2026 Team Preview Gettysburg Warriors (3)

Experienced Playmakers Have Warriors Looking for a Turnaround

The Gettysburg Warriors enter the 2026 season with plenty of reasons to believe they can make significant progress after a 2-8 campaign last fall.

Head coach Jake Johnson welcomes back a talented young quarterback in Grant Johnson, an experienced group of defensive leaders headed by Donte Howard, and a roster that gained valuable experience throughout a challenging 2025 season.

Gettysburg showed flashes offensively last year, scoring at least 30 points five times. The next step will be turning that production into more victories by improving consistency, staying healthy and developing several new starters in the trenches.

With many of the team’s top playmakers returning, the Warriors believe the pieces are there for a much different season in 2026.

Looking Back at 2025

Gettysburg’s 2-8 record doesn’t completely reflect how competitive the Warriors were at times.

They earned a 41-34 victory over Waynesboro and followed that two weeks later with a 36-20 win over Northern York. Gettysburg also pushed Red Land in a 48-34 loss, Hershey in a 48-31 defeat and Palmyra in a 43-35 shootout.

Offense wasn’t always the problem.

Gettysburg averaged just over 25 points per game and scored 253 points over the 10-game season. Defensively, however, the Warriors surrendered at least 34 points in eight games.

That’s where returning experience could make a major difference.

Gettysburg brings back four defensive starters who combined for 307 tackles last season, providing Johnson and his staff with a proven foundation.

Grant Johnson Returns After Breakout Sophomore Season

One of the biggest reasons for optimism is the return of quarterback Grant Johnson.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign in which he passed for 1,973 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 228 rushing yards and five scores.

That’s 22 total touchdowns from a quarterback who still has two varsity seasons ahead of him.

Having an established starter at quarterback provides Gettysburg with stability as it rebuilds portions of the offense around him.

Johnson has already demonstrated the ability to produce through the air while also using his legs when necessary. With what the coaching staff describes as one of its deeper receiving groups in recent seasons, he could be positioned for an even bigger junior year.

Cunningham Ready for Featured Role

Junior Trevor Cunningham is expected to become a much larger part of the offense.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound running back contributed 230 receiving yards and four touchdowns last season and now steps into a featured role in the backfield.

His receiving production provides an indication of his versatility. Cunningham can give Johnson an option out of the backfield while also becoming a bigger part of the rushing attack.

Gettysburg believes it has plenty of playmaking ability at the skill positions.

The challenge will be creating opportunities for those athletes consistently.

Offensive Line Will Be a Key

The biggest question offensively is up front.

Gettysburg returns only one starter on the offensive line, Anthony Edwards, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound tackle.

Replacing four starters in the trenches is never easy, particularly in a league featuring several physical defensive fronts.

But the Warriors have been encouraged by the development of their new group.

The coaching staff describes the offensive line as fast, strong and coming together quickly.

If that group continues to develop, Gettysburg should have the skill-position talent to be dangerous.

Johnson already has nearly 2,000 yards of varsity passing experience. Cunningham is ready for an expanded workload, and the receiving corps is expected to provide multiple options.

Give those players time and space, and Gettysburg has the potential to produce plenty of points.

Howard Headlines Experienced Defensive Core

Senior safety Donte Howard returns as the centerpiece of the Gettysburg defense.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Howard was everywhere last season, finishing with an impressive 129 tackles.

Having a defensive back produce that many tackles demonstrates Howard’s ability to pursue the football and become involved against both the run and pass.

His experience in the secondary will be particularly valuable as Gettysburg works younger players into the lineup.

Howard isn’t alone.

Senior linebacker Nate Rawlings returns after recording 81 tackles, giving the Warriors another proven veteran in the middle of the defense.

Together, Howard and Rawlings accounted for 210 tackles last season.

Anders Could Become a Disruptive Force

Junior defensive end Nathan Anders gives Gettysburg a proven playmaker along the defensive front.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Anders finished last season with 47 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.

His ability to get into opposing backfields will be critical.

Gettysburg wants to become a defense that plays fast and finishes plays. Having an edge defender capable of producing negative plays can change drives and create the third-and-long situations the Warriors need.

With another offseason of development, Anders could be poised for a breakout junior season.

Lancaster Adds Another Proven Linebacker

Junior Brayden Lancaster returns after registering 50 tackles last season.

