2026 PRP Football Season Preview

By Samuel Hennig

A Program Being Rebuilt From the Ground Up

Pleasure Ridge Park enters 2026 focused on one thing: rebuilding the football program the right way. After four head coaches in four years, PRP has lacked cultural direction, stability, and identity.

Head coach Keith May is committed to establishing long-term standards and a

foundation the community can be proud of. Fourteen years ago, PRP started 14-0 and finished state runner-up, so success can be found here. Coach May revitalized Iroquois to more wins last year than the previous decade. He has the blueprint.

Resetting the Culture

The biggest challenge for PRP isn’t talent; it’s consistency. Players have spent years adjusting to new schemes, expectations, and leadership styles. The new staff is working to stabilize everything from routines to accountability and practice standards. It’s a learning curve, but the team is buying in and moving in the right direction.

Key Leaders

Calvon Mitchell is PRP’s premier hybrid athlete and the centerpiece of the offense. His

versatility and explosiveness create matchup problems and give the staff flexibility in how they attack defenses. Kevondre Ballard is a true do-it-all defender. He can fill gaps, cover receivers, and line up anywhere he’s needed. His presence elevates the entire defense.

Caden Cain, Carmelo Blaine, Franklin Garcia, Jekari Hayden, and Armoni Cheeks all have the potential to break out this season. Each brings their own unique skill set and growing confidence, and the coaching staff believes this core group could take major steps forward as the program stabilizes. These players are a part of the core group and backbone for the Panthers for this season, and for the future.

Schedule of Giants

PRP is taking on one of the toughest schedules in all of Kentucky. Their schedule had a combined record of 88-43 last season.

This season, six of their ten opponents are ranked top thirty in the state, including the fourth and sixth best teams in Kentucky. But to PRP, this isn’t a bad thing. Coach May believes that facing elite programs accelerates growth, exposes players

to championship standards, and forces the team to rise to a higher level.

“This will show our players how elite programs operate and allow them the opportunity to challenge themselves,” May said.

Attention to Detail

May’s philosophy is simple: Be more physical and more efficient than every opponent.

Physicality sets the tone, and efficiency wins games. Coach May continuously says, “Little things make big changes.” This motto is something that he emphasizes to his team, creating attention to detail skills, which is the foundation to everything they are building at PRP.

Final Outlook

The path ahead for PRP isn’t about shortcuts or quick fixes. It's about building something real and durable, something the program can stand on for years to come. The 2026 season marks the beginning of that change. There will be moments where resilience is tested for the Panthers, but that is exactly where the culture is set and made.

Every practice rep, every film session, every standard set and upheld is part of restoring PRP football to the level of pride and excellence the community expects.