The One Constant. varsity football teams. MCC s Mike Ribecky is kicking off his 40th year of coaching the Crusaders. Plus... Previews of 19 area FREE

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1 High School Football Preview 2017 FREE The One Constant MCC s Mike Ribecky is kicking off his 40th year of coaching the Crusaders Plus... Previews of 19 area varsity football teams

2 4 The One Constant Muskegon Catholic assistant coach Mike Ribecky is kicking off his fourth decade with the Crusader varsity squad. He says he can t remember the exact number, but he has been part of 12 state championships. 14 The Come Back (to Muskegon) Kid La darius Jefferson left Muskegon High School and moved to Mississippi before his sophomore year. But he thrilled the Big Reds by returning last season and emerging as a star quarterback. 24 Those Familiar Voices of Fall The WLCS 98.3 FM Friday night football broadcast crew - Jon Russell, Cal VanSingel and Rick Hickman - bring a simple, folksy and fun approach to their work, and manage to capture the spirit of high school football. 34 Summer Sweat High school football players run out on the field full of energy and excitement on the first weekend of the season. But to get to that point, they have to endure several months of grueling workouts in the heat and humidity of the Michigan summer. European/American Bistro Corner of Business 31 At Norton Ave Steaks Seafood Fish Pastas Sandwiches Salads & Our Famous Magical Cheese Soup Fine Wines Beers Cocktails Outdoor Terrace Dining (Family Friendly)

3 Fremont 8/25 at Evart 8/31 Chippewa Hills 9/8 at Reed City 9/15 Big Rapids 9/22 at Central Montcalm 9/29 at Newaygo 10/6 Grant 10/13 Tri County 10/20 McBain 2017 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES Orchard View 8/24 Sparta 8/31 at Reeths-Puffer 9/8 at Muskegon Catholic 9/15 at Belding 9/22 Manistee 9/29 Ludington 10/7 at Muskegon Heights 10/13 Benton Harbor 10/20 North Muskegon Fruitport 8/24 Coopersville 8/31 at Spring Lake 9/8 at Muskegon 9/15 Kenowa Hills 9/23 at Grand Rapids Union 9/29 at Zeeland East 10/6 Jenison 10/13 at Reeths-Puffer 10/20 Mona Shores Kent City 8/26 vs Ravenna at GVSU 8/31 Comstock 9/8 at Holton 9/15 at White Cloud 9/22 Lakeview 9/29 Morley Stanwood 10/6 Hesperia 10/13 at Maple Valley 10/20 at Tri County Muskegon 8/25 Ann Arbor Pioneer 9/2 Lincolnshire Stevenson 9/8 Fruitport 9/15 at Byron Center 9/22 at Reeths-Puffer 9/29 Grand Rapids Union 10/6 Kenowa Hills 10/13 at Mona Shores 10/20 at Jenison Ravenna 8/26 vs Kent City at GVSU 8/31 Hart 9/8 at North Muskegon 9/15 Shelby 9/22 at Oakridge 9/29 at Whitehall 10/6 Mason County Central 10/13 at Montague 10/20 at Grant Grand Haven 8/24 Reeths-Puffer 8/31 at Traverse City West 9/8 Grandville 9/15 West Ottawa 9/22 at Rockford 9/29 Caledonia 10/6 at East Kentwood 10/13 at Hudsonville 10/20 at Grand Rapids Union Ludington 8/25 at Hart 8/31 at Stockbridge 9/8 at Manistee 9/15 Muskegon Catholic 9/22 Muskegon Heights 9/29 at Orchard View 10/6 Mancelona 10/13 Lakeview 10/20 Mason County Central Muskegon Catholic 8/25 TBD 9/1 at Frankfort 9/8 Orchard View 9/15 at Ludington 9/22 at Lake Michigan Catholic 9/29 at Muskegon Heights 10/6 Manistee 10/13 at Hesperia 10/20 Montague Reeths-Puffer 8/24 at Grand Haven 8/31 Orchard View 9/8 at Grand Rapids Union 9/15 at Mona Shores 9/22 Muskegon 9/29 at Jenison 10/6 M Thornapple Kellogg 10/13 Fruitport 10/20 Kenowa Hills Hart 8/25 Ludington 8/31 at Ravenna 9/8 Whitehall 9/15 at Mason County Central 9/22 Shelby 9/29 at Montague 10/6 North Muskegon 10/13 at Oakridge 10/20 at White Cloud Mason County Central 8/24 Houghton Lake at Ferris 8/31 at Whitehall 9/8 Montague 9/15 Hart 9/22 North Muskegon 9/29 at Oakridge 10/6 at Ravenna 10/13 Shelby 10/20 at Ludington Muskegon Heights 8/25 at Harbor Springs 8/31 at West Catholic 9/9 Detroit Community 9/15 at Manistee 9/22 at Ludington 9/29 Muskegon Catholic 10/7 Orchard View 10/13 at Oscoda 10/19 River Rouge Shelby 8/25 Grant 8/31 Montague 9/8 at Oakridge 9/15 at Ravenna 9/22 at Hart 9/29 North Muskegon 10/6 Whitehall 10/13 at Mason County Central 10/20 Hesperia Hesperia 8/25 North Muskegon 8/31 Wyoming Godwin Heights 9/8 Morley Stanwood 9/15 at Holton 9/22 White Cloud 9/29 at Lakeview 10/6 at Kent City 10/13 Muskegon Catholic Central 10/20 at Shelby Mona Shores 8/26 Canton at U Of M 9/1 at Zeeland West 9/8 Rockford 9/15 Reeths-Puffer 9/22 Jenison 9/29 at Kenowa Hills 10/6 at Grand Rapids Union 10/13 Muskegon 10/20 at Fruitport North Muskegon 8/25 at Hesperia 8/31 Oakridge 9/8 Ravenna 9/15 Montague 9/22 at Mason County Central 9/29 at Shelby 10/6 at Hart 10/13 Whitehall 10/20 at Orchard View Spring Lake 8/26 NP Christian at GVSU 8/31 Fruitport 9/8 at Sparta 9/15 West Catholic 9/22 GR Catholic Central 9/29 at Coopersville 10/6 Holland Christian 10/13 at Allendale 10/20 Comstock Park Holton 8/24 at Lake Michigan Catholic 8/31 Martin 9/8 Kent City 9/15 Hesperia 9/22 at Morley Stanwood 9/29 at White Cloud 10/6 at Lakeview 10/13 at Evart 10/20 Northpointe Christian OK RED Grand Haven East Kentwood Rockford West Ottawa Grandville Hudsonville Jenison Caledonia OK BLACK Mona Shores Reeths-Puffer Muskegon Fruitport Union Jenison Kenowa Hills Montague 8/25 Reed City 8/31 at Shelby 9/8 at Mason County Central 9/15 at North Muskegon 9/22 at Whitehall 9/29 Hart 10/6 Oakridge 10/13 Ravenna 10/20 at Muskegon Catholic Oakridge 8/24 at Chippewa Hills 8/31 at North Muskegon 9/8 Shelby 9/15 at Whitehall 9/22 Ravenna 9/29 Mason County Central 10/6 at Montague 10/13 Hart 10/20 at Berrien Springs School conference alignments OK BLUE Spring Lake Sparta Coopersville Allendale Comstock Park GR Catholic Central GR West Catholic CSAA Gold Newaygo Fremont Reed City Tri County Grant Chippewa Hills Central Montcalm CSAA Silver Hesperia Holton Kent City Big Rapids Lakeview Morley Stanwood White Cloud LAKES 8 Ludington Muskegon Catholic Muskegon Heights Orchard View Manistee WMC (no football) Whitehall 8/25 Kelloggsville 8/31 Mason County Central 9/8 at Hart 9/15 Oakridge 9/22 Montague 9/29 Ravenna 10/6 at Shelby 10/13 at North Muskegon 10/20 at Harper Creek WEST MICHIGAN Hart Mason County Central Montague Oakridge North Muskegon Ravenna Shelby Whitehall Baldwin, Independant Z. East, OK Green Z. West, OK Green Holland, OK Green

4 The One Constant With 12 state titles under his belt, MCC s Mike Ribecky is kicking off his 40th year of coaching By Steve Gunn MUSKEGON - Ask Mike Ribecky how many state football championship teams he s coached at Muskegon Catholic Central, and he will shake his head. I don t know, he says with a shrug. It s on the wall in there. One obvious reason for his reaction is that there are a lot of state titles to remember, including an amazing four in the past four years. For the record, the Crusaders have won 12 state championships during Ribecky s coaching career, with the latest coming in last year s 35-6 victory over Ottawa Lake Whiteford in the Division 8 title game. But he doesn t seem too impressed with that number. He respects the effort it has taken from so many people to be the best for so many seasons, but doesn t seem obsessed with it. He says he just likes to coach. I played football starting in the second grade through four years of college, Ribecky said. It gets in your blood, you enjoy it, and you want to give back to the kids and teach them what you ve learned. You coach each year to try to give the kids the best experience they can have. They only go through it for a few short years. Ribecky has been at it for a great many years. This will be his 40th season of coaching varsity football at Muskegon Catholic. Head coaches and assistants have come and gone, including some great ones, but Ribecky is still there when the ball is teed up every fall. He insists he s just been one spoke in MCC s wheel of success, and is quick to deflect credit to other coaches, the players and their parents. But Steve Czerwon says Ribecky is being more than a little modest, and he should know. Czerwon played under Ribecky in the 90s, and has worked with him for the past 13 years nine as a fellow assistant coach, and the last four as MCC s head coach. He has been as big a part of the success we ve had as anyone, Czerwon said. He s been the one constant through 12 state championships. I think that says a lot. He gets a lot out of kids. First and foremost, he gets along great with kids. He has certain expectations of how they should play and do things correctly. When they screw up, he will let them know about it. But the kids love playing for him there s no question about that. While all the MCC coaches have a hand in all aspects of the game, Ribecky has been the Crusaders defensive coordinator since the early 90s, and defense has long been a strength for the program. There may have been no better example than last season, when the Crusader defense was nearly impossible to score on. MCC s first-string defense only gave up 25 points last season in 14 games. We bent but didn t break, Ribecky said. We went to more of a three-down defense rather than having a traditional four-man line. We didn t have a ton of big guys. We wanted to get the better athletes on the field. The defense was decidedly undersized, without a single player who weighed at least 200 pounds. The stereotypical defender is a big, burly guy who dominates the player on the other side of the ball with sheer bulk, but Ribecky s 2016 squad shattered that myth. As it turns out, Ribecky prefers the smaller, faster guys on defense, so last season s players were perfect for him. It s always been my thing to get my faster kids on the field, he said. I m not much for big, fat kids. That s a pet peeve of mine. If you re big and you can still run, that s a bit different. I ve always preached quickness, get everybody to the ball. It s worked out. We ll see how it goes this year. We have a lot of holes to fill. This is where my loyalty is Ribecky, 62, grew up in Muskegon Heights and spent all of his K-12 years in the Muskegon Catholic school system. He played football for the Crusaders under legendary Coach Roger Chiaverini and got an early taste of MCC gridiron success. The MCC teams he played on didn t win any state titles (there were no high school playoffs in those days), but they were still very good while competing in the old Lake Michigan Athletic Conference, which included big school powerhouses like Muskegon and Traverse City. I graduated in 1973, and my last season of football was 72, said Ribecky, who is widely known by the nickname of Bunny. Chev, Pete Kutches and Dave Mills were the coaches back then. Chev was in his second year as head coach during my junior year. In my senior year we were 8-0 going into our last game, then we lost to Muskegon Traverse City beat Muskegon, we beat Traverse City, then Muskegon beat us, so we ended up in a three-way tie for the championship. That was a great league. Ribecky won a full-ride football scholarship to Western Michigan University, where he continued to experience success and learn what it takes to put a winner on the field. He was a starter on the offensive line, and the Broncos finished second in the nation in rushing during his senior year. That means Ribecky and his fellow linemen successfully moved a lot of defenders out of the way over the course of the season. He returned to MCC after college for a semester of student teaching, and fully expected to find a teaching job at some school somewhere. As it turned out, he started coaching the Crusader football team and never left. I stared working with the varsity right away when I came back, he said. Chev said if I was going to be here, he might as well get some use out of me, so I coached with him in 77 and 78. They were laying off teachers back then, so I was looking for a job, and I ended up taking the civil service exam for the Muskegon Heights Fire Department, and ended up working there for 29 years. Ribecky s inability to find a teaching job, and his subsequent career as a firefighter, allowed him to stay at MCC and continue to coach football at his alma mater. Besides the 1979 season, which he skipped for personal reasons, he s been on the Crusader sideline every year. The good thing about it was that we worked 10 days a month, 24-hour days, and I saved most of my vacation for the fall, and we were allowed to trade time, he said about his firefighting job. Ribecky almost left Muskegon Catholic once, in 1984, when the legendary Pete Kutches resigned as head coach to take the same position at Reeths-Puffer, where he went on to win a state championship. Pete wanted me to go with him, and I was almost there, I was real close, Ribecky said. But I went through school at MCC. My sister, Pat O Toole, was the principal here at the time, and my parents were pretty big MCC fans, so I stayed. MCC has changed head coaches several times during Ribecky s career. He has coached under Chiaverini, Kutches, Ken Diamond, Dean Jewett, Mike Holmes and now Czerwon. Many Catholic fans have probably wondered if Ribecky was ever offered the head

5 coaching job. He doesn t confirm or deny that, but says it was never an option for him. I think a head coach should be in the school, Ribecky said. Somebody should be there making sure the kids keep up on their academics. Ribecky shrugs when asked if other area schools have tried to hire him as a head coach. Not very often, he said. They pretty much knew I was here to stay. This is where my loyalty is. We have a neat situation here. Besides, Ribecky said he never had much desire to become a head coach, even though they receive most of the credit when championships are secured. He said he can happily live without all the distractions that come with leading the program. If that means not getting noticed as much as the head coach, so be it. Assistants want to come and they want to coach, he said. They don t want to deal with parents or the media. The head coach can do that. has changed, and you have to change with it. At MCC, there has also been the challenge of maintaining a winning tradition as enrollment has decreased. Muskegon Catholic was Class B when Ribecky was in high school, but now is among the smaller schools in the state to field a football team. But the Crusaders have met that challenge by eliminating their junior varsity team and having players on varsity for four years, Ribecky said. We only have one football team, he said. Some people say that s going to hurt you, but I don t think so. We get them as freshmen and sophomores, and we re teaching them right away. And the last few years the young kids have been getting a lot of varsity experience in the second half of games. Ribecky said he s changed his coaching style a bit over the years. While he s always intense, he said he s toned it down a little. You either prepare, or prepare to lose Some people who stay in a career for a long time tend to ease away from the heavier workload as the years go by. That s not the case for Ribecky. He still has a hand in every aspect of the MCC football program, 12 months a year. There is an early-morning weightlifting program for players in the winter and spring. There is weightlifting and conditioning in the summer, three days per week. Then comes preseason practices in August, which pretty much take up entire days for several weeks. We re one of the few high schools that still do two-a-day practices, Ribecky said. We go from 9 to He has been as big a 11 in the morning, then 3 to 5 in the part of the success we ve had as anyone, said MCC head coach Steve Czerwon. He s been the one constant through 12 state championships. I think that says a lot. afternoon. Most schools these days have one practice, in the morning or afternoon. Of course the most grueling work comes during the season, when there are practices four days a week, game night on Friday, and important strategic work for the coaches on the weekends. We watch film at home, then we meet on Sundays up here at the school at 9 a.m., and we probably don t get out until around 2, he said. We look at film to see what the other teams do. If something works (on offense) and they can t cover that, we may put it in. We re always looking at things like that, trying to gain more of an edge. We ve always worked like that. You either prepare, or you prepare to lose. After 39 seasons, one might expect all that work to wear on Ribecky a little bit. He admits there have been tiring aspects to the job, particularly in recent years, when the Crusaders have made so many long playoff runs, extending each season by about a month. It gets to be long in the playoffs, he said. In the last four years we ve played 40- some games. We ve probably played an extra season-plus in those four years. Despite all the work, Ribecky says he still feels his adrenaline flow when each new season draws near. Oh yeah, that s the easy part, he said. Everybody likes the excitement of Friday night football games. Ribecky said he s far from alone when it comes to work ethic and dedication. He said those attributes are common among high school football coaches in the Muskegon area, and he s proud to be part of their fraternity. Shane Fairfield and the coaches at Muskegon, they do such a great job over there, he said. Shane s a football junkie. He loves the sport and he loves the kids. Kyle Jewett (at Reeths-Puffer) is the same way, and Dave Smith and those guys at Ravenna. It s a special group of coaches around here. They love football. I think that s why teams from this area have always been so successful. Ribecky said coaches have made a lot of adjustments over the years, as the high school game has changed. Offensive philosophies have definitely evolved, with more emphasis on speed and the passing game and spreading players around the field. That s forced defensive coaches to adjust, to make sure opposing players are properly covered. Now you have to spread out and defend the whole field, Ribecky said. The game Coach Ribecky and the MCC Crusaders prepare for LSJ Photos by Tim Reilly I ve gotten a little bit mellower probably, he said. The kids understand when I m serious, but I like to have fun with them, too, by making some jokes and having a good time. You can t be a jerk the whole time, or they re going to get calloused and stop listening. That doesn t mean Ribecky, who also coaches the offensive line, is willing to ignore sloppiness on the field. You have to get people on the same page, particularly when it comes to executing blocking assignments correctly, he said. One thing that irks me are missed assignments. As an offensive lineman, you don t know where the ball is going, so you just have to get up and stay on them. It s doesn t have to be a great block, but you have to get up and move your feet. The big thing is footwork. Ribecky is also no-nonsense when it comes to doling out playing time. He has no patience for the occasional parent or player who whines about that topic. Like I tell the kids, I don t care, I will play a sophomore, I play the best kids, he said.

