Bishop Miege has unfinished business.
The Stags enter the 2026 season as the defending Class 4A state runner-up, bringing back 18 full-time starters and 43 letter winners from a team that finished 7-6 last season. With all 11 offensive starters returning, Bishop Miege believes it has the experience and talent to make another deep postseason run — this time with a state championship as the goal.
“Bishop Miege will enter the season as the returning 4A state runner-up,” coach Jon Holmes said. “We are excited as we return 18 full-time starters and 43 letter winners. We will return our entire offense, so our expectations will be high. Our goal is to win a state championship.”
The Stags endured injuries early in the 2025 season before finding their best form in November. Their run ultimately ended with a loss to Kapaun Mount Carmel in the state championship game, marking the second consecutive season Bishop Miege had fallen in the state final.
Now, with a veteran group returning, the Stags expect to be ready from the start.
“The 2026 season will be one where we expect to get off to a fast start as we lean on our experience returning,” Holmes said. “This is a talented group of guys who are ready to continue the tradition of Bishop Miege football.”
The experience is especially notable on offense, where Bishop Miege returns its entire starting unit.
Quarterback Landon Cole and running back Vinny George headline the backfield, while wide receivers Jayden McDaniel, Wesley Walsh and Michael Blount give the Stags plenty of returning weapons in the passing game. Zach Mohlman anchors the offensive line.
Bishop Miege will continue to operate from a spread-based offense, using multiple formations and motions to create numerical advantages in both the running and passing games.
Defensively, the Stags return eight starters and will line up primarily in a 4-2-5 scheme. CJ Hess, Carlos Rodriguez and Keenan Poulsen provide experience in the secondary, while Jace Poirier and sophomore Lincoln Leonard are among the returning players expected to contribute up front. Junior Jaylen Johnson also returns as an edge rusher.
“We will play a base 4-2-5 defense,” Holmes said. “We will use multiple coverages and use our DL to create pressure on the QB.”
Johnson could be one of the most intriguing young players on the roster. The 2028 edge rusher has already received early offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Tennessee, SMU, Purdue and Arizona and is expected to make an immediate impact for the Stags.
The road back to the state championship game will not be easy. Bishop Miege will face a challenging schedule filled with teams that have similar postseason aspirations. The 4A landscape also changes with St. Thomas Aquinas moving back into the classification.
Bishop Miege will once again face Missouri Class 6 power Rockhurst in its lone non-EKL game, adding another significant test to the schedule.
After consecutive trips to the state championship game, the Stags aren’t hiding their expectations.
“We know our schedule this year will be a challenging one, as we will each week who expect to compete for a state championship,” Holmes said.
With an experienced roster, an entire offense returning and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, Bishop Miege enters 2026 with another opportunity to finish what it started the past two seasons.
This time, the Stags want the final game to end differently.
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