2026 Football Notebook | Bedford stadium upgrade, coaching changes and co-op shuffle among new season's storylines
Like most coaches and teams prepping for opening weekend of the scholastic football season, Kevin Steele and his Bedford Bisons are eager to get onto the field. But Aug. 28’s home game will carry extra weight for the Bisons, who spent the 2025 season on the road. Bedford played its home dates at Claysburg-Kimmel High School, as the ongoing school and stadium building project progressed. ...
The 2026 scholastic football season is set to bring several notable changes and upgrades for Bedford, Conemaugh Valley, Forest Hills, North Star, Somerset, Windber, and Greater Johnstown programs. For Bedford's Bisons, the home game against Bishop McCort Catholic on August 28 will hold added significance, as the team spent its 2025 season playing away games due to ongoing school and stadium renovations.
The new Bedford High School Stadium features new turf, bleachers, a press box, a lighting system, scoreboard, audio system, and exterior walls.
In other area programs, Conemaugh Valley's Joe Antal will lead the team as head coach after spending eight seasons as an assistant. Forest Hills' Tom Blanchetti, a former Ranger player, returns to his alma mater after a successful career as an assistant coach at multiple schools. North Star replaces Bob Landis with Shane Smith, while Somerset retains Braden Fochtman as head coach after a stint as assistant.
Windber announces Frank Tallyen as new head coach, bringing former Windber assistant coach Bob Miller to Greater Johnstown. The co-op between Bishop McCort Catholic and Bishop Carroll ends, with Bishop Carroll joining Bishop McCort Catholic while Central Cambria co-ops with Central Cambria.
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