Football fans got their first look at the 2026 STC football team on Friday night, Aug. 21, when the Trojans hosted West Marshall in their annual ‘Gator Bowl.’

The two teams started with some 7-on-7 passing drills, followed by a full 11-on-11 scrimmage. West Marshall enters the season as the #7 ranked team in class 1A according to IAfootball. Unofficially, STC battled them closely during the full-team portion of the scrimmage. Highlights for the Trojans included a tackle-for-loss by senior linebacker Kyle Youngbear, and a 2-yard touchdown pass from junior Ryan Brant to junior Ethan Page. During the 7-on-7 portion of the night, Brant found senior Michael Henry in the end zone for a score.

STC will now open their season tonight, Friday, August 28, when they travel to Vinton-Shellsburg. Last season, the Trojans defeated the Vikings, 20-8. Vinton-Shellsburg went on to finish the 2025 season with a record of 3-5. The Vikings return their leading rusher and leading tackler from last fall. Senior Isaiah Schneider ran for 376 yards in 2025, while senior Colson Chvala led the team with 72 tackles. The Vikings will be starting a new quarterback this season. Kickoff in Vinton will be at 7 p.m.

The Trojan’s home opener will be the following Friday, September 4, when they host Union.