His presence alongside Rawlings gives Gettysburg experience at linebacker while younger players compete for additional roles.

Gettysburg’s four listed returning defensive starters—Howard, Rawlings, Anders and Lancaster—combined for 307 tackles in 2025.

According to the coaching staff, the returning starters accounted for more than 40 percent of the team’s tackles.

That gives the Warriors something they can build around.

The challenge will be developing the players surrounding them, particularly at middle linebacker and other positions where younger athletes are stepping into larger varsity roles.

Defense Focused on Flying Around and Finishing

Gettysburg’s defensive philosophy for 2026 is straightforward: stay healthy, play fast and finish.

The Warriors have experienced players capable of setting the tone.

Now they need the younger defenders to grow around them.

Howard provides leadership on the back end, Rawlings and Lancaster give the linebacker unit experience, and Anders provides a disruptive presence up front.

If those four can continue producing while Gettysburg gets contributions from its new starters, the defense has an opportunity to make one of the team’s biggest year-to-year improvements.

That’s important because Gettysburg’s offense demonstrated last season that it can score.

If the Warriors can reduce the number of explosive plays and consistently get off the field defensively, several of last year’s losses could look much different in 2026.

Special Teams Could Provide Another Weapon

Gettysburg’s goal on special teams isn’t to complicate things.

The Warriors want to be fundamentally sound, cover kicks, win field position and eliminate costly mistakes.

They also believe they have a weapon at kicker.

The coaching staff describes its kicker as having a big leg with the ability to put points on the board.

That can become especially valuable in close games.

Field position and hidden yardage on special teams often determine the outcome when two teams are evenly matched. Gettysburg wants to make sure the third phase becomes an advantage rather than giving opponents extra opportunities.

Players to Watch

Grant Johnson, Jr., QB — Coming off a breakout sophomore season with 1,973 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 228 rushing yards and five rushing scores. He’ll be the centerpiece of the Gettysburg offense.

Trevor Cunningham, Jr., RB — Ready to take over a featured role after producing 230 receiving yards and four touchdowns last season. His versatility could make him an important part of both the running and passing games.

Donte Howard, Sr., SS — The leader of the defense after an outstanding 129-tackle season. Howard’s experience and production will be crucial for a unit looking to make significant improvement.

Nate Rawlings, Sr., LB — Recorded 81 tackles last season and gives Gettysburg another experienced senior leader in the middle of the defense.

Nathan Anders, Jr., DE — A potential breakout defender after producing 47 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Brayden Lancaster, Jr., LB — Already has significant varsity experience after recording 50 tackles and will be part of a strong returning group at linebacker.

Anthony Edwards, T — The lone returning starter along the offensive line. His leadership will be important as Gettysburg develops four new starters around him.

2026 Schedule Will Test the Warriors

Gettysburg opens with an August 22 scrimmage at Chambersburg that also includes South Western.

The regular season begins August 28 with a road trip to New Oxford.

From there, the Warriors immediately enter league play against Hershey before hosting Waynesboro on September 11.

Gettysburg will have opportunities to measure its progress against several familiar opponents.

The Warriors defeated Waynesboro 41-34 and Northern York 36-20 last season. They’ll host Waynesboro before traveling to Northern York the following week.

October will be particularly challenging, with games against Lower Dauphin, Red Land, Shippensburg, Palmyra and Mifflin County.

My thoughts on Gettysburg:

Gettysburg’s 2026 season will ultimately come down to whether a talented group of returning playmakers can combine with a developing supporting cast.

There are legitimate building blocks on both sides of the football.

Grant Johnson has already established himself as a productive varsity quarterback, accounting for more than 2,200 yards of total offense and 22 touchdowns last season. Cunningham is ready for a bigger role, and the coaching staff is excited about the depth of the receiving corps.

The offensive line is inexperienced, but if that group develops quickly, Gettysburg has the weapons to make defenses work.

Defensively, Howard, Rawlings, Anders and Lancaster give the Warriors a proven core. Those four combined for 307 tackles last season, and Anders provides the type of backfield disruption that could help the defense create more favorable situations.

Most importantly, Gettysburg isn’t entering 2026 wondering who its leaders will be.

The Warriors already have them.

Now the challenge is developing the young players around that core, staying healthy and turning experience into wins.

After going 2-8 last season, Gettysburg has enough returning talent to believe 2026 can be a significant step forward for the Warriors.