Beechwood opens its 2026 football season Friday, Aug. 28, when the Tigers host Indian Hill (Ohio) at 7:30 p.m. in Fort Mitchell. It's the first live action for a roster loaded with two Power Four commits and eight returning starters on each side of the ball.
The Tigers took a Week 1 bye for the third straight year, giving head coach Noel Rash extra time to prepare a defense that lost three key linemen from 2025. Indian Hill arrives at 1-0 after beating Roger Bacon 35-14 in its opener.
Four of six Cincinnati Enquirer writers pick Beechwood to win; two favor the Braves.
What Beechwood brings
Senior quarterback Emmett Queen, a Wake Forest commit, threw for 2,710 yards and 39 touchdowns with two interceptions last season after transferring from Covington Catholic. At 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, he anchors an offense that also features Nathan Pabst, who totaled more than 1,300 yards rushing and receiving in 2025.
Tyler Fryman, a Kentucky commit who plays receiver, running back and defensive back, is among the top 10 candidates for Kentucky's Mr. Football award. Seven seniors play both ways.
The defensive question mark is up front. Beechwood lost linemen Austin Stephenson, Chase McDaniel and Carson Eshelman, a group that combined for more than 30 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2025. The entire secondary returns.
Rash, back on the Beechwood sideline after a three-year absence, laid out his defensive philosophy in a LINK nky season preview on Aug. 15: "We're going to stop the run. You're going to have to throw the football … Control the ball, play for field position, stop the run and make people drive and keep the ball in front of you."
That approach faces an immediate test.
What Indian Hill brings
The Braves' offense runs through dual-threat quarterback Devlan Daniel, who as a junior threw for 1,192 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 1,116 yards and 21 scores. Running back Jacob Alexander added 156 rushing yards in Week 1, and Alexander's presence in the backfield frees Daniel to attack through the air, the Enquirer notes.
Defensively, Indian Hill held Roger Bacon scoreless for three quarters. Linebacker Topher Wachtel led the Braves with seven tackles and returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown.
Preseason confidence
Beechwood scrimmaged Class 6A Ryle before the season, and the coaching staff came away pleased with how physically dominant the Tigers looked against a preseason top-10 Kentucky program.
Senior tight end Bo Sowder said in an NKyTribune preview on Aug. 17: "Having a Power-4 quarterback like Emmett makes it easier for us … I think we're coming together … I'm really proud of that."
What's next
After Friday's opener, Beechwood hosts Dixie Heights on Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m., then travels to Simon Kenton on Sept. 11 and Covington Catholic on Sept. 18.
