by Aurora, OH: The Suburban League kicked off the 2026 football season with its annual media day event at Aurora High School. All sixteen teams attended, including new conference members Medina, Kenston, and Mayfield, and the event was headlined by Hall of Fame coach John Nemec. Over a delicious spread featuring boneless wings, sliders, mac and cheese, and much more, each coach took the time to preview the season ahead.
The league is going to look quite different this year as Cuyahoga Falls, Kent Roosevelt, and Tallmadge are gone, replaced by Medina, Kenston, and Mayfield. That isn’t the only shakeup affecting the league this year, as Highland moves from the American to the National, setting up huge rivalry potential with fellow Medina County schools Medina and Wadsworth. Already considered a premier sports conference in Ohio, the additions and subsequent shuffling of conferences make the league even deeper and stronger.
Hall of Fame coach John Nemec’s speech stole the show. He spoke of his journey through coaching and the difficulties of public school coaches in Northeast Ohio, especially when it comes to retaining talent with the many powerful parochial schools in the area. John Nemec is a legend among Ohio high school football coaches, compiling a 231-113-3 record as the head coach at Kent Roosevelt and Wapakoneta.
In addition to the league shakeup, there will also be six coaches making their debut at their new school in late August, including Pyrce Taylor (Barberton), Dan Schreiber (Brecksville), Scott Barwidi (Nordonia), Judd Lutz (North Royalton), Antonio Hall (Solon), and Dan Larlham (Stow). Each spoke of the privilege to coach in one of the best sports conferences in the state of Ohio.
The start of the regular season is still weeks away, but the excitement around the area is already sky-high. With Highland switching from the American to the National, there will be a new league champion for the first time in two years. On the National side, the addition of Division I Medina and the swap with Highland make it even more evident that there are no easy wins in the Suburban League.
Stay tuned this week for more Suburban League content, including team schedules and returning award winners. Don’t worry, folks, Friday night lights will be here before you know it.
