Last season was one for the history books at Cottage Hill Christian. Now comes the harder part: proving it wasn’t the peak, but the beginning.
The Warriors put together one of the best seasons in program history in 2025, finishing 10-2, advancing to the second round of the Class 3A playoffs and closing the year ranked in the final state poll for just the second time in school history.
“We’re going to still try to be explosive,” head coach Carvel Jones said. “We have Shamar Toodle coming back at quarterback, and we have a bunch of targets at receiver… with a veteran offensive line. We’re just excited.”
Cottage Hill enters 2026 as one of the favorites in Alabama’s new Private Single-A classification, thanks to an experienced roster led by one of the state’s premier young quarterbacks. Junior Shamar Toodle is coming off an All-State campaign in which he threw for 2,534 yards, 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing 72 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 651 yards and seven touchdowns, showcasing the dual-threat ability that has made him one of Alabama’s fastest-rising prospects. ON3 ranks Toodle as the No. 2 quarterback in the state for the Class of 2028.
Despite already establishing himself as one of South Alabama’s top signal callers, Toodle believes the offense still has room to grow. “This is our fourth year with this offense,” he said. “I really trust Coach Carvel and his schemes, and I feel like it’s going to be really good.”
Toodle won’t have to carry the offense alone. Dynamic sophomore Aaron Ward returns after totaling more than 1,000 all-purpose yards as a freshman, finishing with 735 receiving yards and four touchdowns while adding 121 rushing yards and 226 kick return yards and a score. Senior receivers Travis Smith and Trevor Thomas bring veteran experience on the outside, while Ethan Womble gives the Warriors another proven option in the backfield.
Perhaps the biggest strength lies up front. Seniors Chase Mose and Brody Simmons return alongside junior Allen Green, who excelled on both sides of the ball last season with 33 pancake blocks on offense while recording 70 tackles and three sacks on defense. Mose believes the line’s continuity could make the offense even more dangerous. “I think our offense will be more explosive this year than it was last year,” he said. “We have the same offensive line. Everything’s going to fall into place like it’s supposed to.”
Graduation did take away some of Cottage Hill’s biggest playmakers, including standout running back Kaden Nguyen, versatile two-way star Caleb Metzner and leading tackler Shadarius Toodle, all key contributors to last season’s breakthrough. “We lost some good seniors there,” Jones said. “We’re just trying to figure out our identity and kind of see what we’re going to do there.”
One area returns almost fully intact: Cottage Hill’s secondary, which may be among the best in the classification. Junior All-State defensive back Xykais Thomas headlines a group that combined for 23 interceptions last season, with Thomas himself recording 10 interceptions and 18 pass breakups while adding more than 500 return yards on special teams. Senior JJ Davis led the team in tackles with 104, while Jayden Davis intercepted seven passes and Nathan Simms broke up 20 more. Senior linebackers Cohen Perea and Connor Lesure anchor the middle of the defense, while Green and highly regarded freshman Joshua McCants are expected to make immediate impacts along the defensive front.
“The secondary’s back. They had 23 interceptions last year,” Jones said. “Guys have been stepping up. We’ve got a senior linebacker core, so I don’t think we’ll miss a beat. I think we’ll be a better team all around.”
Cottage Hill also begins a new chapter this fall with Alabama’s public-private playoff split, sending the Warriors down a different postseason path. With state championships moving to Mobile’s Hancock Whitney Stadium for the first time, Jones said the motivation is even greater. “To play at home down here at South Alabama — it’s a great facility,” Jones said. “We’re just trying to make sure we fix ourselves so that we’re there playing in it.”
With an elite quarterback, an experienced offensive line, dynamic playmakers and one of the Gulf Coast’s top secondaries, Cottage Hill enters 2026 believing last season was only the beginning. “We just take everything in,” Toodle said. “Good things, bad things, whatever they say, we’re just going to come back and win.”