The East Bay Indians take the field at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, at E.G. Simmons Field in Ruskin, opening the 2026 varsity football season against Robinson High School.
It is head coach DeAndra Simmons' second season at the helm. His debut ended 5-5, a record that included a pair of blowout shutouts (57-0 over Leto, 50-0 over Spoto) but also a 35-14 loss to Riverview in the final regular-season week.
The Indians return seven defenders and four offensive players from that 2025 squad. Sophomore running back Preston Cooper headlines the group. The East Bay Football account posted Cooper's recruiting profile on X in June, listing him at 5-foot-10, 175 pounds with a 4.0 GPA.
Three juniors join Cooper as players Simmons expects to anchor the roster: Marquis Thornton (DB/RB), Lhoyalti Taylor (DB/WR) and Andriano Betty (OL), according to the Observer News' season preview published Thursday.
Defense is the storyline to watch. The secondary and linebacker corps are expected to carry the load, keeping games within reach while the offense finds its footing. That matters more now: East Bay moved from Class 5A District 8 into the new 4AD9 classification, where Jesuit (11-2 last year) looms as the likely favorite and Blake figures as the Indians' toughest district matchup.
Simmons told the Observer News in Thursday's season preview that he expects strong team chemistry, describing a roster that has bought into a "blue collar" work ethic.
As we reported Thursday, three former East Bay players — Malik Boyd, Trey Knight and Demauris Feet — transferred to rival Lennard during the offseason. That departure makes Friday night's opener a measuring stick for how Simmons has rebuilt.
The losses sting.
Robinson, which the Observer News listed at 1-9 in 2025, offers a favorable first test. A convincing win would set the tone before the schedule stiffens.
What's next: East Bay travels to Riverview on Aug. 21, visits Chamberlain on Aug. 28, then hosts Lennard on Sept. 18 in the South Shore rivalry game. The district road test at Blake comes Oct. 16.
