Football Preview 2019

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

SATURDAY

AUGUST 24, 2019

1

Kicking off the 2019 season DOW HIGH

2019 FOOTBALL

SCHEDULE

Dow High’s seniors are: Third row: Shane Juday, Evan Metiva, Kaleb Schultz, Collin Erickson, Gage Kroll, Garrett Daniels, Gavin Miles. Second row: Adam Barber, Aidan Belgiorno, Ryan Sage, Braden Weick, Owen McCaffrey, Madden Brady, Brady O’Keefe, Marek Belgiorno. First row: Nathan Klein, Kaleb Studebaker, Nick Parker, Blake Rosenbrock, Xander Brooks, Avain Rivera, Trent Nitcher.

CHARGERS

(all games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated)

Aug. 29 vs. Grand Blanc (at Atwood Stadium, Flint, 4 p.m.)

Daily News staff

Sept. 6

LAPEER

Sept. 13

BAY CITY CENTRAL

Sept. 20

at Bay City John Glenn

Sept. 27

at Saginaw Heritage

Editor’s note: All four high school conferences in the Daily News coverage area have realigned their teams. Below are the new conference alignments. (* indicates new conference member)

Oct. 4

SAGINAW (homecoming)

Oct. 11

at Bay City Western

Oct. 18

MOUNT PLEASANT

Oct. 25

MIDLAND HIGH

Senior Shane Juday taking over at QB for Dow High Chargers play GB at Atwood at 4 p.m. Thursday

BY DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net A year after sitting out nearly the entire football season with an ankle injury, Dow High senior Shane Juday is ready to lead the Chargers at quarterback.

Juday (6-1, 190), who quarterbacked the Dow freshman and junior varsity teams, takes over for the

graduated Shane Astrike, who started at QB for the past two years.

“Shane is a smart kid and a hard worker,” Dow 11th-year head coach Jason Watkins said of Juday, who has been a varsity baseball starter since his freshman year. “He definitely has playmaking ability with his legs and his arm. So we’re excited to see what a healthy Shane Juday can do for us at quarterback.”

The Chargers, coming off of a 6-5 season and

their sixth straight playoff berth, open the season on Thursday, Aug. 29 with a 4 p.m. game against nonleague opponent Grand Blanc at Atwood Stadium in Flint.

The game is part of the second annual Vehicle City Gridiron Classic, which is a doubleheader that features Flint Powers vs.

Goodrich following the DowGrand Blanc game.

“Playing at Atwood is a neat experience,” Watkins said.

Grand Blanc was 5-5 last season and made the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 seasons.

Meanwhile, the Chargers had seven Daily News Dream Team players a year ago, five of them seniors, including Astrike and Dream Team co-MVP Nick Sierocki, a running back/slot receiver.

The two returning Dream Teamers are seniors Kaleb Studebaker (5-9, 155) and Evan Metiva (6-2, 260), who SEE CHARGERS, 7

MIDLAND HIGH

2019 FOOTBALL

SCHEDULE

Midland High’s seniors are front row, from left: Bryce Albrecht, Tommy Johnstone, Maxx Fisher, Daymarco Warren; Second row: Brennan Meylan, Caleb Cummings, Solomon Thomas, Timmy Kipfmiller, Paul Volesky; (back row, from left) Eric Kalishek, Gabe Smith, Ryan Kreusch, Brady Richards.

CHEMICS (all games at 7 p.m.)

Aug. 29

TRAVERSE CITY WEST

Sept. 6

at Flint Carman-Ainsworth

Sept. 13

at Bay City Western

Sept. 20

SAGINAW HERITAGE

Sept. 27

SAGINAW (homecoming)

Oct. 4

at Mount Pleasant

Oct. 11

BAY CITY CENTRAL

Oct. 18

at Bay City John Glenn

Oct. 25

at Dow High

Methner hoping momentum carries over for Chemics

Midland coach says last year’s playoff run could prove to be ‘really big’

BY FRED KELLY fred.kelly@mdn.net Midland High football coach Eric Methner is not one to live in the past. Still, Methner had to admit that the past — specifically, his

Chemics’ run to the Division 2 state semifinals last fall — should be invaluable to MHS’s future.

“It’s really big,” Methner said of making it to last year’s semis. “We don’t have a ton of returners, but the ones we have were big impact players last year when we went on that run.

That experience is great for their development. ... And the kids we pulled up from

JV at the end of the year also got to experience that playoff run and experience the pace and intensity of varsity football in practices.

“And in some of those (postseason games where we had a big lead), some of those (JV) kids were able to get into the game at the end.

They also got to know last year’s juniors throughout that whole run and were able to bond (with the upper-

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New conference realignments

classmen) a little bit,” he added. “We’re hoping that bodes well for this year.”

Although the Chemics graduated a number of key players and will have several newcomers on both sides of the ball, Methner said that his team is gelling extremely well thus far.

“I really like how our kids are meshing together.

SEE CHEMICS, 7

SAGINAW VALLEY LEAGUE Blue Division Bay City Central Bay City John Glenn Bay City Western Dow High Midland High Mount Pleasant Saginaw Saginaw Heritage Red Division Davison Flint Carman-Ainsworth Flint Powers Grand Blanc Lapeer Saginaw Arthur Hill (Flint left the Saginaw Valley League to join the Genesee Area Conference.)

TRI-VALLEY CONFERENCE West Division Bullock Creek Carrollton Hemlock Ithaca Millington St. Charles St. Louis Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw Nouvel Saginaw Valley Lutheran East Division Alma Birch Run Bridgeport Essexville Garber Frankenmuth Freeland Standish-Sterling Swan Valley (Pinconning and Shepherd left the TriValley Conference to join the Jack Pine Conference.)

JACK PINE CONFERENCE Beaverton Clare Farwell Gladwin Harrison Meridian Pinconning* Shepherd* (Houghton Lake and Roscommon left the Jack Pine Conference to join the Highland Conference.)

MID-STATE ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE Breckenridge Carson City-Crystal Coleman Merrill Montabella (Vestaburg left the Mid-State Activities Conference for football purposes to play 8-man football, following in the footsteps of Ashley and Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, which both did so a year ago.)

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019

FOOTBALL

ourmidland.com

MIDLAND DAILY NEWS

2019 Freeland Falcons short on numbers, experience But Townsend says team is solid

BY DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net

returns as the frontrunner after taking over late last season and earning a playoff win.

Senior Elijah Vlassis is also in the running for QB after starting the first three games in 2018 before breaking his collarbone. Junior Ben Wellnitz, who also saw time at QB last season, will play tight end along with sophomore Alex Duley.

Townsend sees running back as a definite area of strength this year in his run-oriented offense.

Jack Dreyer, Aidan West and Trey Morgan have good size, while Easton Armstrong, Jacob Kundinger and Jaden DeBeau bring speed.

“We’ve got six backs we’re pretty excited about,” Townsend said.

Clearing a path for those backs will be a line

led by right tackle and captain Vinnie Kowalski and left tackle Cole Wiese, who both weigh about 260.

Junior left guard Blake Watson and senior right guard Will Vondette will flank senior center Sean Musial. Vondette, Kowalski and Wiese will also make up Freeland’s defensive front, while Jack Dreyer, West, Morgan and Kundinger are the linebackers.

“We have pretty good linebackers — some of the strongest kids on our team,” Townsend said.

Vlassis and Jaden DeBeau are the cornerbacks, and Wellnitz and Duley are the safeties.

