Last year was a memorable season for North Callaway football.

After the Thunderbirds won their first Eastern Missouri Conference championship since 2017, they are looking forward to 2026 with many of the same players on the roster. North Callaway posted its best points per game scored and allowed since 2017.

Head coach Kevin O’Neal said, out of the about 34 kids this year, many of the boys were key contributors last season and want to go further than their one-and-done exit from districts. O’Neal said there will be seven returning starters on offense and defense. He expects them to be good leaders for the freshmen, who will be the largest class this year.

“This senior class has really been playing a lot of football since they played a bit as freshmen and quite a bit as sophomores,” O’Neal said. “They are a very experienced class, so I’m excited for these guys this year.”

Coltyn O’Neal is back at quarterback while other all-conference seniors include Collin Moore and Jaiden Galbreath in the backfield. Tristan Petty will also be a senior and will be returning as a receiver. Returning on the line will be Donovan Seiling and also Gunner Wenneker and Hunter Long, who each were all-conference linemen.

“With the older guys, you’re going to see some more expansion of the offense,” O’Neal said. “We’re going to spread it out a little bit more. We can go into the next phase and start doing a little bit more offensively because they know all of the stuff from last year. They picked up right where they left off.”

O’Neal said it doesn’t necessarily mean more passing as much as moving the ball around in different ways. He said the plays will be the same, but they will have new looks.

The defense was stingy last year, especially during a span of three shutouts in four games to close the regular season. Someone who will have a bigger role on offense and defense will be senior Brandon Biggers, according to O’Neal. Biggers will return as an all-conference defensive starter and will take over Wyatt Haden’s wingback spot on offense.

Galbreath, Petty and Long are returning all-conference defenders. O’Neal said Moore will be leading that group as the reigning conference defensive athlete of the year.

“Our biggest dude on defense is Collin Moore,” O’Neal said. “He’s definitely our leader on that side of the ball.”

On defense, O’Neal said he expects big things from Coltyn O’Neal, Wenneker, Petty and Tyler Speight, who will step into the linebacker position after Haden and Ben Haubner graduated. He mainly wants to have his best kids on the field.

Having this much returning experience could benefit North Callaway early. Its first five games are against South Callaway, Macon, Montgomery County, Bowling Green and Palmyra. Four of those teams finished with winning records last year, but O’Neal said North Callaway wants to finish at the top of the conference again.

“We’re going to best tested early with our schedule,” O’Neal said. “That’s one thing that’s good about having a veteran team. They’re going to be ready to go from snap No. 1. We know what we’re going to get from them.”