Northside Football 2026 Preview, Players and Schedule | Top 25 Public HSFB
Series
2026 Teams to Know Season Preview: Northside (Columbus, GA)
Max Thrash, Alex Tarboro and Gabe Galarza lead Northside into 2026 looking to rebound from last season.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/20/20264 min read
Northside starts the Brycen Freeman era with more returning experience on defense than offense.
Northside's story is not just the 2025 record. It is what the roster around Max Thrash, Alex Tarboro and Gabe Galarza can become. Northside is one of the programs in our 2026 Teams to Know group.
Team Snapshot
School: Northside Patriots
Location: Columbus, Georgia
Head Coach: Brycen Freeman
Returning Starters: Four offensive starters and six defensive starters
2026 Outlook
Brycen Freeman enters in his first year leading the program as they head into 2026.
Continuity begins with four offensive starters and six defensive starters, and they definitely have some dudes who will be coming back from last year.
Around the line of scrimmage, Alex Tarboro, Demaurion West, Alex Del Valle and Braylon Harris give Northside experience. Max Thrash, Alex Tarboro, Gabe Galarza and Jamari Hooker shape the passing game, backfield and secondary.
The first major test is a road game at Smiths Station (AL) on Aug. 21. From there, a road game at Starr's Mill on Aug. 28 keeps the early schedule moving, while a road game at McIntosh on Oct. 23 and a road game at Newnan on Oct. 30 shape the final stretch.
Players to Know
Max Thrash, QB, Class of 2028
Thrash's command and decision-making will help set the ceiling for Northside's offense.
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Tarboro's role at linebacker matters to the run fits and the down-to-down consistency of the defense.
Gabe Galarza, WR, Class of 2027
Northside can use Galarza to create another matchup in the passing game.
Demaurion West, OL, Class of 2027
Northside needs West's consistency up front to keep the offense on schedule.
Alex Del Valle, OL, Class of 2027
Del Valle's work in the line matters to every part of Northside's offensive plan.
Braylon Harris, OL, Class of 2028
Harris gives Northside another answer in the position group that controls the offense's floor.
Jamari Hooker, WR, Class of 2029
Hooker gives the passing game another target who can make the formation harder to defend.
Zabe Thompson, DB/ATH, Class of 2027
Thompson gives Northside another experienced option on the back end of the defense.
Travis Wakefield, DB, Class of 2027
Northside will lean on Wakefield to make the secondary more dependable in high-leverage downs.
Terrence Jennings, LB, Class of 2027
Jennings gives Northside experience in the box and a player who can help keep the defense organized.
Jayson Peterson, DB, Class of 2028
Peterson gives Northside another experienced option on the back end of the defense.
Jamele Donald, DL, Class of 2027
Donald's work up front will help decide how much pressure the defense can create without extra rushers.
Jordan “JJ” Arias, TE/EDGE, Class of 2028
Arias' ability to affect the line of scrimmage gives Northside's defense a clear role to build around.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 21: at Smiths Station (AL)
Aug. 28: at Starr's Mill
Sept. 11: Lovejoy
Sept. 18: at Langston Hughes
Sept. 25: Woodward Academy
Oct. 2: Morrow
Oct. 9: at Creekside
Oct. 16: Tri-Cities
Oct. 23: at McIntosh
Oct. 30: at Newnan
Biggest Question
Can Northside find dependable offensive answers quickly enough to support its more experienced defense?
I keep coming back to Max Thrash, Alex Tarboro and Gabe Galarza when I look at Northside's 2026 ceiling. The defense has to turn its experience into short fields, clean tackling and enough stops to keep the offense from chasing the game. We should have a much clearer answer after a game against Lovejoy on Sept. 11.
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I expect Northside to improve under Freeman because the transition comes with continuity and the Patriots return production at several important positions. The schedule limits the ceiling, especially during the Lovejoy-Langston Hughes-Woodward Academy stretch, before going to preseason #1 Creekside on 10/9 but four wins with this tough of a schedule would be a meaningful step after last season's 2-8 finish.
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