Next year, Freeland will renew its nonconference rivalry with Clare.

The two schools met every year in the regular season from 2004-13.

2019 FOOTBALL

SCHEDULE

With only three starters back on offense and four on defense — and only nine seniors with any playing experience — coach Kevin Townsend’s Freeland football team is a little short on depth.

But not short on potential, according to the 14th-year head coach, whose Falcons are going for their 12th straight playoff berth but facing a formidable schedule.

“We graduated some pretty good talent (last year), but the kids that are playing for us this year got pretty good minutes last year,” Townsend said.

“We only have 28 players on varsity, which is really

small. But we have a good starting crew, and the kids off the bench are going to give us some pretty good minutes.”

Freeland finished 7-4 last year and graduated collegiate players Jack Townsend (Saginaw Valley State), Jayce Bourcier (Northwood) and Layne Moergeli (Alma College), among many other graduates.

The Falcons host Marshall in Thursday’s opener before visiting Essexville Garber to open a reconfigured Tri-Valley Conference East schedule. Six of Freeland’s nine opponents had winning records in the regular season last year. “(We have to be) prepared every single week to play somebody difficult,” Townsend said.

At quarterback, sophomore Bryson Huckeby

FREELAND FALCONS (all games at 7 p.m.)

Aug. 29

MARSHALL

Sept. 6

at Essexville Garber

Sept. 13

at Standish-Sterling

Sept. 20

FRANKENMUTH

Sept. 27

at Alma

Oct. 4

BIRCH RUN (homecoming)

Oct. 11

at Swan Valley

Oct. 18

BRIDGEPORT

Oct. 25

at Remus Chippewa Hills

BCW’s Willertz optimistic about growing program, potential ‘We’re trying to change the culture and teach that football is fun’

Second-year Bay City Western football coach Chris Willertz knows he has his work cut out for him. But if the Warriors’ numbers are any indication, Willertz has reason to be cautiously optimistic about the future.

Western, which went 0-9 two seasons ago and 1-8 last year in Willertz’s first year at the helm, seems to be enjoying a resurgence in participation. And that, as much as anything, has Willertz feeling hopeful.

“The year before I got here, there were maybe low- to mid-30s (players on the varsity team), and last year we had 40, so we’ve increased our numbers,” he noted. “This year, we have 49 at the varsity level, so I feel like more kids are wanting to play football. We also have 30 on the freshman team, plus about 30 on the JV team, so I feel really good as far as the number of kids wanting to participate. “ ... We’re trying to change the culture and teach that football is fun and something you want to be a part of,” he added.

“I’m happy that all of our

2019 FOOTBALL

SCHEDULE

BY FRED KELLY fred.kelly@mdn.net

numbers are increasing.”

Numbers alone, of course, will not guarantee success. But Willertz thinks he has a couple of skill guys who can make a difference on the scoreboard in senior running back Taylor Popp (5-foot11, 200 pounds) and junior quarterback Jack Fryzel (6-2, 180). Last year, Popp was named Second Team All-Saginaw Valley League, while Fryzel earned the starting nod at QB near the end of the season after sharing time behind center up until then.

“We feel like Popp is one of the better players in the league. He played varsity as a sophomore (two years ago) and was second team all-league on a 1-8 team (last year),” Willertz said. “Without a doubt, Popp is our No. 1 (player) offensively.

He has some interest from (NCAA) Division II schools, and he’s our guy.

How good he runs will determine how well we go offensively.

“And Jack Fryzel is a smart kid and a good decision-maker. He makes a lot of good decisions with the ball. We feel like he’ll be solid at quarterback,” Willertz added.

Other returning starters on offense will be senior third-year starter and Second Team AllSVL selection Wade Witzgall (6-2, 240) at right tackle, senior Beau

BAY CITY WESTERN WARRIORS (all games at 7 p.m.)

Aug. 29

FLINT KEARSLEY

Sept. 6

DAVISON

Sept. 13

MIDLAND HIGH

Sept. 20

at Saginaw

Sept. 27

MOUNT PLEASANT (homecoming)

Oct. 4

at Bay City John Glenn

Oct. 11

DOW HIGH

Oct. 18

at Saginaw Heritage

Oct. 25

at Bay City Central

Bateson (5-11, 230) at right guard, senior Aaron Norfleet (6-5, 215) at tight end, and Second Team All-SVL honoree Blake Mitrzyk (6-0, 190) at the slot. Meanwhile, senior Carter Bacigalupo (5-9, 185) was the Warriors’ quarterback for much of last year but will serve as a receiver this season, and fellow receiver C.J. Trail (5-9, 150) also saw some playing time last year.

Rounding out BCW’s offense are junior linemen Tyler LaBerge (6-1, 230), Justin Doty (6-1,

255), and Brad Cramer (5-9, 230) at left tackle, left guard, and center, respectively. Others who are competing for playing time in the trenches include senior Isaiah Huber (5-10, 210) and junior Aiden Castanier (6-3, 220).

“We’ve got some good receivers, and we feel like we can score more points than last year,” said Willertz. “Last year, after only scoring 45 points two years ago, we scored 120 points. And of those 120 points, maybe 18 were scored by graduating

seniors, so we have over 100 points coming back.

Definitely, we feel like we can score more points, whether it’s through Popp or our quarterback or any of our receivers.”

Defensively, the Warriors return Witzgall at tackle, Mitrzyk at linebacker, and senior Grant Gillis (5-8, 185) at linebacker, while senior Lance Wiltze (6-1, 210), a transfer from Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, was a defensive starter for the Cardinals last season. Popp will play safety this year after being BCW’s middle linebacker a season ago.

Joining that group will be Norfleet and juniors Ryane Greene (5-8, 200) and Caleb Raymaker (6-2, 190) on the line, senior Ethan Meylan (5-9, 165) at cornerback, and junior R.J. Horning (6-1, 175) at the other safety. Junior Tristen Brickel (6-1, 215) and sophomore Eric Randall (5-9, 165) are expected to compete for playing time at linebacker and cornerback, respectively, while senior Brendan Bonnell (5-8, 155) could also contribute as both a cornerback and a wide receiver.

Meylan will handle kicking and punting duties.

“I would say that Witzgall and Gillis are the keys (on defense). Witzgall competed in Midland High’s weight-lifting and running combine for area

high schools, and he won his weight class out of 10 participating schools.

He’s as good as anybody in our conference athletically and speed-wise,” said Willertz. “ ... And our defensive coordinator Jamie Slate, who won a state championship with Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, has done a wonderful job of defining what we are defensively.

“Just having a year of experience as a staff and as a group will be the biggest change and biggest advantage from last year,” he added.

Optimistic as he is, though, Willertz said there is one big X-factor which needs to go his team’s way if the Warriors are going to be successful. And a big part of that X-factor lies squarely between his players’ ears.

“I think we’ve definitely improved physically and athletically and numbers-wise and maturity-wise. But to win more games we have to win close games,” he noted. “This group of kids, at least the seniors, aren’t used to playing in close games, much less winning close games. Our X-factor is how well we handle pressure.

“If we can handle pressure and make big plays in big games when things are close, we can win a couple of games. If we can’t, we’ll struggle,” he added.

Mustangs low on numbers but big on toughness, Bilina says Meridian coach expects to compete if team reduces Meridian football coach Mike Bilina thinks his team has the size, speed, and ability to beat a lot of teams this fall.

That is, unless the Mus-

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ber of penalties. We had some last year that really put us in a hole. To be successful, we have to reduce our penalties and turnovers.”

