The 2026 high school football season is kicking off with a bang this Friday, August 21st, as Nordonia rolls into Akron to face St. Vincent-St. Mary in a Week 1 showdown that’s got some serious history. We’re talking about a rematch from last year where Nordonia absolutely clobbered STVM with a dominant 42-0 victory in Week 1. That’s a statement game right out of the gate, and it set Nordonia on a path to an 8-4 record and a Division II playoff appearance, while STVM went 0-9 and missed the playoffs entirely. The stakes? Massive for STVM trying to erase that memory and Nordonia trying to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
New Leadership for the Knights, Same Winning Expectation
Nordonia is heading into 2026 with a fresh face at the top, but it’s a familiar one to the Knights’ program. Scott Barwidi steps up as first-year head coach after spending an incredible 18 years as an assistant. This dude has seen it all for Nordonia, serving as strength and conditioning coach, defensive backs coach, quarterbacks coach, special teams coordinator, and most recently, assistant head coach. He’s even coached the middle school and freshmen teams! Talk about deep roots. Barwidi takes over from Jeff Fox, who resigned in April after a stellar 14 seasons, racking up a 106-56 record and leading the Knights to 11 OHSAA playoff appearances, including a Division II state runner-up finish in 2014 with a team that had future NFL standout Denzel Ward. Barwidi’s got big shoes to fill, but his extensive experience, including a 2013 National Football Federation Ron Stoops Assistant Football Coach of the Year award and a 2025 Baldwin Wallace Athletic Hall of Fame induction as a Division III All-America linebacker, says he’s more than ready. This isn’t just a new coach; it’s a new chapter built on a rock-solid foundation.
STVM Looks for a Fresh Start Under a Familiar Face
On the other side, St. Vincent-St. Mary is also bringing back a familiar name to lead the charge: Marcus Wattley. He’s back for his first year in his second stint as head coach, and STVM fans have to be looking for a complete turnaround after last season’s brutal 0-9 finish. Wattley’s got a solid coaching record, too, with a 31-15 overall record in his head coaching career, which includes a 17-9 mark in two previous seasons at STVM and a 14-6 record in two seasons at Canton McKinley. He was previously STVM’s head coach in 2016 and 2017, and even served nine seasons as an assistant on Dan Boarman’s staff from 2007-2015, working as defensive ends coach and academic liaison. He knows the program, he knows the city, and he knows what it takes to win. The question is, can he get STVM back on track and avenge that embarrassing 42-0 loss from last year?
This Week 1 clash kicks off at 7 p.m. at the renovated VanDevere Automotive Family Stadium, where the new synthetic turf field still honors legendary coach John Cistone. With new coaching energy on both sides and that 42-0 history looming large, this game isn’t just a season opener, it’s a statement. Nordonia wants to show Barwidi can keep the winning tradition alive, and STVM is desperate to prove they aren’t the same team that got shut out last year. Expect fireworks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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