6 Good luck to all of the area teams! Your Lakeshore Sports Medicine Specialists We ll assess your pain to find its true source, and whenever possible, recommend nonsurgical treatment options. We ll get you back to your active lifestyle. Saturday Sports Clinics See your team trainer for referral and information about our acute sports injury clinic. Please arrive between 8-9am. Athletes under 18 must be accompanied by a parent. Bring identification and insurance card. Urgent Care Hours Orthopaedic Urgent Care services are available Mon thru Thurs 8am to 8pm starting September 18th. Until then, Urgent Care is open until 8pm on Mon and Thurs. Our team is here for you, no matter what sport. Call for additional information: Jeffrey K. Anhalt, D.O. Dirk A. Bakker, M.D. Rick A. Baszler, D.O. Phillip J. Dabrowski, D.O. J. Christopher Eyke, M.D. Daniel J. Fett, D.O. Yousif I. Hamati, M.D., F.A.C.S. Reginald W. Kapteyn, D.O. Brandon King, M.D. Katie McCausland, D.O. Mark J.R. Moulton, M.D. Martin M. Pallante, M.D.* Aaron D. Potts, M.D.* Jeffrey D. Recknagel, M.D. James R. Ringler, M.D. Lindsay Rudert, D.O. Edward J.W. Shields, M.D. Tyler T. Voss, D.O.* *Fellowship Trained in Sports Medicine

7 By Justin Haggerty FREMONT Last season was a year of change for the Fremont Packers on the gridiron, and they had their share of struggles. Fremont had a new head coach and a new conference to adjust to, and it showed. The Packers went 0-9 and were outscored But second-year head coach Rick Tank, who was previously the team s defensive coordinator, sees reason for optimism for the Packers in their second year in Tank the Central State Activities Association (CSAA) Gold Division. These young men are relentless believers, they want change for our program, said Tank, whose team will be entering the season with an 18-game losing streak. Throughout the summer, we have watched them as they have increased on all levels in their physical and mental capacities. You can really see the light bulbs start to come on, and now we have that belief, confidence, perseverance, that grit turned up. I am confident we will turn some heads this season. To make that happen, the Packers will have to overcome some inexperience. Though the Packers have 11 seniors on the roster, only seven played last season, and the team returns only three starters on each side of the ball. The good news is that the starting quarterback has lots of experience. He is third-year starter Caleb Kooman (6-0, 175), a dual-threat senior. Also coming back on offense will be senior wide receiver Riley Krim (6-2, 162) and senior running back FREMONT Packers will look for better results with a third-year QB Sparta 39, Fremont 0 Chip Hills 49, Fremont 0 Reed City 41, Fremont 0 Big Rapids 27, Fremont 0 C Montcalm 14, Fremont 0 Newaygo 35, Fremont 6 Grant 52, Fremont 12 Tri-County 29, Fremont 0 Montague 75, Fremont Creston St. Muskegon area schools! Michael Groenke (5-10, 175). Joining Groenke in the backfield will be a trio of juniors, and a new weapon in the form of senior Patrick Dalson (5-10, 155). The juniors include Kane Widing (5-11, 180), Zane Stroven (5-9, 165), and Carlos Delossantos (5-8, 135). Dalson, the new guy, grew up in Fremont but was ineligible last season after living out of the district for two years. Despite his slender frame, Tank describes Dalson as a hard-nosed running back who is willing to fight for extra yards. Having him around could turn out to be a big plus for the team this year. The coaching staff sees Dalson and Widing being tough to bring down once they get momentum. They say Groenke, Stroven and Delossantos lend speed on the outside. While the Packers will have good depth at running back, Kooman will also have several targets in the passing game, as well. The main target will be Krim. He and Kooman have developed a bond on the field, and Krim was a top receiver for the team last season. We are confident they will continue that relationship and connect on many more completions this season, Tank said about Kooman and Krim. We will have a true running threat this season, along with the capability of connecting through the air. Joining Krim in the receiver corps will be senior Jourdan O Brian (6-0, 155), juniors Courtland Carson (6-0, 170) and Garrett Visscher (5-10, 139) and sophomore tight end Cody Moon (6-1, 195). The defense looks to improve this year, after giving up an average of 40 points per game last season. The Packers are hoping a year of experience will benefit the returners on the defensive line - juniors Garret Locke (5-10, 259) and Chaz Wheater (6-2, 260). One key newcomver will be first-year senior Elijah Rought (5-10, 215). The linebacking corps remains young with Widing and sophomores Moon and Kyler Kolk (5-8, 210) set to man the positions. The secondary will be expected to deliver hard hits over the middle with Dalson, Carson and Visscher leading the way. Fremont football has not had a great recent history, but Tank sees that changing sooner rather than later. We are beginning to show signs of a mature team, Tank said. Our potential is encouraging. We talk about change, and which Fremont team is going to bring the change. These guys have accepted that challenge and have committed together to be that team, to be the change. BR: Riley Krim, Michael Groenke, Parker Dalson, Caleb Koomen FR: Zayne Stroven, Garrett Visscher, Zane Widing PACKER REPORT Coach: Rick Tank Assistants: Rebel Smith, Dale Bacon, Devon Conley, Nate Morse, Dustin Runions, Jared Hudson, Kevin Kolk, Jim Thompson 2016 record: 0-9 Conference record: 0-5 Offensive returners: 3 Defensive returners: 3 Projected QB: Kaleb Kooman Coach quote: These guys have accepted that challenge and have committed together to be that team, to be the change. Rick Tank Proud Supporters of the Packers Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. 7 late. Good luck to

8 8 FRUITPORT Trojans ready for a second taste of O-K Black competition By Dave Hart FRUITPORT- Fruitport s first season in the O-K Black Conference did not go the way Coach Greg Vargas hoped it would. The Trojans struggled in 2016, only winning two of their league games, over Grand Rapids Union and longtime rival Reeths-Puffer. Fruitport also managed to get a win against rival Spring Lake in a non-league game early in the season in the Battle for the Paddle. Vargas But the Trojans lost their other six games and finished below.500. Despite that record, Vargas is focused on what s ahead. We try not to get hung up on disappointment, the coach said. We need to keep on battling here on out, which will dictate the outcomes of our games. The Trojans are determined to get better this year, but will have to battle forward with a young team, at least in terms of game experience. They return only two players on each side of the ball who saw significant playing time last season. Coopersville 36, Fruitport 13 Fruitport 14, Spring Lake 13 Muskegon 63, Fruitport 7 Kenowa Hills 42, Fruitport 20 Fruitport 63, GR Union 46 Zeeland East 38, Fruitport 14 Jenison 20, Fruitport 0 Fruitport 21, Reeths-Puffer 6 Mona Shores 41, Fruitport 14 Vargas believes that may be a weakness in the short-term, but will pay dividends down the road. We are going to be training a new quarterback this season, said Vargas. Throwing him into the fire, so to speak, and teaching the other kids will be important throughout the season. Junior Jakob Carlisle and sophomore Crue Cooper will compete for the starting quarterback position for the Trojans. Both Carlisle and Cooper are similar in stature and should have a spirited competition for playing time, Vargas said. Senior Jordan Gilbert may also see some snaps behind center this year. Senior Blade Williams, who saw limited playing time last season, is expected to get 1086 Creston St. Muskegon area schools! most of the carries on the ground. He will share time with sophomore Dominick Colegrove and senior Parker Tawney. The Trojans plan to have a solid running game, and will work on developing a passing attack to diversify their offense. Their two main targets through the air will be seniors Aric Stewart (6-3) and Sam Steinhauer (6-1). Both are tall and have good hands, according to Vargas. We have to be able to do both (run and pass), and we will work on getting better at that, Vargas said. Sophomore Ethan Flores is expected to see some time at slot receiver and senior Lucas Kleyn will play at the tight end position. The offensive line will also feature players who don t have a lot of game experience. Senior offensive tackle Michael Davidson (5-10, 230), who saw limited playing time last year, is expected to the be a key contributor up front. He will do battle alongside senior Ethan Heiss (5-9, 185) and juniors David Cadena (5-10, 220), Wes Illum (6-1, 230) and Jordan Norwick (6-2, 220). On the defensive side of the ball, senior Dallas Rogers (6-0, 300) is one outstanding returning starter and is expected to be a team leader this season. Rogers was honorable mention All-Conference last season and will play defensive tackle. Vargas considers him a great athlete and outstanding kid. Senior Justino Acevedo (5-10, 210) will also see some time at defensive tackle. Cooper, who is the quarterback candidate on offense, will join Tyler Thedorff (6-3, 195) at defensive end. At linebacker, Tawney returns as a starter and will play alongside sophomore Rico Jones. Steinhauer will also see time at the position. The Trojan secondary will feature several seniors - Williams, Stewart, Logan Wadland (5-8, 180), Brad Owens (6-1, 190) and Josh Gawlik (5-11, 180). Fruitport s kicking game will depend on the leg of junior Austin Golden. There will be many hard-working seniors who will see time on special teams, including Devon Hendrick (5-9, 155), Jacob Miller, Chase Sauve (5-7, 175) and Adrian Zerlaut (5-10, 160). The main strength for the Trojans, according to Vargas, is the core of hard working seniors who will take leadership roles. Our goal this season, like always, is to qualify for the playoffs, said Vargas. The biggest challenge will be getting the kids to believe we can compete in our conference for four quarters. Vargas believes the O-K Black will be led once again by Muskegon and Mona Shores, but he has faith in the potential of his squad. Our kids have it in them, he said. FR: Justino Acevedo, Parker Tawney, Josh Gawlik. BR: Dallas Rogers, Lucas Kleyn, Sam Steinhauer. Photo/Jason Goorman TROJAN REPORT Coach: Greg Vargas Assistants: Shaun Danicek, Mario Flores, David Ross 2015 Record: 3-6 Conference record: 2-4 Offensive returners: 2 Defensive returners: 2 Projected quarterbacks: Jakob Carlisle, Crue Cooper, Jordan Gilbert Coach quote: Our kids have it in them, they are tough kids who just have to believe themselves. Greg Vargas Proud Supporters of the Trojans Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

9 Grand Haven The new head coach is a familiar face at Grand Haven 9 By Dave Hart GRAND HAVEN - The Grand Haven varsity football team had a void to fill this offseason when last year s head coach, Jason Tester, decided to step down after just one season with the Buccaneers. The school decided to replace Tester with a familiar face within the program. Joe Nelson, who has spent 20 years as an assistant coach at Grand Haven under four different head coaches, Nelson was named the new head coach in January. Nelson has been defensive line coach for the Buccaneers for the last three seasons. He graduated from Grand Haven in 1989 and spent 17 years as an assistant coach before leaving for seven years to become an assistant at Hope College. Now that he s in charge, he says he s ready to right the ship of a program that s struggled for the past few seasons. The kids have lacked consistency for the last few years, and we need to get these kids to buy into this new program, Nelson said. The Buccaneers struggled last season, posting a 3-6 record for the third consecutive season. Grand Haven 43, Fruitport 14 Grand Haven 21, R-Puffer 20 TC West 38, Grand Haven 10 Grandville 53, Grand Haven 8 Grand Haven 42, W. Ottawa 23 Rockford 31, Grand Haven 14 Caledonia 22, Grand Haven 14 E. Kentwood 24, Grand Haven 9 Hudsonville 34, G. Haven 7 Grand Haven 57, GR Union 0 Grand Haven hasn t qualified for the postseason since The Bucs have pom;u wpm 14 games over the last five seasons. They have not won more than three games in any of those years. Nelson has high hopes for qualifying for the playoffs this year, due to a favorable schedule. But a potential downfall for the Buccaneers will be dealing with a lack of depth in several key positions. The size of the roster is not quite where Nelson wants it to be, so staying health will be vital to Grand Haven s success. On a positive note, the roster includes a lot of experienced players, including five returnees on each side of the ball who saw considerable playing time last season. The roster also includes a lot of seniors. We have a predominantly senior team, Nelson said. These guys will be hungry to succeed this season. The Buccaneer offense is expected to be led by senior quarterback Adam Nelson, the coach s son. Nelson has been around football for most of his life. He is a smart player on the field, according to the coach, which will be a huge asset for the offense. Grand Haven will run a Delaware Wing- T style offense, and each game will dictate whether the Buccaneers run the ball more or go to the air. We will play the game to where we are currently at our strongest, and where our opponent s defense is at its weakest, Nelson said. The Buccaneers will feature a two-back ground attack with a pair of seniors. Charlie Young will play at fullback and gain the muscle yards while Malic Love will start at halfback. Young is considered a workhorse, while Love is quick on his feet and has great moves, according to Nelson. Senior Kallum Bridgeforth is expected to lead the receiving corps alongside junior Collin Takas and senior AJ Miller. Bridgeforth has good hands, according to the coach, and will be a positive asset to the offense. The Buccaneers will look to senior newcomer Tristan Wilkleman, a transfer student from Las Vegas, to start at tight end. Senior Parker Kingma (6-4, 310) is expected to lead the offensive line this season. Kimgm,a has had a solid camp and is expected to improve as the season moves along, Nelson said. Also on the line will be seniors Carter Williams and Jack Plowman, who is expected to start at center. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Collin Monsma will play an end position next to Williams and senior Nate Podein. Podein saw limited playing time last season due to injuries. The linebacker corps will have some new faces, but will be built around senior Brandon Diaz, who is expected to start at inside linebacker. Senior Ryan Mattson will lead the Buccaneer secondary this year as a third-year returning starter. Mattson recently moved from linebacker to the safety position, and will be flanked by Love and Bridgeforth, who will both play cornerback. Carter Williams, Adam Nelson, Malic Love. BR: Ryan Mattson, Parker Kingma, Charlie Young. Photo/Jason Goorman BUC REPORT COACH: Joe Nelson Assistants: Mike Takas, Matt Schmidt, Brandon Suchecki, Marc Treat, Matt Kroll, Chris Martinez, Nate Allen, Dennis Striegle, Rick Smith, Brett Hershey, Matt Mapes 2016 Record: 3-6 Conference Record: 1-5 Returning Offense: 5 Returning Defense: 5 Projected quarterback: Adam Nelson Quote: I m excited about the direction things are going for the Grand Haven football program and the response we are getting from the kids. - Joe Nelson Proud Supporters of the Buccaneers 1086 Creston St. Muskegon area schools! Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