Asked if he thinks the Mustangs can be a contender if they do those two things, Bilina replied immediately, “Absolutely.

I think we will be able to control the clock with our style of offense. We just can’t afford to put ourselves in holes. We did that too much last year.”

In order to control the clock like Bilina wants to, Meridian will, of course, have to be able to run the ball effectively. And Bilina thinks he has the horses up front and in the backfield to do exactly that.

“Our plan is to have a run-oriented offense.

That just fits the mold of the kids we have,” he noted. “I think they’ll really excel at pounding the rock. We have a good

combination of size and speed, and that’s across the board. Our offensive line is fairly big for a school our size, and they can all move pretty well. And the same thing with the backs. They’re (around) 200 pounds and can run really well.”

The Mustangs will return three starters on the offensive line in senior right guard Matt Person (5-foot-11, 182 pounds), senior left tackle Jimmy Miron (6-0, 220), and junior left guard Tristan Martin (6-2, 224) but have lost Dream Team lineman and NCAA Division I prospect Blake Townsend, who transferred to Caledonia for his junior season after his father — former Meridian assistant coach Fred Townsend — accepted the athletics director job there.

Also returning on offense will be senior

2019 FOOTBALL

SCHEDULE

BY FRED KELLY fred.kelly@mdn.net

tangs beat themselves first.

According to Bilina, Meridian’s self-inflicted wounds played a big part in its 4-5 record a season ago.

“We definitely had way too many turnovers.

From day one, we’ve said that we can’t be giving the ball away (again this year),” said Bilina. “And another thing is that we have to reduce our num-

MERIDIAN MUSTANGS (all games at 7 p.m.)

Aug. 29

at Bullock Creek

Sept. 6

at Farwell

Sept. 13

SHEPHERD

Sept. 20

PINCONNING (homecoming)

Sept. 27

at Clare

Oct. 4

at Beaverton

Oct. 11

GLADWIN

Oct. 18

at Harrison

Oct. 25

LAKE CITY

running back Brady Solano (5-11, 210) and junior H-back Josh Barriger (6-0, 215).

Rounding out the projected starters are junior SEE MUSTANGS, PAGE 3

FOOTBALL

ourmidland.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019 3

MIDLAND DAILY NEWS

2019 Coleman Comets big up front despite small roster Klopf hoping to make playoffs if team can stay healthy

2019 FOOTBALL

With only 22 players on his roster and plenty changes at the skill positions, Coleman football coach Chad Klopf knows that the keys to improving on last year’s 2-7 record are pretty basic: practice, practice, practice, and do your darnedest to avoid injuries.

“We were hoping for more numbers, but we have only enough for (a) varsity (team). The 22 guys we have are clicking really well, but we’ll have a lot of repetition (in practice) of what we do offensively and defensively,” he said. “And staying healthy is going to be key.”

The Comets have a fair amount of experience back on the offensive line, led by returning starters senior Truett Allen (5-foot-8, 226 pounds) and sophomore Richard Sapp (6-0, 226) at the guard spots and junior Josh Kipp (6-3, 255) at tackle. Fellow junior tackle Bryce Middleton (6-3, 242) was a starter last year before suffering an injury and will bring added size to the trenches.

Other returning starters are senior receivers Trey Templeman (6-0,

Front row, from left: Tyler Germain, Tim Wilson, Truett Allen; back row, from left: Trey Templeman, Austin Lumbert.

140) and Austin Lumbert (5-7, 145).

Gone, however, is First Team All-Mid-State Activities Conference quarterback Spencer Pnacek, who was also a Dream Teamer on defense after making 65 tackles a year ago as a safety. The Comets also graduated three-year starting center Logan Kleinhardt and receiver Trevor Schrank (31 catches, 353 yards), both of whom were First Team All-Area selections a year ago.

In Pnacek’s stead, Coleman will go with senior Tyler Germain (5-11, 230), who was a receiver last year, at quarterback.

“Ty has really developed his arm strength this summer, and he played a lot of baseball and pitched a lot of innings, so his accuracy in throwing has also improved,” Klopf noted.

“But traditionally, he’s a runner. He’s got good legs and a good eye for holes (in the defense), but he’s also got that arm strength.

There are lots of things we can do with him.”

Rounding out the offense will be sophomore Connor Schrank (5-10, 166) at running back; senior Tim Wilson (6-2, 239), who played right tackle last year, at receiver; sophomore Jaden Bovee (5-6, 144), who finished last season at running back, at

receiver; and sophomore Max Marovich (5-9, 255) at center.

“We’re hoping to throw more of a run game in there,” said Klopf, whose spread offense typically throws the ball a lot. “ ... We’re trying to focus more on the run game and maybe use more deception, but ... we’ll still use our base spread formation. We’ve got some good size (on the offensive line), and we’ve got some big targets (at receiver) who we can throw to and also help us block (on the perimeter).”

Defensively, the Comets return starters Allen, Wilson, and Sapp on the line, Middleton at linebacker, Bovee at cor-

SCHEDULE

BY FRED KELLY fred.kelly@mdn.net

COLEMAN COMETS (all games at 7 p.m.)

Aug. 29 FARWELL (at Clare’s Brookwood Stadium) Sept. 6

OSCODA (at Freeland)

Sept. 13

at Merrill

Sept. 20

BRECKENRIDGE

Sept. 27 Oct. 4

BURTON BENTLEY (homecoming) at Carson City-Crystal

Oct. 11

at Montabella

Oct. 18

LINCOLN ALCONA

Oct. 25

at Saginaw Valley Lutheran

nerback, and Germain at safety. Sophomore Konner Carbeno (6-0, 192), who broke into the starting lineup at the end of last season, will also be back at linebacker.

Joining them are Marovich at tackle; Cash Goethals (6-2, 176), a transfer from Bullock Creek, at linebacker; Schrank at safety; and sophomore Ty Klopf (5-8, 121) at cornerback.

Coleman graduated four-year starting linebacker Cooper Cozat, a First Team All-Area pick last season.

“We’ll just try to do our job (defensively), nothing

fancy,” Chad Klopf said. “ ... We’ll have some pretty good, big, strong bodies up front who can protect our linebackers and some good linebackers who can flow (to the ball) pretty well.

As a freshman, Middleton was our leading tackler, but then he got hurt in the offseason and played sparingly last year. Not having him in there really hurt us last year.

“A lot of guys looked to him as a leader (on the defense),” Klopf added of Middleton. “Having him back will help the guys around him, just knowing See COMETS, page 6

Jarstfer brings spread option offense to Gladwin for 2019 season

MUSTANGS Continued from Page 3 quarterback Cam Metzger (5-11, 160), junior right tackle Ben Trudell (6-2, 215), junior center Gabe Sturgeon (6-1, 241), senior receiver Rosco Zieman (5-11, 172), junior receiver Josh Nohel (6-3, 180), and senior slot Austin North (5-10, 168).

Defensively, the Mustangs will return starters Martin on the line, Person at linebacker, Solano and North at the safety spots, and lineman Miron, who started at linebacker last year.

Joining them will be junior Riley Trudell (6-2, 215) at tackle, Nohel and junior Jake Schultz (5-11, 194) at the end spots, Barriger at linebacker, and Metzger and freshman Luke Federer (5-8, 150) at the corners.

“Based off of what we’ve seen so far in the summer and in camp, I’m really happy with the kids we have.

