There are many factors involved in Charleston’s excellent 3-0 start to the 2026 junior high football season, including the suffocating defense, the running back duo of Cooper Carruth and Grant Little, the dominant offensive line, and the speedy wide receiver trio of Tanner Schilling, Jaxson Todd, and Carson Lensing.
But all great teams have a leader at quarterback, and the Tigers are certainly no exception. Freshman Daeton Stewart, son of junior high head coach Matt Stewart, has been fantastic. On the season, Stewart is 17-of-28 passing with 359 yards and six touchdowns. He also has a rushing touchdown.
“Daeton has been solid thus far,” said Stewart. “He doesn’t let the highs get too high, or the lows become detrimental to the team. He has to get people lined up, set protections, answer pre-snap questions, recognize coverages, and then be able to execute post-snap.”
Coach Stewart also emphasized that his young QB is showing a strong connection with the team. “He (Daeton) has mentioned feeling more connected with his teammates in the locker room, and outside of football,” he said. That rapport goes a long way for team chemistry, and the kids are playing for each other. They’re holding each other accountable, staying after practice to work on things, and it’s just enjoyable for us coaches to see that with these young men in this football program.”
That team chemistry has extended beyond the practice field. The Sunday before the Ozark game, Stewart invited the freshmen over for pizza and a swimming party, giving the young Tigers an opportunity to spend some time together away from football.
Charleston will once again need Daeton to lead the offense against an eager Lavaca defense looking to slow down the Tigers’ high-powered attack.
“Lavaca will give us a front that we haven’t seen yet,” said Stewart. “Defensively, Lavaca will base out of a 4-2-5 defense. They have great pursuit and like to send linebacker pressure. But I expect our kids to have a great week of mental and physical preparation for the Golden Arrows.”
Like their high school teammates, the Charleston junior high Tigers have faced a daunting non-conference schedule. All four schools, including Elkins in the opening benefit scrimmage, are larger schools in the 4A-4 conference. But Charleston has come out on top every time, and Coach Stewart believes this has prepared his Tigers for the start of conference play.
“Ric Flair has a popular saying: ‘To be the man, you gotta beat the man’,” said Stewart. “Not that we are ‘the man’, but we have to play great competition to prepare us for a great conference. We need to see teams that are bigger, stronger and faster than we are to prepare us for what lies ahead.”
Lavaca comes in with a record of 1-2, with losses to Hackett and Dover, both by scores of 38-0, and a 14-0 victory over Subiaco Academy. Despite the early struggles, Stewart is not overlooking the opponent.
“The JR Arrows are young, but well coached. They look like we did last year, playing a lot of 8th graders. Those kids play extremely hard every play,” said Stewart. “They like throwing the perimeter screen and they execute the tailback slip screen to perfection. Their QB does a good job of moving the pocket to find an open window to zip the ball to their tailback. They also run counter really well, so if we are undisciplined in our keys, it could lead to explosive plays for them.”
Charleston will put its undefeated record on the line Thursday at 7 p.m. at Alumni Field in Charleston. The seventh-grade game starts at 5:30 p.m.
All photo credits to Sharon Baumgartner Dewitt
