Louisiana Football Magazine 2026 Class 8 Man Football Football Preview (Written by Lee Brecheen)

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8 Man Louisiana Football Teams

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Franklin Academy Cougars

Head Coach:Storm Ridgeway(1^st year)

2025 Record:3-8

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to Lee High School in Arkansas.

2026 Non District Games:Week 1 Marvelle Academy in Arkansas(Home), Week 2 Tallulah Academy(Away), Week 3 Tensas Academy(Home), Week 4 Claiborne Academy(Home) Week 6 Briarfield Academy(Away) HS,Week 7 Porters Chapel Mississippi(Home), and Week 8 Magnola Christian(Home)

Team Outlook: “Very happy to be here at Franklin Academy High School," said coach Ridgeway. “Everyone in the community, school, parents, and kids all want to win and support the school.” “I am also excited that enrollment is increasing with the kids in the school.” “The team had a good Spring, very promising for this year.” “Kids will need to learn a new Offense to install the Split back Veer.”

The Cougars have 2 quarterbacks that can and will play in 2026: Jesse Killingsworth 5'7" 145 pounds with 4.6 speed in the forty, a 3-year starter, and when not at QB will be the team's best RB. There's also Baylor Lee Anderson 5'10" 158 pounds, another 3-year starter and leader who also will play some RB/WR/CB for the team with very good speed.

More key players to watch will be WR/Safety Jackson Ferrington 5'9" 155 pounds, a 3-year starter, RB/LB Hunter Arnold 6'0" 165 pounds, Center Hayden Dotson 5'8" 155 pounds, a 3-year starter, OL/DL John Randall Faulk 5'10" 165 pounds, RB/DB Kayden Cole 5'10" 170 pounds, a big-time playmaker on offense, LB/RB Colten Allen 5'10" 175 pounds, a newcomer, and DB Christian Wells 5'10" 160 pounds, another new starter in the program.

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Claiborne Academy Rebels

| Nate Smith

| Photo provided by Nate Smith

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Head Coach:Chase Hammons(1^st year)

2025 Record:9-3

2025 Playoffs:Made the Quarterfinals played Delta Academy Mississippi and Newton HS in Mississippi.

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Tensas Academy HS, Week 2 Riverdale HS, Week 3 Franklin Academy HS, Week 4 Prairie View Academy, Week 5 Ben Ford HS.

Team Outlook: “Should be really good with a few players coming back with experience," said coach Hammons. “We did graduate some good players but lost only 4 seniors from the 2025 team.” “The Defense we will be led by our Linebackers.”

Head Coach Chase Hammons might be the new head coach in 2026, but he is not new to the program. Hammons was the Offensive Coordinator for Claiborne Academy in 2024 and 2025.

The offense will have a new starting quarterback, Craten Ware 5'11" 165 pounds, a really good athlete who had a good spring/summer. The big playmaker for the team on offense returns in WR/Safety Nate Smith 5'10" 170 pounds SR with legit 4.59 speed in the forty (All-State 2 times in track) with over 700 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns in 2025. Smith also has 11 interceptions on defense in his career.

More key players to watch are OL/DL Ben Barnette 6'0" 195 pounds, RB/LB Brice Harden 5'10" 200 pounds, RB John Henry Haynes 5'9" 165 pounds, WR/OLB Lane Sexton 5'10" 170 pounds, a 3-year starter and leading tackler since 2024 on defense, and also returning will be All-State linebacker in 2024 Maddox Gaston 5'11" 175 pounds, who also had 400 yards receiving in 2025 on offense.

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Briarfield Academy Rebels

Head Coach:Beau Travis(10^th year)

2025 Record:8-3

2025 Playoffs:2^nd Round lost to Tallulah Academy HS

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Tunica Mississippi (Away), Week 2 Deer Creek HS Mississippi (Away), Week 3 Humphrey’s HS Mississippi (Home), Week 4 Tensas Academy HS (Home), Week 5 Franklin Academy HS (Home), Week 6 Prairie View Academy HS (Away), Week 7 River Oaks HS (Away).

Team Outlook: “We have all our skill players returning in 2026," said coach Travis. “We also return some of our faster players.” “We just need everybody to buy in and be hungry.” “The product of success can lull people to sleep so staying motivated is the key for our program.”

The program has a couple of kids that will both see time at Quarterback/Kicker Davis Holt 5-11 170 also a Defensive Back on Defense, and Trecin Baker 5-10 168 has legit 4.48 speed in the forty will also play RB/LB/WR/DB for the team.

