Young Vina football team looking to use 2026 season as building block for the future

For the Vina High School varsity football team, the main focus of the 2026 season will be to regroup, grow and develop a very young team.

Because the Red Devils forfeited a game to Addison, a region opponent, last season, they will not be a member of a region for the next two years and are thus ineligible for postseason play until the next classification cycle in 2028.

Head coach of the Red Devils, Cody Renfrow, entering his fourth season at Vina, said his team is, of course, disappointed that they will not have the opportunity to compete for a playoff spot.

“Obviously we want to be in a region. The goal is to be in a region and ideally be able to compete in a region,” he said.

However, Renfrow said the situation presents an opportunity for Vina football to assess where it’s at. His goal is to use this season to prepare for the future with a young and, currently, a mostly inexperienced squad.

“We kind of have to take a step back and look at our program realistically,” he said. “The numbers haven’t been there. Last week I had 12 players, but we’ve added some guys in the last week so we’re up to 18 now. So the numbers have gotten a little better.

“This season I just want to build confidence and work on fundamentals and build a foundation because I have a really young group,” he added. “We only have one senior and one junior this season and then a lot of 10th graders and everyone else is younger.

“I think it’s the best route for us right now, to step out of region play and play teams that are more competitive relative to us and grow the program from here on out.”

A point of encouragement for Renfrow this offseason though has been his players’ commitment and eagerness to learn.

“This is a great group of kids,” he said. “A lot of them haven’t played much football so they’re very inexperienced, but they show up every day. Attendance hasn’t been a problem like it has been in the past. They want to learn, they want to develop and that’s what you want as a coach.

“Playing this non-region schedule, I think it’ll be what’s best for them moving forward,” he added. “They’ll be able to compete, have fun, develop, and then, hopefully, in two years when this group is older and we get to jump back into a region, we’ll be able to compete with teams that in the past have beaten up on us a little bit.”

Because this Vina team is made up almost entirely of underclassmen there will be plenty of opportunity for the players to gain the varsity game experience they need.

Junior Branson Vick, a First Team Franklin Free Press All-Franklin County wide receiver as a freshman and then a Second Team All-County defensive back last year, is the Red Devils’ most experienced player returning and will be relied upon to make plays. But Renfrow said Vina will also look to players like Wilson Farr, Kendon Rhodes and Brentley Butler to help lead the team. 

The sophomore Farr, Renfrow believes, has an opportunity to develop over the next few years into a solid quarterback for the Red Devils.

“He’s played sparingly over the last couple years or so so he doesn’t have a ton of experience, but he’s grown a lot over the summer,” Renfrow said of Farr. “He’s very smart, has a great attitude, he shows great leadership. I’m just really excited to see him develop and go compete.”

Rhodes, a freshman, was a starting offensive lineman last season but has made a change in position going into 2026.

“He started at left tackle for us last season, but he’s slimmed up a lot in the last year and we’ve moved him to the backfield in more of an H-back role and to inside linebacker,” Renfrow said. “He’s another kid with a great attitude. He’s got a high motor and his work ethic is through the roof. I’m really excited to see him compete.”

And then Butler, another freshman, is one that will play a key role on the offensive line at right guard.

“He’s grown a lot over the summer, and he’s gotten a lot stronger. He’s probably the strongest kid on our team as a ninth-grader,” Renfrow said.

“I’m really excited to see that whole group grow together and be leaders for us this year,” he added.

Vina is set to play seven games this fall. In those seven games, physicality, especially in the trenches, will be pivotal and a point of emphasis for the Red Devils.

“There’s obviously multiple areas where we need to improve, especially after last season…but what I really want to see is our offensive line and defensive line take a step in the right direction at a more physical level,” Renfrow said. “What’s going to be the difference in a few games for us this season is the physicality we play with up front.

“Last year that was almost nonexistent, but I’ve got a young group this year that I think has a little bit more fire about them, a little bit more passion, and I think that’s going to be really important for us. I’m looking forward to it,” he added.

Vina kicks off its season on Friday, August 21 with a road game at Pickens Academy.