2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Gahr in for a challenging season with new quarterback, tougher non-league schedule

August 19, 2026

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

Gahr High’s Grag Marshall embarks on his 24^th season as head coach of the Gladiators, hoping to get to the CIF-Southern Section playoffs for a fourth straight season and ninth time since he took over the program. New will be the operative word this season as Marshall will be running a team with a new quarterback and new, but experienced offensive line while facing new challenges in the new Mid-Cities League of the Suburban Valley Conference as California High and Santa Fe High are new league opponents.

“I really wasn’t planning on [coming back], but not everything goes as planned,” said Marshall. “I’ve been trying to transition with coach [Jordan] Simpson. So right now it’s fine because he has some younger coaches coaching. I’m still doing the defense and special teams, and coach Simpson is kind of dealing with the offense. It’s kind of like a co-head coach deal.”

Marshall said that the goal is for Simpson to take over as the program’s head coach once he retires and if it meets the approval from Gahr principal David Keys. He added that he wanted to leave under a couple of situations; the first was if Marshall felt the program was moving forward, or in his words, the cupboards weren’t empty. Marshall felt the program would be solid that way, especially with the new league and making sure nothing was way over their heads.

A season after Gahr advanced to the CIF-SS Division 13 finals, the team went to the quarterfinals last season, marking the third time in Marshall’s tenure the Gladiators had advanced that far. The other time any of his teams had reached at least the quarterfinals came in 2007 when it went 10-3, marking his best record at Gahr to date.

“Last season went as planned,” said Marshall. “We knew we weren’t probably going to be very good early, and then once we got going, I thought we were pretty good. We were a little disappointed in the loss to Valley View. But once again, we were losing to a team that eventually wins a CIF title, which seems to be our M.O. in the playoffs. As far as last year, I think the team reached its potential.”

The Gladiators began last season 1-3 without a true offensive line and were outscored 123-13 but bounced back to win six of their next seven games. During that stretch, the Gladiators allowed 20 second half points before falling to Norwalk High and did not face Firebaugh High in the regular season finale, which had to forfeit the game.

OFFENSE

The biggest issue with the team, as Marshall illustrated, centers around the quarterback position as the team needs to replace the graduated Roman Acosta, who threw for over 1,300 yards last season. Senior Jacob Burson, who was on the junior varsity team last season, and sophomores Brandon Martinez, and Kalen Swanson, a transfer from Ocean View High, will compete for the position. Marshall indicated that Martinez is probably the team’s best option at quarterback because he has played it before.

“The good thing is our [offensive] line is intact; our strength is our line, so we’re going to be able to run the football,” said Marshall. “We’re kind of hoping Brandon and [senior Nick] Washington will do the bulk of the running so we don’t have to rely on the pass that much early in the season. Hopefully those two come around.”

Also at running back will be senior Cody Lockhart and juniors Riley Bryant and De’Mir Cunningham (45 carries, 204 yards, three touchdowns last season). Catching the ball will be senior Bryant (10 receptions, 200 yards), Cunningham (13 receptions, 236 yards, three touchdowns) and Lockhart.

“Skill-wise, we’re not missing much,” said Marshall. “It’s just whether we can throw it or not that’s the issue.”

Even though the Gladiators graduated four starting offensive linemen, Marshall believes his 2026 line is ‘way better’ this season with senior left tackle Travis Zoebisch, senior center Sebastian Jimenez, and senior right tackle R’Shon Livingston (17 tackles, one sack) along with senior Liampatrick Martins and sophomore Aiden Larrabee, two of the three players at the guard positions. Junior Moses Oatman is also slated to spend some time at one of the tackle positions.

DEFENSE

Gahr’s defense improved after the early season struggles and only allowed over 20 points twice in the final seven games played, both resulting in the two losses down the stretch.  

