After a long 2025 season, the OHS football team is ready to show off a roster full of hardworking and skillful players. With a batch of talented seniors departing for the next chapter of their lives, Coach Ben Kullos and his team will display a new generation of talent.
A major value of the new coaching staff has been consistent practice. Daily first-hour power training and offseason practices are keeping the OHS football players in shape for the next season. The OHS football program is prepared to prove itself this 2026 season with a similar schedule to last year.
“We can win more games. There were some games that we should have won that we lost, like Corona Del Sol and Red Mountain,” said Nikos Stavro, junior.
Other than those schools that should have been victories for the Eagles, there is a lot to still prepare for. As a 6A team, many other schools in the division display an array of talent, while the OHS team needs to adjust to their new players and staff.
“A lot of new coaches [are] coming in, trying to make the team put back together. We have a lot of talent coming in,” said Jake Gumbert, sophomore.
A solid coaching staff is essential to success. Coach Kullos has been hiring some of the best high school football coaches in the state, trying to harness a secure organization as fast as possible with the 2026 season being Kullos’ second year as head coach.
“We’re preparing mentally [and] physically, getting acclimated to what we need to be doing, preparing for next season knowing our schedule is hard, but that’s no excuse,” said Jason Roose, sophomore.
Preparing for the next season is something that the upcoming varsity team has gotten a head start on.
“Everyone’s working hard, [we are] very motivated, and [there are] a lot of new players,” said Jeremy Adeyanju, junior.
Working harder than the year before means building new habits. The coaching staff is starting to instill mental and physical routines that will help players establish a committed mindset.
“We’re starting [powertraining] at seven [in the morning] now. So, we’re doing stuff on the fields, and we’re going to have a lot more that we’re going to do,” Stavros said.
The team practices during the school year, but also during the summer. While some OHS students will be out of the state, ready to take a break from their school-time duties, other players will be practicing hard for their next season in the fall of 2026.
“We just need to keep working over the summer. We will have our team put back together by the season,” Gumbert said.
The new and current coaching staff is ready to make a disciplined team out of these boys. It is crucial to keep the boys in check when it comes to teaching compliance for their futures.
“When someone is late, we have to own it on behalf of the whole team. We have to do 30 seconds [of core] for every person who is late and not here,” said Chase Bigler, junior.
Coach Kullos and his staff are more than ready for the next season.
“[Coach] knows what he’s doing. We’re ready,” Bigler said. “Last year we had bigger guys but we definitely have the heart.”