More key players to watch will be OG/DE Deacon Howard 6-1 180,OL/DE Brody Benton 5-11 205,big time playmaker on Offense and Defense MLB/RB Zach Lovell 5-7 170,RB/LB Jack Woodall 5-8 165,and TE/DE Lane Harvey 6-1 180 a new starter in the program.

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Tensas Academy Chiefs

Head Coach:Justin Osborne(1^st year)

2025 Record:3-7

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to Tunica Mississippi HS

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Discovery HS(Away), Week 2 Prentiss Academy Mississippi (Home), Week 3 Franklin Academy HS (Away), Week 4 Riverdale HS (Home), Week 5 Briarfield Academy HS (Away), Week 6 Tallulah Academy (Away), and Week 8 Claiborne Academy HS (Home).

Team Outlook: “Numbers are up for the program which is exciting," said coach Osborne. “The Foundation is here.” “ We have a really good Weight Room, Football Field, and Locker Room so all the facilities are where they need to be for us to be successful.”  “This will be my 1^st year coaching in 8 man football coming over from 11 man football.” “We also have 24 players in the program and I'm excited about the future of the Chiefs program.”

Head Coach Justin Osborne is an alum of Ouachita Christian High School in Monroe and, back in the day, played football for OCS, Class of 2002.

Key players to watch are QB/WR Cade Hankin 6'3" 185 pounds, RB/LB Toby Matthews 5'10" 200 pounds, a 3-year starter, LB/HB/WR Drake Wallace 5'10" 175 pounds, DB/HB/TE Carter Alrdy 6'0" 175 pounds, LB Witt Carpenter 5'9" 165 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader, and OC/OG/DL Vance Herring 6'3" 225 pounds.

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Ben Ford Christian Eagles

| Chris Kuhn

| Photo provided by Chris Kuhn

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| Brody Applewhite

| Photo provided by Brody Applewhite

Head Coach:Destin Pittman(7^th year)

2025 Record:6-5

2025 Playoffs:Did not play for Playoffs in 2025 but did compete in 8 man Championships in Panama City, Florida. 1^st Round beat Acadiana Christian from Lafayette, and 2^nd Round lost to South Hampton HS in Virginia.

2026 Non District Games: Week 0 Coastal Elite Mississippi (Away), Week 1 Woodville Mississippi (Home), Week 2 Sylva Bay Academy Mississippi (Home), Week 3 Central Holmes Christian Mississippi (Home), Week 4 Heritage Christian Mississippi (Home), Week 5 Christ Covenant Mississippi (Away),and Week 6 River Oaks (Away at West Monroe HS).

Team Outlook: “Sky is the limit with this team," said coach Pittman. “I’ve coached most of these kids since I was their little league coach going back to 5^th and 6^th grade.” “We only have 5 seniors in 2026 and will be a Junior heavy team.”

The program has always been blessed with big linemen, and in 2026 they will have some really talented linemen back like OL/DL Brody Applewhite 6'6" 270 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader, TE/FB Chris Kuhn 6'0" 220 pounds, Center/DT Kaden Dantin 5'11" 230 pounds, DE/OLB Jonah Mitchell 6'2" 205 pounds, and OL/DL Bo Keating 6'0" 250 pounds.

More key players to watch in 2026 will be QB/LSP Brayson Boyet 6'0" 175 pounds, LB Wyatt Nobles 6'0" 180 pounds, WR/DB Cole Thibodeaux 5'10" 145 pounds, TE/LB Cullen Lott 5'10" 150 pounds, RB/WR Derrick Morris 5'10" 150 pounds, QB/RB/WR Korbyn Crain 6'0" 180 pounds, LB Myles Pierce 5'9" 165 pounds, and newcomer to the program Marcus K 6'3" 190 pounds, WR/Safety, who could become a great player in his first year to ever play football.

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Tallulah Academy Trojans

Head Coach:Ryan Williams(2^nd year)

2025 Record:8-6

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round beat Heritage Academy Mississippi, Quarterfinals beat Briarfield HS, Semifinals beat Columbus, Mississippi, and State Title Game lost to Desoto Mississippi.

