2026 Preview: Atlantic Collegiate Armada

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe">Simply head to our subscription page</a> and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.   The 2026 football season will be the first year that Atlantic Collegiate will have players that started at the school in the ninth grade and now will graduate this season. Athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1683096' first='Brennan' last='Moore'] is one of the players that's been here since the beginning and he's hoping to go out with a bang.   “We've seemed like we've had a lot of young guys every year and now some of us are seniors and the progression has been nice,” Moore said at the recent Prep RedZone Media Day at Gilbert. “We keep improving and building confidence and discipline and all that coming together should lead to a great year. We're definitely excited about our chances this season.”   The Armada still don't have a home field, but they did win the program's first-ever playoff game last year. Over the course of the final five games of the season, they didn't allow more than 17 points in a game and went 3-2 over that span, including that first round playoff win.   And now with nine starters returning on that defensive unit, the expectations are high.   “Our defense really stepped up in most of our victories. I don't see us giving up more than seven-14 points to anybody. We should have one of the best defenses around, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1821585' first='Semaj' last='Wilson'] said.   Wilson and [player_tooltip player_id='1850693' first='Garrett' last='Smith'] will be the leaders of that defense from their linebacker spot. [player_tooltip player_id='1817018' first='Riley' last='Stowers'] [player_tooltip player_id='1821587' first='Solomon' last='Freshley'] CJ Heckel and [player_tooltip player_id='1820986' first='Dallas' last='Brown'] will likely be the starters on the defensive line.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824296' first='Rylan' last='Watts'] and Scott Campbell will lead a talented secondary.   Moore could end up playing three positions offensively. There is a quarterback battle between [player_tooltip player_id='1821584' first='Broderick' last='Evans'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1850669' first='Alex' last='Shook'] but the coaching staff has confidence in both players. Wilson and Melvin Singletary will handle a lot of the running back duties. [player_tooltip player_id='1824295' first='Nate' last='Cunningham'] and RJ Vandermark will lead the way upfront.   “It's going as planned even though we wish it was a little quicker,” head coach Antoine Rivens said. “We're building it brick-by-brick. We will have 15 seniors this season. That's the most we've had yet. There are only about four or five guys that've been with us the whole trip but I'm excited for them to see what they can accomplish.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1821585' first='Semaj' last='Wilson'] LB/RB, 2027 (pictured) – Wilson was the catalyst of that defense surge at the end of the year, and the expectation is he's going to carry that production over to this season. He was an absolute headhunter from his linebacker spot and played with controlled but reckless abandon. He was the second leading tackler (77) and second leading rusher (571 yards) but he was the go-to back in short-yardage situations. He powered his way to 12 touchdowns. His versatility will be needed again, and Wilson looks to be up to the challenge.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824291' first='Michael' last='Runfolo'] OL, 2027 – Runfolo is one of those players that's been here all four years of the program, and he's gotten better each season. He's going to be one of the mainstays on the offensive line. He's got the size and athleticism to move around on the line. He displays brute strength at the point of attack and can overpower guys at times. But he's also agile enough to move into space and block guys on the perimeter or in the secondary. His development should help the offense be much improved this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1817018' first='Riley' last='Stowers'] DE, 2027 – We mentioned earlier on how much the defense improved as the season progressed last season and Stowers is one of the reasons why. He finished with 34 tackles and six tackles for loss to go along with one sack. He comes off the edge quickly and can pressure the passer or play against the run. Stowers could be poised to up his game to another level and provide the consistency that he displayed late in the season when the defense only allowed just over 10 points per game over the final five games.   [player_tooltip player_id='1850693' first='Garrett' last='Smith'] LB, 2027 – The coaching staff gets excited when they discuss the potential of Smith. He was the leader of the defense last year and finished with 96 tackles, six tackles for loss and a sack. Garrett is one that knows everyone's assignment and where they're supposed to be and all the while making sure he's in the right position as well. He's a chiseled 5-foot-10 210 pounds that delivers a big hit once he gets to the ball carrier. Smith is a player that could remain steady in his production but show his worth to the defense in many ways.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1683096' first='Brennan' last='Moore'] ATH, 2027 – Moore can do a little bit of everything for The Armada. He can play quarterback, running back or receiver on offense and play outside linebacker or safety on defense. His versatility has been his calling card and that's likely to be changed this season. Moore has gotten bigger and stronger since last year and that should help his ability to stay on the field for longer stretches of time. He might not see as many snaps at quarterback so that will take some of the mental pressure away. Moore is going to a huge piece of the puzzle wherever he lines up.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Brodie Miller DE/TE – Miller is one of the two graduates off the Armada defense. He provided a steady hand and produced three sacks. His ability to rush the passer will be missed but the overall production can be replaced.   Nate Slocki DB/WR – Atlantic Collegiate didn't throw the ball much but Slocki's 15 receptions for 263 yards were team bests. He played some spot defensive snaps as well, but his impact is likely to be felt on the offensive side of things.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='1824297' first='Angelo' last='Crescenzi'] DB, 2028 – The talented junior made a splash as a sophomore and got better as the season progressed. He finished with 58 tackles and an interception. He's quick to come up and support the run but he showed he's talented enough to lock up receivers as well. He's physical and doesn't mind a lot of contact so that will be helpful as he moves more into a leadership role this season after learning the way last year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1850680' first='Damon' last='Hicks'] WR, 2029 – Hicks played a limited number of snaps on the varsity level as a freshman but he's going to be counted on heavily this year. He has all the tools and every player at Media Day mentioned his development over the offseason as being one of the keys to The Armada offense. Hicks can stretch the defense on the deep ball as well as being crafty enough to take a short pass, make a few guys miss and take it the distance.    Freshley was the second leading receiver last year with 14 receptions for 215 yards. He caught four of the seven touchdown passes. He filled up the defensive stat sheet with 46 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks, three fumble recoveries, two fumbles caused and an interception. He's 6-foot-1, 220 pounds so he's durable and able to contribute on both sides of the ball. There is little question that Freshley will play a key role on both sides of the ball again. Atlantic Collegiate will have more weapons offensively so he could find himself in several mismatches that he should be able to exploit.

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. Simply head to our subscription page and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.