10 10 HART Pirates angling for more wins in their second year back By Mitch Ashcraft HART - The entire community of Hart was excited to have varsity football back in 2016, after the program took a break in But the first year back was a difficult one for first-year head coach Rick Witteveen and his staff and players. The Pirates did get in the victory column, but then finished the season with a record of 1-8. The highlight of the season was a thrilling victory over Oceana County Witteveen rival Shelby in a West Michigan Conference contest. The Pirates overcame a 12-0 deficit in the game, and secured the victory with a twopoint conversion in the final seconds. But the Pirates were also shut out five times in nine games, including the last four of the season. A season full of turnovers, lack of technique, and lack of size and strength contributed to the rough ride, according to Witteveen. Ludington 35, Hart 0 Oakridge 56, Hart 13 Ravenna 55, Hart 22 Whitehall 52, Hart 14 Hart 20, Shelby 19 Mason CC 37, Hart 0 Montague 61, Hart 0 North Muskegon 49, Hart 0 White Cloud 13, Hart 6 But the second-year head coach is excited about the upcoming season, due to the commitment his players displayed in offseason weight training, as well as having a year for the coaches and players to become familiar with each other. Experience will also help. The Pirates return six players on offense who saw playing time last season, as well as seven on defense. We had a lot better turnout in the weight room this offseason, Witteveen said. Our size has improved, which is going to help. They also had a year to get to know this coaching staff and we have had a year to get to know them, which is huge. Witteveen says every position on the field will have players competing for time, which 1086 Creston St area schools! should help produce depth across the lineup. There is definite competition at the quarterback position. Junior Dustin Klotz and senior Kaleb Adams are in a battle for the starting nod for the August 25 opener against Ludington. According to Witteveen, Klotz is a better passer, while Adams is the superior runner. The running back position will feature at least seven players who could get carries throughout the season. Jesse McGhan, Michael Michalko, O Rian Torres, Seth VanPrius, Payton VanSickle, Aaron VanSickle and Gus Gale are all expected to touch the ball during the 2017 season. Each back s workload will depend on their performance, according to the coach. They all bring something different, Witteveen said. It will be running back by committee. They will get their number called if they block for their teammates and don t put the ball on the ground. The player who ends up being the backup quarterback will see significant time at wide receiver, along with Angel Salgado and Mitch Mast, Witteveen said. Junior Dustin Houston (5-8, 225), junior Alex Hollady (6-1, 190), sophomore Tanner Breitwisch (6-4, 260), junior Dylan Dean (5-11, 190), junior Jerry Guiarrdo (6-0, 200) and senior AJ Burnell (5-11, 235) will be featured on the offensive line for the Pirates. Senior Dale Thompson (6-5, 220) will man the tight end position. Witteveen expects many of the same athletes to start on the defensive line. McGhan will start at linebacker and lead the Pirate defense, Witteveen said. He (Jesse) has a non-stop motor, the coach said. He is one of our hardest workers on the team and is an excellent leader. Another top defender will be Houston, who will be featured on the offensive and defensive lines. He has tremendous gap control and pursues to the ball well, Witteveen said of Houston. Two other linebackers - Gale and VanPruis - have a a ton of potential, according to Witteveen. Fans can expect them to be all over the field making tackles, he said. Payton VanSickle, Aaron VanSickle, Adams, Klotz, Michalko and Devin Kaat will roam the secondary for the Pirates. The biggest key for the 2017 season for Witteveen will be improvement. He hopes all the work his players invested during the offseason will pay dividends on the field. The determining factor won t necessarily be the number of wins, but signs of growth and consistency. Every day in practice, the focus is on us to play as a team, Witteveen said. I think they have a lot of potential, they just have to play as a team and come with the focus and determination to improve every day. Jesse McGhan, Kaleb Adams, Mike Michalko. Photo/Jason Goorman PIRATE REPORT Coach: Rick Witteveen Assistants: Todd Myers, Shane Tate, Jason Witteveen 2016 record: 1-8 Conference record: 1-6 Offensive returners: 6 Defensive returners: 7 Projected quarterbacks: Dustin Klotz, Kaleb Adams Coach quote: We have to play as a team, we have to focus on us, we have to work every practice to improve. If they do that then they will make huge strides. - Rick Witteveen Proud Supporters of the Pirates Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

11 By Justin Haggerty HESPERIA The Hesperia football program was in a state of transition in The Panthers were coming off an undefeated regular season and the school s first playoff berth in over a decade in 2015, but head coach Aaron Sims resigned during the summer and the team had little time to find a replacement. Enter head coach Doug Bolles. Bolles came over from Baldwin Bolles High School and led the Panthers to a 5-5 record and a second straight playoff berth last season. They fell to Pewamo-Westphalia in the first round of the playoffs. Now with a full season under his belt and being more familiar with the players, Bolles is inserting a new offense, which he thinks will work well in the Central State Activities Association (CSAA) Silver Division. Gone are the days of the Wing-T, which is run almost exclusively on the ground. Now the Panthers will feature a spread offense that Bolles is more familiar with, and he believes will work with all the gifted athletes on the roster. It s what I like to do, spread the defense out, Bolles said. I think we ve got kids that are athletic and can spread the field and they can make things happen. But Bolles isn t going to make the offense predictable by limiting it to mostly passing. Just because we re spreading the field, doesn t mean we re going to throw 40 times a game, he said. The Panthers will feature nine returning starters, most of them who start on both sides of the ball. But they will be looking to fill holes created by the graduation of four seniors, including starting quarterback Brendan HESPERIA Panthers will employ a new spread offensive approach Hesperia 59, Montabella 0 G-Heights 32, Hesperia 30 M. Stanwood 19, Hesperia 6 Hesperia 54, Holton 6 Hesperia 51, White Cloud 0 Hesperia 21, Lakeview 0 Kent City 15, Hesperia 14 MCC 48, Hesperia 7 Hesperia 2, Shelby 0 (forfeit) P-Westphalia 48, Hesperia Creston St. Muskegon area schools! McAree. McAree s loss leaves some pretty big shoes to fill, and Bolles is turning to junior Jacob Klemundt (5-7, 165) to do the job. Klemundt came up as a sophomore last season and proved to be the Panthers best cover corner on defense. He will use his speed as a dual-threat quarterback this fall while playing safety on defense. He s got great speed and fits in really well, Bolles said. He s a three-sport athlete, he s great in the classroom, and he s put in a lot of time in the summer to get this program rolling. Helping to give Klemundt time to throw will be four returning seniors on the offensive line that have the size to pass block, and have already demonstrated their speed by succeeding in the old Wing-T offense. The all-important left tackle spot is held down by Kevin Schooley (6-1, 240), who will man the trenches with guards Triston Rubin (6-0, 190) and Chad Lavin (6-1, 190). The right side is held down by Tanner Grell (6-4, 290). Schooley suffered a leg injury late in training camp and will be sidelined to start the season. That s an issue for the Panthers, because he also starts on defense. Klemundt, the new quarterback, will have the benefit of throwing to four returning receivers. Senior receivers Kade Witte (5-9, 183), Garrit Yates (5-10, 175) and Scott Peters (5-10, 175) will be joined by returning sophomore tight end Logan Balkema (6-0, 195). The Panthers will have one familiar new face who could help a lot this season. Senior Zach Young (5-10, 170) will start on both sides of the ball as a wide receiver and cornerback/ middle linebacker. Young played with his teammates growing up through freshman football, before he left the program for two years. Now Young is back and Bolles is excited to have him. He s a versatile athlete who also runs cross country and wrestles, according to the coach. All the kids are excited to have him back, Bolles said. With many guys playing on both sides of the ball, depth becomes an issue. The Panthers plan to dress 22 players, so there should be enough players to give starters some rest. The Panthers schedule has a tough front end with opening games against North Muskegon and Wyoming Godwin Heights. The big key is, everybody wants to be 9-0, Bolles said. I just want to get better every week. We start with two tough games and we could lose. If we play good and lose, we ve lost to two good teams. It all depends on what happens in week one and week two. If we get on a roll and do what we have to do, we re going to be a good team. Proud Supporters of the Panthers Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! 11 Kevin Schooley, Scott Peters, Kade Witte, Gerrit Yates, Triston Rubin. Photo/Leo Valdez PANTHER REPORT Coach: Doug Bolles Assistants: Bobby Kraus, Chad Paine, Cregg Bolles, Jeremy Stevens, Richard Brimmer, William McGahan, Martin Johnson, Josh McKinnon, Scott Peters Projected QB: Jacob Klemundt Overall team record last season: 5-5 Conference record last season: 3-2 Offensive returners: 9 Defensive returners: 9 Coach quote: It s what I like to do, spread the defense out. I think we have kids who are athletic and can spread the field and they can make things happen. Doug Bolles Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

12 Creston St area schools! Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Holton Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. Red Devils have a lot of returning talent to work with By Mitchell Boatman HOLTON - Injuries are often the biggest cause of derailment for any football team. They certainly took their toll last season on the Holton varsity squad. The Red Devils started out as a team with high hopes for a big season, but struggled to stay healthy and finished 2-7 overall and 1-4 in the Central State Activities Association Silver Division. There were a few highlights in 2016, most notably a 54-0 victory over Three Oaks River Valley in Week 2. But there were also Nummerdor some very low points, like the 73-0 loss to North Muskegon in the final week, after all the injuries had taken their toll. After the eighth game last season, Holton coach Jack Nummerdor reported that his team had been missing at least five starters in each game to that point, and had eight players who had suffered concussions. He said the Red Devils started the season with 24 players and were down to 15 by Week 8. But as Nummerdor notes, this is not last year s team. The Red Devils are healthy and ready to show what they can do. LM Catholic 27, Holton 14 Holton 54, River Valley 0 Kent City 30, Holton 0 Hesperia 54, Holton 6 M. Stanwood 49, Holton 14 Holton 14, White Cloud 12 Lakeview 48, Holton 26 Evart 40, Holton 6 North Muskegon 73, Holton 0 That was a 7-2 team, but injuries killed us, Nummerdor said about last year s squad. We need to stay away from injuries as much as possible. If we can get rid of distractions and focus on football, life will be good. Provided the Red Devils can avoid the injury bug, they will have plenty of experience on both sides of the ball. Holton will return seven starters on offense and eight on defense. The biggest (quite literally) edge Holton will get from its returning starters will be on the offensive line. The Red Devils return four experienced linemen, and three are pretty bulky - seniors Hunter Younts (6-3, 230), Dalton Giddings (6-4, 230), Travis Allison (6-1, 250) and Brett Ward (6-0, 170). We have the best O-line we have had since I have been here, Nummerdor said. We will only go as far as those guys take us. While the offensive line will be seasoned and stable, the Red Devils are making a major change under center. Taking the reins at quarterback will be senior Brent McLaughlin (6-2, 180). He was an All-Area selection last season as a wide receiver. In one notable game last fall he caught a whopping 14 passes for 261 yards. There are only 21 receivers in Michigan history with more yards in one game. His 14 catches were only four short of the state high school record. This year, he ll be throwing passes instead of catching them. Brent making the switch was a case of putting the ball in our best athlete s hands, Nummerdor said. He is a pure athlete and we want to give him more touches. At wide receiver he s great, and he was being recruited by colleges there, but for our team to be successful he knew he needed to make the change. Joining McLaughlin in the backfield will be returning starting running backs Mitchell Erickson and Tucker Zacharda, along with newcomers Aaron Herron and Zack Hogan. There may be no featured back, because all four are skilled and capable of getting the job done, according to the coach. We will have a run-first scheme, Nummerdor said. We have a handful of kids that are great ball carriers. It will be a run-by-committee type of year. The Red Devils will have a lot of experience on defense as well, with Younts, Giddings and Ward starting on the defensive line. Erickson, Zachara and Derek Pouch (6-1, 180) will return to starting roles at linebacker, and McLaughlin will join junior John Dominish (6-1, 140) as a returner in the secondary. Holton, like a lot of teams, will be playing a lot of guys on both sides of the ball. The idea is to keep the best athletes on the field, but it can also make injuries more likely and costly. Staying healthy will be our biggest challenge, said Nummerdor, who has 22 players out for varsity this season. As for season goals, Nummerdor is keeping it simple. We are looking to go 1-0 each week, he said. That is our only goal. We fully expect to be in the upper tier fighting for a league title. I think we have proven the last few years that we can no longer be used as a tune-up game. We are hungry this year. We shall see how much we can bite off. As far as pressure, there is none. This is year 2017 and this is a new team. We are not last year s team. Holton last qualified for the state playoffs in FR: Cade Birkett, Brent McLaughlin, Zach Hogan, Jeremy Blume. BR: Bretton Cooley, Dalton Giddings, Travis Allison, Hunter Younts, Mitchell Erickson. Photo/Leo Valdez RED DEVIL REPORT Head Coach: Jack Nummerdor Assistants: Mark Jalovec, Eric Carlson, Jeff Pawlowski, Mark English 2016 record: 2-7 Conference record: 1-4 Offensive returners: 7 Defensive returners: 8 Projected quarterback: Brent McLaughlin Coach quote: I think we have proven the last few years that we can no longer be used as a tune-up game. We are hungry this year, we shall see how much we can bite off. Jack Nummerdor Proud Supporters of the Red Devils late. Good luck to

