Marionville Comets Aim to Maintain Dominance in 2026
The 2025 season ended with a 9‑2 record and a district championship loss to Thayer, but the Comets finished the year with a combined 69‑6 mark over the past six seasons, the best in school history.
Head coach Paden Grubbs acknowledged the graduation of all‑state standouts Cash Pomeroy, Bryer Guerin and Joey Gossett, noting that the team will be the youngest in recent memory and will rely on emerging talent.
Returning seniors Jayson Bowers, Isaac Russell and Brodie Wilson are expected to anchor the squad. Bowers, a defensive end/tight end who earned second‑team all‑state honors, led the defense with 28 tackles for loss and seven sacks last year. Russell, a unanimous first‑team all‑conference offensive lineman and powerlifting world record holder, will again patrol both lines.
At running back and defensive back, Wilson returns after posting 169 rushing yards and 330 receiving yards, earning honorable‑mention all‑conference recognition. Garrisen Smith will take over at quarterback and linebacker, having posted 57 tackles and 14 tackles for loss as a sophomore.
The offensive line is projected to be the team’s strength, with Grubbs stating, “I feel like the strength of this year’s team needs to be the offensive line.” The unit will be led by returning all‑conference guard Payton Forester and Jeremy Siver, the team’s leading tackler with 66 stops.
The schedule opens with a home game against Clever on August 28, followed by a jamboree at Springfield Catholic on August 21. The Comets will then travel to face Thayer, the team that ended their championship run.
Coach Grubbs expressed confidence, saying, “I really like our group and how hard they have been working, despite being inexperienced in Friday night games.” The focus remains on daily improvement and building continuity as the young roster steps onto the field.