PREDICTION: Northwestern Looks to Turn Experience Into Success in 2026
The high school football season is fast approaching, and there’s no better time to start predicting regular-season records for teams across the county.
Every game matters during the regular season, and one result can change the outlook for an entire year. Throughout this series, we’ll break down each Howard County team’s schedule, predict the outcome of every matchup and project where each team could finish in 2026.
Northwestern enters the 2026 season with valuable experience after relying on a young roster last season. Can the Tigers turn that experience into more success this fall? We take a closer look at the schedule and project where Northwestern could finish when the regular season comes to an end.
Northwestern High School
Head coach: Shane Turnipseed (entering second season at Northwestern; 4-6 at Northwestern)
Northwestern enters the 2026 season with Shane Turnipseed in his second season leading the program. After relying on a young roster last year, the Tigers return several players with valuable experience and will look to take another step forward in 2026. Northwestern also plans to utilize a fast-paced, up-tempo offense this season.
Junior quarterback Colin Cook returns after a productive sophomore season. Cook threw for 2,532 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2025 while completing 57.5% of his passes. With another year of experience under his belt, Cook will be a key piece of Northwestern’s offense.
Senior linebacker Sedric Garcia returns after leading the Tigers with 63 tackles last season. Garcia also recorded two tackles for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Northwestern returns two of its top three tacklers from a year ago, giving the Tigers experience to build around on the defensive side of the ball.
With a more experienced roster and key contributors returning on both sides of the ball, Northwestern will look to turn last season’s experience into a stronger 2026 campaign.
Northwestern 2026 Football Schedule (Predicted Results)
Aug. 21 — at Manchester
Prediction: Manchester
Aug. 28 — at Eastern (Greentown)
Prediction: Eastern
Sept. 4 — vs. Southwood
Prediction: Northwestern
Sept. 11 — vs. Peru
Prediction: Northwestern
Sept. 18 — vs. Whitko
Prediction: Northwestern
Sept. 25 — at Maconaquah
Prediction: Maconaquah
Oct. 2 — vs. Wabash
Prediction: Northwestern
Oct. 9 — at Rochester
Prediction: Rochester
Oct. 16 — vs. Northfield
Prediction: Northwestern
Predicted regular-season record: 5-4
With a more experienced roster, key players returning on both sides of the ball and a fast-paced offense, Northwestern enters the 2026 season looking to turn last year’s experience into more success. The Tigers will have plenty of opportunities to prove they have taken the next step.
Next up, we’ll head to Greentown for a look at the Eastern Comets as we continue predicting regular-season records for Howard County football teams ahead of the 2026 season.