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14 BIG REDS QB LA DARIUS JEFFERSON quarterbacks. By Steve Gunn MUSKEGON - Four of five years ago, Muskegon Coach Shane Fairfield had reason to believe that his team would have increible depth at the quarterback position, well into the future. Part of the reason was that La darius Jefferson was moving up through the Big Red system, and obviously had tremendous potential. But that idea was set aside at the beginning of the 2015 school year, when Jefferson suddenly announced he was moving to Columbia, Mississippi to live with his mother. Fairfield was obviously disappointed, because he knew Jefferson had the tools and mentality to be something special. But he also understood that family comes first, so he wished La darius the best. He was with us all the way through the dead period that summer (of 2015), then he went down to see his mother in Mississippi for a week, Fairfield said. Then he got down there, wanted to stay with his mom, and the coaches down there talked him into staying. I got the phone call in a hotel room when we were at veer camp that July. It hurt a little bit, after working with him all that time, but you can never argue when a kid wants to be with his mom. It was just one of those moments when we had to say, We love you, best of luck. Fairfield never expected to see Jefferson on a football field again, except maybe in highlight films. So he was surprised and The come back (to Muskegon) kid thrilled when the young quarterback returned to Muskegon High School after the first semester of his sophomore year, and became a Big Red again last season as a junior. Muskegon already had a star quarterback, senior Kalil Pimpleton, but there was plenty of room for Jefferson. The two quarterbacks worked well together and shared time on the field. Pimpleton started every game, but Jefferson started taking more snaps as the season progressed. That allowed Fairfield to frequently move Pimpleton to slot receiver, where he did a lot of damage with his speed, elusiveness and pass-catching abilities. Meanwhile, Jefferson was brilliant during his limited playing time. He threw for 957 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and ran for 929 yards and 19 scores. Those kind of stats would be great for any high school quarterback, and Jefferson wasn t even the starter. Pimpleton and Jefferson led the Big Reds to a 12-2 season, an O-K Black Conference champiionship, district and regional titles, and a berth in the Division 3 state championship game, where they lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds to Orchard Lake St. Mary s. This season Pimpleton is at Virginia Tech University on a football scholarship, and Jefferson will be the full-time starting quarterback. After watching what he could do in limited playing time, Muskegon fans are excited to see what he can accomplish as the full-time senior signal-caller. He s got a big arm and a big field presence, Fairfield said of the pound Jefferson. He steps up and stands tall in the pocket. He s able to step aside from pressure, and he loves to sling it around. He can run well, too. I thnk you will see more of that from him this season. He s a true quarterback. In all my years of coaching at Muskegon, I don t think I ve ever had a true quarterback. All the others have been great athletes that we turned into Everybody can see me play Jefferson s move down south really wasn t surprising, because Columbia, Mississippi was where he was born and spent the early years of his life. He came to Muskegon to live with his grandmother when he was in the seventh grade, but his hometown always remained close to his heart. As much as he enjoyed playing football in the Big Reds program through his freshman year, he was happy to go home and be with his mother and the old friends he had missed since his grade school days. I loved it down there, Jefferson said. I m really a country person at heart. I love going fishing, riding four-wheelers, all that kind of stuff. Jefferson played for the East Marion High School varsity football team in the fall of 2015, and nobody was surprised when he became the starting quarterback as a sophomore and was an instant star. He rolled up more than 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards passing that season, and it was obvious that his best was yet to come. But his high school team wasn t very good. East Marion finished with a 1-9 record that season. Jefferson had never been on a losing team in the Muskegon program, and the defeats were hard to take. But he said he grew from the experience, as an athlete and a person. That taught me how to lose, and to be able to take it on the chin and say, Hey, we have to bounce back next week, Jefferson said. I had never really experienced losing before, but it taught me how to take constructive criticism and keep getting better. While Jefferson endured the losing in Mississippi, he missed the coaching he received in Muskegon, and started wondering if his development would be better served with the Big Reds. I missed the coaching, and I missed the winning, too, Jefferson said. You ve got to have a good foundation to make yourself better and make those around you better. His mother, Lakethia Cowart, had the same idea, so by the time the holidays rolled around in 2015, he was headed back to Muskegon to live with his grandmother again. It was my idea at first, then my mom really pushed it, Jefferson said. She said I want you to get back up there. She said it would be the best thing for me as far as getting into college. I love her so much. She would do anything for me. A few weeks after he returned to Muskegon, Jefferson got some good news. His mother called and said she was also moving to Muskegon He s got a big arm and big field presence, Fairfield said of the 6-2, 225-pound Jefferson. He s a true quarterback. In all my years of coaching at Muskegon, I don t think I ve ever had a true quarterback. All the others have been great athletes that we turned into quarterbacks. so the family could be together. We wanted to be back together me, my grandmother and my mom, he said. Now we re reunited as a family and everybody can see me play on Friday nights. Now we have to finish Jefferson obviously played a different role when he returned to the Big Reds last season. Instead of being the star quarterback, he had to take a back seat to an established star. But he said his partnership with Pimpleton couldn t have worked out better. It didn t bother me, Jefferson said. Every time I stepped on the field with him I got better. I left before I got to know the offense, so when I came back I had to learn all the plays and the offense. He always sat me down and taught me all the plays. He s a good person. He always kept me positive. We never looked at it like a battle between us. It was just two great quarterbacks trying to win.

15 Fairfield said he would have loved to make Jefferson the starting quarterback last fall, so Pimpleton would have been free to use his skills elsewhere, but the Big Reds have a complicated offense, and Jefferson needed time to learn. Last year that s what he was lacking, Fairfield said about Jefferson. If he had been here the whole time he would have been the starter. As he started to pick everything up, he started to get more playing time and Kalil was more in the slot. They were pretty much 50/50 at quarterback after a while, and it was hard for people to defend us. It was pretty much whoever had the hot hand. The system worked great all season, and the Big Reds piled up the points. They outscored opponents in their nine-game regular season, and in their fivegame playoff run. Unfortunately for the Big Reds, the run ended with the loss to Orchard Lake St. Mary s in the state finals at Detroit s Ford Field. And it ended in particularly painful fashion for Muskegon. The Big Reds overcame a late two-point deficit and scored a touchdown with 1:55 left to take a lead. But St. Mary s stole the championship by completing a touchdown pass with four seconds remaining on the clock. There was a bunch of tears and pain, especially for the seniors, Jefferson said about the stunning loss. To make matters worse, it was the Big Reds fourth trip to the state finals in five years, and their fourth straight loss. Jefferson said as much as that fact hurts, it s serving as motivation as the new season approaches. It makes us hungrier than ever, he said. We have that score Orchard Lake St. Mary s posted in our locker room, and I make sure I tap it every day. We know what it takes to get there, but now we have to finish. We just have to take care of business, on and off the field, and do all the little things right. Jefferson said he s not worried about being the main man this year, and running the offense without Pimpleton around. I feel like God blessed me and put me on this stage for a reason, he said. When I was young, I used to get nervous, but now my biggest thing is, every day I step on the field I need to get better. Jefferson has already committed to study and play football next year at Central Florida University. A lot of colleges have expressed interest, including some bigger schools, but he said he chose Central Florida for academic reasons. The most important thing is that they have the program I want aerospace engineering, he said. I want to design planes. Jefferson has already demonstrated excellence in the classroom. Last year he carried a 3.7 grade point average in the first semester and a 3.8 in the second. Overall he has a 3.4 GPA. He admits he s not crazy about school, but pushes himself in the classroom as well as the football field because he s determined to succeed in life. If you want to get your family a better life, you do whatever you have to do, he said. I m not really a school person, but you have to put yourself in those situations. I feel like I have to do this to put my family in a better situation. Mario Flores NMLS # Commerce Centre Muskegon, MI Corp nmls #3035 nmlsconsumeraccess.org Greg Vargas NMLS #

16 16 MONA SHORES Sailors return a lot of talent, want to return to the playoffs By Dave Hart NORTON SHORES - Last season did not end the way the Mona Shores Sailors had hoped. After competing in the postseason for three consecutive years, including a trip to the state championship game at Ford Field in 2014, the Sailors fell just shy of qualifying for the playoffs. They won five games, one short of the required number for the playoffs. We obviously wanted to make the playoffs, but we were pretty Koziak young last season and we didn t play well enough to do so, said Mona Shores Coach Matt Koziak. They almost played well enough to make it. Two of their losses were by a combined nine points. The Sailors fell to powerful Zeeland West by four points early in the season, then were upset by conference rival Reeths- Puffer by five points. They finished the season strong, winning four of their last five games. And many players from that team are back including nine on defense and eight on offense who saw a lot of playing time. Mona Shores 35, W. Ottawa 12 Z. West 32, Mona Shores 28 Rockford 37, Mona Shores 23 R-Puffer 39, Mona Shores 34 Mona Shores 40, Jenison 10 Mona Shores 48, K. Hills 21 Mona Shores 65, GR Union 0 Muskegon 36, Mona Shores15 Mona Shores 41, Fruitport 14 Those guys enter 2017 with good experience and a chip on their shoulders. The good thing is we return a ton of kids who have that hunger to make the playoffs, Koziak said. The Sailors will have their work cut out for them this year. Besides playing in the tough O-K Black Conference against Muskegon and other strong teams, they will face a daunting non-league schedule. They will open the season at the Big House Russ Restaurant Henry st Go Sailors! Branden Twining #22 Wishing you and the Sailors a safe and successful season! Grandma and Grandpa Willer in Ann Arbor against Canton before meeting state powers Zeeland West and Rockford. But Koziak thinks his kids are up to the task. This is the team I want to play a grueling schedule with, the coach said. This team is like a product that I cannot wait to show off. The Sailors will be led at quarterback by senior Tristan Robbins (5-10, 173), who returns after starting all nine games last year. Robbins ended the season strong, with 15 touchdown passes and four interceptions. Early in the season he had four of each, so he improved dramatically as the year progressed. After his first four games he was really lights out, Koziak said about Robbins. He has gotten bigger, stronger and faster, and he is really blessed to be surrounded by some tremendous talent that will help him out. The Sailors will feature a two-back running game with senior D Anthony Davis (5-10, 174) returning along with junior Sincere Dent (5-11, 210). Davis will get most of the reps, and will also play slot receiver, while Dent is a big back who will get some of the muscle yards. As far as Mona Shores air attack, Koziak thinks he may have the best receiving duo he s ever had. Junior Damari Roberson (6-2, 190) already has many Division 1 college offers, and senior Keyshawn Summerville (6-0, 175) is a returning All-Conference player. Mona Shores will also return four out of five starting offensive linemen, as well as a fifth player who started three games last season. Seniors Keonte Watson (6-5, 266), who was All-Conference last season, and Dylan McRoberts (5-11, 198) will start on the left side of the line at tackle and guard. Senior center Chuckie Anthony (6-2, 292) returns as a three-year starter while junior Colt Stout (6-3, 252) rounds up the four returning linemen. On defense, the Sailors will be led by new coordinator David Check, who comes over from traditional power Grand Rapids West Catholic. Mona Shores will change its defensive scheme to a package, after playing a traditional 4-3 last year. Roberson, who was named an All-Conference defensive player last year, will return to play strong safety. Davis will play outside linebacker. Junior Jacob Wahlberg (6-4, 213) is expected to produce big results at middle linebacker. The defensive line will be led by Anthony, Stout and junior Josh Hill ( ), who were all key contributors last season. Anytime you have depth it breeds competition and ups everybody s game, Koziak said. We have other guys who can step up and makes plays when we re dealing with injuries. Austin Flowers, Chuckie Anthony, Dee Davis, Tristan Robbins. Photo/Jason Goorman SAILOR REPORT Coach: Matt Koziak Assistants: Aaron James, Chris Hilliker, David Check, Holsey James, Kyle Brott, John Slocum record: 5-4 Conference record: 4-2 Offensive returners: 8 Defensive returners: 9 Projected quarterback: Tristan Robbins Coach quote: I am excited to see all these returners and what they will do because they are bigger, stronger and faster than last year. I am excited to see that transition onto the football field. - Matt Koziak Proud Supporters of the Sailors 1086 Creston St area schools! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Those who stay will be champions. Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter Best of luck to the area s teams! late. Good luck to

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18 Creston St area schools! Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great MONTAGUE Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. Wildcats pushing ahead with plenty of talent, experience By Dave Tomczak Local Sports Journal MONTAGUE - The Montague football program has been on the upswing for the past two years. After struggling through a tough 2-7 season in 2014, the Wildcats bounced back with 10 wins in 2015, and then finished with a 7-2 regular season record last season. But there have also been some disappointments along the way. Last season the Wildcats lost a West Michigan Conference showdown game to Oakridge by three points, then were upset by an improved North Muskegon squad Collins On the road to start the Division 6 playoffs, Montague dropped a decision to host Kent City, putting a painful end to what was expected to be a long run through the postseason. It was pretty typical of the last five years, Wildcats coach Pat Collins said. We were winning a lot of games, but not the big games. We just didn t play well. No disrespect to Kent City, they were at home and are a good team, but our big games were tough on our young guys. Montague 51, Orchard View 15 Montague 35, Ravenna 7 Montague 53, Shelby 3 Montague 34, Mason CC 0 Montague 41, Whitehall 20 N Muskegon 14, Montague 6 Montague 61, Hart 0 Oakridge 31, Montague 28 Montague 75, Fremont 7 Kent City 20, Montague 19 But for Collins and his staff, there was a silver-lining. Those Wildcat teams these past few years were filled with young kids who saw plenty of playing time, and make up a large portion of this year s squad. This is the third year playing varsity for a lot of our guys, Collins said. It s an experienced team and unlike previous years, we re not going to have to shop at the JV level to find guys. Montague returns seven starters on each side of the ball, but will turn over the keys to its power-spread offense to a new quarterback. Junior Sebastian Archer, at 5-9 and 175 pounds, may have the looks and abilities of a tailback, but has proven himself at the QB position over the summer, according to Collins. He s a gamer and he s able to handle the position, the coach said. He saw some time as a sophomore (at QB) and he knows the offense. His skill set brings out some extra features to our offense, he s more of a dual threat. Montague s offense can use the run to set up the pass, or use the pass to set up the run. Whichever way the Wildcats decide to go, they are going to be physical. Luke Marsh (right tackle), Cole Eilers (right guard) and Sam Shugars (center) are all juniors, and all returning starters on the offensive line. They will pave the way for Archer and junior running back Bryce Stark. Stark, who started as a freshman and sophomore, rushed for over 1,000 yards last year and will be heavily relied on this season. He has all the tools to be the real deal, Collins said. He s very versatile, very physical, and a breakaway guy who can also be featured in the passing game. Kenyan Johnston, who led the Wildcats in receiving as a sophomore last year, also returns. The Wildcats have an opening for a new starter at tight end, and senior Joe Scott appears ready to fill the void. Scott (6-5, 230) will also anchor Montague s 3-3 defense at the end position, and will be joined by Marsh (6-4, 250) along the defensive line. We should have a very good defense, Collins said. The young guys with experience are finally juniors and seniors and our defense, which we restructured three years ago, is where it should be. We re very excited about it. Shugars and Nick Dylans will start at linebacker while Johnston returns in the defensive backfield. Filled with experienced starters on both sides of the ball, the Wildcats will try to make sure this season gets off to a good start. That would be helpful, because the last three weeks of the Wildcats schedule will be challenging. Starting October 6, the Wildcats will face Oakridge and Ravenna, two tradiionally strong confence foes, then will finish off the regular season with four-time defending state champion Muskegon Catholic Central. You play better teams to get ready for the playoffs, Collins said. That s why we scheduled Reed City to start the season and Catholic Central at the end of the season. For Collins, it s not all about the ups-anddowns of the season, but the experiences his players will take away when their careers end. For me, it s about the memories for the kids, he said. Why not play the big games and have fun? We re doing it for the experience and for games they can remember. FR: Jake Jancek, Sam Shugars, Joe Scott, Joe Rupert. Photo/ Jason Goorman WILDCAT REPORT Coach: Pat Collins Assistants: Brock Meyers, Jeff Stark, Denny Barnes, Dan French, Cody Kater, Brian Jaekel, Craig Smith, Randy Mickelson, Brad Francis, Joe Marsh 2016 record: 7-3 Conference record: 5-2 Offensive returners: 7 Defensive returners: 7 Projected quarterback: Sebastian Archer Coach quote: We have a team that has great potential, and all the parts to be a great team. But we have to play the game and not let the game play us. - Pat Collins Proud Supporters of the Wildcats late. Good luck to