Junior Ashton Sanders and Livingston are slated to be in the middle of the defensive line with junior Miller Salas and sophomore Gavin Raposo on the ends. The linebackers will be juniors Miguel Lopez, who had 44 tackles last season and Nathan Moreno (10 tackles) while the secondary stacks up with Bryant (31 tackles, one sack) and sophomore James Carter at cornerback with junior David Payne, Lockhart and Martinez at the safety positions.

“We’re short on linebackers, but we actually should be better at it because we put in a true 4-2-5 [defense],” said Marshall. “Since we have the skill guys and backs, we’re going to use those guys to drop down and help support the run because we just don’t have the linebackers. Sebastian (21 tackles last season) will play some linebacker and some D-end and so will Travis Zoebisch play some down there, but we’ll try to keep those guys on offense as much as we can.”

SCHEDULE

Gahr longest road trip of the season won’t come until the fifth game of the season but a trio of city or ABC Unified School District rivals highlight the beginning of the season. The Gladiators were blasted by Valley Christian High 41-0 last season but currently lead the season series 6-5 that dates back to 2002. The Gladiators are hoping to end a two-game skid to the Defenders and have lost to their Artesia Blvd. neighbors in four of the last five meetings. Gahr owns a 15-9 record against Cerritos High since 1998 but have fallen to the Dons in three of the past four seasons while the Gladiators travel to Artesia High to complete the local run. The two teams did not face each other last season, but Gahr has won five straight and nine of the last 10 meetings with the Pioneers. The last blemish came in 2013, a 29-27 defeat.

“It’s like the good ole’ days, so I’m real comfortable with it,” said Marshall of the first three opponents. “Hopefully, we’ll perform better earlier this year than we have the last couple of years. We just haven’t played really good football early in the season. But I think with this established [offense] line, it’s easier to play better early.”

Following its early-season bye, Gahr hosts Ocean View before visiting Gardena High for what is believed to be the first meeting with the CIF-Los Angeles City Section school. In the past six seasons, the Gladiators have gone 9-20 in their non-league games.

After that comes the league season where Gahr has faced all five opponents at least once since at least 2003. It is 6-15 against longtime rival Paramount High since 1998 dating back to when the two were in the former Sam Gabriel Valley League. But the Gladiators have lost 11 of the last 12 games to the Pirates with the only win coming in 2023, a 32-6 decision. The next season was a 36-0 loss, and they did not face each other last season.

After four straight wins over Norwalk from 2003-2022, the Gladiators have dropped the last two meetings to the Lancers, including last season’s 27-13 homecoming loss. Gahr’s last win over the Lancers was a 26-6 outcome in 2022. Gahr is 1-3 against California High since 1998 and defeated Santa Fe High 31-28 in 2017. The regular season concludes with Bellflower High, whom the Gladiators are 5-3 against since 2003, but 3-2 against the Buccaneers since 2019. They kicked off the Mid-Cities League season with a 48-13 victory last season thanks to a 21-point performance in the first quarter.

“Every game is going to be a football game because I tell everyone Firebaugh and Compton Early College were games [in which] we were going to be okay,” said Marshall of the new Mid-Cities League. “So now, you’re going to have to play five football games. Just like I told [Cerritos High head coach Demel] Franklin, you go up to that [Gateway] League and every week, you have to be on it. It’s just different; there’s not a game where you can rest your kids.”

HOMECOMING

Last season, Gahr had issues with Norwalk’s double wing offense and dropped a 27-13 contest on its homecoming game. The setback put the Gladiators at 12-12 in homecoming games since 2001. This season, they will host Ocean View who they have played twice since 1998. In 2024, Gahr came away with a 43-35 over the Seahawks and the season before, Gahr was a 43-7 winner.

FINAL COMMENT

“It’s going to be interesting because me and [assistant coach Chris] Thimpson have done this for a long time and coach [Jordan] Simpson is doing the offense,” said Marshall. “So, I want to see how that plays out. We have different ideas and different practice approaches. It’s good to see how that’s going to play out. I like the schedule that we have and I really don’t mind not playing those two games where we just had to show up and play. If our quarterback situation gets going, I think we’re going to pretty good.”