They’re extremely positive, and they love football. They’re a football group, and they’re tough — really tough,” said Bilina. “That’s something we have to have, because we have only 18 kids on the team.

Richard Woodford (5-10, 165).

“He has good hands and he’s athletic. He should be a pretty good blocker also,” Jarstfer said.

Junior center Brady Jewell (6-1, 225), senior guard Keton Blackmer (6-1, 230) and senior tackle Jimbo Bailey (6-1, 224) return to lead the offensive line.

“Although it’s a different scheme, they’re still strong, physical guys that are going to be (effective),” Jarstfer said of the three returning linemen.

In Gladwin’s 4-2-5 base defense, Bailey, Blackmer, Jewell and junior Ethan Shea (6-3, 250) make up the front four.

Thurlow and sophomore Randy Pyrzewski (5-7, 160) are the linebackers, while Kroening and Robinette will anchor the secondary for the Flying G’s.

On special teams,

Jarstfer is cautiously senior Erik Seebeck is back as Gladwin’s kicker. optimistic.

“We want to play in He also plays soccer in the fall.

“He was really good last year,” Jarstfer said.

“He’ll be an asset we can count on for points. He’s pretty consistent from a FOOTBALL reasonable distance.”

The Flying G’s open the season on Thursday at Ogemaw Heights, a former conference rival.

The following Friday, Aug. 29 Sept. 6, Gladwin opens the Jack Pine Conference Sept. 6 season at Clare. Pinconning in week five and Sept. 13 Shepherd in week six are new JPC opponents Sept. 20 this year, replacing the departed Houghton Lake and Roscommon.

Sept. 27 “They’re going to bring up the (level) of play in Oct. 4 the Jack Pine, that’s for sure,” Jarstfer said of Oct. 11 Pinconning and Shepherd, who have two of the Oct. 18 highest enrollments in the JPC. Oct. 25 As for his Flying G’s,

2019

SCHEDULE

that his team attended a veer option camp this summer at Montrose that Gladwin football was run by Ferris State is aiming for its first coach Tony Annese. winning season and first One of those Gladwin playoff berth in five years, seniors, Dillon Kroening and new Gladwin head (5-9, 180), returns as the coach and high school starting quarterback. teacher Marc Jarstfer is Jarstfer noted that Kroebringing along a proven ning was also a state runformula for success. ner-up in wrestling last Jarstfer, who played winter. for and then coached “He picks up on everythe past 12 years under thing really quickly.

32nd-year Clare head And he’s a competitor,” coach Kelly Luplow, Jarstfer said. “He’s the is installing at Gladwin a whole package of what variation of the spread you would hope to have option offense used by in a quarterback in this the Pioneers, who’ve offense.” reached the playoffs 18 of Providing a one-two the past 20 years. punch at running back On top of that, Gladfor the Flying G’s will be downhill runner Kole win’s seniors already Thurlow (6-1, 220) and have some familiarity shifty Nick Robinette with the new system due to having played in a sim- (5-11, 176), the latter of whom will also be a slot ilar one as freshmen.

“So they’ve been able to receiver.

Jarstfer is also excited pick up what we’re trying about sophomore wideto do easily and quickly,” Jarstfer said, adding out and varsity newcomer

BY DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net

some close games and see if we can pull them out,” he said.

GLADWIN FLYING G’S (all games at 7 p.m.)

at Ogemaw Heights at Clare FARWELL HARRISON (homecoming) at Pinconning at Shepherd at Meridian BEAVERTON STANDISH-STERLING

“Our numbers might be down, but the kids we have are the right kids. ...

Something we take a lot of pride in is being physical.”

Mike Bilina Meridian football coach “Our numbers might be down, but the kids we have are the right kids,” he added. “ ... I think our kids are going to really enjoy physical contact.

Something we take a lot of pride in is being physical; that’s how the kids are wired.”

Bilina said he expects Beaverton and Clare to be the frontrunners in the Jack Pine Conference, but he also thinks Meridian can compete with anyone in the league.

“The way we’ve played against those teams over the past few years, I think we’re right there with them,” he said.

“But we can’t look too far ahead. We’ve got to take care of our business right now so that we can handle a good Bullock Creek team (in week one).”

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4

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019

MIDLAND DAILY NEWS

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FOOTBALL

2019 MIDLAND HIGH CHEMICS Front row: Bryce Albrecht, Tommy Johnstone, Louis Serafin, Ty Fegan, Maxx Fisher, Carter Thomas, Martin Bradley, Colin Powers, Al Money, Jarrett Wagner, Hunter Nagel; Second row: Daymarco Warren, Brennan Anderson, Paul Volesky, Eli Gordon, Nick Dauer, Chase Mahabir, Timmy Kipfmiller, Brennan Meylan, Drew Johnson, Zach Wilder; Third row: John Hine, Solomon Thomas, Parker Winter, Connor O’Malley, Keaton Hocking, Caleb Cummings, Gavin Kuhn, Owen Hacker, Ethan Church, Axel Fisher, Eric Kalishek; Fourth row: Matt Zawacki, Ryan Hampton, Lucas Lecoyer, Hunter Cobb, Gabe Smith, Ryan Kreusch, Brady Richards, AJ Rock, Jeremiah Lewandowski; (fifth row, from left) manager Paul Schalk, JV coaches Randy Keicher, Tim Kipfmiller, Scott Albrecht; freshman coaches Glenn Oxford, Jeremy Sauve, Ched Johnson; athletic trainer Jared Slater; (back row, from left) assistant coaches Matt Starling, Chris Corbat, Vince Agnew; head coach Eric Methner; assistant coaches Matt Rapanos, Glen Mutscher, Kurt Yockey.

2019 DOW HIGH CHARGERS Seventh row: Third from left, Head Coach Jason Watkins. Fourth from left, Charlie Hunkins.

Sixth row: Collin Erickson, Brett Taylor, Gage Kroll, Garrett Daniels, Kaleb Schultz, Jacob Bole, Shane Juday, Evan Metiva.

Fifth row: Caleb Brenske, Aidan Belgiorno, Marek Belgiorno, Ryan Sage, Garrett Wilson, Jack Erickson, Jacob Cluff.

Fourth row: Ayden Hunt, Xander Brooks, Gavin Miles, Braden Weick, Aidan Wardell, Colin Diehl, Dawson Studebaker.

Third row: Owen McCaffrey, Adam Barber, Trent Nitcher, Daniel Watkins, Brady O’Keefe, Kaleb Studebaker, Blake Rosenbrock.

Second row: Avain Rivera, Wyatt Haselhuhn, Jason Labby, Madden Brady, Nick Fang, Christian Whitehead, Hayden Hetherington.

First row: Xavier St. John, Nick Parker, Carter Kohtz, Alec Chronowski, Dominic Owen, Nathan Klein, Evan Chronowski.