19 By Nate Thompson MUSKEGON - Of all the analogies that Shane Fairfield could use to describe his Muskegon football team, he chose to compare it to an old-school Heinz ketchup bottle. You know it s going to be good when it starts, you re just not sure when it s going to come, Fairfield said with a laugh. I ve told the kids this, you look at us on paper, we have a chance to be better than last season. We have just as much (talent) back as last season, if not more. These kids definitely have a swag about them. They carry themselves with confidence. We re Fairfield going to run some teams. But my worry is, if we get into a dog fight, how are we going to handle those tense moments? In Fairfield s eyes, this fall is definitely a reload instead of a rebuild. Last year the Big Reds were great as usual, advancing all the way to the Division 3 state championship game, where they were stunned by Orchard Lake St. Mary s, 29-28, when the Eaglets completed the game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds. It was Muskegon s fourth trip to the state finals in the past five years, and their fourth loss. But the Big Reds are far from giving up on their ultimate goal. It s something you cannot not talk about, Fairfield said of last season s painful ending. But we ve been (to the state finals) four out of the past five years, so for a lot of these kids, that s all they know. They understand that it s the expectation around here. Like a year ago, the Big Reds have a handful of high-level college prospects leading MUSKEGON Big Reds won t be derailed by state final disappointments Muskegon 51, AA Pioneer 14 Lincolnshire 38, Muskegon 35 Muskegon 63, Fruitport 7 Muskegon 49, Byron Center 14 Muskegon 66, Reeths-Puffer 0 Muskegon 69, GRUnion 0 Muskegon 49, Kenowa Hills 7 Muskegon 36, Mona Shores 15 Muskegon 63, Jenison 17 Muskegon 63, FH Northern 14 Muskegon 28, East GR 10 Muskegon 62, Byron Center 7 Muskegon 19, Edwardsburg 8 OLSM 29, Muskegon 28 Avdek Landscaping Service Landscaping and irrigation contractors Susie Merritt - Realtor, Core Realty Partners. Once a Big Red, always a Big Red! the charge, starting with a pair of bookend offensive tackles in senior Antwan (AJ) Reed, who committed to Penn State in April. The 6-foot-4, 323-pounder is joined by junior Anthony Bradford (6-5, 320), who has received recruiting interest from several major Division 1 programs across the country. Anthony is a powerful kid, with strong hands, who started 14 games for us as a sophomore, Fairfield said. He s a run blocker first, while AJ is really good in pass protection. Muskegon s mammoth offensive line also returns junior guard Marquis Cooper (6-3, 285), while Fairfield expects DeAndre Mills- Ellis to step in at center and junior Daquarius Johnson to be a favorite at left guard. The group should provide ample protection for senior quarterback La darius Jefferson (6-2, 230), who has committed to the University of Central Florida. Last season Jefferson split time with starting QB Kalil Pimpleton, but Pimpleton has moved on to Virginia Tech and Jefferson will lead, Jefferson can be deadly for opponents through the air and on the ground. He threw for 957 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and ran for 929 yards and 19 scores. In my seven, now eight years (as head coach) he s the first pure quarterback we ve had, Fairfield said. We ve always put the best athlete out there before, but La darius has shown he s a complete QB. He steps up and stands tall in the pocket, he s able to step aside from pressure and he s got a big arm. He loves to sling it around. In the other offensive skill positions, the Big Reds return senior slot receivers CJ Jefferson and Davion McCall. Fairfield said both will excel in jet sweeps or in the passing game. At running back, senior Lonnie Clark received a fair share of carries last year as a reserve, and will get starting reps this fall. At receiver, Fairfield has a trio of players who will contribute - seniors Demetrius Harris, Willie (Bo) Shanks and Marvin Harwell. On defense, there are plenty of holes to fill, with the Big Reds returning just four starters: speed rusher Paul Riley, tackle Eli Jackson, linebacker Al vonta Wallace and Shanks at cornerback. For the newcomers on defense, Fairfield said it s just a matter of some inexperienced but talented players getting their feet wet. Fairfield said senior linebacker Deandre Evans is just as strong as departed senior Andrew Ward, who is now at Nebraska, and just needs to gain experience. Lonnie Clark will play their Warrior position as a linebacker/safety hybrid, senior Taylor Smith will be a boundary linebacker, while junior Makil Melton will also contend for a starting spot. On the defensive line, Fairfield likes the athleticism of junior Nathan Malone and 6-4, 220-pound sophomore Billie Roberts at ends. Proud Supporters of the Big Reds 1086 Creston St Area schools! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! 19 BR: Marvin Harwell, La darius Jefferson, Paul Riley, AJ Reed, Eli Jackson, Willie Shanks, Demetrius Harris. FR: Cameron White, Lonnie Clark, CJ Jefferson, Taylor Smith, Davion McCall. Photo/Jason Goorman BIG RED REPORT Coach: Shane Fairfield Assistants: Brent White, Justin Ego, Montrell Dockery, Brooke Bartholomew, Tracy Lewis, Tony Terrell, Matt Bolles, Shawn Cook, Don Poole, Ted Bartholomew, Carlton Johnson, Luke Mastee Last season s record: 12-2 Conference record: 6-0, O-K Black champions Offensive returners: 6 Defensive returners: 4 Projected quarterback: La darius Jefferson. Coach quote: I ve told the kids this, you look at us on paper, we have a chance to be better than last year. We have just as much back as last season, if not more. These kids definitely have a swag about them. - Shane Fairfield Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

20 20 DJ s Pub & Grill Henry St Go Crusaders! Kameron Willer - Wishing you and the Crusaders a safe and successful season! Grandma and Grandpa Willer and Grandma Bates. Have a successful season, Kam Willer #75 and the Crusaders - Nick Willer Muskegon Catholic New faces will help MCC push for fifth straight state title By Tom Kendra MUSKEGON - Starting his fifth year as the head football coach at Muskegon Catholic Central, Steve Czerwon still has no idea what it feels like to lose the final game of the season. It s never happened. Those wondering whether the post-mike Holmes era would be a period of instability for MCC football have instead witnessed a period of consistent success unmatched in MCC s storied football history and among the best stretches in the history of Michigan high school football. The Crusaders are 51-4 with four consecutive Czerwon state championships under Czerwon. The tradition is in place here and that s a great thing to have, said Czerwon. But we re always trying to get better. Numbers are a challenge, so we ve really focused more on player development and we re seeing results. MCC begins its quest for a fifth consecutive state championship this fall with something it has never had - a legitimate, power-5, Division I quarterback prospect in Cameron Martinez, who is only a sophomore. MCC 30, Oakridge 6 MCC 21, Saint Ignace 6 MCC 42, Orchard View 0 MCC 42, Ludington 12 MCC 63, Baldwin 14 MCC 55, Muskegon Heights 6 MCC 48, Manistee 0 MCC 48, Hesperia 7 MCC 48, Redford Union 13 MCC 68, Sacred Heart 7 MCC 42, Beal City 0 MCC 35, Frankfort 0 MCC 35, Saint Ignace 0 MCC 35, OL Whiteford 6 Martinez, 5-11 and 180 pounds, received his first Division I scholarship offer from Central Michigan University as an eighth-grader, and spent much of this summer traveling the Midwest to one-day college football camps. Cameron can run the ball and throw the ball well, plus he makes good decisions, Czerwon said. There s no question he is the focal point of our offense. Martinez split time at quarterback last fall with senior Trenton Bordeux, but still completed 28 of 36 passes (78 percent) for 601 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. He was also the team s top rusher with 73 carries for 768 yards (10.5 per carry) and 13 touchdowns. The talented young QB gave everyone a glimpse of his potential in last year s Division 8 state championship game, when he ran for 154 yards and a touchdown, and threw for another 61 yards and a touchdown. The biggest challenge for the Crusaders will be replacing three outstanding running backs. Gone are LaTommy Scott (Northwood), Logan Helton (Ave Maria, Florida) and Walker Christoffersen (Saginaw Valley). The projected starting running backs this fall are juniors Riley St. Amour and Avery Davis and sophomore Tommy Watts. We will see who emerges out of that group, said Czerwon, who noted that Catholic once again has no freshman or junior varsity team, and all 31 high school payers on are the varsity roster. Those three, last year could do so many things and, between the three of them, only lost two fumbles all season (with more than 350 touches). Senior Ryder Smith (16 catches for 320 yards and 4 TDs) is the top returning receiver and will play in the slot, along with sophomore Dawson Steigman. The top wideout looks to be senior Caleb Muskovin, who is also one of the area s top returning kickers, after making 73 of 75 extrapoint attempts last fall. Two starters return on the offensive line - senior guard Peter Bartolameolli and senior tackle Jared Bengston. Senior James Jordan is the projected starter at the other guard, junior Owen Linstrom will start at center and sophomore Jordan Porter at the other tackle. On defense, MCC will once again be led by veteran coordinator Mike Ribecky, who has 344 wins as a Crusader assistant coach and has been on the sidelines for all 15 of the school s state championship games. Ribecky s first-string defense surrendered just 25 points in 14 games last season. The three returning starters this fall are junior nose guard Jacob Martinez, senior cornerback Jackson Riegler and Cameron Martinez at free safety. All five of the linebackers in MCC s defensive look will be new starters. The projected starters are Davis, Nolan Convertini and Isaiah Reyes on the interior and Christian Gordon and Smith on the outside. Bartolameolli and Linstrom are pegged as starters up front, with Steigman filling the other cornerback spot. One thing Czerwon has learned after four years of unparalleled success is that not many teams are lining up to play the Crusaders. This year they haven t been unable to find an opponent for Week 1. While they have talked to a few schoos and haven t stopped looking for an opponent, the Crusaders entered camp with an eight-game schedule, meaning five wins would be required to make the playoffs, instead of the usual six. Proud Supporters of the Crusaders 1086 Creston St area schools! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch Pic and Pac on Henry St. & Porter 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon - Best of luck to all the area teams! Best wishes to all Freedom Chevrolet our great Muskegon area schools Fremont this fall! - Charlie Link FR: Caleb Muskovin, Jacob Martinez, Jackson Riegler, Ryder Smith, Riley St. Amour, Peter Bartolameolli. BR: Zachary Fooks, Justin Daugherty, Isaias Reyes, James Jordan III, Jared Bengston. Photo/Jason Goorman CRUSADER REPORT Coach: Steve Czerwon Assistants: Mike Ribecky, Kolin Convertini, Frank Lewandoski, Nate Smith, Mike Hornak 2016 record: 14-0, Division 8 state champs Conference record: 4-0, Lakes 8 champs Projected quarterback: Cameron Martinez Offensive returners: 4 Defensive returners: 3 Coach quote: We have a dual-threat quarterback who can put a lot of pressure on the defense. Our challenge is that our other skill kids haven t touched the ball in key situations. - Steve Czerwon Showing our support for all teams!! 953 Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

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22 22 By Jason Goorman MUSKEGON HEIGHTS - Sometimes losing can become an unfortunate tradition for football teams. The frustration boils over from one season to another, and a losing mentality sets in. The Muskegon Heights Tigers have experienced more than their share of losses in recent seasons. They have posted a sub-.500 record every season since 2011, and are 9-33 since then. But new head coach Corey Chandler is determined to keep that trend from becoming a tradition. He coached Muskegon Heights Tigers have a new coach and a fresh approach for 2017 Chandler at the middle school level in and knows the players have the athleticism to turn things around. And he plans to start turning things around immediately, following last season s 2-7 finish. I want to win now, Chandler said. Make no mistake about it. Success will breed more success. But we have to do first things first. We have to make sure to take the proper steps. Heights 52, Baldwin 12 W. Catholic 48, Heights 20 Benton Harbor 47, Heights 6 Manistee 14, Heights 12 Ludington 55, Heights 20 M. Catholic 55, Heights 6 Orchard Vies 22, Heights 14 Heights 40, Colon 22 B.Harbor 54, Heights 6 The Tigers have 24 players out for varsity this season, and will build around a nucleus of 13 seniors. Eight of those seniors are returners while five are first-time players. The team will be strong at the skill positions, but will battle inexperience along the lines, according to Chandler. Chandler believes inexperience can be overcome with athleticism, enthusiasm and dedication, and thinks the Tigers may be able to increase their win total this year. I witnessed a turnaround when Willie Snead was coaching here, he said. That team 1086 Creston St area schools! looked like a total program in one year and that s a credit to Muskegon Heights. We ve always been able to restock the cupboard. Chandler saw signs of dedication from the players in the offseason. We did six straight weeks of weight room training, he said. They get a commitment T-shirt if they make it to all six weeks, and 80 percent of the team got a t-shirt. When you get a commitment, you can start building on that commitment. The Tigers will build around several key experienced players this season. The favorite to start at quarterback is junior Lamonta Townsend (6-3,155), who was called up from junior varsity last season and played several games for the Tigers. Junior Romeo Blackshire, a speedster with a lot of potential, is also in the mix at the quarterback position. He s real slim, Chandler said about Townsend. We call him Bones, but he can see over the line real well. He has a rocket of an arm. He can really throw the ball and he s very accurate. Senior slot receiver Anthony Glover will give Muskegon Heights a dangerous target in the passing game, while also playing free safety on defense. He has blazing speed, Chandler said. He also has tremendously good hands. Sometimes I have to get on him about trying to pull the ball down with one hand. He has very soft hands. He can catch in traffic and get to deep balls with ease. He s also a great route runner. The quarterback will also be able to look for junior wideout AJ Sims, who has good height (6-2) and leaping ability. He can catch the ball in traffic because he is such a big target, Chandler said. He can dunk a basketball, so he can go up for a football, no problem. The Tigers will also count heavily on senior running back/linebacker Jerry Anderson, who benches 250 and runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. The line will be inexperienced on both sides of the ball, but will have two solid anchors in seniors Ahmad Briggs (6-1, 265) and Jaylyn Lay (6-0, 250). Team speed with be a plus for the Tigers, and Chandler plans to employ it right away with a wide open offensive attack. I have five kids that are running a 4.5 or better, Chandler said. It s going to be my job to get these guys to ball in open space and create on the perimeter to make plays. Running the spread is going to help a lot. Getting them the ball quick is going to be key. Occasionally we ll run power football. We will be a multidimensional team. Muskegon Heights will again have a challenging schedule, starting with Lakes 8 Conference rival Muskegon Catholic, which has won four straight Division 8 state championships. FR: Romeo Blackshire, Vershon Fetcher, Jerry Anderson. BR: Ahmad Briggs, Arlester Sims, Lamonta Townsend, Jaylyn Lay. Photo/Jason Goorman TIGER REPORT Coach: Corey Chandler Assistants: James Purnell, Varcy Hodges, Robert Brown, Elan Banks record: 2-7 Conference record: 0-4 Offensive returners: 4 Defensive returners: 7 Projected quarterbacks: Lamonta Townsend, Romeo Blackshire Coach quote: The teams we played last year, if they think they are going to see the same team they saw last year, they are mistaken. We have done a total makeover. - Corey Chandler Proud Supporters of the Tigers Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

23 North Muskegon 23 After finishing strong, Norse plan to maintain momentum By Andrew Johnson NORTH MUSKEGON - The North Muskegon Norsemen are hoping to begin the 2017 season as strong as they finished 2016, when they won their last five games after starting the year 0-4. North Muskegon outscored its final five opponents and salvaged a fourth-place finish in the always tough West Michigan Conference. The winning streak came on the heels of seasonopening losses to Reed City, Whitehall, Oakridge and Ravenna, four very good teams. Witham The highlight of the season for the Norse was a stunning 14-6 upset of powerful conference foe Montague in late September. Two guys that could help carry over the momentum are junior quarterbacks Jesse Cooke (6-6, 200) and Mack Young (6-0, 175). Cooke finished 2016 with 429 passing yards and seven touchdowns while Young had 292 yards on 25-of-45 passing. Also returning for the Norse is running back Chandler Edwards (5-10, 170), who rushed for 451 yards and five touchdowns on 47 carries for a 9.6 yard per carry average. Reed City 32, N. Muskegon 9 Reed City 32, N. Muskegon 9 Whitehall 35, N. Muskegon 14 Oakridge 29, N. Muskegon 14 Ravenna 28, N. Muskegon 20 N. Muskegon 28, Mason CC 6 N. Muskegon 14, Montague 6 N. Muskegon 49, Shelby 7 N. Muskegon 49, Hart 0 N. Muskegon 73, Holton 0 Also returning to the backfield is senior Brett Huff (6-0, 185) who averaged 4.7 yards per carry last season. Edwards and Huff will have the benefit of running behind an experienced offensive line with the return of seniors Jake Achterhoff (6-5, 300), Justin Edwards (6-3, 280) and Andrew Butzow (6-0, 205). While North Muskegon s running game should be solid, the team won t stay on the ground. The Norse return junior receivers TJ McKenzie (6-3, 210) and Brady Lindell (5-11, 17), which should help produce a balanced 1086 Creston St area schools! attack. McKenzie averaged 18 yards per catch in 2016 with one touchdown. I think that we re going to be very balanced, said second-year North Muskegon Coach Larry Witham. Our strength will be our skilled kids and having one of the largest lines at North Muskegon in years. We ve got some really good and deep skill kids who can hurt you when they touch the football. I want to say we d dominate by running, but I think we ll be really balanced. Defensively, the Norse will return seven players who will try to repeat the kind of dominance that the unit showed at the end of last season. Returning starters on the defensive line are Achterhoff, Butzow, Justin Edwards and Matt Kizon (6-3, 300). Huff, Chandler Edwards and Brenden Moat (6-2, 170) will return at the linebacker position. Chandler Edwards led the team last season with 62.5 tackles, including seven for losses, while Butzow had 26.5 tackles. I think our linebacker crew will be tough, Witham said. I think those guys will be really solid, and are back end is pretty tough too. We might be able to do some damage if we put a little pressure on the quarterback. The Norse should benefit from having an unusually large roster this year. There will be 28 to 30 players on the team, which means not many guys will have to play on both sides of the ball. That also means more players will be able to get crucial rest in the heat of battle. It s really nice to have depth and kids who can play a lot of football, Witham said. We should be able to keep legs fresh and not have as many kids play both ways. While the group is big, Witham is also impressed with his team s overall speed and ability to attack using football smarts. I think all of our kids run, the coach said. From up front with the big kids to the 150-pound kids. They can run and they re very athletic. The football IQ is also much better now than what it s been. They really understand how to attack and how they ll be attacked. The combination of speed and athletic intelligence should put us in really good shape, because those are really big aspects every Friday night. While things are looking up for the Norse, their challenge, as always, will be to compete every week in the very competitive West Michigan Conference. We want to go out and compete every night, Witham said. We don t want to take anyone lightly, and we respect them all. We re doing our best to do what we do best. We hope we re in the mix. But we re fighting an uphill battle with Whitehall, Oakridge, Montague and Ravenna, who will all be really good. You have to prepare against a very good opponent each week. Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! FR: Andrew Butzow, Harry Mierz, Anthony Oviedo, LeQuan Hopper, Brett Huff, Jesse Ware, Tylor Ramsey. BR: Mitchel Wolters, Jimmy Cobb, Jake Achterhoff, Christian Brooks, Justin Edwards. Photo/Leo Valdez NORSE REPORT Coach: Larry Witham Assistants: Jamie Woodruff, Dave Nelson, Tim DeJonge 2016 record: 5-4 Conference record: 4-3, fourth in West Michigan Conference Offensive returners: 7 Defensive returners: 7 Projected quarterbacks: Jesse Cooke, Mack Young Coach quote: We have some holes to fill, but we re really happy with where we re at. We kind of filled our roster nicely and hopefully we ll reload instead of rebuild. - Larry Witham Proud Supporters of the norsemen Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

