2026 Football Preview: Standardbearers in line for next group of Lions

PEORIA – Roster turnover has a natural rhythm for Peoria High football. 

One experienced group graduates, and another group is set to step up, eager to maintain the standard of a program that has put together seven consecutive winning seasons. 

“We’re shooting for deep runs into the playoffs,” head coach Aaron Montgomery said. “The expectations never really change. We say around here the standard is the standard.”

Even if that means a graduating class that included Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Breon Green, Defensive Player of the Year Dereon Mays and all-Big 12 first teamers Jaquarius Green and Damarion Zapata.  

“It’s just next man up,” Montgomery said. “That graduating class we had that just left, they started as sophomores, right? So again, it’s nothing we’re not used to. Those youngins have worked their tails off to step up and be the next guys.”