Baldwin football team battling the numbers
By John Raffel Sports Director
BALDWIN – Veteran Baldwin football coach
Bob Watkins enters the 2024 football season hoping to have enough numbers for an 8-player team this season.
Last year Baldwin was 1-8 with its only win being a 2-0 forfeit verdict over Hale. The Panthers did have a 30-12 loss over Manistee Catholic Central.
But when the first week for this season came around, Watkins was left with a small number of players coming to practice and was playing the waiting game to see if more would come out.
“Last year we started out with 18,” Watkins said. “I don’t know how to figure this one out.”
Louie Jackson will be a senior this season for Baldwin. Ethan Meholic will be a junior.
“Running back and quarterback we have to find a new one because they’re ineligible,” Watkins said.
Baldwin is scheduled to play on Aug. 30 at Grand Rapids Sacred Heart, at home on Sept. 6 against Mesick, Sept. 13 with Bear Lake and Sept. 27 with Suttons Bay, at Brethren on Oct. 4, at home with Marion on Oct. 12 and at Onekama on Oct. 19.
Baldwin volleyball looking to take next step in 2024 with new coach
Brendan Sanders Staff writer
BALDWIN — Baldwin girls’ volleyball will be looking for success in 2024 under a new coach.
The Panthers will be working under head coach Tami Flewelling in 2024. They will be trying to improve upon a 6-14 season in 2023.
“Through several illnesses and life circumstances, these young ladies came together and found a rhythm where they could battle and play several well-versed teams.” Baldwin volleyball head
coach Tami Flewelling said.
Now, the Panthers are looking to bring those skills that were developed in 2023 to the next level this fall. Some key returners for the Panthers will be Nyla Robinson, Monica Perfitt, Rebeka VanderGeld, Ariel Coleman and Tiffeni Timmons.
“Each of my girls brings a unique set of strengths from last season,” Flewelling said. “The expectation this year is to focus on those strengths and fine tune the areas that they struggle with and challenge them to the next skill level. Communication is always an expectation, but they are amazing
communicators on the floor. I will continue to support those skills.”
There will be a few strong teams in the West Michigan D League Conference this season that Baldwin hopes to battle with at the top of the standings.
“Big Rapids Crossroads and Pentwater seem to be the league favorites this upcoming season,” Flewelling said. “Despite having a new coach and young team this year, I foresee the Panthers doing very well this year.”
The Panthers first game will be Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at home against Kentwood Grand River Prep.
Baldwin’s Bob Watkins is back for another season as football coach.
Nyla Robinson
Big Rapids Volleyball Team Eyes League Contention
By John Raffel Sports Director
BIG RAPIDS – Emily Van Culin has six returning players for her Big Rapids’ volleyball team and will look for them to help lead the Cardinals into title contention this year.
The Cardinals graduated outstanding players from last year’s squad.
“The best part about last season was the attitudes, personalities, and camaraderie our girls had”, Van Culin said. “We had an athletic team with some good leadership skills. Playing a talented Ludington team in district finals was a good experience for us.”
The key graduates were Marissa Warren, “a huge offensive and defensive threat for us,” Van Culin said, plus Izzy Fath with “leadership, strategy, and volleyball IQ” Emily Bell “with leadership and effort,” Kara Paquette with “tough serve and experienced player,” Cailin Knoop “with height in the middle and great attitude and Pharis Carrol “who was quick with lots of hustle on defense.”
Returning players are: Isabelle Dukessenior, outside hitter; Kate Strasser- senior, middle hitter; Kyrie Richards- senior, outside hitter; Hallaway Baumgardner-
senior, middle hitter; Brenna Mosselsenior, setter, libero, outside hitter; and Alydia Kilpatrick- junior, setter.
“These are all of our returning players so I expect them to provide the team with leadership and accountability. I will expect more from them due to their experience,”
Van Culin said. “ I think this group of girls will get along well on and off the court. I think this team’s culture will be fun but serious when they need to be. Skill-wise we will have a lot of depth and I’m excited to see what we’ll do on the court.”
There are two areas in which Van Culin wants to see her team improve.
“Passing and serving are two of the most important things to excel at in this sport so it’s always at the top of my list,” she said.
