By: Adam Freeman
The 2026 Mt. Lion football team will be a very different group than what we have seen the last few seasons. With a high turnover of seniors and a low turnout of returners, Tucker is looking at starting multiple freshmen and sophomores on this year’s varsity squad.
We were able to get a glimpse of these youngsters last week as Tucker traveled to Philippi to take on the AA Colts. The Mt. Lions showed their youth on a few missed assignments on defense, but also showed their grit with an impressive goal-line stand inside the 5-yard line with multiple consecutive stops.
The defense featured several starting freshmen, including DT Asher Kisamore and CB Rylan Sexton. On the offensive side of the ball, the main returner from last season is starting running back Cade Rapp, while promising sophomore Branson Hyre will take the reins at QB, with seniors Owen Helmick and Colton Teter anchoring the offensive line alongside junior Isaiah Leary and sophomore Jonathan Tuttle, who saw significant time as a freshman.
There are also some new faces on the perimeter of the offense, with juniors Brayden Bennett and Evan Hexom, senior Evan Witt, and freshman Legend Harper. The new-look Mt. Lions held their own in the scrimmage and showed some promise for the season, which will kick off at home against Pocahontas County on Friday, August 28th.
