Northampton will venture into the 2026 football season with several new players in place after they graduated a number of seniors last year.

One prominent position will be quarterback with senior Zion McKinney, who replaces three-year starter Gavin Taff.

Toman was pleased with his team’s recent scrimmage with Upper Perkiomen. It was a tune-up for their opener with Philadelphia-based Martin Luther King Jr. Friday night.

“The scrimmage went fine,” said Toman. “We got out healthy, which is the most important thing. I thought we played physical and fast.”

The Kids finished last season with a 5-7 overall record. They got out to a 2-0 start in independent games, but they then began East Penn Conference play in which they dropped the next three.

They downed Nazareth, 41-28, in a late-season matchup that snapped a two-game sling streak. The Kids met Nazareth again in a district quarterfinal game and suffered a heartbreaking, 37-36 loss.

“Nazareth was a huge win,” noted Toman. “But it was last year. It does give us the confidence that it can be done.”

The Kids will travel down the PA Turnpike and onto the Schuylkill Expressway to meet Martin Luther King, a Philadelphia Public League school. The Cougars were 1-10 last season.

“They have some skill players,” said Toman of his new opponent. “We’ll be ready.”

KIDS’ KUDOS: For the previous two seasons, Northampton opened with Pennsbury, a Philly suburb school. They won last year’s contest, 20-14 ... The deal with Martin Luther King is two years ... The Cougars will be led by returning running back Jaden Staten, a four-year starter, and wide receiver Clyde Johnson, a three-year starter who caught 20 passes for 340 yards with five touchdowns. Linebacker Saleem Johnson, a three-year starter, is a one-man wrecking crew. He recorded 105 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 10 forced fumbles, four sacks, one interception, and two defensive touchdowns last season ... The Kids’ offense initially will center around junior running back Chase Kessler, who ran for 1.482 yards and scored 15 touchdowns last season.

PREDICTION: Kids began the last two seasons 2-0, and Toman will have his club focused for the opener ... Lone distraction might be the long and likely slow bus ride into the city ... Look for the Kids to have a heavy dose of Kessler, who can have a big year ... Kids have experience on the other side of the ball on their line and with their linebackers. That will be the difference ... Kids need to take advantage of their situation here against a team that will look to play at an up-tempo pace. They will slow the game behind Kessler’s methodical running ... It shouldn’t feel like a long bus ride home. Assistant head coach Kevin Ronalds can pick up a tomato pie from Roseto or Wind Gap for me ... K-KIDS, 24-12.