2019 BAY CITY WESTERN WARRIORS

First row: CJ Trail, Carter Bacigalupo, Brendan Bonnell, Ethan Meylan, Taylor Popp, Aaron Northfleet, Blake Mitrzyk, Grant Gillis Second row: Jacob Armstrong, Lance Wiltze, Wade Witzgall, Isaiah Huber, Lakin Williams, Beau Bateson, Sam Kiesel, Dalton Leonard Third row: Alex Maze, Eric Randall, Jackson Watson, Craig Freeman, Nolan Hitts, Jack Fryzel, Reid Courier, John Rivet, Ryan Greene, Bostyn Bowen Fourth row: Tyler Laberge, Zander Gall, Beau Barrett, Tristan Brickel, Jacob Walter, Braydin Thume, Hunter DeShano, Carter Armstrong, Jack Fryzel, R.J. Horning Fifth row: James Bonasse, Carson Roope, Brad Cramer, Caleb Raymaker, Brendan Schaeffer, Matt Gross, Ayden Avila, Jacob Coffey, Aiden Castanier Sixth row: Varsity Coaches: Kevin Dexter, Nick Barton, Jamie Slate, Chris Willertz, John Paul Szczypka, Paul Meylan

2019 FREELAND FALCONS Front row: Nolan Vanloo, Carter Suppes, Trent Meyer, Tyler Tomasek, Will Vondette, Sam Kostrzewa, Evan Case, Aidan West, Jaden DeBeau, Noah Robbins; Middle row: equipment manager Gary Brahmer, Jack Dreyer, Easton Armstrong, Elijah Vlassis, Sean Musial, Trey Morgan, Blake Watson, Vinnie Kowalski, Gabe Peacock, Jacob Kundinger, Gavin Ziozios; Back row: head coach Kevin Townsend, Tyler Bauer, Cole Wiese, Ben Wellnitz, Alex Duley, Thorin Magyar, Bryson Huckeby, Camden Cichowski, Cooper Grifka, David Tulppo, coach Bill Wheeler, coach Jeff Catlin, coach Dave Schauman.

(Photo by Hicks Studio)

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MIDLAND DAILY NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019 5

All photos in this section by Katy Kildee (kkildee@mdn.net) unless otherwise noted.

2019 BEAVERTON BEAVERS First row: Cody Schertz, Hunter Schaefer, Cody Dunn, Hunter Sarles, Gage Swartzmiller, Jayvin Balzer, Jarrett Inscho; Second row: Luke Demoines, Jacob Cassiday, Carson Oldani, Trent Reed, Chris Schertz, Colton Walters, Kade Tripp; Third row: Brayde Keeley, David Krohn, Lucas Schweinsberg, Ryan Diamond, Kyle Hall, Brandon Hipkins; Fourth row: Will Aldrich, Jake Fischer, Bryce Jehnsen, Chase Babcock, Grant Brandon, Devin Tilkins; Fifth row: head coach Aaron Seiser, coach Mark Grove, coach Scott Wicke, coach Will Gaudard. Missing - Cam Mishler

2019 COLEMAN COMETS Front row: Tyler Germain, Tim Wilson, Truett Allen, Trey Templeman, Austin Lumbert; Middle row: Josh Kipp, Dylan Penny, Conner Schrank, Jaden Bovee, Ty Klopf, Dylan Crandall; Back row: Bryce Middleton, Konner Carbeno, Richard Sapp, Cash Goethals, Kris Haney, Max Marovich.

2019 MERIDIAN MUSTANGS First row players: Cameron Metzger, Roscoe Zieman, Deante Shaw, Gabe Mutai, Jake Schultz, Luke Federer.

Second row players: Riley Trudell, Matt Person, Austin North, Brady Solano, Josh Barriger, Ben Trudell.

Third row: Head Coach Mike Bilina, second from left. Third row players: Mitchell Whaley, Tristan Martin, Jimmy Miron, Benjamin McNett, Josh Nohel, Gabe Sturgeon.

2019 BULLOCK CREEK LANCERS Front row, from left: Jaden Sasse, JT Danna, Glenn Kikta, Dakota Lehner, Clayton Hackett, Max Bennett, Brayden Eastman, Jacob Rivard, Gavin Kirk; Second row: Cam Nasrey, Peyton Brooks, Eli Carey, Obie Mathis, Aidan Nestle, Gage Chapin, Carter Campau, Donovan Wilcox; Third row: Vance Vayre, Eann Dufort, Keygan Tolliver, Hayden Farquharson, Jacob Wanous, Marcus Sovia, Nathan Laplow, Nathan Rivard; (back row, from left) coach John Griese, coach Ryan Fournier, coach Troy Champagne, coach Mike Vayre, head coach Chris Holly, coach Jeri Orr, coach Terrance Stocker. Not pictured is Austin Johns.

(Photo by Dan Chalk/ chalk@mdn.net)

6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019

FOOTBALL

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MIDLAND DAILY NEWS

G’s ready to take flight

Members of the Gladwin football team take part in a split-squad scrimmage Wednesday in Gladwin.

Gladwin football is aiming for its first winning season and first playoff berth in five years, and new Gladwin head coach and high school teacher Marc Jarstfer is bringing along a proven formula for success. The Flying G’s open the season on Thursday at Ogemaw Heights, a former conference rival.

The following Friday, Sept.

6, Gladwin opens the Jack Pine Conference season at Clare. (Provided photo/ Marc Jarstfer)

Lancers aiming for playoffs this year under new head coach Chris Holly

BY DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net

2019 FOOTBALL

Bullock Creek’s seniors, from left, are Jacob Rivard, JT Danna, Max Bennett, Glenn Kikta, Jacob Sasse, Clayton Hackett, Dakota Lehner, Brayden Eastman and Gavin Kirk. ership of his nine seniors, in particular.

“They’re fantastic.

They work hard and they really lead the way for us,” he said.

New sophomore quarterback Carter Campau (6-2, 175) will have a lot riding on his shoulders, the coach said.

“We’re going to put a lot of pressure on him to lead this team and make the right decisions,” Holly said. “We’re a read-option team, so he has to make a lot of decisions. There are basically three options on every play.”

Senior two-way lineman Clayton Hackett (6-3, 280), a potential

Division I collegiate player according to Holly, spearheads a strong offensive line along with fellow returners Gavin Kirk (5-8, 248) and Jacob Rivard (5-11, 235).

“We have a good nucleus of offensive linemen.

That’s the strength of our team,” Holly said. “And we have a really good younger group of skill (players) that are going to help us a ton.”

Holly also highlighted slot receiver/strong safety Dakota Lehner (5-11, 170), tight end/ free safety JT Danna (6-1, 155), slot/cornerback Jaden Sasse (5-8, 155) and wide receiver/ cornerback Glenn Kikta

(6-3, 175) as returning players who should make an impact.

Holly values Danna for his leadership in addition to his playmaking ability.

“He’s always leading by example. One day he’ll make a great football coach,” Holly said.

Lehner, for his part, is a dynamic and versatile athlete, the coach said.

“He’s going to play multiple positions and he’s willing to play them all -- slot receiver, running back, strong safety, cornerback, he can play anywhere,” Holly said.

Holly also anticipates using Marcus Sovia, Gage Chapin and Peyton Brooks at running back.

SCHEDULE

Despite playing in a realigned division in the Tri-Valley Conference, Bullock Creek still has a tough football schedule — including four playoff qualifiers from last year in Hemlock, Ithaca, Millington and Saginaw Nouvel.

But new Lancers’ coach Chris Holly expects this to be the year that Creek turns things around and gets back to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.

“My expectations are playoffs — a winning season and a playoff berth,” said Holly, who credited his predecessor, Will Luzar, for putting the building blocks in place for a resurgence this year.

Avoiding injuries and having a relentless work ethic will be the keys to fulfilling those goals, he said. Last year’s 2-7 Lancers’ team was hit hard by injuries.

“Obviously, you’ve got to stay away from injuries,” Holly said. “The work ethic and the kids buying into the program is the most important thing, and they’ve really done that during two-adays.”

Holly values the lead-

BULLOCK CREEK LANCERS (all games at 7 p.m.)

