/
Joe Wagner, K/P,6’2,175, SR
Outlook – Moving up to AAAA, the Huskies will need to improve their level of play to stay competitive. Harbor Creek can do that thanks to Gavin Zillman returning. Zillman rushed for nearly 1,400 yards and 13 touchdowns a season ago, while also throwing for 271 yards and four scores.
Coach Comments – We want to field a competitive team in all aspects: offense/defense/special teams. We are looking to improve on last year’s 4-6 record while filling many key positions.
Oil City Oilers
Head Coach – Dan York
Key Starters Returning
Noah Lucarelli, Abdul Stanton, Blake Stevens, My’Saun Mills, Lucas Wolf, Deryk DeLong, Tyson Sinelinger
Outlook – What’s in store for the defending District 10 champions? Oil City brings back two all-state players, Blake Stevens and Noah Lucarelli. The Oilers lose co-Region 6 player of the year, quarterback Cole Findlay, who passed for 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns while also rushing for 786 yards and 10 scores. Tailback Steven Heise, who ran for a team-high 1,346 yards and 18 touchdowns, was also lost to graduation.
Warren Dragons
Head Coach – Jodi Baum
Key Starters Returning
Charlie Blum, Parker Kiser, Ayden Corbett, Aiden Eger
Outlook – Warren enters 2026 under the direction of first-year head coach Jodi Baum. The Dragons will look to keep improving after their 24-game losing streak ended last season with a 14-6 victory over Franklin. Ayden Corbett and Aiden Eger both return to the backfield, having rushed for a combined 916 yards and six touchdowns as sophomores.
