COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 79 Madison County Cowboys — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

EDITOR'S NOTE: This preview was updated to reflect a recent change in Madison County's schedule.

Madison County enters a genuine transition season after losing nearly every major offensive producer and its top two tacklers from a 6-6 regional-final run. Price Harris still has size, speed and a handful of tested juniors, but this schedule will expose any position group that is not ready. The Cowboys will not be permitted to rebuild quietly.

MADISON COUNTY COWBOYS (MADISON)

Head Coach: Price Harris, fifth year District: District 1A-3 2024 Record: 10-3 2025 Record: 6-6 2025 Final FPRI Rating: 57.37 2025 Final State Rank: No. 119 2026 Preseason Rating: 64.95 2026 Preseason Rank: No. 79 2026 Class Rank: No. 8 2025 Playoff / FIT Finish: RURAL Regional Finalist

Madison County was uneven in 2025, but it remained dangerous enough to reach a regional final. The Cowboys averaged 220.8 rushing yards while generating 36 touchdowns on the ground, leaning on a senior-heavy group that supplied nearly all of the explosive production. That formula worked. Replicating it with a younger cast will be the season’s defining challenge.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Category Value Average Opponent Rating 57.22 Opponent 2025 Record 75-41 Opponent 2025 Win Percentage .647 Hardest Opponent Bradford (Starke) District Games 2

There is no hiding from this schedule. Six opponents carry preseason ratings above 59.00, seven won at least five games last season and the combined opposition went 75-41. For a team replacing this much veteran production, the challenge is not finding one difficult stretch. It is finding somewhere to breathe.

2026 FULL SCHEDULE

Week Date Time Opponent 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 1 8/21 7:30 PM Lecanto 6-5 No. 239 | No. 40 (4A) 42.44 2 8/28 7:00 PM @ Gadsden County (Havana) 3-5 No. 145 | No. 17 (2A) 54.07 3 9/4 7:30 PM @ Columbia (Lake City) 9-4 No. 100 | No. 19 (4A) 60.64 4 9/11 7:30 PM University Christian (Jacksonville) 9-4 No. 109 | No. 14 59.72 5 9/18 7:00 PM @ Florida High (Tallahassee) 5-7 No. 108 | No. 13 (2A) 59.72 6 9/25 7:00 PM Bradford (Starke) 11-2 No. 48 | No. 7 (2A) 71.61 7 10/2 7:30 PM Bay (Panama City) 9-2 No. 141 | No. 18 (3A) 54.78 8 10/9 7:30 PM Fort White* 8-4 No. 188 | No. 21 (1A) 48.54 9 10/16 — BYE — — — 10 10/23 7:30 PM @ Taylor County (Perry)* 10-2 No. 101 | No. 10 (1A) 60.63 11 10/30 7:30 PM @ Newberry 5-6 No. 105 | No. 12 (2A) 60.04

*District game

Madison County gets two weeks to find its footing. After that, the schedule turns relentless. Columbia, University Christian, Florida High, Bradford and Bay arrive in succession before district play begins, and the Cowboys still have road trips to Taylor County and Newberry waiting after the bye. There are no throwaway Fridays here.

KEY LOSSES

The offensive turnover is severe. LJ Crumity accounted for 837 passing yards, 655 rushing yards and 22 combined offensive touchdowns. Na'Quez Christian added 955 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns, while Travis Arnold Jr. produced 725 yards from scrimmage and six scores.

Ryshard Miller and Davyon Gallon are also gone after combining for 617 rushing yards. In total, Madison County must replace more than 2,250 rushing yards from its senior class. That is not a vacancy. It is an offensive reconstruction.

The defense loses its two leading tacklers in Dre Arnold and Vincent Sanders. Arnold finished with 114 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks; Sanders added 103 tackles. Brandon Williams, Zakari Neal and Johnny Norwood also depart from the front. The Cowboys lost the heart of their defense and most of its muscle in one graduating class.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player Position Class 2025 Production Chad Mitchell QB/SS Senior 361 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 23 tackles and one interception Kemonte Lee QB/FS Junior 80 rushing yards, one touchdown, 33 tackles and one interception Dre Mitchell WR/TE Senior 10 receptions for 125 yards Morgan Scurry RB/OLB Junior Eight tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble Kemari Ansley DE Sophomore 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks Jordan Capi DT/G Junior 25 tackles and one tackle for loss Jordyn Davis FS/K Junior Eight tackles, 50.2-yard kickoff average and 35.3-yard punt average Vince Coley CB/WR Senior 10 tackles in five games Michael Pride RB/WR Junior 52 rushing yards and one touchdown on one carry Keontae Mattair RB/LB Sophomore Three tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks in three games

Mitchell and Lee provide experience at quarterback, but the position should be treated as a competition until the Cowboys establish a clear answer. The more immediate concern is the supporting cast. Madison County needs several players to graduate from small roles to central ones at the same time.

1ST DOWN — THE GAUNTLET

The gauntlet begins in Week 3 and barely lets up for a month.

Madison County travels to Columbia, comes home for University Christian, visits Florida High, hosts Bradford and then gets a 9-2 Bay team. Those five opponents went a combined 43-19 in 2025, and every one carries a preseason rating of at least 54.78. Four sit at 59.72 or higher.

Bradford remains the centerpiece. The Tornadoes went 11-2, allowed only 7.2 points per game and enter with a 71.61 rating. A rebuilding offense will not be able to waste possessions. Whether Michael Pride, Morgan Scurry or another back claims the featured role, Madison County needs a runner who can create yards without perfect blocking.