Aug. 29

MERIDIAN

Sept. 6

at Saginaw Valley Lutheran

Sept. 13

HEMLOCK

Sept. 20

ITHACA (Homecoming)

Sept. 27

at Millington

Oct. 4

at Carrollton

Oct. 11

SAGINAW NOUVEL

Oct. 18

at St. Louis

Oct. 25

at Bridgeport

Manning the defensive line will be Aidan Nestle (6-2, 245), Hackett, Kirk, Rivard and Obie Mathis (5-11, 200).

Linebackers will be Chapin, Keygan Tolliver and Brooks.

Eli Carey and Hayden Farquharson will be among the contributors in the secondary.

Thursday’s season opener at home vs.

Meridian — the annual

Battle for the Paddle rivalry — will also feature Friday Night Lights, a community celebration of the kickoff of football season.

Food trucks will be on site starting at 5 p.m. and fans are encouraged to tailgate.

Among other festivities, Bullock Creek Youth Football players will be recognized during halftime of the game.

CMU football looking for rebound season after disastrous 2018

Chippewas have new coach, new quarterback, open season Aug. 29

BY DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net

Renewal and second chances are the overriding themes of this year’s Central Michigan University football team.

New head coach Jim McElwain gets a fresh start two years after being fired before the end of his third season at the University of Florida.

New starting quarterback Quinten Dormady gets another chance as a graduate transfer from the University of Tennessee.

And the entire CMU program gets a reboot after last year’s disastrous 1-11 record, which represented the most

losses in a season in the program’s 123-year history.

The Chippewas, who were picked sixth out of six teams in the West Division in the Mid-American Conference media preseason poll, open the season at home on Thursday, Aug. 29 vs. Albany. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

“It’s a team and a bunch of guys that obviously weren’t real happy with what happened in the past,” McElwain said of CMU’s 2018 season in an Aug. 8 story by Andy Sneddon on cmuchippewas.com. “The biggest thing, I think, for us is knowing that it’s history. They call it that for a reason because it is. It’s what you learn from history (that matters).”

Dormady, who threw for 925 yards and six touchdowns with six interceptions in 2017, his most prolific season at Tennessee, said that McElwain was

Cole’s Wrecker Service Auto Parts & Garage

the chief reason he came to CMU. “The simple answer (for why I came here) is Coach Mac,” Dormady said, noting that they were in the Southeastern Conference at the same time. “I’ve followed him in the SEC. After talking with him, I’ve felt at home here.”

Dormady said his greatest strength is his experience in big-game siutations.

“I’ve been in big situations. “Hopefully I can bring some young guys along and grow the program into the future, when I’m not here.

Dormady describes himself as a “pocket passer.”

“I have the ability to get out of the pocket, but I’m not going to run 50 zone reads a game or

COMETS Continued from Page 3

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that he’s there.”

Klopf admitted that his Comets need to get better at handling pressure-filled game situations, noting that that was a weak spot last season.

“We’re just focusing on mental toughness. We lost two or three games last year by a play or two.

We easily could’ve had five wins and possibly could’ve had a sixth,”

take off 25 times.

“We’ve got a lot of playmakers. I’m just trying to get them the ball and let them make a play.”

One of those potential playmakers, senior running back Jonathan Ward, is looking for a turnaround season after running for 212 yards on 76 carries and only one touchdown a year ago, averaging only 2.8 yards per carry.

Two years ago, Ward ran for 1,019 yards and 10 TDs on 178 carries, averaging 5.7 yards a carry during an 8-5 season for the Chippewas.

“I don’t feel like I ever left,” Ward said when asked about making a comeback. “I’ve been working hard in the offseason trying to become more of a

he said.

“There were a few games that got away from us late. ... We’re still pretty young, and we’ll have some freshmen and sophomores who will be contributors, so we’ve just got to get our experience level up and hope we stay healthy.”

Looking at the MSAC schedule, Klopf said that Breckenridge should probably be considered the frontrunner, while Merrill and Montabella have good numbers back.

“With only five teams (in our

dual threat.”

Ward did address the Chippewas’ dismal season of last year. “(Last season) helped us grow a lot,” he said. “We know that nothing is guaranteed. So you’ve got to put in the time to get what you want.”

Ward also noted that it’s been only three years since CMU upset Oklahoma State on the road 30-27 on a Hail Mary pass on an untimed down on the final play of the game.

“We’re the Chippewas,” Ward said.

CMU senior linebacker Michael Oliver echoed Ward’s thoughts regarding their team’s potential.

“Don’t sleep on us — we’ll show you,” Oliver said.

New CMU offensive coordinator Charlie Frye, who See CHIPPEWAS, page 7

conference), one game here and there could really dictate what could happen (in the conference standings),” he said, adding of his team’s goals, “ ... We’re looking at having a winning record, and making the playoffs is a goal.”

Klopf noted that Coleman is in the process of regrowing the grass on its field and so will play at least its first two “home” games off-site.

“We are hoping to be back on our field by Homecoming (Sept.

20), but it is a week by week status right now,” he said.

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019 7

MIDLAND DAILY NEWS

Resurgent Beaverton going for fourth straight playoff berth Daily News Dream Team running back Kyle Cassiday and Dream Team linebacker Jack Owens.

Among those returning is senior Jarrett Inscho, a Dream Team all-purpose player last year as a linebacker and punter. He’s also expected to run the ball on offense this year.

“We’ve got a lot of quality players to replace, but we (also) have quality players coming back,” said Seiser, who has 27 players on varsity.

Also returning, but in a new role, is junior quarterback Trent Reed, who was a wide receiver a year ago.

“Trent’s an athletic kid,” Seiser said. “He does have a strong arm.

He also has some good quickness and some good breakaway speed.”

The offensive line will be one of Beaverton’s strengths, with Grant Navail, Jake Fischer, Jacob Cassiday and Will Aldrich all returning on

varsity.

“Our offensive line is pretty experienced. Between them, they’ve had a number FOOTBALL of starts on the offensive line,” Seiser said of the four players mentioned above.

Complementing Inscho Aug. 29 as playmakers on offense will be fellow returning Sept. 6 players David Krohn at slot receiver and Jayvin Sept. 13 Balzer at slot/running back.

Sept. 20 On the defensive side, Devin Tilkins will be a third-year starter at nose Sept. 27 tackle while Fischer and Aldrich are also back on Oct. 4 the line from last year.

The linebacking corps Oct. 11 is led by returning starters Inscho and Cassiday, and Oct. 18 the secondary is anchored by returning starters Oct. 25 Krohn and Reed.

Following the opener, Beaverton visits Shepherd and then hosts replacing Roscommon Pinconning — the two and Houghton Lake.

Jack Pine Conference The Beavers’ newcomers, who are game against Clare,

CHARGERS

CHEMICS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

who both earned that honor on defense. On the offensive side, Studebaker will be a key slot receiver and Metiva an anchor at tight end.

Watkins is enthused about his team’s depth in the backfield and receiving corps. Nick Parker, Braden Weick, Blake Rosenbrock, Carter Kohtz and Gavin Miles can all contribute in both areas, while Owen McCaffrey (6-0, 155) and Garrett Daniels (6-6, 175) will join Studebaker and Metiva as key receivers, and Avain Rivera (5-10, 205) will be a fixture at running back.

“We’ve got a really nice balance of different abilities — we’ve got some downhill runners and some guys who are smaller and more agile,” Watkins said. “We’re fortunate enough to have a lot of guys who can (make plays) when the ball goes into their hands.”

