By Loyd McIntosh photos by Jordan Wald
John Carroll Catholic High School may be coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign; however, head coach Will Mara is optimistic about the team’s prospects this season and beyond. While the Cavaliers went 3-9 in 2025, and the coaching staff will be replacing 20 seniors—including the entire defense—Mara says there is plenty to look forward to as the new season approaches.
Mara says the incoming group of seniors is motivated with an intense sense of urgency and is focused on returning John Carroll to their winning ways. “This senior group doesn’t want to sit through a season like that again,” says Mara, adding that they were freshmen during the 2023 season in which the Cavaliers finished 9-3 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
In response, Mara says the seniors have stepped up in a huge way, creating an information group called the DHS Club (Do Hard Stuff). They have led non mandatory 5:30 a.m. workouts every Friday since December, regardless of the weather, in addition to the regularly scheduled trainings. “They saw what it takes,” says Mara, “and they said, ‘That’s where we need to be, and we want to go further than that.’”
Offensive Players To Watch
John Carroll returns a group of skill position players that Mara believes may be the deepest the program has ever had. At quarterback, junior Harrison White, the son of Auburn’s all-time leading passer and John Carroll assistant coach Stan White, appears to have the edge over senior Carson Lewis, a transfer by way of Thompson and Oak Mountain.
At running back, Aubrey Coker returns after being the featured ball carrier last season. “He was our guy, every down, last year as a sophomore,” says Mara. “I’m expecting a big year out of him.” Behind him, sophomores Jeremiah Hubbard and Diesel Ephraim are still developing, but their explosiveness gives the John Carroll running game a depth it lacked a year ago.
Senior Truman Vines, a sophomore and already one of the team’s vocal leaders, will line up at tight end and will also see time at wide receiver and on defense. Mara says this year’s group of receivers is the deepest he has had at John Carroll. They are led by seniors Kannon Hammock, Kieran Ford and Tucker Rice, along with Cameron Graham, who doubles at safety, and junior Manly Fleming. The name generating the most interest, though, is TJ Richardson, son of Alabama legend Trent Richardson. An eighth grader, Richardson is already a beast, listed at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds.
The offensive line is still taking shape; however, Hugh Tighe, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound left tackle, is the anchor of the O-line. Senior Kyle Heberlein will return at center following a season-ending injury last year, while Colton Redmond and Caden Ballou compete for guard spots. Rounding out the offensive line are sophomore Luke Pilato and freshman Josh Styles, an early standout who will also see some action on the defensive line.
Defensive Players To Watch
Since John Carroll graduated the starting defense from 2025, every defensive player starting in 2026 is a newbie, but talented. At linebacker, sophomore Aven McCall is creating a stir with his play on the field and some eye-popping numbers in the weight room. He is joined by juniors Jacob Varner and Liam Gill at the “bandit” position—a hybrid of linebacker and defensive end. Completing the linebacker corps are Judah Metcalf and Broden Elkins.
The defensive line will lean on a rotation of players playing both ways with the offensive line; however, Connie Tripp, a sophomore, Alex Manza and Connor Mitchell are expected to see the bulk of the reps, along with Caden Blue and freshman Joshua Davis, who Mara says made an impression in his first week of practice with the Cavaliers.
In the secondary, Chris Collins, Aiden Van Matre and Noah Phillips join Graham at safety, while Skyler Carmichael and Ford anchor the cornerback spots. CL Mitchell will man the “star” position in John Carroll’s nickel packages.
Special Teams Players To Watch
Mara says the kicking game is a potential difference-maker in 2026. Senior Max Sullivan is capable of landing kickoffs in the end zone—a valuable skill for controlling field position—and will also handle field goals.
Punter Ryan Sweat has what Mara describes as a “cannon of a leg,” routinely giving opposing return units trouble fielding his kicks. Between the two, Mara believes John Carroll has the field-position weapons to flip games in close contests.
Beginning in 2026, the AHSAA separated public and private schools into distinct divisions for the first time. John Carroll was placed in Class AA, the higher of the two private school classifications, grouped with the state’s largest private programs. Mara calls the change-up “a little surprising” but says the Cavaliers are “excited to see some other competition” and that “our goals don’t change” regardless of the new alignment.
