By Ryan Moxon — In his postgame press conference following Hough’s first-ever state championship in football last season, Hough head coach DeShawn Baker reflected on his first state championship as a head coach.

“It gives you the taste that you want to be back,” he said with a smile.

With the start of the 2026 slate of games just a week away, Baker is looking out at a Huskies team that is very different from the undefeated, senior-laden state championship roster of a season ago.

Graduated are four members of an offensive line that was so dominant the offense averaged nearly 15 yards per completion and 130 rushing yards per game last season. Four of the team’s top five receivers also graduated.

On the defensive side of the ball, Baker rattles off so many names that he loses track of who has graduated, but it includes much of the defensive line and secondary, among them star cornerback Samari Matthews, who will suit up for the University of Texas this fall.

So how do the Huskies enter the preseason ranked as the top team in the state and among the top 40 nationally in most major polls?

“It always helps to get your state championship game MVP, offensive MVP and defensive MVP coming back,” Baker said, referring to senior quarterback Ethan Royal, junior running back Jamarion Morrison and junior linebacker Ryan Peterson.

Morrison was the team’s leading running back a season ago, while Peterson joins senior safety Jackson Heath as the team’s two top returning tacklers.

Royal accounted for the most combined passing and rushing yards in Class 8A, throwing for 29 touchdowns and rushing for 14 more.

Baker hopes Royal will build on his success from a season ago without feeling the added pressure of carrying a less-experienced team.

“I expect for him to keep playing his game and not feel like he has to put the weight of the team on his shoulders,” he said. “We’re not putting pressure on him. We want him to be him. To be free and loose.”

Baker also expects big things in the passing game from two returning wide receivers — senior Jahmere Anderson and sophomore Mason Pearsall-Brown.

Another boon to the roster is the arrival of several high-profile players who moved into the Hough district, including Josh Dobson, Davion Jones and Sincere Daye in the defensive secondary. On the offensive line, the additions of Moreno Fisher and Nori White should help the Huskies maintain the massive size advantage they had last season.

Front-loaded schedule

The season begins next Friday with a highly-anticipated matchup on the road against Northwestern, the top-ranked team in South Carolina. The Huskies’ 10-game regular-season schedule includes matchups against five teams ranked in the top 20 in their respective states and four ranked in the top 10, including Northwestern, No. 3 Providence Day, No. 6 Cardinal Gibbons, No. 10 Myers Park and No. 16 Mooresville.

On paper, Hough will open with its three toughest games. Baker credits the adversity the team faced against skilled teams early last season with helping pave the way for a dominant finish.

“We just want to come out and challenge ourselves and make sure that we are prepared for later in the season,” Baker said. “I think that helped us a lot last year, playing tough games early and being down, having to come back, having to execute and having each other’s backs. I think that goes a long way.”

Hough has posted a 70-9 record over the last six seasons, including a 28-2 mark over the last two. The last time the Huskies lost a regular-season game was a 45-44 defeat to Northwestern on Aug. 23, 2024, a team they open the season against.

“We’re just keeping our heads down at work,” Baker said during summer workouts. “We still have a long way to go. We have the talent. We just have to make sure it all adds up and gels together.”

Trending upward

Baker is hoping to buck a trend in Charlotte-area football, where the mantle of the dominant program has shifted over the last 30 years from Independence to Butler, then Mallard Creek, Chambers and now Hough.

He said focusing on connecting with his players, rather than simply hoisting trophies, is how he hopes to sustain more long-term success.

“I want to win as much as the next coach, and yes, I want to win the state championship this year,” he said. “But for me, it’s bigger than football.”

“We want to continue to have kids mature in school and get a good education in college. A lot of kids don’t get a lot of nurturing and love at home, and I want to make sure that this program is a fun, loving place with a family atmosphere.”