Returning to anchor the offensive line are twin seniors Marek Belgiorno (5-11, 205) at left tackle and Aidan Belgiorno (6-0, 230) at right tackle.

Brady O’Keefe (5-9, 235) is working toward earning a starting guard spot, Watkins said. Adam Barber (5-10, 180), Collin Erickson (6-6, 225) and Charlie Hunkins (6-5, 310) will vie for the other guard position and the center position.

“All six were on the varsity last year,” Watkins noted of the above linemen. “I would be really surprised if the five starters weren’t five of those six kids.”

On defense, in the Chargers’ 3-4 front, Metiva, Aidan and Marek Belgiorno, Gage Kroll (6-5, 195), Ryan Sage (6-0, 185) and Kaleb Schultz (6-3, 175) will be in the rotation at defensive end/outside linebacker.

Studebaker and Rosenbrock return as the starting inside linebackers.

In the secondary, Watkins sees Weick, Parker, Xander Brooks, Carter Kohtz, Daniels and Miles as key contributors.

“A lot of them play on offense (also), so you’d like to be able to platoon and build depth (in the secondary),” Watkins said.

On special teams, Weick and Hayden Hetherington will handle the bulk of the kicking duties, while the same two will share the punting with Juday.

Dow was scheduled to scrimmage Oxford, Novi and Flint Carman-Ainsworth at Oxford on Thursday, Aug. 22.

When asked the strength of his team, the Dow head coach highlighted the Chargers’ balance across the roster.

“I don’t feel like we’ve got these three (stars) and then some good support players,” Watkins said. “I feel like this team has a big group of strong players.

“I think we’re going to be really well balanced on offense. We have a lot of guys that can be playmakers. We have good speed on defense. We’re generally (smaller), so speed is how we can equal that playing field.

“I’m excited to see what the 2019 version of Dow football can be,” Watkins concluded.

There’s a lot of team unity,” he said. “Just overall, I really like our team chemistry. There’s a lot of support for each other. They’re working together and pulling for each other. There’s a lot of competition (for starting spots), and it’s still early, but the team chemistry has been really good.”

Among the starters that Midland lost to graduation are a handful of Dream Teamers, including running back Christian Gordon (1,472 yards, 21 touchdowns rushing; 202 yards, two TDs receiving) and receiver Carter Grove (28 catches, 315 yards, five TDs receiving; 221 yards, two TDs rushing).

The Chemics also lost Dream Teamers Andrew Capua (94.5 tackles, 14.5 for loss) at linebacker, defensive lineman Sam Hine (61.5 tackles, 13.5 for loss), and two-way linemen Ethan Volmering and Cam White, along with All-Area First Team defensive back Ethan Richard (41 tackles, six pass breakups).

MHS does return a pair of Dream Teamers in 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior DB Eli Gordon (42 tackles, 10 pass breakups, three interceptions) and 6-0, 175pound senior kicker Maxx Fisher (39 of 45 on extra points, 4 of 5 on field goal attempts between 30 and 39 yards), as well as 5-10, 175-pound senior All-Area First Team receiver Tommy Johnstone (42 catches, 457 yards, five TDs) and 6-3, 265-pound two-way lineman Solomon Thomas, also an All-Area First Team performer last season.

“I like our overall team speed.

Offensively, we have some good athletes at our skill positions,” said Methner. “Defensively, we want to play fast, and we have some guys plugged in who are

2019

SCHEDULE

four opponents last year and allowed only two regular-season opponents — Clare and Breckenridge Times are good for — to score 20 points. football at Beaverton “The only reason we High School. got where we’re at, is that The Beavers have earned three straight play- we had kids who committed to the program,” Seisoff berths, two straight er pointed out. “We have eight-win seasons and to continue the intensity — last year — a Jack Pine Conference co-champion- and physicality that we need to stay competitive. ship and their first-ever We know that we have to playoff victory. compete very hard every Eighth-year head week, and we can live coach Aaron Seiser and with the results as long the Beavers have put the program’s recent string of as we are competing with 13 straight losing seasons everything we have.”

For a third straight firmly in the past.

At the same time, how- year, Beaverton will open the season with a ever, Seiser is not taking nonleague game against any of this winning for Breckenridge — a team granted. that was state runner-up “We’ve had some success here recently,” Seiser in Division 8 last year acknowledged. “(But) we and that beat the Beavers 20-19 last year. have to understand The season opener will that it doesn’t matter be on Thursday, Aug. 29 what happened in previat Beaverton. ous years — we still have Seiser’s team graduto play with a chip on our ated several key players shoulder.” from last year, including The Beavers shut out

BY DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net

BEAVERTON BEAVERS (all games at 7 p.m.)

BRECKENRIDGE at Shepherd PINCONNING FARWELL (homecoming) at Harrison MERIDIAN CLARE at Gladwin at St. Charles which could again determine the JPC championship or co-championship, is on Oct. 11 at Beaverton.

“Our goal will be to practice hard each day and try to be a better team each and every day all season long.”

Eric Methner Midland High football coach capable of doing so. ... We have the potential to be a good team.

“Our goal will be to practice hard each day and try to be a better team each and every day all season long,” he added. “We have some potential underclassmen starters who will need to successfully make the adjustment to the pace and physicality of the varsity level.”

Returning at quarterback for the Chemics is junior Al Money (5-9, 185), along with Johnstone and senior Bryce Albrecht (6-0, 165) at the receiver spots and Thomas at left tackle. Last season, Money threw for 1,034 yards and 13 TDs, while also rushing for 368 yards and six TDs. Junior Drew Johnson (5-11, 220) will be the running back, while senior Ryan Kreusch (6-3, 220) will be the H-back, and senior Brady Richards (6-1, 185) will be the tight end. The rest of the offensive line will consist of seniors Caleb Cummings (5-10, 210) and Eric Kalishek (5-9, 250) at center and left guard, respectively, along with junior Keaton Hocking (5-10, 205) at right guard and sophomore Connor O’Malley (5-10, 220) at right tackle.

Returning regulars on the defensive side will be Thomas and senior Paul Volesky (5-7, 175) at tackle, Gordon at safety, and Johnstone and Albrecht at the cornerback spots.

The other two defensive line spots were still being contested as of this writing, while an all-new linebacking corps will consist of senior Brennan Meylan (6-0, 195)

and juniors Martin Bradley (5-11, 185) and Chase Mahabir (5-10, 185). Junior Zach Wilder (5-10, 180) will man the other safety spot.

Fisher will continue to handle kicking duties and will probably also be MHS’s punter.

“This team is hungry and excited to ... practice,” said Methner, whose Chemics finished at 9-4 last year after falling to Muskegon Mona Shores in the semifinals and who were 5-1 (second place) in the Saginaw Valley League Blue Division. “We have a group of returning seniors who were starters last year, and they are looking to build on the success they experienced a season ago. “ ... (The returners have had) another year of growing and working out and developing, and they’ve started to take ownership of the team throughout the winter and summer workouts,” he added. “We’ve had good leadership with those guys.”

The biggest keys to his team’s potentially repeating last year’s success, Methner noted, will be adaptability and durability.

“We are like everyone else — we need to avoid the injury bug. We have some depth, but, currently, it is not a huge strength of ours,” he said. “ ... We have so many new guys and new starters that it’ll come down to how fast they can adapt to varsity game speed.

Right now, I like our pace in practice and our intensity in practice.

