WASHINGTON WARRIORS
Coach: BRAD BELLER
12-2
Back-to-back deep playoff pushes have cemented Washington as one of Class 2A’s standard bearers, and the 2026 group has the look of another contender thanks to a loaded skill group and an established coaching staff. Head coach Brad Beller enters his 16th year at the school with a 12-2 season behind him and “the majority of our skill positions back on both sides of the ball,” giving the Warriors experience where it usually matters most. The main challenge lies up front, where Beller notes they “will need to replace key figures on the O&D line,” but the staff believes their returning athletes can help smooth that transition.
Offensively, Washington returns six starters and will continue to operate out of a spread attack that highlights space and matchups. “Key for us is to get our playmakers the ball in space,” the staff writes, outlining a philosophy built around tempo, formational variety and trusting their backs and receivers to win one-on-one. Junior quarterback Creed Barrett (5-11, 176) pilots the offense and gives the Warriors a steady, athletic presence under center with another year of eligibility beyond 2026. He is flanked by junior running back Josiah Dickerson (5-6, 182), a compact, physical runner, and junior wide receiver Jackson Mays (5-10, 175), who provides a reliable target on the perimeter. With that trio returning together and a proven system around them, Washington expects to maintain its big-play capability even as new faces settle into the offensive line.
The defense is again built around toughness and versatility in a 3-4 front that can morph into multiple looks. Beller’s staff describes the unit as “very multiple” with “the ability to bring pressure out of many different fronts and coverages,” allowing them to tailor the game plan each week while keeping offenses guessing. Senior linebacker and VYPE Top 100 nominee Case Alexander (6-3, 214) is the centerpiece of that plan, a four-year starter who has contributed on both sides of the ball and is choosing between OU, Penn State and Kansas State for college. He’s joined up front by senior defensive end Hunter Sanders (6-4, 217), whose length and size help set the edge, while junior linebackers Jaaron Gordon (5-10, 165) and Henry Mann (5-11, 182) round out a physical, active second level. With Alexander’s star power, an experienced linebacker corps and a flexible pressure package behind them, the Warriors expect their defense to set the tone as a largely rebuilt line comes together and another playoff run comes into focus.
8-28 – at Perkins-Tryon
9-4 – at Sulphur
9-11 – vs. Purcell
9-25 – at Little Axe
10-2 – vs. Dickson
10-9 – at Casady
10-15 – vs. Anadarko
10-23 – vs. Crossings Christian
10-30 – at Lindsay
11-6 – vs. Chandler
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