Lackawanna Football Conference Media Day kicks off the 2026 season

OLYPHANT — Coaches and players from all across the region came together this week to celebrate the unofficial start of the 2026 fall sports season.

The 17th annual Lackawanna Football Conference Media Day was held Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Regal Room in Olyphant. The event is organized and hosted each year by former Wallenpaupack Area skipper Stan Kucharski. From this point on, it will be officially named the “Stan Kucharski LFC Media Day.”

Local schools were well-represented as teams prepare for the first official day of practice on Aug. 17.

“We’re definitely excited to get out on the field and see what we can do,” Honesdale skipper George Howanitz said. “We have a great group of kids and they’re really buying into what we’re teaching.”

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Western Wayne is entering a new era under rookie head coach Dave Shimkosky, who took the reins when Shane Grodack stepped down after last season.

“We have a really good bunch this year and they’re anxious to get started,” Shimkosky said. “We lost some key players from last year, but we also have some very talented kids coming back.”

For his part, Paupack coach Matt Nawrocki is optimistic about a Buckhorn squad that features 15 battle-tested seniors.

“We have a lot of experienced kids coming back and they’re already showing excellent leadership,” Nawrocki said. “They did a lot of great things for us last year so we’re really going to lean on them especially early in the season.”

With the first day of practice now less than two weeks away, the race is on to prepare for what promises to be an entertaining season.

This year’s LFC campaign kicks off Aug. 28 with a full slate of games. Honesdale opens up on the road at archrival Paupack. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. on the shores of The Big Lake.

“They beat the tar out of us last year, so I’m definitely interested to see what strides we’ve made since then,” Howanitz said. “Paupack is our biggest rival and I know the seniors will be fired up and ready to go.”

Nawrocki believes that this Week 1 challenge could set the tone for a successful season.

“We always take things one snap, one day and one game at a time,” he said. “The Honesdale game is obviously a big one for us, but right now we’re just keeping our heads down and working hard.”

Meanwhile, Western Wayne is looking at an Opening Night home game against perennial Class A powerhouse Lackawanna Trail at Sharkey Rosetti Memorial Stadium.

The Lions are coming off yet another District 2 championship in which they thrashed Tri-Valley in the sub regional title tilt.

“Trail has a phenomenal program so they’re always going to be a tough opponent,” Shimkosky said. “Coach Jervis always puts together a disciplined, hard-nosed football team and we need to be ready.”

Other key games on the Week 1 schedule include: Berwick at North Pocono, Delaware Valley at Bethlehem Catholic, Carbondale Area at Nanticoke, Holy Cross at Lakeland, Northwestern Lehigh at Scranton Prep, Allentown Central Catholic at Abington Heights.

This year’s version of the LFC will consist of 20 teams divided up into three divisions.

Paupack, North Pocono, Abington Heights, Scranton Prep, Valley View, Delaware Valley, Scranton and West Scranton will battle for the Division I crown.

Honesdale, Western Wayne, Lakeland, Mid Valley, Riverside and Dunmore will vie for Division II laurels. Carbondale, Holy Cross, Susquehanna, Montrose, Old Forge and Lackawanna Trail will duke it out in Division III.

“There aren’t going to be many easy ones this year, especially in Division I,” Nawrocki said. “The schedule is loaded with big games and local rivalries — and I think that’s really what the fans want to see.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Lackawanna Football Conference Media Day kicks off the 2026 season