24 Those familiar voices of fall By Steve Gunn MUSKEGON - Obviously the best way to experience the grandeur of high school football is to go to a game. Sometimes that s not possible for fans, for lots of reasons. But many still want to experience Friday night fun, so they tune in a game on the radio. How enjoyable is that experience? That depends on the game announcers. If listeners are lucky, they will hear announcers who are passionate about prep football, explain the action in terms they can grasp, and let the emotion of the event come through in their voices. The veteran football crew at WLCS-FM 98.3 is like that. Jon Russell, Cal VanSingel and Rick Hickman manage to capture the spirit of high school football with their simple, folksy and fun approach to their work. Part of the reason is their love for high school sports. Russell, VanSingel and Hickman all played themselves, way back in the day, and their enthusiasm has never waned. Part of it is their familiarity and fondness for each other. Russell and VanSingel have been calling games together for 21 years, and Hickman has been their engineer for 18 years. Perhaps their biggest asset is that they don t take themselves too seriously. They realize it s all about the kids and the games, and not about them. That makes a world of difference. They don t show up to a game thinking that it s a big game because they are there, Hickman said about Russell and VanSingel. They ve always treated the game as the important thing. And they realize our audience is not a bunch of pros. They don t talk about a team running the red blitz 17 formation, because nobody knows what that is, anyway. From Fremont to Muskegon The WLCS football crew traces its roots back to 1986, way before the radio station existed. Russell was a young radio guy working at WSHN in Fremont. It was the summer of 86, and the station had just obtained the rights to broadcast games from the Notre Dame college football network. One day the owner of the station said, We re going to broadcast Notre Dame games, so we should do high school sports, Russell said. Back then we were just kids in the radio business, and we all imagined ourselves as the next Ernie Harwell, so when they asked me if I had ever done high school sports before, I said yeah, just because I didn t want to say no. Back then we only did Newaygo County games, for schools like Fremont, Grant and Newaygo. Russell had two different partners in his first few years of broadcasting high school football. The first drifted away to other things, and the second passed away, so he turned to his old friend VanSingel. VanSingel was never a radio guy by trade. He s a co-owner of VanSingel Farms, a huge agricultural operation in Grant. He had been the PA announcer at Grant High School games for several years, but was more than happy to move to radio when Russell contacted him. One day I was meeting Jon for lunch, and on a whim I said, If you ever have an opening, let me know, Van Singel said. Then 21 years ago, at this time of year, he called me and said he had bad news and good news. The bad news was that (the previous broadcast partner) had died, and the good news was that I was in. Two years later Hickman came to work at WSHN, and a year after that joined the Friday night crew as the studio engineer. Sometime around the turn of the century the owner of WSHN purchased the 98.3 FM radio station in Muskegon, changed the call letters to WLCS, and moved Russell and Hickman to the new station. Suddenly their Friday night broadcasts were not limited to Newaygo County. The crew found itself covering games throughout the greater Muskegon area, where there s always a bunch of great teams and a huge fan base. WLCS is beginning its 13th season of high school football coverage. When we made the transition I fell in love with Muskegon-area football, Van Singel said. I ve been telling a couple of my buddies back in Grant for years, you have to go to a game at Hackley Stadium. Until you ve been there you don t understand. You have to get there early, watch the marching band and everything else going on, and you realize this is the real deal. Last fall they finally came to a game at Hackley, and they came up to the press box at halftime or the end of the game and said, We re believers now. Russell and Van Singel have developed a strong on-air chemistry over the years, and their comfort with each other is obvious to listeners The worst thing is when announcers talk at the same time, Russell said. There is nothing worse. With Cal and I it s a coordinated effort. Our rule of thumb is that I will call the play until there s a stop, I shut up and he talks, then he shuts up and I talk. That s not by accident. Russell does the play-by-play and VanSingel does the color commentary. Former Shelby varsity football coach Mike Taylor has been a longtime substitute for VanSingel and brings knowledge and a unique sense of humor to the broadcasts. My main thing is to follow the ball and the offense, and Cal follows the defense, and notices a lot of things that I don t, Russell said. A guy will break off a big run for a touchdown, and I will announce that, then Cal will come in and mention the linemen who made the block that allowed the touchdown to happen. There are usually half a dozen players who get mentioned in a game, but Cal will mention the kids who never get mentioned. Hickman s contributions have turned the station s Friday night game coverage into complete regional coverage. Over the years the station has added a pregame, halftime and postgame show, all hosted by Hickman back in the studio. Hickman has also developed football contacts at schools throughout the region and state, and has a constant stream of scores coming in from other games. He cuts into the broadcasts to give updated scores - but not always at opportune moments, according to Russell. You can be right in the middle of someone scoring, and suddenly here s Rick Hickman, he said with a chuckle. Happy memories VanSingel has kept a pretty close count of all the high school football games he and his partners have covered over the years. I m at around 1,150 games, Jon has about 500 more than me, and Rick has about 900, he said. After broadcasting so many gridiron battles over the years, they each have a lot of memories. I remember one game back in 2005, I call it the DJ Ritz game, Russell said, referring to Ritz, the former Oakridge quarterback, playing against Jackson Lumen Christi in the state finals. He scored

25 five touchdowns in that game. I remember thinking, years down the road at a high school reunion, when other people are telling tall tales about their school exploits, this kid is not going to have to lie. Russell also recalls the thrill of broadcasting the state finals in 2008, when Muskegon, Muskegon Catholic, Oakridge and Montague all made it to Ford Field. ON THE AIR Lakeshore Football Game of the Week WMUS FM Muskegon Big Reds WMMT FM Muskegon Catholic WMPA 93.1-FM Grand Haven Bucs WGHN 92.1-FM WAWL FM Spring Lake Lakers WGHN 94.9FM It happened over two days, and they were all back-to-back games, Russell said. Everybody won. It was amazing. There really is a sense of pride when our teams make a great run or win the state championship. One of the best compliments we have gotten over the years is that each of our teams feels like we are in their corner, which is true. Russell and VanSingel have never been shy about going on long road trips to cover big games. Of course the state finals at Ford Field are always automatic, and they ve been to the Superior Dome in the Upper Peninsula for playoff games many times. Last year they broadcast their first game from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, where Muskegon opened the season against Ann Arbor Pioneer. I found out how many steps it takes to get from the bottom of the Big House to the top that s a lot of steps, Russell said. Russell may remember huffing and puffing up the stairs at U-M, but he rarely remembers much about the long drives to and from distant games. I m the designated driver, Van Singel said. Five minutes into every drive Jon is asleep. We were in Gaylord one time, the weather was terrible and 75 was a sheet of ice. He fell asleep two minutes after we took off, and I drove the rest of the way in a blizzard, basically by myself. The crew also has a lot of stories about the difficulties of covering high school football. Russell recalls one game when the crew was forced to sit in the portion of the press box where coaches were working and getting pretty loud, as they sometimes tend to do. You always have to remember that grandparents are listening, he said. I remember one coach was yelling into his headset, We ve got to get Smith out of there, he s killing us, and I know it was going out over our mics. I remember thinking, poor Granny Smith, she has to hear that. Russell recalls a game when he and a former partner couldn t get into a press box at Saginaw Nouvel High School, and had to broadcast a playoff game from the bleachers with a bunch of excited Hesperia fans. It was phenomenal, Russell said. We were getting great crowd noise. Of course the people realized we were on live radio, and they were yelling things like Hey Millie, put on the cakes, we ll be home in three hours. Then there s the challenge of spotting and determining who did what on the field. That can be a real challenge from the press Above, Jon Russell (center) and Cal VanSingel (right) interview former Muskegon Heights Coach Tommie Elliott at the 2015 LSJ football party. At right: Rick Hickman in his familiar perch back at the station. box. That s particularly true when they cover teams that run the Wing-T deception offense, and expertly hide the ball from defenders and everyone else watching. Orchard View ran that offense back when legendary coach John Shillito led the program. Russell remembers covering one of those games, and inviting his brother to join him in the press box and play the role of spotter. I remember the first play of the game, and I turned to my brother and asked him who had the ball, and he said he had no idea, Russell said. Later on there was a play, and I called it a tackle at the line of scrimmage, then I heard a big roar from the crowd as a player ran down the sideline and scored. You feel so foolish. The WLCS broadcasters have a pet peeve they share with everyone else in sports media - when visiting teams occasionally wear white numbers on white jerseys, making players all but impossible to identify. I actually sent a letter to the Michigan High School Athletic Association once, asking why that was allowed, Hickman said. Why take away fan enjoyment, and take away from the media s ability to identify players? I never did get an answer.

26 26 Oakridge Eagles will try to keep playoff streak alive with a new QB By Andrew Johnson EGELSTON TOWNSHIP While injuries may have negatively impacted the 2016 Oakridge football season, which ended with a 47-6 second-round playoff loss to Ithaca, they may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the 2017 team. By the time the final horn blew in that Ithaca loss, there were a lot of young players on the field gaining valuable experience. That may help the Eagles in their quest to repeat as champions of the ultra-competitive West Michigan Conference and make Harger another playoff run this season. Oaridge has qualified for the state playoffs for 12 straight seasons, and the Eagles are counting on keeping that impressive streak alive. Some teams will write us off for not having senior depth, said Oakridge head coach Cary Harger, who will only have six or seven seniors. But looking at our defense in the loss to Ithaca, it was basically our junior varsity team, with all the youth on the field. MCC 30, Oakridge 6 Oakridge 56, Hart 13 Oakridge 29, N. Muskegon 14 Oakridge 2, Shelby 0 (forfeit) Oakridge 38, Ravenna 7 Oakridge 27, Whitehall 26 Oakridge 42, Mason CC 7 Oakridge 31, Montague 28 Oakridge 47, Orchard View 0 Oakridge 41, Grant 7 Ithaca 47, Oakridge 6 At the same time, the group that will be stepping in this year got playing time through the regular season and playoffs, so they ve got a lot of game experience. It will come down to some of their decision-making. While the young players may be unusually seasoned, they are still young, and will have to mature quickly to be ready for the Eagles tough schedule. I think youth will be a little bit of a weakness, Harger said. We ll have to hit the ground running with our schedule. Whatever inexperience we have will have to go away quick. We ll have to make sure we re set for game time. Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Go Oakridge! Pride and Tradition! THE SCHUGARS FAMILY The Luttrull family and Threadlines wish Oakridge the best this football season Eagles this year will be replacing standout quarterback Brady Luttrull, who started for three years and humbled many opposing teams on the ground and through the air. It s obviously going to be a challenge replacing a three-year starter at quarterback, Harger said. Brady was a great athlete for us. Harger has selected junior Koleman Wall to be the starting QB, and he s excited to see what he will bring to the position at the varsity level. He s a very good athlete, said Harger. He s taller than Brady and we re confident in his abilities. It ll be a matter of getting him comfortable in that position at the varsity level. He played quarterback at the junior varsity level and did a little throwing, but was a bigger threat as a running quarterback. One of the key seniors on the roster will be wide receiver Alex Shoop (6-1, 175), who caught 21 passes for 398 yards and two touchdowns in Shoop was first-team All- Conference as a wide receiver and honorable mention as a return specialist. He also finished second team All-Area at wide receiver and defensive back. The running game will be a definite strength for Oakridge, with two young but talented ball-carriers: junior Blake Masterman (5-9, 161) and sophomore Leroy Quinn (6-0, 220). Quinn was named honorable mention All-Area as a punter last season. Masterman and Quinn will run behind returning junior linemen Peyton Young (6-5, 309) and Cole Harger (6-2, 211). Senior lineman Hunter White (6-2, 216) is returning from an early-season injury last year and will also play a key role. We re going to have a good mix of everything, Harger said. We have two very young running backs who played last year. They got good experience and we have a new offensive line with some kids who ve had experience. Juniors who are new to the varsity level and will play important roles are wide receiver Jaxon Fri (6-1, 160), wide receiver Jalen Hughes (6-0, 156), wide receiver Adam Meyers (6-1, 169) and tight end Logan Bunker (6-1, 187). Defensively Oakridge will have the following players returning: Masterman and Quinn as linebackers; White, Harger and junior Brandon Wilde (5-9, 186) on the line; and Shoop, Hughes, Wall and Austin Smith (6-1, 147) at defensive back. The Eagles will need to grow up fast if they are to compete in the West Michigan Conference, which Harger expects to be loaded again. I think as usual Montague will be tough - they also have some young talent they re grooming from last year. Whitehall plays real tough and their kids are buying into the work ethic and program. FR: Alex Shoop, Hunter White, Austin Smith. BR: Carson Evans, Spencer Spears, Mikael Wheeler. Photo/Jason Goorman Coach: Cary Harger EAGLE REPORT Assistants: Tim Parker, Nate Danicek, Dave Randall, Jake Huck, Tom VanHeest 2016 record: 9-2 Conference record: 7-0, first place in West Michigan Conference. Offensive returners: 5 Defensive returners: 7 Projected quarterback: Koleman Wall Coach quote: We have a very close and competitive group. They compete in everything, including checkers, which will carry over to the field. - Cary Harger Proud Supporters of the Eagles 1086 Creston St area schools! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! supports all local footballteams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. - Good Luck to all our area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

