After best season in school history, Chapmanville aims to be 20% better in '26
Featured Sports
•
Sports
Chapmanville is coming off the best season in program history, but the Tigers believe there's still another level to reach.
After setting a school record with 12 victories and advancing to the Class AAA semifinals, including a 33-27 playoff win over defending champion and previously unbeaten Bridgeport, head coach Zach Belcher is challenging his team to be "20 percent better" in 2026.
Junior quarterback Dakota Dalton returns after throwing 27 touchdowns against just six interceptions while adding 10 more scores on the ground. He'll operate behind an experienced offensive line featuring Jaxon Topping and David Browning as the Tigers look to replace their top two rushers and receivers from last season.
Chapmanville also has a talented group moving up after its JV team went undefeated without allowing a single point last year.
Hear from Belcher, Dalton, Topping and Browning as the Tigers discuss the standard established in 2025 and their goals for an even bigger 2026 season.
Can Chapmanville turn last year's historic run into a Class AAA state championship? Watch our full preseason preview.
Up Next in Featured Sports
-
Strong sr class leads Mingo Central i...
Expectations are rising on Miner Mountain after Mingo Central's breakout 2025 season.
The Miners finished 9-3 and advanced to the Class AA quarterfinals, tripling their win total from the previous season. Now, head coach David Jones believes his team is ready to take another step with its sights...
-
Expectations are elevated at Logan af...
Logan is coming off its best football season in more than a decade, and the Wildcats believe 2026 can be even better.
After an 8-3 campaign in Nick Booth's first season as head coach, Logan returns one of West Virginia's top playmakers in junior tight end Lucas Lambert. Already drawing major Pow...
-
'9-3 is not good enough': Huntington ...
After four straight seasons of playing beyond Thanksgiving, Huntington enters 2026 with unfinished business. The Highlanders went 9-3 a year ago, earning the No. 2 seed in Class AAAA before suffering a disappointing quarterfinal exit. Now, head coach Billy Seals has a simple message for his team:...
