G RAND R APIDS C HRISTIAN F OOTBALL Fa l l 2 0 1 2 P r e v i e w
In this Preview:
The 2012 Schedule Year 3 with Coach Fellows The Ties That Bind GRCHS College Recruits 2012 Overview
w w w. G RC H S Fo o t b a l l . c om
LEAD
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Lead Up To 2012
2
The Schedule
3
Coach Fellows: Year 3
3
The Ties That Bind
4
College Prep Corner
4
Eagle Preview
5
UP TO
2012
2011 was a record setting season for the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles Varsity Football program. It was a season that saw the Eagles capture their very first O-K White conference title, while going undefeated during the regular season. The Eagles spent the off season looking forward to the 2012 season, knowing expectations would be high. After key personnel loses on both sides of the ball, Coach Don Fellows and his staff began the tedious off sea-
Fall 2012 Preview
son work of building the program towards the 2012 campaign. Dawn Patrol training sessions began right after spring break, which typically signifies the starting bell for the Eagles football program. The 6:15 am, three day per week, training sessions are considered a “right of passage” for
Eagles football players. After several weeks of training, Dawn Patrol gave way to summer workouts, 7 on 7 passing workouts and camps. After a great off season leading up to Fall 2012, the Eagles look to take the field and drive towards another championship season. Go Eagles!
“FOR THE LONG RUN” By Tommy Doles
For many athletes sports have become synonymous with the challenges of everyday life and how to deal with them. Eagle Offensive Lineman Tommy Doles offers his insight in his article “For the Long Run”. (Click here to Read the entire article)
P age 3
Fall 2012 Preview
T H E 2 01 2 S C H E D U L E Blue-White Scrimmage
The Grand Rapids Christian Eagles will play one of their toughest football schedules in recent memory this fall. A schedule that kicks off
at home against cross town rival South Christian, also once again includes, Forest Hills Central and Kenowa Hills.
Saturday Aug 11
Labor Day weekend will find the Eagles making an out of state trip to Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Fresh/JV 11am
The addition of Jeni-
son and Hudsonville to the schedule is a new challenge for the Eagles, and yearly foes Lowell and East Grand Rapids will prove to be tough games as well.
Varsity 7pm
C OA C H
DON
F E L L OW S : Y E A R T H R E E
Going into his third season as Head Varsity Football Coach at Grand Rapids Christian High School, Don Fellows understands the territory he is entering. After coming out of the starting gate in his initial season in 2010 with the Eagles with a regular season record of 6-3, then advancing as far as the second round of the playoffs, Coach Fellows set even loftier goals for the following season. In 2011 the Eagles posted an undefeated regular season while setting several school records in the process,
winning the O-K White division outright.
teams with the highest expectations of success.
Year three brings another host of challenges, but don't look for Coach Fellows to lower his expectations for his Eagles. After taking the helm in 2010, each year Fellows has set out the challenges in front of his
Look for the same expectation from him in 2012. Note: Blast from the past: View 2011 Video Interview with Coach Fellows (Click Here)
Fall 2012 Preview
P age 4
T H E T I E S T H A T B I N D : E AG L E S COMING UP TOGETHER VanDeBurg, Hall, Korhorn, Faulkner, Hein, Crouch, Boyd, Meekoff, Veenstra, Betts, Bosscher and Kerkstra. The seniors listed above head into their final season of high school football sharing a unique bond: they have played together since age 9. It’s this unique bond that they share which brings them to the gridiron for a “reunion”, year after year since age 9. Now entering
into it’s final year, this seasonal “reunion” is about to come to a close, with these 12 attempting to put their mark on Christian football history. “We have all played pretty much the same positions too,” laughs senior LB Matthew Hall. Entering their biggest season ever, these 12 young men have ridden the long road together. Now closing in on the end, they will at-
tempt to not just end the story, but do so in story book fashion: with a Championship. It would be a great way to finish the trip.
G RC S C O L L E G E P R E P C O R N E R When Coach Don Fellows left the college ranks to return to the high school level, one of his main goals was to create a “pipeline”, for players to move on and play at the collegiate level. This past spring on National Signing Day, when high school seniors sign letters of intent to play at the next level, five Christian High football players put pen to paper, and signed on the dotted line: Christian Benn (Northwood Univer-
sity), Robert Cuba (Ferris Sate), Nate Mitogo (College of the Canyons, CA.), Kavon Frazier (Central Michigan) and Wes Johnson (Ball State) will all begin their collegiate football careers this fall. 2011 graduates, Matt Grasmeyer (Wake Forest), and Willie Sawyer (Northpark), were two of several others who signed to play at the next level. This July, junior WR
Drake Harris made a verbal commitment to play at Michigan State, senior TE Zach Crouch committed to Central Michigan, and junior OT Tommy Doles was offered a full-ride to the University of Michigan.
3rd Annual Eagles Golf Outing Monday August 13th
Fall 2012 Preview
P age 5
2012 S E A S O N O V E RV I E W Eagles Offense Notable loses: Kavon Frazier (RB), Brandon Pott (WR), and Mitch Konynenbelt(OL) Notable returners: Drake Harris(WR), Alex VandeVussee(QB) and Tommy Doles(OL) Player to watch: Christian Vandeberg (RB) Fast Fact: In the past two seasons the Eagles Offense has set, and broken, it’s own scoring records
Eagles Defense Notable loses: Robert Cuba(DL), DJ VanderBaan(DB), Nate Mitogo(DL) and Wes Johnson(DL) Notable returners: Matthew Hall(LB), Davaris Collier(DB) and Jack Bates(LB) Player to watch: Jack Bates(LB) Fast Fact: Entire starting DL from last season is playing at the collegiate level this fall
Coaches Quote: “Once again the outlook for the 2012 season has great expectations. We will look to replace some key components from the 2011 offense, although there has been some tremendous competition to replace these positions. I have been very pleased with the progress we have made this off season. “We will try to maintain a balanced attack in 2012—I think our depth at running back will be a huge asset for us this season. The growth of our returning players will be pivotal in our success for 2012. I believe that this group has the potential to become a great offense. Finishing on every play will be a major focus for us this season; I look forward to working with these young men to accomplish some lofty goals that we have set.” Jeremy Fellows, Eagles Offensive Coordinator