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28 28 orchard View Cards will be inexperienced, but determined to improve By Mitchell Boatman MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - In high school football, the outcome can be a simple matter of experience. Teams with seasoned players often have a leg up on the competition. From that point of view, the Orchard View Cardinals may have a big challenge on their hands this fall. The Cardinals return just two starters on offense and four on defense from a 2016 squad that finished 2-7 (1-3 in the Lakes 8 Conference). Add the fact that the defensive returners will be Tanis switching positions, and head coach Joe Tanis can see a real challenge for his young team. We will most likely start up to six freshmen and sophomores, and the speed in which they adjust to the varsity level will play a factor, Tanis said. That will make it a premium to get them ready to go by Week 1. Despite having few players with starting experience, the Cardinals should have strong leadership from their small group of seniors. Montague 35, Orchard View 13 Montague 51, Orchard View 14 R-Puffer 22, Orchard View 19 MCC 42, Orchard View 0 B. Harbor 64, Orchard View 0 Manistee 23, Orchard View 20 Ludington 56, Orchard View 31 Orchard View 22, M Heights 14 Orchard View 43, Manton 24 Oakridge 47, Orchard View 0 We have a smaller senior class than the last two years, but very strong leadership and maturity among this group, Tanis said. One of those seniors is returning two-way starter Jayden Day (5-9, 185), who saw first team reps at running back on offense and linebacker and in the secondary on defense last season. Day has been All-Conference of some kind for the last three years, Tanis said. He will take on a much larger role on defense this fall. Joining Day on defense will be secondteam All-Conference selection Macario Moreno (5-10, 200). Moreno led the Cardinals in tackles a year ago, including 22.5 stops for losses, while playing linebacker. He has bulked up for his senior year, adding 30 pounds to throw at opposing ball carriers Creston St area schools! Senior Andrew Puckett (6-1, 240) will look to build on a strong junior season, when he played linebacker, by stuffing opponents as a lineman. Senior Dakota Sibley (5-10, 175) will also move closer to the ball, transitioning to linebacker after a solid season at safety last fall. Offensively, the Cardinals will be handing quarterback responsibilities to sophomore Edmari Mitchell (6-2, 205), who will be a challenge for any defender to tackle. Mitchell is a big, three-sport athlete and he will make it very difficult for people to bring him down, being the biggest guy in our backfield as a sophomore, Tanis said. Despite planning on a run-heavy offensive attack, Tanis sees Mitchell bringing other skills to the offense. In short, Mitchell can pass, and the Cardinals think they have receivers who can get to the ball. I expect us to have a few wrinkles, since we will have some explosive wide receiver type guys and a quarterback who can let it fly, he said. One of those explosive receivers will be junior wideout Devin Doss (5-7, 150), who reportedly has big-play potential and returns to football after missing his entire sophomore season. Sophomore tight end Dayton Rose (6-2, 215) is also expected to play a big role in the passing offense in his second year as a varsity starter, The Orchard View rushing attack will be led by Day, who is a former quarterback. He struggled with a hamstring injury last year, but will be ready to terrorize opponents from the opening kickoff this season. Joining him in the backfield will be a trio of junior runners from last year s JV squad. Armony Gonzalez (5-7, 185), Robert McCauley (5-9, 170) and Mikey Grinnell (5-8, 170) will all get carries for OV. The whole JV backfield, from a very good JV team last fall, will move up, Tanis said. All three backs run incredibly hard and play a very physical style of football. With an all new starting offensive line, creating holes for the quartet of running backs could be difficult. The group will get a boost from Muskegon transfer Kaleb McMann, a 6-5, 280-pound lineman who missed last season after switching schools. Despite his squad s inexperience in some areas, Tanis is hopeful the program can start to move in the right direction. Orchard View last made the playoffs in That was the final year of an eight-year run of making the postseason. The Cardinals best season was 2004, when they won a state title. (The playoffs) would be a huge step in the right direction for us, Tanis said. These guys have stayed the course and continued to do things the right way. We feel this group is ready for the challenge. Dakota Sibley, Andrew Puckett, Jayden Day. Photo/Jason Goorman CARDINAL REPORT Coach: Joe Tanis Assistants: Josh Keur, Caleb Brown, Pat Ferrier, Brian Andrews, Eric Prow, Lotrel Watkins, Zach Knoll 2016 record: 2-7 Conference record: 1-3 Offensive returners: 2 Defensive returners: 4 Projected quarterback: Edmari Mitchell Coach quote: We are taking the less is better approach for our program and we are excited to see the results. This group won t scare anyone getting off the bus, but what they lack in size they will make up in toughness and fight. - Joe Tanis Proud Supporters of the cardinals Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

29 By Nate Thompson RAVENNA - By advancing to the Division 6 regionals last fall, the 2016 Ravenna Bulldogs earned the right to join other prestigious squads in program history that have their team photo showcased in the school s weight room. Ravenna had a great squad that strung together four wins in a row at the end of the regular season and won a pair of playoff games. The Bulldogs started the season with a so-so 3-2 record, which included a pair of ugly losses to powerful West Michigan Conference rivals Montague Smith and Oakridge. But then they hit their stride, downing Shelby, Whitehall, Mason County Central and Grant down the stretch to make the playoffs. Their most exciting win in that stretch was a one-point victory over a very strong Whitehall squad. Ravenna s postseason run ended with a diappointing regional championship game loss to LeRoy Pine River, leaving the Bulldogs one victory shy of reachng the state final four. Several faces from the 2016 team photo have graduated and moved on, making 2017 a brand new challenge for the Bulldogs. Head coach David Smith said this season s squad may not feature the star power it had last season, but there s plenty of good football players on the roster to push for another trip to the postseason. We re a little young in some key spots, mostly on the D-line, and there s not a standout like a David Thompson on the team, Smith said. But there s a lot of potential with this group. Through the 7-on-7s and our team camp, they ve been working extremely hard, Ravenna Bulldogs eager to enjoy the thrill of the playoffs again Ravenna 28, Kent City 8 Montague 35, Ravenna 7 Ravenna 55, Hart 22 Ravenna 28, N. Muskegon 20 Oakridge 38, Ravenna 7 Ravenna 32, Shelby 0 Ravenna 29, Whitehall 28 Ravenna 28, Mason CC 12 Ravenna 41, Grant 13 Ravenna 42, Lakeview 21 Ravenna 20, Kent City 7 Pine River 42, Ravenna Creston St area schools! so I would say it s not out of the question that we could get back to the playoffs. Ravenna s bread-and-butter will continue to be a ground-and-pound offensive attack, and it will start with run-first quarterback Cam Passenier, a 6-1, 190-pound senior. Although he ll thrive on draws and designed quarterback runs, Smith said Passenier has expanded his game and is now a very capable passer. Passenier took over the quarterback spot midway through last season, when Thompson shifted from under center to running back and receiver roles. Smith said junior Brandon Millis will have the opportunity to duplicate Thompson s versatility. The 5-8, 155-pounder will play running back and receiver for the Bulldogs. He s quick, he s got the best hands on our team and he runs the best routes, Smith said. He ll be all over the field for us. Smith expects Gary Johnson to step into the starting running back position, after playing in the defensive secondary a year ago. He added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason, Smith said, and has impressed the coaches with his explosiveness. Senior Zach McCleary will also get his share of carries for the Bulldogs, while sophomore Grant Parker is a big target in the passing game as a 6-4 wide receiver. There s plenty of talent returning on the offensive line, including returning senior Caleb McCullough (6-2, 290), who is shifting to guard, and returning center Dane Denhof, who is only 5-10 and 185 pounds, but showcases the best blocking technique on the team. Aiding in the power run game will be junior Dale Young (6-2, 300) and junior Alex Straub (6-0, 270). At tight end, Smith likes the athleticism of senior Brenden Pastime, who is playing football for the first time. He was impressive in offseason workouts, and Smith said he could play on both sides of the ball. Denhof will also play linebacker, along with McCleary and senior Matt Marek. In the defensive secondary, Johnson returns at corner, along with Millis. A junior who has impressed is 5-11, 165-pounder Jared Breton, who hasn t played since middle school, but could be a nice addition as a two-way player. At defensive end, Parker and Chase Shelley are the expected starters, while Young and Straub will battle inside at tackle. Smith lists perennial powers Oakridge and Montague as the favorites in the West Michigan Conference. I d say everyone is chasing them, Smith said. Those are two schools that are getting bigger and bigger every year, and it s a challenge for a school of our size to compete with that. But we have Montague at the end of the season this year, instead of our first conference game, so hopefully our inexperienced kids will be well-seasoned by that point. Proud Supporters of the Bulldogs Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! 29 Zach McLeary, Cameron Passenier, Caleb McCullough, Dane Denhof. Photo/Jason Goorman BULLDOG REPORT Coach: David Smith Assistants: Neal Sladick, Scott Iwaniw, Kyle Jawor, Craig Rau 2016 record: 9-3 Conference record: 5-2 Offensive returners: 6 Defensive returners: 5 Projected quarterback: Cam Passenier Coach quote: There s not a standout like a David Thompson on the team. But there s a lot of potential with this group. Through the 7-on-7s and our team camp, they ve been working extremely hard. So I would say it s not out of the question that we could get back to the playoffs. - David Smith Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

30 30 REETHS-PUFFER - Rockets turning to youngsters to write their next chapter By Nate Thompson MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP The Reeths- Puffer football team controlled its own destiny a year ago. The Rockets had four wins with two games to go in their nine-game regular season, and needed two more victories to secure their second playoff berth under sixth-year head coach Kyle Jewett. But the Rockets ended the season with disappointing losses to Fruitport and Kenowa Hills, leaving them on the outside looking in at the Division 2 playoff field with a 4-5 record. The season had its Jewett exciting moments, most notably a victory over league rival Mona Shores, which came when running back Theo Stevenson scored a touchdown with five seconds remaining. But Jewett s squad was unable to convert the momentum from that exciting victory into a successful run to the playoffs. Two very close losses, by one point to Grand Haven and by three points to Jenison in proved costly in the end. It s now been three years since the Rockets last saw playoff action. That was in 2013, when they got in with seven wins in the regular season, then lost to a powerful Muskegon squad in pre-districts. Jewett is hoping a new cast of players this fall will will help break the playoff slump. GH 21, Reeths-Puffer 20 Reeths-Puffer 22, OV 19 Reeths-Puffer 54, GR Union 16 Reeths-Puffer 39, M Shores 34 Muskegon 66, Reeths-Puffer 0 Jenison 11, Reeths-Puffer 8 Reeths-Puffer 28, Middleville 13 Fruitport 21, Reeths-Puffer 6 K. Hills 26, Reeths-Puffer 21 Reeths-Puffer returns five players who saw significant game time on offense last season, as well as four on the defensive side of the ball. We are certainly inexperienced, but we have a strong-character senior class that I am confident will lead this team through any potential growing pains in the early part of the schedule, Jewett said. Eventually, we will - as any team does - need kids to grow up and produce on the field in order to reach our playoff goal. Offensively, the Rockets will have to find 1086 Creston St area schools! replacements for last season s explosive running back combo of Stevenson and Nate Mc- Crary. A committee of players that will look to fill their big shoes. Reeths-Puffer returns 5-foot-6, 180-pound senior Nic Dailey at running back, while Jewett is excited about the potential of 6-foot, 195-pound junior running back Blake Farwig. In the passing game, seniors receivers Cole Aerts and Brennan Johnson will be threats in the vertical or screen game, while junior receiver Carter Fulton has been impressive in the offseason. Who will be throwing the ball to those receivers? That remains an ongoing battle. Jewett said the quarterback competition boils down to a pair of sophomores. Competing for signal-caller duties are 6-1, 175-pounder Evan Moskwa and 6-3, 215-pounder Logan Hekkema. Jewett did not indicate which of the young quarterbacks had the upper hand entering early practices, but both have proven to be strong competitors. What I will say about both of our quarterback candidates is that they have equally embraced not only the possibility of being a sophomore QB on a varsity team, but also the very competitive race between one another, Jewett said. Most agree that competition reveals much about a person and brings the best out in you. Evan and Logan have embodied exactly that. A plus for the Rockets offense is the return of four starters on the offensive line, including 6-3, 275-pound senior tackle Logan Santose, who is getting Division 2 and Ivy League recruiting interest. He ll be joined by junior center Jake Slater (6-1, 245), senior guard Carter Johnson (6-1, 285) and senior guard Christian Slusser (6-1, 255). The question for the Rockets is how many of those linemen will have to play both ways. The Rockets don t have a lot of seasoned players on the defensive side of the ball, and Jewett said the team will have to rely on some inexperienced players developing skills in a hurry. Our kids know that many of them are starting for the first time, and that we need them to over-prepare to bridge that maturity gap, Jewett said. I am very confident our kids have the character to do exactly that. Brennan Johnson figures to be a leader at linebacker, while Aerts will be the top cornerback and Carter Johnson is arguably the top returning run stuffer at tackle. Beyond that, there are plenty of question marks. What s certain is that defending state runner-up Muskegon is again the class of the O-K Black conference, Jewett said, and he expects the Rockets to be neck-and-neck with Mona Shores in the league race. FR: Slater Wilson, Nicholas Dailey, Cole Aerts. BR: Brennan Johnson, Garrett Reames, Hunter Keller, Gino Romanelli, Trent Kowalcik. Photo/Steve Gunn ROCKET REPORT Coach: Kyle Jewett Assistants: Jeff Uganski, Dean Jewett, Don Ketner, Billie Shanks, Sean O Brien, Jordan Harper, Scott Fodrocy, Jeremy Holmes 2016 record: 4-5 Offensive returners: 5 Defensive returners: 4 Projected quarterbacks: Evan Moskwa, Logan Hekkema Coach quote: We have a strong character senior class that I am confident will lead this team through any potential growing pains in the early part of the schedule. - Kyle Jewett Proud Supporters of the Rockets Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

31 By Mitch Ashcraft SHELBY - After back-to-back Division 6 state semifinal appearances in 2012 and 2013, Shelby s football team has only two wins in the last three years, and enters the 2017 season with a 22-game losing streak. Last year was extra tough for the Tigers, who started the season with only 15 players on the roster, which means there was little room for injury. But the injuries came and had a devastating impact Rodriguez on the season. The Tigers had to forfeit two games and end a game at halftime due to low numbers and injuries. The latter occurred in Week 3 against Montague, when the Tigers were down to 10 healthy players by halftime and both coaches agreed to stop there. The following week Shelby forfeited its game against Oakridge because the players who were hurt the previous week had not recovered to playing condition. The final game of the 2016 season resulted in a forfeit to Hesperia. Despite the 0-9 record, Shelby coach Lorenzo Rodriguez was proud of the way his team never gave up, despite the painful circumstances. I thought our kids gave us everything they had, Rodriguez said. We battled with the numbers we had and injuries took a toll early and we couldn t recover. The Tigers were outscored in the seven games they were able to field a team, but Rodriguez has five returners on each side of the ball, as well as a bigger roster for the upcoming season. Shelby will have 22 players, which will definitely help out a squad that was decimated SHELBY Tigers ready to put last season s hard luck behind them Grant 49, Shelby 6 Mason County 54, Shelby 7 Montague 53, Shelby 3 Oakridge 2, Shelby 0 Hart 20, Shelby 19 Ravenna 32, Shelby 0 N Muskegon 49, Shelby 7 Whitehall 75, Shelby 7 Hesperia 2, Shelby 0 Van s Body Shop Good luck teams! 34 E. Third St. Shelby Creston St by low numbers last year. Our numbers aren t huge when you re talking low 20 s, Rodriguez said. But I feel we have interchangeable pieces, where as last year what we had is what we had. If we come up with injuries, we can function without so drastic a drop-off. One of five returners on offense is quarterback Kristian Oberlin. The 6-foot 165-pound senior will lead the Tigers Wing-T attack for the second straight year. He is experienced, knowledgeable, and has great speed and quickness, Rodriguez said of Oberlin. Jorge Cavos, Latrell Sobers and Felix Salazar will man the offensive backfield, while Isaiah Frye (6-4) and Dakota Lewis (6-0) will be the top targets for Oberlin in the passing game. The offensive line will be anchored by senior left tackle Jairo Lopez (6-1, 235), while Dakota DeVries (5-10, 175), Alex Dean (5-9, 220), David Claxito ( ), and Jacob Whitlow (5-10, 215) will also man the trenches. Simon Payne (6-2, 195) will be the starting tight end. The Tigers will employ a 3-4 defense and feature their entire offensive line on the defensive line, as well. DeVries will be the defensive leader at middle linebacker, and Rodriguez thinks he has the tools to have a great season. He brings smarts, he s an intelligent football player and also a great team leader, the coach said. He has enough speed where he will be effective from sideline to sideline. The Tigers will be tested early when they face West Michigan Conference powers Montague and Oakridge in Weeks 2 and 3. Keeping players healthy is a major concern for the 2017 season. Even with a bigger roster than previous years, the Tigers will need to be at full strength. No matter who we play you want to be able to put your best athletes on the field, and if we stay healthy I think we have a shot, Rodriguez said. It may be easy for Shelby fans to forget how recently their team was winning big. The Tigers were 7-2 in the regular season in 2012, then went on to beat Kalkaska, Maple City Glen Lake and Negaunee in the Division 6 state playoffs. Their season ended with a loss to Ithaca in the state semifinals. Shelby was 8-1 in the regular season in 2013, then went on to beat Montague, Calvin Chistian and Schooolcraft in the playoffs, before losing to Clinton in the state semifinals. Their haven t been any playoff games since then, but Rodriguez remains focused on success. My goal never changes, whether we were 0-9 two years in a row or not, he said. My goal is to win every football game. Proud Supporters of the Tigers area schools! Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! 31 Kristian Oberlin, Alex Dean, Dakota DeVries, Latrell Sobers, Jorge Cavazos. Photo/Jason Goorman TIGER REPORT Coach: Lorenzo Rodriguez Assistants: Phil Fortier, Josh Longstreth, Graham Herron, Spencer Peters, Manny Revilla, Joe Revilla 2016 record: 0-9 Conference record: 0-6 Offensive returners: 5 Defensive returners: 5 Projected quarterback - Kristian Oberlin Coach quote: My goal never changes, whether we were 0-9 two years in a row or not, my goal is to win every football game. Lorenzo Rodriguez Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

