Peter Thompson is taking over as Central’s head football coach this season, excited to instill some of the lessons he valued as a young athlete participating in multiple sports in eastern Washington.

The husband, father of three and chiropractor also brings experience to the position. This is his third year of coaching—including football, basketball and track and field.

“I believe sports, specifically football, has the ability to expose who an individual really is, where their limits are, and when those limitations are exposed, football can teach you how to grow and develop to overcome those limitations,” Thompson said. “Those lessons are not just football lessons, they are life lessons that will benefit the individual who earns that lesson. It is an opportunity to put adversity directly in your path, and figure out a way to deal with that adversity.”

Thompson stressed the Central football program is committed to developing young athletes who are confident they can meet challenges in life and be successful.

“I became head coach to facilitate that type of growth in these amazing young men who I have gotten to know over the past two years,” he said. “We have some fantastic young people in this community who are committed to the process of improving the individuals that they are.”

Central’s 2026 roster has around 20 players, including multiple returners from previous seasons. Among them are seniors Owen Hammersland, Jamison Feickert and Isaiah Burns; juniors Griffen Hammersland, Mason Loan and Zane Embretson; and sophomores Chris Domka and Landon Glawe.

The Hammerslands and Loan were the Warriors’ major offensive threats a season ago and also ranked among the team’s top tacklers defensively.

“We have some passionate young men who can’t wait to get out on the field to prove that this iteration of Central football is to be respected,” Thompson said. “We expect to have big individual seasons from some returning players and some new players, however, individual success is completely dependent on team success, and how well we understand our responsibilities as a team and execute those responsibilities.”

Central has steadily grown its win total the past two seasons, including a 4-4 mark in 2025 that was the program’s best finish in nearly a decade. However, Thompson said the success of the last couple years doesn’t mean anything to this team, since it is a different team with different competition.

“But the goal is the same every week: go out, play hard, fast and smart, and give all you can out on that field for yourself, your teammates and the community supporting you. If we do that, scores don’t matter,” Thompson shared. “However, the better you get at those aspects of the game, the more you will win. We got a taste of it last year, and the players are hungry for more.”

Central’s season gets underway Friday, Aug. 28, at West Central.