Thursday Night Opener Marks New Era
The 2026 football schedule for Southeast High School has been unveiled, and the centerpiece is a Thursday night showdown on August 20 against Rootstown. It marks the second straight year the team will begin the season under the lights on a Thursday, and it is only the fourth such opening in the past eight seasons.
Rootstown enters as a fresh adversary, having been on the schedule every year from 2011 through 2023 before a brief hiatus. This season the matchup is further complicated by the presence of Grand Valley, another early‑season opponent that coaches expect to test the Eagles early.
The next two weeks bring Cuyahoga Falls and Newton Falls, programs that collectively posted just one win a year ago. After that, Southeast will travel to face Crestview and Garfield, teams that finished the previous campaign with a combined 19‑4 record, underscoring the stark contrast in competition levels.
Week seven brings the traditional rivalry against Champion, a game that last year swung 43‑35 in Southeast’s favor in a thriller that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The schedule, while demanding, offers a clear roadmap for the Eagles to prove themselves against a spectrum of opponents.
Portage Trail Conference and the Portage County League have both weighed in on the slate, noting the logistical challenges of Thursday night travel and the excitement it generates for local communities. As the team prepares, voices from the press such as Pat Youel, Matt Rosati and Jonah L. Rosenblum have begun to dissect the implications for the upcoming season.