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 River Oaks (Away), Week 2 Franklin Academy HS (Home), Week 3 Prairie View Academy HS (Home), Week 4 Prentiss Mississippi (Away), Week 5 Deer Creek HS Mississippi (Tensas Academy HS (Home),Week 6 Columbus, Mississippi(Away), Week 7 Claiborne Academy HS (Away), Week 9 Briarfield Academy HS (Home) and Week 10 Riverdale HS (Away)

Team Outlook: “We are preaching mental toughness all Summer to our team," said coach Williams. “You win the battle in the Trenches and you win the battle in your mind.” “I am proud of our players this off season.” “We ran the levee here for close to an hour with our workouts and it’s paying off for our team.”

The Trojans have two really good quarterbacks in J.T. McDaniel 5'9" 185 pounds, a big-time athlete who is also an RB for the team, and QB Aiden Harris 5'8" 175 pounds, who played a lot in 2025. Both of these young men will be on the field at all times as playmakers and leaders.

More key players to watch will be RB/LB Cooper Ellerbee 5'10" 180 pounds, RB/Punter Kyler Hale 5'9" 175 pounds, also a long snapper for the team and a big-time playmaker, RB/WR Shephard Morgan 6'0" 185 pounds, WR/TE/DE/DT Denton Ray 6'1" 220 pounds, a tough kid, WR/DB Courtland Collins 5'8" 145 pounds, TE/LB/DE/Kicker Kennedy Collins 5'7" 175 pounds, Center/DL Jay Olivoe 6'1" 185 pounds, OL/DL/LSP Caleb Grady 6'2" 275 pounds, Stewart Grady 6'2" 265 pounds, OL/DL Tristian Butler 6'2" 180 pounds, DT Carter Marsh 5'7" 175 pounds, CB Bronson Lopez 5'9" 165 pounds, and CB J.C. Noland 5'11" 140 pounds.

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Prairie View Academy Spartans

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| Nathan Stokes

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

| Kasen Sistrunk

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

| Justin Brewer

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

Head Coach:Trey McLeland(1^st year)

2025 Record:9-2

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Faithful Explorers Mississippi (Home), Week 2 Tallulah Academy (Home), Week 3 Newton Academy Mississippi (Away), Week 4 Riverdale HS (Home), Week 5 Discovery Christian HS Mississippi (Home), Week 6 Briarfield Academy (Away), Week 7 Christ Covenant Mississippi (Away), Week 10 Delta Streets Academy Mississippi (Away)

Team Outlook: “We lost a lot of talent and experience to graduation, including several multi-year starters, so there will be a learning curve early in the season," said coach McLeland. “However, we feel good about the players we have returning and the young talent coming up through the program.” “The key for us will be gaining experience through meaningful reps and continuing to improve each week.” “If we can do that, we believe we’ll be playing our best football when it matters most.” 

The offense will be led at quarterback by Nathan Stokes 6'0" 150 pounds, TE Spencer Harrell 6'0" 160 pounds, RB Justin Brewer 5'9" 160 pounds, and 2-way starters WR/DB Smith Murphy 5'10" 160 pounds and WR/DB Evan Morris 6'3" 160 pounds.

More players to watch will be LB Kason Sistrunk 5'8" 160 pounds, LB Christian Brown 6'1" 160 pounds, OL Jason Doyon 5'10" 175 pounds, OL Lucas Sanders 6'1" 350 pounds, OL/LB Wiley Taylor 5'8" 225 pounds, and LB Bryant Coulter 5'11" 165 pounds.

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Riverdale Rebel Man

Head Coach:Denver Williams(1^st year)

2025 Record:0-9

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 WCCA,Week 2 River Oaks, Week 3 Bye,Week 4 Tensas Academy, Week 5 Prairie View Academy, Week 6 Claiborne Academy, Week 7 Porters Chapel Mississippi, Week 8 Claiborne Academy.

Team Outlook: “We are hoping to have a football season in 2026," said coach Williams. “We have until July 31^st to see if we will have a team in 2026.” We need at least 12 players to play in 2026, and as of July 16^th we have only 3 players on the team.” “I am a Alum class of 2022 and played football for Riverdale Academy HS as a Offensive and Defensive Lineman.” “I was the Offensive Line and Defensive Line coach in 2025 for Riverdale and 2024.”

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River Oaks Mustangs

Head Coach:Bo Barton(3^rd year)

2025 Record: 11-0

2025 Playoffs: State Champions beating Humphreys Academy Mississippi 22-8. 

Team Outlook: The Mustangs won the State Title in 8 Man Football in 2025 and in 2024 were National Champions in 8 man.

I was not able to get in touch with the head coach after several phone calls to do an interview. I wish the program the best in 2026 and hope to be able to cover the players in the future.

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