2026 Football Preview: Northwest Mohawks

McDERMOTT — Paul Carver has been at several schools including the head coaching job at Oak Hill and an assistant’s job at Portsmouth West, both Southern Ohio Conference schools.

Regardless of the differences, Carver knows that football is football as he takes over the Northwest Mohawks head coaching position.

Northwest enjoyed a 7-3 season that was 4-2 in the Southern Ohio Conference-2 standings. But the loss of 11 seniors has Carver looking to fill a lot of holes and with not much depth on a 32-man roster this time around.

Although he’s been a head coach before, he said there are some parts that are different.

“It’s a different system. Different money system. The ordering process. Things like that,” said Carver. “The head coaching side of it is a little bit different. You get a little bit of a different group of kids, but they’re very similar to the ones we’ve had, too.”

Carver said he is leaning on his coaching staff as opposed to trying to do everything himself.

“I brought a couple of guys up from the middle school. It’s their first time up on varsity. There’s a lot of first-timers on the varsity staff. They have learned really quick and they’re really helpful. (Brooks Fry) is like having another head coach on the staff,” said Carver.

Among the 11 seniors who graduated, one was a very productive Jake Brown who was the quarterback. So, Carver and the Mohawks staff are trying to decide on the heir apparent.

“We’ve got two guys and we’re not leaning one way or the other,” Carver said of the candidates junior Jake Young (5-11, 175) and sophomore Malichi McNutt (6-2, 190).

The backfield has a plethora of candidates that includes junior Austin Cole (6-1, 195), junior Aiden Moore (5-10, 160), senior Kaleb Nichols (6-3, 190), sophomore Chandler Wyrick (5-7, 135), and sophomore Bradley Mason (5-7, 145).

“We’ve got a bunch of backs,” said Carver. “Nichols hasn’t played since his freshman year and he’s going to be a force there. All those guys are going to rotate in the backfield.”

Heading up the offensive line is massive senior Aiden Armbrister (6-4, 305) along with sophomore Aiden Wolfe (6-5, 270), and Matthew Cogar (6-0, 206) is back at center. Senior Bryson Easter (6-4, 300) is another large lineman who will play guard.

“Aiden Wolfe is a sophomore and we’re asking him to step up,” said Carver.

Junior Braxton Burris (5-8, 175) should see time at wide receiver as well as Moore.

“There’s a lot of guys who are going to be in the mix at the skill spots,” Carver said. “There’s going to be a lot of guys rotating in that spot.”

On the defensive side, the Mohawks are planning to play a 3-4 due to the lack of depth.

Senior Nate Fry (6-3,190) is shifting from defensive end to nose guard. Easter is expected to play one of the ends.

There is a large corps of players who could see time at linebacker that include junior Jayden Jones (6-0, 175) and Cole.

“We’re deeper in our skill spots which is why we’re going to the 3-man front,” said Carver.

The kicker will be senior Wesyn Long (6-2, 170) and Carver said, “I think he’s going to be a pretty big force in those closer games.”

In the Southern Ohio Conference-2.

“It’s a fairly tough schedule. The SOC-2 is always a tough schedule. When you go into the second half you play one SOC-2 school after another and we’ve got Vinton County in the middle. They’re a pretty good size school,” said Carver.

“If you’re thinking playoffs, you know you’re playoff ready once you get out of SOC-2.”