Randolph sets sectional standard around leadership, physical identity

Overview

• Nate Armella enters his second season as Randolph head coach after 19 seasons with the program, including time as JV defensive coordinator and varsity defensive coordinator.
• Armella said Randolph's goal is to compete for a sectional championship, with the program chasing its 13th sectional crown.
• Carter Conley, Christian Hayes, Easton Pence, Alexander Garland and Josiah Neal are among the primary leaders Armella named for the Cardinals.
• Davion Johnson is set to take over as Randolph's starting quarterback.
• Randolph is scheduled to open Sept. 4 against Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton, with home games also set against Salamanca, Silver Creek/Forestville and Wilson.

Randolph Cardinals 2026 Football Preview

Nate Armella's second season as Randolph head coach begins with the same target the Cardinals expect to pursue.

"Our goal at Randolph first and foremost is to compete for a section championship," Armella said.

Armella has been with the program for 19 seasons. He started as a JV defensive coordinator in 2007, became varsity defensive coordinator in 2013 and is now entering his second year leading Randolph.

This season's team is built around a leadership group Armella trusts and a style he described in simple terms: "Fast, physical and disciplined."

Leaders Set The Tone

Armella pointed to Carter Conley, Alexander Garland, Christian Hayes, Easton Pence, Grady Huntington and Josiah Neal as returning players who have helped form the team's foundation after a productive offseason.

He also named Conley, Hayes, Pence, Garland and Neal as Randolph's primary leaders.

"Leadership," Armella said when asked for the team's biggest strength. "We have a group of guys that have been exceptional leaders for our young guys."

Conley, a senior TE/LB, brings two-way production back to that group. In 2025, he caught 21 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns and finished with 56 tackles.

Garland, a senior RB/DB, is the player Armella identified as a breakout candidate. He rushed for 396 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, added 23 tackles on defense and returned a punt for a touchdown.

Hayes, a senior OL/DE, gives Randolph an experienced line piece. In 2025, he recorded 30 tackles and three sacks.

Quarterback And Line Picture

Davion Johnson is set to take over at quarterback. Johnson is listed as a senior QB/DB, and Armella said he will step into the starting role.

Randolph's line group is another major piece of the season. Armella named Hayes, Neal, Pence, Hayden Bruyere, Noah Brown and Wyatt Shields as players expected to anchor the offensive and defensive fronts.

Pence is listed as a junior OL/LB, Neal as a sophomore OL/DL, Bruyere as a senior OL/DL, Brown as a sophomore OL/LB and Shields as a sophomore OL/DE.

Armella also named Hayes as a new contributor to know and Jack Haines as a special-teams player who could make a difference.

Defensively, Randolph wants the same fast, physical identity Armella wants for the entire team.

"Fast and physical," Armella said of the defense. "11 hats to the ball."

The Cardinals' development point is experience. Armella said Randolph has some inexperience on the field and wants to improve each week while playing its best football down the stretch.

Schedule Landmarks

Randolph is scheduled to open Sept. 4 against Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton at Randolph Central School's Stadium, then visit Newfane on Sept. 11.

The Cardinals travel to Saint Mary's on Sept. 19 before coming home Sept. 25 against Salamanca. October opens with another home date, Oct. 2 against Silver Creek/Forestville.

Randolph then visits Franklinville/Ellicottville on Oct. 9, hosts Wilson on Oct. 16 and closes the regular-season schedule Oct. 23 at Catt Little Valley.

The larger program storyline is clear: Randolph is chasing its 13th sectional crown. If the Cardinals' leadership core, new starting quarterback and line group grow with the experience Armella wants, Randolph will have the pieces to make that chase the center of its season.