32 32 SPRING LAKE Lakers ready for another go-round in the tough O-K Blue By Andrew Johnson SPRING LAKE - It s rare for one high school conference to have two state championship football teams. But that s the type of conference the challenging O-K Blue that the Spring Lake Lakers are competing in. Grand Rapids West Catholic and Grand Rapids Catholic Central each won state titles last year while Allendale rounded out the conference playoff teams. Spring Lake head coach Dan Start is well aware of how grueling the OK Blue can be. He experienced the challenge Start as a first-year head coach last season, as the Lakers played their first year in the Blue. Catholic Central and West Catholic are benchmarks in our conference, Start said. Allendale had a great year last year and they re returning quite a few, so they ll be really good, along with Sparta, who continues to grow and improve. NorthPointe 28, S. Lake 27 Frutport 14, Spring Lake 13 Sparta 34, Spring Lake 7 W. Catholic 45, Spring Lake 7 GRCC 35, Spring Lake 7 Spring Lake 20, Coopersville 0 H. Christian 53, S. Lake 40 Allendale 37, Spring Lake 27 Spring Lake 33, C. Park Creston St area schools! We ll have our work cut out for us. The Lakers are coming off a tough 2-7 season (2-4 conference), so they have a ways to go to move up in the league. But their cupboard is far from bare when it comes to talent. One player who should help a lot this year is junior running back Joe Chittenden (5-9, 205), who rushed for more than 1,100 yards and 22 touchdowns on junior varsity last season. He s just a natural running back, Start said about Chittenden. He runs hard and has good vision. He naturally runs in the hole and can move laterally to find space. We re hopeful he ll have a good season for us. Chittenden will share the offensive backfield with returning senior Gavin Paul (6-0, 195). Another offensive weapon for Spring Lake will be the new starting quarterback, junior Caleb Montgomery (6-1, 200). He s a freak athlete, Start said. He s a junior but he has already broken the bench press record for us as a quarterback. He s a stud because he s in incredible shape with power. I expect Caleb and Joe to put up big numbers like they did at the junior varsity level, when they were just scratching the surface of our offense.. Other returning starters on offense include senior guard Sam France (5-9, 220) and junior tackle Aleck Frederick (6-1, 215). The Lakers will also be deep at the tight end position, with three returnees - Griffin Lorimer (6-4, 205), Jason Keena (6-4, 195) and Zach Lisman (6-0, 185). New starters on offense include senior center Hunter Rose (6-0, 210), junior running back Wyatt Lisman (6-0, 205) and junior tackle Jared Zielinski (6-3, 230). While Start expects to have a big play offense, he knows the lack of experience along the offensive line will be a challenge. I think our line has good size and speed, but we ll have a lack of experience, the coach said. There will be some growing pains. One big key for the Lakers will be improving a defense that allowed an average of more than 30 points a game last season. The team brought in new defensive coordinator Jason Carpenter, who plans to run a blitz-heavy 3-5 package. According to Start, the defense will try to utilize the speed of the linebacker corps, which includes Montgomery, Lorimer, Paul, Frederick and Lisman. Start believes one player to keep an eye on will be Lorimer. He ll play middle linebacker for us and have a ton of tackles, the coach said. He s an aggressive downhill kid and an incredible athlete. Another player likely to shine on defense is France, who will play nose tackle for the Lakers. He s pound-for-pound the strongest kid in school, Start said. He works his tail off and make things difficult for other teams. He controls the middle by taking up blocks and allowing others to get blocks. Rounding out the defensive starters will be Keena (free safety), Chittenden (strong safety), Rose (defensive end) and Lisman (strong safety). Start s goal is for his team to get better as the year progresses, and post Spring Lake s first winning season since Our team goal is to be better today than we were yesterday, he said. FR: Hunter Rose, Jason Keena, Griffin Lorimer, Zack Benink. BR: Zach Lisman, Sam France, Hunter Braginton, Dylan Henshaw, Gavin Paul. Photo/Jason Goorman LAKER REPORT Coach: Dan Start Assistants: Jason Carpenter, Aaron West, Brian Houts, Clint Myers, Jeff Linsey, Jeremy Dove 2016 record: 2-7 Conference record: 2-4 Offensive returners: 6 Defensive returners: 7 Projected quarterback: Caleb Montgomery Coach Quote: We re not real big, but we re very fast and athletic, which will help us out. Our guys can get to the second level and hit some big plays. - Dan Start Proud Supporters of the Lakers Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Muskegon - Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

33 By Dave Tomczak WHITEHALL - With its recent success, the Whitehall football team and its fans are probably excited about the start of a new season. But Coach Tony Sigmon doesn t put the cart in front of the horse. He said his team has learned over the years to take things day-by-day. We just want to see what can happen on the first day of practice, Sigmon Sigmon said. We were so focused on winning our first year here and it didn t happen, so for us, we ll see what happens on a daily basis and build off of that. That approach has paid off for Whitehall in recent years. Now in his fifth season, Sigmon has seen the program rebound from a 1-8 record his first year to reach the playoffs the past three seasons. After starting last season 4-0, the Vikings dropped the next three games against West Michigan Conference powerhouses Montague, Oakridge and Ravenna. The losses against the Eagles and Bulldogs came by one point each, but Whitehall responded by scoring 75 points in a victory over Shelby in Week 8, then recorded a win against a good Battle Creek Harper Creek squad. That left the Vikings with a 6-3 record and a berth in the state playoffs. The Division 4 playoffs began with a trip up north to face Escanaba, and a good season ended there in painful fashion with a loss. That game was a microcosm of our year, Whitehall Vikings will not be overconfident, despite recent success Whitehall 50, Kelloggsville 47 Whitehall 35, N. Muskegon 14 Whitehall 43, Mason County 7 Whitehall 52, Hart 14 Montague 41, Whitehall 20 Oakridge 27, Whitehall 26 Ravenna 29, Whitehall 28 Whitehall 75, Shelby 7 Whitehall 37, Harper Creek 30 Escanaba 48, Whitehall 27 Good Luck to our #72, Brandon Rake and to the rest of our Whitehall Varsity Football Team!! Seniors - Enjoy every moment! Go Vikings!! - The Rakes Sigmon said. We didn t perform well early on. You can t play a good football team and take a quarter off and expect to win. That s what happens with a young team. The Vikings were an inexperienced squad that had to replace the majority of its starters last seaon, but that won t be a problem in Except for four positions, the Vikings have players who either started or saw significant playing time last year. One key position that will be filled by a new face is quarterback, where senior Justin Brown will take over. Brown, who would have been the Vikings top returning receiver this season, will instead lead a run-heavy option offense. He s had a nice summer and we re pretty happy about where he is, Sigmon said of his 6-2, 165-pound QB. He played the position on JV and got a lot of reps in practice last year, so we re not just throwing him to the wolves. Brown will be joined by several running backs who are expected to contribute, including senior Josh Thommen (5-8, 170), Tylor Russell and Terrell Harris. They will operate behind an offensive line that returns three of its five starters, led by left tackle Brandon Rake (6-7, 240). Center Jared McCullum (6-0, 200) and tackle Derek Mc- Cullum (6-1, 175) fill out the current lineup, while the guard positions are currently up for grabs. The offensive unit will have its hands full trying to match last year s squad, which had the second highest point total in school history. But Sigmon isn t concerned. In fact, he thinks his new quarterback might be his most explosive yet. Brown brings a different element, the coach said. He s played wide receiver and defensive back for us and is a terrific track athlete. You ll notice the difference in speed alone. That speed will also help on the other side of the ball, where Brown will take his place in the defensive backfield. He will be joined by Harris, Justin Brown and Derek McCullum in a secondary that made passing difficult for other teams last season with 20 interceptions. All are returning starters. We ll play some zone, some man-to-man, depending on the matchup, Sigmon said about defensive schemes. It s been mostly man in the past, but sometimes our zone looks better, and sometimes our man looks better. Anchoring Whitehall s 4-3 defense will be the rotation of returning linebackers Russell, Thommen, Jared McCullum and Jack MacArthur. They will be joined by returning starters at the defensive end positions, Rake and Ethan MacKenzie. Proud Supporters of the Vikings 1086 Creston St area schools! Shelby State Bank Good luck this season to all the area teams! Jon Russell from WLCS 98.3 FM wishes all area teams the best of luck! Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Good luck to all our teams! supports all local football teams. Everyone have a great Intra City Dispatch 1041 E. Keating Ave. Muskegon Best wishes to all our great Muskegon area schools this fall! - Charlie Link 33 FR: Josh Thommen, Jack MacArthur, Jared McCollum. BR: Justin Brown, Derek McCollum, Tylor Russell, Brandon Rake. Photo/Jason Goorman VIKING REPORT Coach: Tony Sigmon Assistants: C.J. VanWieren, Keith Stratton, Matt DeRose, Dan Meinert, Don Rake, Craig Thompson record: 6-4 Conference record: 4-3 Offensive returners: 8 Defensive returners: 8 Projected quarterback: Justin Brown Coach quote: We have six teams that made the playoffs last year on our schedule, so we can t look past anyone. And if this conference, if you look past anyone, you re going to get beat. - Tony Sigmon Showing our support for all teams!! Pic and Pac on Henry St. and Porter - Best of luck to all the area teams! Freedom Chevrolet Fremont Seminole Rd. Good Luck to all area schools Those who stay will be champions. late. Good luck to

34 High school football players show up for Game 1 full of excitement and energy. But to prepare for that season opener, they have to endure the SUMMER SWEAT By Andrew Johnson When the first high school football games roll around, fans see a bunch of pumped-up players running out on the field, ready to do battle for at least the next nine weeks. Most fans don t see what they go through to get to that point. The players spend much of the offseason, particularly the summer, weight training, running and doing other forms of drills. Then comes three grueling weeks of full practice much of it in helmets and pads - in the August heat and humidity. To go through all of that, while friends are at the beach or playing video games in air conditioning, means the kids really want to play football. That s definitely the case for Devin Kaat, a senior wide receiver for Hart. Kaat hasn t played football since his freshman year, so he hasn t been through the painful summer workouts for three years. He knew what he was getting into, and chose to go though it one more time. It s definitely hard work, said Kaat, who spent a good part of the summer running on the beach with teammates. You sweat a lot, but in the end, it ll hopefully all be worth it. My friends are like family, so we try to do all of the conditioning together, and it s our last year so we might as well. Some days are worse than others, but we re always trying to pick each other up. We all kind of bond together and help each other out here and there. Frankie Guerrero, an offensive tackle and defensive nose guard for Montague, said football is too important to be lazy about workouts. I ve been playing football for 12 years and it motivates me, he said. Football keeps me wanting to keep going forward in life. I m not worried about the heat at all because I just love coming out and playing football. But Guerrero admits that conditioning is far from his favorite part of the sport. We do a lot of conditioning, he said. Every week in the offseason we show up and run. My body is wondering when it will be done, and I want to just go home and lay down, but that s really just in my head. I love it. Muskegon Catholic senior Jacob Martinez, a third-year starter, said summer conditioning is definitely intense at MCC,which is part of the reason for the team s incredible success. There s a lot of running, sprinting, weight training, flipping tires and doing other strenuous drills, he said. We condition really hard and a lot, Martinez said. Coach (Steve) Czerwon really pushes us hard until we can t do it anymore. We don t want to run after lifting, but he makes us run so when it comes to game time, we re ready for it. One of the toughest forms of conditioning for the Crusaders involves running up and down sand dunes at Lake Harbor Park in Muskegon. That workout leaves some kids sick to their stomachs, he said. There were kids puking at the dunes, Martinez said. It does something to your stomach. It pretty much beats up your whole body. August practices are no picnic, either, according to Martinez, particularly when the teams switch to workouts with full pads in the heat. Muskegon Catholic starts the practice season with two-aday workouts, from 9-11 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. It gets really hot, Martinez said. We just kind of push through it, I guess. There are times when your body aches and I m tired like today, after the last two-a-days. You just kind of want to stop, but I really love football, it helps me get out any anger or frustration I have. Even though summer conditioning is supposed to gradually prepare the body for preseason drills, there are still kids breaking down in August, Martinez said. We still have kids puking during practices, he said. When somebody pukes, it s just weakness leaving the body. You puke and then get back at it. Zach McCleary, a senior fullback and linebacker for Ravenna, said his team does weight training three times a week, then hits heavy conditioning a week before August practice starts. It s hard, McCleary said. There s lots of sprinting, and sometimes we go lift weights afterward, which really builds up your stamina and endurance. It s pretty grueling, all the sweating and huffing and puffing. It s just all-out. It s not fun you re not playing football. Some guys cramp up a little bit. So how do players motivate themselves to get through all the intense physical preparation? You just have to keep going mentally, and tell yourself one more, McCleary said. Before you know it practice is over. I love football, and we re just looking forward to Kent City (the Bulldogs Week 1 opponent) and trying to work harder than them. Justin Inman, a senior defensive end for Whitehall, reminds himself of the physical challenges of a long football season, and how offseason conditioning prepares his body for battle. It gets tough, but it s worth it in the end, Inman said. We can either work our butts off out here now or suffer later in the year. If you work hard now, it will pay off later in the season. Sometimes players use unique mental strategies to endure the heat and fatigue. You just have to think it s cold out, said Shelby senior center Alex Dan. You tell yourself it s chilly all the time so you can get through it. All the players say the final reward being able to run out on Friday nights under the lights, in front of cheering fans, parents, and classmates - makes the hard work well worth it. That s the best, Inman said. There is nothing like playing under the lights. It s special. I can t even begin to start to explain the feeling of taking the field under the lights, it s the best feeling ever, Dan said. Thinking about that first game coming up really helps you push through practice. It s pretty grueling, all the sweating and huffing and puffing. It s just all-out. It s not fun you re not playing football. Some guys cramp up a little bit. - Zach McCleary, Ravenna We still have kids puking during practices. When somebody pukes, it s just weakness leaving the body. You puke and then get back at it. - Jacob Martinez, MCC It s worth it in the end. We can either work our butts off out here now or suffer later in the year. If you work hard now, it will pay off later in the season. - Justin Inman, Whitehall

35 LSJ Photos - Leo Valdez, Kris Rake, Jason Goorman.

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