In the lead-up to the 2026 Ohio high school football season, we're previewing all the Stark County-area teams.
Today we'll look at the Canton South Wildcats, who have a new head coach in place and 14 lettermen back after reaching the state playoffs last year.
Here are coach Badre Bardawil's returning lettermen, impact players, top newcomers, schedule and other tidbits for the 2026 season.
CANTON SOUTH WILDCATS
- HEAD COACH:Badre Bardawil, first season
- LAST YEAR: 5-6 overall, 3-3 in the PAC-7
- PLAYOFF ASSIGNMENT: Division IV, Region 15
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Canton South football returning lettermen (9)
- Dieago Bautista, RB-OLB, 5-8, 190, Sr.
- Brodee Beegle, QB-DB, 5-8, 175, Sr.
- Braylon Conley, RB-OLB, 5-10, 180, Sr.
- Torez Conley, WR-DB, 6-0, 175, Sr.
- Jamarien Gatlin, WR-LB, 6-0, 205, Sr.
- Dierre Jamerson, TE-DL, 5-10, 195, Sr.
- Aiden Lewis, WR-DB, 5-11, 165, Jr.
- Gavin McGuyrt, RB-DB, 5-8, 155, Jr.
- Blake Walters, OL-DL, 6-0, 350, Sr.
Canton South football's impact players
Brothers Torez and Braylon Conley give Canton South one of the better one-two punches in the area. Braylon, a running back, ran for 830 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. Torez, a receiver, made 48 catches for 793 yards (16.5 average) and nine touchdowns. … Senior quarterback Brodee Beegle has played for the varsity team since his freshman year. … South’s top players will be busy on both sides of the ball. Torez Conley at cornerback and Braylon Conley at linebacker loom as playmakers on defense. … Senior Dieago Bautista, who transferred in from Tusky Valley last season, will have an expanded role as a senior. He will take some of the ball-carrying load off Braylon Conley. ... The new head coach is learning on the fly as to who can do what. Players like senior wideout-linebacker Jamarein Gatlin intrigue him.
What's new with Canton South football in 2026
Badre Bardawil, 47, has seen a wide world of high school football since becoming a coach at age 20. He was a coordinator at Massillon and McKinley and is excited to return to head coaching after working in that capacity at St. Thomas Aquinas from 2014-17. His 2014 Aquinas team went 7-3. His 2016 team was 9-3. He has worked through tough seasons as well, and is focused on making the most of 2026. … “I had a senior-only meeting after our first offseason workout,” Bardawil said. “I asked the seniors to embrace any changes in the program. I promised them everything is about being successful now. I’m not setting things up for Year 2 and Year 3. We have a good group with a lot of talent. I want to do everything I can to help these seniors have a successful season.” … Expect the opener to draw a big crowd at Garaway. The Pirates are a new opponent, a perennial power from the Inter-Valley Conference, which produced 2024 OHSAA Division I state champion Indian Valley. In 2023, both Canton South and Garaway were 14-0 before falling in OHSAA state semifinal games to Cleveland Glenville and Kirtland, respectively.
Canton South football's outlook
The Wildcats offense will be led by quarterback Brodee Beegle, with Bardawil calling the plays. Beegle helped win a game in relief of injured Poochie Snyder as a freshman. He started on a 4-7 team as a sophomore. He spent much of his junior year sharing the QB job with Nolan Bonner, a transfer from McKinley who has transferred to Hoover. ... “Brodee will be our quarterback,” Bardawil said. “He’s definitely a tough kid. He’s a good athlete. He’s got a good arm. I think we can run a pretty balanced offense. He’s excited to run the offense and get coached and not feel he’s always competing for that job. The job is his. He’s embracing that.” Beegle is a constant threat to run. … Bardawil said two-way senior linemen Blake Walters has “embraced the role of bringing along a young line group.” … Jahleel Jackson and Aidan Lewis are three-sport athletes who add punch at both receiver and the defensive secondary. Third-year varsity players Jamarein Gatlin, a senior, and Gavin McGuyrt, a junior, are athletes to watch on both sides of the ball. … South spent the last five seasons under head coach Matt Dennison, whose records, starting in 2021, were 7-4, 9-4, 14-1, 4-7 and 6-5. Josh Grimsley, who joined Dennison’s South staff last year, stayed on with Bardawil and is defensive coordinator. They worked together for a season at McKinley. … Bardawil launches his program with 50 players in grades 9-12 and hopes numbers build after people see his 2026 team do positive things. … The 2025 Wildcats were 2-5 before beating Fairless, Tuslaw and West Holmes to sneak into the Division IV playoffs. … “The senior class has embraced changes and acclimated,” Bardawil said. “I really love the way they’ve worked. I love the culture we have going on in the weight room.”
Canton South football schedule for 2026
- Aug. 21 at Garaway
- Aug. 28 at CVCA
- Sept. 4 AKRON EAST
- Sept. 11 MANCHESTER
- Sept. 18 NORTHWEST
- Sept. 25 at Orrville
- Oct. 2 TRIWAY
- Oct. 9 at Fairless
- Oct. 16 TUSLAW
- Oct. 23 at Coventry
- Home games in all CAPS. All games at 7 p.m., unless noted
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton South High School football schedule, 2026 preview