LEBANON — The Lebanon High School football program has established a level of consistency under coach Micah Faler.
The next challenge is maintaining it with a new cast in some important places.
Lebanon enters the 2026 season after finishing 8-4 overall and 6-3 in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference last fall, earning its third consecutive seven-win season and advancing to the second round of the Division I playoffs.
The Warriors showed plenty of resilience along the way.
They opened 3-0, endured losses to eventual ECC powers Anderson and Kings and then won four of their final five regular-season games. Lebanon’s stretch included a 41-38 double-overtime victory over Turpin in which quarterback Luke Faler threw for a school-record 503 yards and five touchdowns.
Lebanon then edged Fairmont 22-21 in the opening round of the playoffs, scoring late and converting a two-point conversion for the victory, before its season ended with a 31-0 loss at eventual Division I state semifinalist Middletown.
Replacing the production behind that run will be Lebanon’s biggest task.
Luke Faler graduated after throwing for 2,096 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. The Warriors also lost three of their four leading receivers — including Daniel Wallace and Nick — from a productive offensive group. Wallace finished with 52 catches for 685 yards and six touchdowns, while Lautar caught 38 passes for 511 yards and eight scores.
One proven weapon does return in Wyatt Lassen. As a sophomore last season, the 6-foot-2 receiver caught 39 passes for a team-high 729 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 18.7 yards per reception.
Lebanon also brings back players who gained experience as underclassmen, including running back Logan Schmenk, defensive lineman Josh Ennis and a group of sophomores from last season that will be expected to take larger roles.
Faler enters his fifth season leading the program he took over before the 2022 campaign. A former University of Akron quarterback, Faler had previously served as Lebanon’s quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator before becoming head coach.
The Warriors open the season Friday at VanDeGrift Stadium against Northmont, a team Lebanon defeated 20-5 in last year’s opener. Lebanon then begins ECC play Aug. 28 at Loveland.
