The Crestwood Red Devils’ football team will make their final stand in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division this year. In the team’s last year in the conference, they will be supported by a deep and experienced roster.
“Our goal is to have the best 11 on both sides of the ball,” said Coach Jack D’Amato. “Whether they play one side or not, we would like to get some guys breaks if we can. Having depth like that allows us to have those breaks but at the end of the day we are still playing Division V football in a tough division and a tough conference.”
For Crestwood, the 2026 season will mark the end of a seven-year run in the CVC, as they will transfer to the Greater Portage Athletic Conference in 2027, reuniting most of the Portage County schools.
Although the Red Devils will be changing leagues, they will still contend with a formidable CVC Valley Division consisting of perennial heavyweights Kirtland, Rootstown, Berkshire and Chagrin Falls with Fairview and Conneaut as the newcomers in the league.
According to the ninth-year coach, Crestwood’s advantage will be in its depth, as there will be nine returnees on the offensive side and eight defense starters, as part of a 17-man senior class this season.
He added that the returning cast is ready to apply all lessons learned from a 3-7 campaign last year to make the 2026 season a more successful year.
“We lost a big senior class the year before and made some transitions on the field with different players having not a ton of experience and we built that experience last year with this year’s senior group. They took their lumps and are now ready to go,” he noted.
Leading the offense will be junior Michael Kalista, who returns for his second full season as a varsity starter after completing 49 passes out of 95 attempts for 576 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 202 yards and one touchdown on 44 carries.
D’Amato said that that the 5-foot-9 junior’s first full season as a varsity starter served as a valuable learning experience.
“It really made him realize that to play at a varsity level, he needed to put a lot more muscle on. I think that would be huge thing for him to be able to see it firsthand. He took that and ran with it and came back. We got him back from our strength coach the last week of July and he is a changed kid,” he said.
The Red Devils’ backfield will consist of senior James Lancaster, junior Chris Mory and sophomore Nick Hess.
The 5-foot-10 Lancaster will be Crestwood’s most experienced tailback after collecting 291 yards and two touchdowns on 56 carries while the 5-foot-9 Mory returns after rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries, but D’Amato expects 5-foot-6 Hess to have a big role.
“Nick Hess is talented kid for a sophomore,” he said. “He is another kid that bought into the weight room and really transformed his body. He wanted to play on Friday nights; that is what it takes to play on Friday nights. He is a fast, athletic kid and in the eyes of the staff we see him like that Nate Blaisole-type back which we missed last year.”
Crestwood’s wide receiver room will consist of senior Luke Zauszniweski who caught six passes for 57 yards and one touchdown last season, senior Jake Devlin, senior Everett Baynes and sophomore Xaden Beverly with senior Tye Berquist projected to be the starting tight end.
On the offensive line, D’Amato said that the unit will be one of Crestwood’s most experienced position groups with seniors Austin Rivera, Ethan Marshall, and sophomore Trent Forson returning, and seniors Chase Thompson, Cade Honeycutt, Jaxon Gill and junior Bentley Yarick also expected to receive meaningful playing time in the trenches.
The Red Devils’ defense will be fueled by the linebackers, as three of the top four tacklers return in the 6-foot-1 Berquist who made 69 tackles and six sacks last year, Mory who recorded 83 tackles and three sacks and Lancaster who collected 74 tackles and two sacks.
D’Amato said that junior Josiah Baker will fill the final spot in the linebacker’s room.
“Joe is a junior that has worked really hard and done all of the right things and is the quarterback so to speak of the defense,” he said of the 5-foot-10 junior.
The 5-foot-10 Baynes will operate as a starting cornerback, with the 5-foot-9 Zauszniewski expected to slot into the other cornerback position, with Kalista returning as the starting safety.
The Red Devils’ 2026 season will begin when they go on the road to take on Portage County rival Mogadore on Aug. 21 at Memorial Stadium.
