WALDORF, Md. — The St. Charles High School football team will open the 2026 season with a difficult three-game road stretch, but head coach Kortez Prather believes the Spartans’ biggest challenge will not be their opponents. It will be themselves.
“We’re trying to have a good mindset going to practice every day and getting better,” Prather told The BayNet. “At the end of the day, I think our biggest opponent would be ourselves.”
St. Charles is scheduled to begin the season on the road against Lackey, Northern and Patuxent, giving the Spartans an early test against three strong Southern Maryland programs.
Rather than spending too much time worrying about its opponents, St. Charles is focused on controlling what it can control.
“If we’re the best version of ourselves, it’ll be pretty hard to beat us,” he said.
That philosophy has been a major part of the program’s offseason preparation. Prather, who is entering his third season as head coach after previously serving on the St. Charles staff, wants his players to build a program that extends beyond what happens on Friday nights.
The Spartans have emphasized competition throughout fall camp, with players competing for positions and depth-chart spots. Prather said the team has talent on both sides of the ball, making practices an important opportunity for players to push one another.
This season, Prather wants St. Charles to be known as a complete football team.
“I want them to see that we’re a complete program in all three phases and that we take all three phases seriously,” Prather said.
Offensively, the Spartans are working on executing their assignments, maintaining proper alignment and becoming comfortable with their system. Defensively, fundamentals such as tackling and shedding blocks remain priorities.
Special teams have also received significant attention, an area Prather considers an important third phase of the game because of his own experience playing college football and the experience of members of his coaching staff.
The emphasis on fundamentals comes after a difficult playoff loss to South River last season. Prather said several sophomores played important roles in that game and learned firsthand how quickly opportunities can disappear.
“Those plays, sometimes those opportunities don’t happen again,” Prather said.
That lesson has carried into this offseason, as Prather has seen those players take advantage of opportunities during the first days of fall camp.
The Spartans have also focused heavily on building team chemistry. A core group of players has grown together since entering high school, while newcomers have been encouraged to embrace the program’s culture.
Quarterback Toby Thompson, who transferred to St. Charles in January, has quickly bought into the team-first mentality, according to Prather.
“He has done nothing but immerse himself in our culture and in our program to really hone in on our ‘team over me’ mindset,” Prather said.
Leadership will also be critical. The Spartans hold weekly meetings with their captains during the offseason and regular season, allowing players to discuss the team and reinforce the coaching staff’s message.
“I think the best teams are player-led teams,” he said. “As much as I think coaches have a big impact on preparation, I think you also need to have great leaders.”
That mentality is part of a larger culture Prather is trying to establish at St. Charles. The program encourages players to contribute to the school and community, including helping teachers and cleaning cafeterias.
Prather believes those responsibilities help prepare players for life beyond football.
“We’re really trying to create a program instead of just a yearly team,” he said.
Academic success is another part of that philosophy. Prather said approximately 12 players from last year’s team signed to continue their education, while others went into the military.
The coaching staff also uses its own college football experience to prepare players who hope to continue playing after high school. Prather played Division II football at Notre Dame College of Ohio, while members of his staff have experience at other college levels.
Prather said that experience helps players understand that college football is a significant commitment.
The Spartans have set ambitious goals for the season, including winning their first outright SMAC championship and making another deep playoff run. Prather also wants the program to build on its 2022 regional championship, which he was part of as defensive coordinator.
Reaching those goals, however, will require consistency.
“If we can limit the mistakes, if we can limit our penalties, if we can limit our turnovers, and if we can execute, I think that this team has the makings to make a deep playoff run,” Prather said.
With three consecutive road games to begin the season, St. Charles will have little time to ease into the schedule. Prather sees the challenge as an opportunity to quickly learn what his team can become.
“We’ll know about ourselves within the first month of the season,” he said.
Ultimately, Prather wants his players to finish the season being remembered as disciplined, physical and well-coached.
“A team that made the best of their opportunities and didn’t leave a lot of plays on the field,” Prather said.
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