The Central State Activities Association has switched into divisions and Big Rapids plays in the Red Division along with Chippewa Hills, Reed City, Grant, Newaygo and Tri County. The Cardinals will play each divisional opponent twice.
“I expect us to be right up there,” Van Culin said. “It will be interesting to see how things play out now that the teams in our conference have changed.”
GO CARDINALS!
Brenna Mossel sets the ball for Big Rapids during 2023 season action.
Big Rapids football pursues another championship season
By John Raffel Sports Director
BIG RAPIDS -- It was an exciting season for the Big Rapids football Cardinals in 2023 and there’s plenty of potential for 2024 to be more of the same.
Winning a district and conference championship would be highlights for Big Rapids, along with winning against three very strong programs including Spring Lake, Reed City and Whitehall.
“We graduated Philip Wilber, an all-conference offensive lineman and all-conference middle linebacker for us,” veteran coach Mike Selzer said. “Philip was our leading tackler and will be missed on both sides of the ball. Philip will be playing baseball at Glenn Oaks next season. Kaleb Dubowski, was an allconference wide receiver and center for us. Kaleb was our deep ball threat and averaged over 20 yards per catch as well as our lockdown corner lining up against opposing teams best receiver. It will be tough to replace Kaleb’s hands and speed. Kaleb will be playing football and running track at Davenport
University.
“Jace Heck was a threeyear starter at corner and two-year starter at WR. Jace earned all-conference the past two seasons. Jace was a sure-handed receiver with good skills after catches. A strong run supporter and sure footed kicker for us, Jace will be continuing football at Alma College. Riley Vennix all-conference, all-region and Dream Team, was our quarterback and safety last season. He was a strong run threat with a good arm and ability to extend plays to find open receivers. Riley was an outstanding dual threat at quarterback. At safety, Riley was an outstanding hitter and run supporter. Riley will continue playing football at Northwood University.”
Key Big Rapids players are expected to include:
Garret Foster Sr, RB/S/OLB: “Is our returning leading receiver with over 50 receptions the past two seasons,” Selzer said. “Garret is a physical football player on both sides of the ball with great instincts and ability to cover the whole field.”
Jack Bollman Jr. RB/LB: “Jack is entering
his third season as a varsity player and has been a stable in our backfield. He is a big physical runner with excellent speed to get the edge if needed. Jack will also anchor the middle of the defense from his linebacker position.”
Cole Haist Jr. QB/ DB: “Cole will take the helm of the Cardinal offense this season. Cole started and won two games last season and played in all the games so he has experience leading the offense. Cole has a strong understanding of the offense and will look to run all phases of the option offense and passing game.”
Big Rapids returns four of the five offensive linemen from last season including: Aavin Addis (senior left tackle) a big physical run blocker, Caiden Schuberg (senior center) a third-year center who will lead an experienced offensive line making protection and blocking calls; Braylon Councilor (junior right guard) a physical lineman that can move and get out in front of the run plays and lock onto linebackers and Jaice McAlister (senior right tackle) a big strong run blocker that moves
double teams and gets up to second level defenders.”
The season starts at home on Aug 29 against nonleague foe Paw Paw.
“Expectations on the team are to have a strong season and work hard to build on the successes of last season,” Selzer said.
“The players know that they are entitled to none of last year’s success without putting in the work this year and grinding the
whole season.
“Our strengths will be our experience on both sides of the ball. Returning a majority of last season’s players will allow us to add more looks on the defensive side and add some wrinkles to the offense. Another strength of this team is its commitment to each other.
This group has put in many hours together and has the ability to elevate
each other. We will need to get better at the details in all facets of the game.”
Big Rapids will be playing in the CSAA Red and should have another year as a strong conference contender.
“Big Rapids, Reed City and Tri County should be among the favorites to win the league,” Selzer said. “We should be among the top three team
Big Rapids quarterback Cole Haist (left) confers with Cardinal coach Mike Selzer during a game at Chippewa Hills last season.
By John Raffel Sports Director
REMUS – Abby (Snyder) Hegyi has returned after a several year absence as Chippewa Hills coach and hopes to lead the Warriors to prominence in area volleyball.
