The Southwest Ohio Conference members of Harrison, Mount Healthy, Northwest and Talawanda will have one more football season together before the league is fully disbanded. The SWOC has already dissolved in every other sport and Talawanda is moving to the Southwestern Buckeye League next season.
Will any of the other three schools challenge Harrison, winner of the last three SWOC titles, for the final conference championship? Do Northwest or Mount Healthy have a path back to the postseason? Who does Talawanda return from its 10-win season?
At the end, also see a preview for the Springboro Panthers of the Greater Western Ohio Conference. The Panthers are not former SWOC members, but are the only team from the SWOC covered by The Enquirer.
Harrison
2025: 9-4,
lost in Region 8 semifinals
Head coach: Derek Rehage
Returning players: DB Ben Markarian, LB David Baldock, QB Brady Lawhon, TE Christian Roether
Outlook: The Wildcats have won the SWOC in each of the last three seasons and will be in position to end the conference's run with another crown. Harrison has gone 28-11 the last three seasons without dropping a conference game and has played in three postseason games in each of those years.
Harrison returns quarterback Brady Lawhon who passed for 1,779 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. Second-team All-Ohio defensive back Ben Markarian, a Northern Illinois commit, returns on the defensive side of the ball.
Mount Healthy
2025: 0-10, missed playoffs
Head coach: A.J. Williams
Returning players: LB Mauricio Castro
Outlook: After a 10-3 season and a regional semifinal appearance in 2024, head coach Jordan Stevens departed for Colerain and the A.J. Williams era began. The Owls dealt with the growing pains last year with a winless 0-10 season.
Led with all-district linebacker Mauricio Castro returning, the Owls will continue their rebuild down a division into Division III.
Northwest
2025: 4-6, missed playoffs
Head coach: Brandon Schon
Returning players: ATH Jaylen Lilly, S Hezikiah Kelley, OL Eli Neri, RB/LB Ethan Dixon, WR/DB Elijah Sterling
Outlook: Northwest missed the postseason last year at 4-6 with its four wins coming against teams that went a combined 4-36. Northwest, though, was just 2-8 in 2024 and made strides last season that the Knights can grow on again in 2026 with some top returning talent.
Hezikiah Kelley, a three-star Temple commit, and Jaylen Lilly, the SWOC defensive player of the year, were both All-Ohio defensive backs last season and first-team all-district picks last season.
Talawanda
2025: 10-2, lost in Region 12 second round
Head coach: Andy Stuckert
Returning players: LB Windon Lowe, OL Hollis Hofmann, S Kemper McAfee, OL Jordan Ellis, WR Camar Ellis
Outlook: Ohio Division III Offensive Player of the Year Lance Cantrell graduated after rushing for over 2,500 yards and leading Talawanda to one of the best seasons in program history. The Brave, however, bring back some other All-Ohio talents for 2026.
Junior linebacker Windon Lowe was a second-team All-Ohio pick and senior Kemper McAfee was a third-team defensive back. The big blocker on the offensive line that blocked for Cantrell return third-teamer Hollis Hofmann and honorable mention pick Jordan Ellis. Wide receiver Camar Ellis was tops in the league with 571 yards last year.
Greater Western Ohio Conference
Springboro
2025: 7-4, lost in Region 2 second round
Head coach: Ryan Wilhite
Returning players: WR Noah Bilinski, QB Max Miller, DL Carter Napier, LB Max Weimer
Outlook: Springboro returns three-year starting quarterback Max Miller after an honorable mention All-Ohio season a year ago where he threw for over 2,300 yards and 18 touchdowns. His top receiver, Noah Bilinski, also returns after catching 84 passes for 1,082 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
The Panthers had a first-round bye in the Region 2 postseason last year, but were moved to Region 4 along with Middletown and Lebanon this season. With a 7-4 record, Springboro lost to Springfield twice (21-3 in the postseason) as well as Elder and Wayne. They meet Mason in Week 1 and also play Gahanna Lincoln and Withrow before GWOC play starts.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2026 Southwest Ohio Conference high school football preview
