By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
Coming into the 2026 season, Northwood head coach Austin Brown knew there might be more than a few question marks about the Falcons’ offense this year.
“We lost almost 100 percent of our offensive production from last year,” he said. “And then we lost 10 starters on defense.”
Ouch.
But Brown knew there was help on the way; he just wasn’t sure when it would arrive.
Last Friday night, it arrived. Freshman running back Caden Stewart, who had been out during the early part of the season with an injury suffered in the first game, had a coming out party. He ran for 144 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns in the Falcons’ 71-53 loss to Loyola.
One thing the Falcons didn’t lose was their offensive line, a group that had collectively played in more than 100 varsity games. “We knew the offensive line was going to be strong,” Brown said. “We just didn’t know who was going to be running the ball or how good they were going to be.”
“I knew they were going to score some points because their offensive line is really good,” Loyola coach John Sella after last week’s game against Northwood. “They kept going to that running game and it was working. We were having a hard time handling them in the box.”
Tackles Adam Hemphill and Zechariah Reed, guards Kheydan Cornelius and Racyn Graham and center Marion Jones – four of who check hit the scales at north of 275 pounds – have given the Falcons a nice start in rebuilding the offense.
For the last few years, the Falcons have featured a two-back system in the running game, highlighted by career leading rusher Kyren Johnson.
But sidekick Justin Dupree suffered a leg injury early last year, so there was plenty of uncertainty when the season began.
Dupree is back and Stewart has stepped in and is similar to Johnson in running style.
“We’ve known him (Stewart) since middle school and having seen him all summer in workouts, we knew he was going to be a hidden gem,” Brown said. “Then he went to a few camps this summer and everybody started paying attention to him.”
Still, there is an adjustment to playing at the high school level. Middle school runners often find a way to get to the outside and try to outrun the defense.
“That was my main focus with him all summer, teaching him how to read the double teams and stay within the kickout blocks,” Brown said. “That’s the best thing about this kid is he’s an actual football player. He’s not just an athlete. He soaks it all up and to his credit he’s done a tremendous job staying inside and being patient.
“He’s an inside runner, but it is 110 percent credit to his knowledge and understanding and growth as a young freshman.”
Having Dupree back at full strength has given the Falcons a strong 1-2 punch in the running game. The senior ran for 98 yards on 15 carries and also had two touchdowns.
“Dupree is a hard-nosed, compact kid,” Brown said. “He runs like (former NFL star) Frank Gore; very physical and intense.”
Thanks to the offensive line, neither running back had a negative carry in the entire game.
The Falcons (1-3) will face another challenge this week when they take on North DeSoto, the No. 3-ranked team in Class 4A.
“We’ve played a tough schedule and the challenge is to make sure the kids continue to believe,” Brown said. “This is a 10-week season and I still think we are a good team.”
Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com