The Cowboys also need a new source of pressure after losing Arnold’s seven sacks. Scurry, Kemari Ansley and Keontae Mattair each recorded two sacks in limited or secondary roles last season. At least one must become a weekly problem for opposing tackles.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

Opponent Week/Location 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish Bradford (Starke) Week 6/Home 11-2 No. 48 | No. 7 (2A) 71.61 2A Regional Finalist Taylor County (Perry) Week 10/Away 10-2 No. 101 | No. 10 (1A) 60.63 RURAL Regional Finalist

Bradford is the best team on the schedule. Taylor County is the most important. One measures Madison County’s overall quality; the other may decide whether the Cowboys control their postseason path.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Madison County cannot afford a slow rebuild. The five-game run from Columbia through Bay will demand competent quarterback play, a functional running game and a defense capable of creating pressure long before the Cowboys reach district play.

2ND DOWN — STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

The developmental window is two weeks. That is about it.

Lecanto and Gadsden County give Madison County its best opportunity to sort through the quarterback competition, offensive-line combinations and backfield rotation before the level jumps sharply. Starting with Columbia, the Cowboys face four consecutive opponents rated 59.72 or higher, culminating with Bradford at 71.61.

That sequencing puts the quarterback situation under a spotlight. Chad Mitchell has the larger passing sample after throwing for 361 yards in 2025, while Kemonte Lee brings more rushing production. Neither should be handed the job in print or in theory. The position must be won.

Dre Mitchell is the leading returning receiver with 10 catches for 125 yards. That makes his development essential, not optional. Jordyn Davis can help Madison County control field position, but special teams cannot compensate for an offense that fails to create explosive plays.

And there is no soft reset after the Bradford game. Bay went 9-2, Fort White opens district play after going 8-4, Taylor County follows the bye after a 10-2 season and Newberry closes the regular season with a 60.04 rating.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Madison County gets August to experiment. September demands answers. If the quarterback, backfield and offensive front are still being sorted out by the Columbia game, the schedule can turn developmental problems into losses quickly.

3RD DOWN — THE PROVING GROUND

Columbia, University Christian and Fort White form three revealing checkpoints.

Columbia is the first road test against a team carrying a rating above 60.00. It will show whether Madison County’s younger linemen can handle a physical opponent when the margin for assignment errors shrinks.

University Christian comes one week later after a 9-4 season and gives the Cowboys another significant test without the benefit of a reset week. That is important. Madison County will need to prove it can absorb a demanding Friday and immediately prepare for another one.

Fort White carries a lower 48.54 rating, but the stakes are higher because it opens district play. Whatever Madison County learns during the five-game grind from Columbia through Bay has to become usable by then.

Jordan Capi and Brody Adlam must help stabilize a front replacing several seniors. Behind them, Lee, Scurry and Vince Coley are among the few returning defenders with varsity production. Offensively, Dre Mitchell’s ability to become a dependable target matters just as much. Madison County rushed for 2,649 yards last season because it could create numbers and break tackles. The new version must prove it can build an identity of its own.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Columbia tests readiness, University Christian tests recovery and Fort White tests whether the lessons actually stuck. Madison County does not need to be a finished product in September, but it cannot still look unfinished when district play arrives.

4TH DOWN — PLAYOFF PICTURE

District 1A-3 is compact and unforgiving. Only Fort White and Taylor County appear on Madison County’s district schedule, which makes every district possession more valuable. There is no long standings table to hide behind.

The district champion receives an automatic playoff berth. For Madison County, that path likely runs through Taylor County, which enters at 60.63 after a 10-2 season and a regional-final appearance. The Oct. 23 trip to Perry could determine the district in one night.

A wildcard remains available through the MaxPreps rankings, and Madison County’s non-district schedule supplies no shortage of opportunities to strengthen its position. Columbia, University Christian, Florida High, Bradford, Bay and Newberry all give the Cowboys meaningful games against opponents with solid records or strong preseason ratings. The résumé opportunity is substantial. So is the danger.

Chad Mitchell or Kemonte Lee must give the offense stability by October. Scurry, Ansley, Mattair and Capi must also generate enough disruption to prevent Taylor County from controlling the game on the ground. The playoff route depends on development becoming production before the bye.

DISTRICT BREAKDOWN

Team 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish Madison County (Madison) 6-6 No. 79 | No. 8 (1A) 64.95 RURAL Regional Finalist Taylor County (Perry) 10-2 No. 101 | No. 10 (1A) 60.63 RURAL Regional Finalist Fort White 8-4 No. 188 | No. 21 (1A) 48.54 FIT RURAL Champion

THE BOTTOM LINE: Madison County remains the district’s highest-rated team, but the road to that district race is considerably more demanding than the final two league games suggest. Survive September with confidence intact, and the Cowboys can still control their playoff path.

SEASON OUTLOOK

Difficulty Rating: 9/10

A 6-4 regular season remains realistic, but 7-3 would require the rebuilt offense and defensive front to mature almost immediately against a schedule featuring six opponents rated above 59.00. Madison County still has a legitimate path to District 1A-3, but with opponents combining for a 75-41 record, there is almost no room for an extended learning curve.

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 79 Madison County Cowboys — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

The names that carried Madison County in 2025 are mostly gone. The expectations are not.

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COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 79 Madison County Cowboys — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

The names that carried Madison County in 2025 are mostly gone. The expectations are not.

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