MADISON — Every coach has to replace players who graduate from the previous year.
But not many have the task Madison’s Mike Gilligan has as the coach enters his seventh season leading the Blue Streaks football program.
Madison will have to replace 23 seniors who have moved on from last year’s 7-4 team that qualified for the Division III, Region 9 playoffs, and finished second in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division.
However, when asked, Gilligan did not hesitate when asked what he thought the strength of his 2026 Blue Streaks will be.
“Our D-Line is going to be our strong point,” he said.
Gilligan has good reason to start there as Madison brings back the size and athleticism of 6’4”, 250-pound senior Mason Nusker.
Nusker, a standout on both sides of the ball a year ago, has been heavily recruited this offseason and recently made a verbal commitment to Youngstown State University.
“He’s a good athlete and very good in space,” Gilligan said of Nusker, who can play anywhere on the defensive line, and accumulated 33 tackles, including four for loss a year ago.
But the talent up front doesn’t end with Nusker.
Senior Ivan Cardona, who Gilligan called one of the better offensive linemen the program has had over the years, looks to use his 5’11”, 260-pound strong frame way more than on defense than last season.
“He is going to be really good,” Gilligan said
Gilligan also praised the work of 215-pound junior Leland Scheel, who saw plenty of action along the defensive front a year ago.
He, along with classmates Ben Watson, Brayden Wolf and senior Michael Susevich all have the size and athleticism to make running the ball against the Madison front difficult.
“All of those guys are inexperienced but are good football players,” Gilligan said.
Madison also has experience returning among its second level on defense, with juniors Bobby Wyant (defensive end), Sam Crosby (outside linebacker), Parker Johnson (outside linebacker), along with Josh White (inside linebacker), all having been part-time starters or key rotational pieces.
Jackson had 20 tackles in the first three games last season before an injury cut his season short.
Senior Anthony Telenko (31 tackles) returns at inside linebacker, but Gilligan sees much promise with junior Caden Mumau, which will allow Telenko, who will be one of the main tailbacks on offense, to rest some.
“Our linebackers — guys like Parker Johnson and Sam Crosby, Telenko, Wyant — those guys are all strong, medium-built kids who are just football players,” Gilligan said.
Knowing he has a young team, especially on the offensive side of the ball, Gilligan said it will be important for the defense to keep the opponents off the scoreboard.
“Our defense has a lot more experience largely because we rotated those guys in a lot last year,” he said. “I think we can keep points down, but we just happen to be young in our secondary.”
Junior Domenic Gephart (safety) and Gavin Mayfield (cornerback) bring back the most experience. Gilligan hopes they will provide leadership in the secondary.
Gephart led the team with 45 tackles a year ago. Gilligan hopes to find some time to rest Gephart as he will also be a key member on offense.
Seniors Dom Rodeheaver, Kam Wilson, Noah Wargula and Lyndon Goglin, junior Jake Kovancevic and sophomore JJ Henton are all good athletes vying for playing time in the secondary.
“The largest thing for our defense is to limit big plays,” Gilligan said. “It is encouraging because we have some young guys who show potential, but you just never know until you see them out there. That experience factor is big. And then, for us, our schedule for our first five games is really tough.”
Madison will host traditional local power Perry in the opener, followed by strong independent games at Maple Heights and home against Holy Name.
The Blue Streaks will then take on perhaps the two Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division favorites in Chardon at home and at Willoughby South in that span.
The early practices, moreso than ever, will be crucial to how quickly his young guys can mature.
“It comes down to how well we practice and on how focused we are,” Gilligan said.