By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

GAYLESVILLE – The 2026 football season will be a special one at Gaylesville, in more ways than one.

One hundred years ago, in the fall of 1926, the school fielded its first football team. The Trojan faithful plan to celebrate that milestone during their Alumni Night on Friday, Aug. 28, in a first-ever meeting with Lindsay Lane Christian of Athens.

The centennial celebration will honor past and present players, coaches, and cheerleaders who have helped shape the football program throughout its history that night, which is also the Trojans’ 2026 season-opening game.

“A hundred years is a long time,” Trojan head coach Brian Knapp said. “It’s something to be proud of, especially with a school our size. It’s always been very small. Gaylesville is made of folks being tough and facing adversity and weathering whatever storm has been dealt to them. You have to admire the folks before us that made this possible.”

The current Trojan players are also honored to be part of Gaylesville’s history.

“There’s been a lot of football here,” senior running back/linebacker Jack Sentell said.” I’m excited. It’s my senior year and I’m ready to get this thing going and get on a roll.”

“We’re really setting up for a historic season honoring those who played before us,” senior running back/safety Aydn Heinrich said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity (to add to that history).”

For Knapp, there’s plenty of pride to go around during the Trojans’ milestone season.

The football field at Trojan Stadium is named in honor of his grandfather, Hall of Fame coach Roy Knapp Sr., who coached at Gaylesville from 1956-60. Brian’s father, Buddy Knapp, also left his mark with the Trojans, most recently as an assistant on the football and basketball staffs to Brian.

Buddy Knapp died back in January at the age of 81.

“It’s going to be a challenge for me this year because every Saturday we would talk on the phone, good or bad,” Brian Knapp said. “He was an analyzer, always was. I didn’t always agree with him, but I tell people all the time, the older I got the smarter he got. He could finish my sentences. He taught me so much.

“Personally I’m going to dedicate this season to my dad. I will still talk to him and look up to the sky quite a bit.”

It could be a strong season for the Trojans. They feature 10 seniors on their roster in 2026, the most Brian Knapp has had in his eighth season at Gaylesville.

Joining Sentell and Heinrich in this year’s senior class is fullback/linebacker Timmy Dawson, fullback/linebacker Ben Henderson, wide receiver/cornerback Cole Hendon, wide receiver/defensive back Drake Brown, tight end/defensive end Jared Butts, center/linebacker Parker Fletcher, left tackle/defensive end Zeke Bryson, and right guard/nose tackle Bradlee Smith.

“There’s an old saying about football teams. So goes the seniors, so goes the rest of us,” Brian Knapp said. “We’re looking for big things out of this group this year.”

The Trojans also have three juniors (Lucas McCullough, Malachi Jennings and Eli Strength), five sophomores (Hayden Dodd, Sean Poss, Gabriel Davidson, Tyson Cannon and Gunner Walters) and three freshmen (Eythen Ward, Dakota Gilbert and Levi Slayton) on their 2026 squad. One of those freshmen, Ward, will be at quarterback. Ward is filling in for Dodd, who is recovering from a broken wrist.

“We’ll probably be a little more sweep-oriented instead of being more off-tackle (on offense),” Brian Knapp said. “I feel like we’ve got a little more foot speed than what we’ve had in the past. We’ll still try to hang on to the football, and we’ll still try to shorten the game. That part won’t change.”

Brian Knapp also hopes the Trojans can improve defensively from last year’s 3-7 team. Last year’s defense allowed an average of 34 points per game.

“We’ve had a solid offseason,” he said. “These guys have stayed the course. They’ve seen a lot of ups and seen a lot of downs. They have a lot of experience. You can practice until you’re blue in the face, but until you get that game experience and understand that game speed, that’s when things start clicking and you process it. Just the fact we’ve got a big group that’s been with me and understands me, I just think that bodes well for us.”

Following a jamboree at home against Sand Rock on Aug. 13 and the season opener against Lindsay Lane on Aug. 28, Gaylesville opens Class 1A, Region 8 play at Valley Head on Sept. 4. The Trojans travel to intra-county rival Spring Garden on Sept. 11, then host Woodville on Sept. 18.

Gaylesville steps out of region play on Sept. 25 at home against Donoho, then jumps back into region play at home against Appalachian on Oct. 2.

Following an open date on Oct. 9, the Trojans travel to Ragland on Oct. 16, then play Cedar Bluff for the first time in three years at home on Oct. 23.

Gaylesville travels to Verbena in non-region action on Oct. 30 to end the regular season.