“So far, (the newcomers) are doing a good job of learning to play fast,” he added. “We’ll just build on that each and every day.”

CHIPPEWAS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 played against the Chippewas as the University of Akron quarterback before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2005, said he loves playing and coaching in the MAC. “These (MAC players) have a chip on their shoulder and they want to prove you wrong,” Frye said, citing his own experience as a college player. “That was me.

Ohio State told me I was too skinny (to play there).”

After the season opener vs. Albany, CMU will visit Wisconsin on Saturday, Sept. 7, host Akron in its MAC opener on Sept. 14, and visit Miami (Fla.) on Sept. 21.

Among other dates, traditional rival Western Michigan will host CMU in Kalamazoo on Sept. 28, and the Chippewas’ homecoming game is Oct. 12 vs. New Mexico State.

NOW PLAYING All Northwood football games and away games for Midland & Dow High.

For a complete season schedule go to

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FOOTBALL

Many changes this fall for football gamedays at CMU Central Michigan Athletics is making some changes to football gamedays this fall.

The most substantial change is that Fabiano Brothers Tailgate Village is headed to the south end of The Island, moving this premier area to the heart of the pregame action.

Tailgate Village features the U.S. Army concert series, the Soaring Eagle Club, and corporate and group tailgating opportunities. The area also includes sponsor displays and giveaways.

The U.S. Army concert series will feature Jedi Mind Trip (Aug. 29 & Oct. 5), Douglas James Band (Sept. 14) and PaddleBots (Oct. 12). The concerts, which are free and open to all fans, are scheduled to begin three hours prior to kickoff.

Two new marquee areas have been added.

The CMU Family Zone is a new addition to the northwest area of the stadium. This area will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff and will remain open throughout games. It features kid-friendly activi-

ties (inflatables, tailgate games and interactive stations), family-friendly concession items, and unique interactions with special guests. The area is free and open to all fans.

A Student VIP Zone is also new for the 2019 season. A select student group on campus will have an opportunity to experience the game from a tent inside the stadium with provided food, drinks and tailgate games. Located above the east stands, fans will enjoy the game in VIP seating from a unique vantage point.

A new videoboard and audio system were installed this summer.

The videoboard is 32 feet tall and 100 feet wide and a Daktronics 13HD product with 1,691,872 pixels.

The new audio system comprises 16 speakers with a digital control structure.

Fans will also see some adjustments to the stadium layout due to the construction of the Chippewa Champions Center. The CMU bench will be located on the west (press box) side of the stadium with

the visitors moving to the east side. The seating sections remain the same.

Touchdown Terrace has been removed due to its location in the construction zone and will not be relocated. Parking has also been impacted due to the temporary facilities for the CMU football program and the construction zones. Lot 64 and Lot 62E are both included in the construction zone, but fan parking in those lots will not be affected.

The Chippewa Champions Center will provide modern facilities for CMU Athletics. The building will be the main wellness hub for all student-athletes, housing CMU’s main sports medicine operations including a rehab and hydrotherapy area along with strength and conditioning and nutrition centers.

Football operations, including locker rooms, team meeting rooms and coaches offices, will also be housed in the Chippewa Champions Center.

Also included are premium hospitality spaces such as loge boxes, field

PROHIBITED BAGS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: Camera bags Binocular cased Computer bags Luggage Coolers Backpacks/cinch/ drawstring bags Fanny Packs Purses or clutch bags larger than dimensions listed above Tinted or patterned plastic bags Personal seatbacks Central Michigan’s Tyler Conklin #83 attempts to catch a pass in the endzone against the Presbyterian Blue Hose at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on September 1, 2016 in Mount Pleasant. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

EXCEPTIONS TO CLEAR BAG POLICY Medical bags or necessary medical equipment level club, and patio club. PERMISSIBLE / (Oxygen tanks, Oxygen The new Chippewa APPROVED BAGS concentrator, etc.)

Champions Center is set Clear, plastic, vinyl Personal medical to be operational for the or PVC bags that do not equipment (Oxygen 2020 season. exceed 12” x 6” x 12” tanks, Concentrator, Logo should not exceed etc.)

CLEAR BAG POLICY 4.5” x 3.4” and can be disDiaper bag, stroller Following security played on one side of the (with a small child) recommendations and All exceptions to polpermissible bag national large event stanOne-gallon clear plasicy still require proper inspection by security dards, Central Michigan tic zip storage/freezer is instituting a clear bag bag (i.e. Ziploc, Hefty, or at the gate before entry.

CMU reserves the right policy for the upcoming similar) to inspect any item at football season.

Small purses or clutch any time. CMU is not Fans should take note of bags (with or without responsible for any items these guidelines when vis- handles) no larger than left at the gate or in the iting Kelly/Shorts Stadium 4.5” x 6.5” stadium. this fall for football games.

Marsh expecting Northwood’s new scoreboard to make ‘big splash’ State-of-the-art jumbotron will bring whole new look to T’wolves’ football

BY FRED KELLY fred.kelly@mdn.net A year ago, Northwood’s Hantz Stadium underwent a big upgrade with the addition of beautiful artificial turf on Juillerat Field. And this year’s upgrade is no less colorful and eye-catching.

NU recently had a new stateof-the-art jumbotron-style scoreboard installed for the upcoming football season, and, according to Athletics Director Dave Marsh, it is a vast improvement that was long overdue.

“We had our old scoreboard for at least 25 years, and it was on its last legs. We just knew that we really wanted to upgrade, partly out of necessity but also because we just wanted to upgrade,” Marsh said.

“We put the turf in last year, and we had a vision of going with a full videoboard instead of the older-style scoreboards.

We had some generous donors and did some fundraising and made it possible.”

The new scoreboard was purchased from and installed

by Daktronics at the cost of a little over $200,000, its dimensions are 25 feet wide by 17 feet tall, and it will give fans a smorgasbord of enticing graphics in high definition.

Marsh likened the scoreboard to “a giant computer monitor.”

“It’ll be fully functional (as a scoreboard) with the score, the time remaining, the quarter, and that sort of thing, but that’ll just be displayed in a new way on the videoboard,” he noted. “We’re looking to put sponsors on the videoboard and do video introductions (of the players) and use graphics and have crowd shots and maybe, at some point in the future, have video replay.

“It’s really exciting. Like

we’ve done with a lot of our (capital improvement) projects recently, when we decided to upgrade we wanted to take it to a new level and not just replace the old,” he added.

“This (new scoreboard) sets us up for many years, and it’s exciting for the team and for the fans. It’ll really add a new dynamic to our football games.”

The new football scoreboard is the latest in a long line of improvements which Northwood has made to its athletics facilities in recent years.

Among the others are a new weight room, an indoor turf building, extensive renovation of the Bennett Center, and new scoreboards for basketball/volleyball, baseball, softball, and soccer.

Marsh pointed out that the university purchased the scoreboard without incurring any debt.

“Like anything we do at Northwood, we raised the money; we’re debt-free,” he

Northwood’s new football scoreboard is seen shortly after its installation. (Fred Kelly/fred.kelly@mdn.net) said. “We didn’t borrow any money. We’re able to do things like this because of the generosity of donors and people who believe in what we’re doing.”

Marsh said that NU’s gameday crew has undergone “extensive training” in order to best utilize the scoreboard’s capabilities.

“We have a crew that is good with graphics and is very creative, and they should be able to make a big splash with however we end up using (the scoreboard),” he said. “The possibilities I’m thinking about are probably just a small portion of what the possibilities really are.”