Key graduates from last year, Hegyi noted, included Ariana Todd “who embodied hustle, grit, and never quit. As the libero for the team last season, she leaves a key position to fill in which she was always present, always reliable, and always a positive force both on and off the court.”
Hegyi is excited with the following returning players:
Hannah Abbott-senior left. “Leadership role with ability to deliver consistent and critical defense,” Hegyi said.
Hunter Howard-senior middle.
“Leadership role with ability to deliver critical offensive points,” Hegyi said.
Olivia Marfio-senior right. “Leadership role and a key component in delivering any aspect of skill when called upon to do so,” Hegyi said.
Ella Newman-senior right. “Leadership role as well as handling any ball in any situation provided,” Hegyi said.
Mallory Nelson-senior all-around.
“Delivers can-do attitude and sets an example of how to handle a ball in any situation with an upbeat team centered attitude,” Hegyi said.
“With it being my first year back into the varsity position, I expect there to be a lot of new discoveries about one another with a new flow on and off the court,” Hegyi added. “ I’m a very vocal and enthusiastic coach that likes to find each individual strength in each athlete and then apply them to creating strengths as a whole team. On that same note, they will be learning a lot about me and my style of coaching so I expect there to be different levels of learning that we can
apply to our own success.
“My team’s strength will be the ability to pick each other up whenever an error happens and move on to the next point. They all find value in each other and make sure that each other knows that as well. We need to be more proactive than reactive, but with the speed of learning my team has, we should be able to pick up on the keys that will contribute to that type of movement very quickly.”
Chippewa Hills will compete in the Central State Activities Association’s Red Division which also consists of Big Rapids, Grant, Newaygo, Reed City and Tri County.
“I feel we have a very strong conference all across the board where each school brings a different specialty/skill set that helps them be competitive,” Hegyi said.
“Especially once we find our groove this upcoming season, we should flow right with that competition level and be a tough contender ourselves.”
Chippewa Hills will rely on skill position and depth
By John Raffel Sports Director
REMUS – Chippewa Hills graduated some key players from last year’s football team, which was 4-5 for the second consecutive season and the Warriors are ready to take on some unique challenges this season.
The Warriors started out 2-0 last year but lost three straight before getting back on the winning path. They closed the season with a win over Pine River.
Senior Austin Humphrey leads the Chippewa Hills attack. He is a running backoutside linebacker and a returning dream team player and leading rusher and receiver.
“He will be our go-to player on offense and will play the star linebacker on defense,” PeLong said. “He has to have a big year on both sides of the ball. Senior Jon Koepf (offensive lineman-defensive lineman) will anchor both lines for us. Senior Gage Perkins (wide receiver-defensive back) is a returning Dream Team and Division 6 All-Region wide receiver. He has big play
potential. We have to get the ball to him and let him work.
“Junior Hunter McGuire (quarterback) takes over for two second-year quarterbacks Tyler Geer and Gage Saathoff. He will be the leader of the offense and we expect big things.”
The Warriors are presented with some challenges.
“We have to replace our entire offensive and defensive lines from a year ago,” PeLong said. “I look for this team to improve as the season goes on and finish strong Skill position depth will be our strength.”
Chippewa Hills will play in the Central State Activities Association Red Division with Big Rapids, Reed City, Grant, Newaygo and Tri County.
“ Reed City and BR are the two teams to beat,” PeLong said. “Tri County will be another team that factors into the race as well.”
Chippewa Hills opens the season at home with Olivet on Aug. 29.
GOOD LUCK ALL WARRIOR ATHLETES THIS SEASON
Abby Hegyi
Crossroads volleyball eyes another successful season
By John Raffel Sports Director
BIG RAPIDS – Plenty of progress was made by the 2024 Crossroads Charter Academy volleyball team, which won a district title.
Coach James Nostrant and his Cougars are looking to do even better in 2024.
“2023 was a great season for Cougar volleyball,” Nostrant said. “The team bought into a whole new meaning of volleyball and put themselves on the map as a competitor in the conference. Each and every player on the team grew in the sport, academically, and finished the season with a loss in the regional semifinal.
“Their greatest accomplishment in 2023 was winning a district trophy and it was the only school in the county to do so.”
The Cougars will have some key shoes to fill/
“We lost three seniors including Jackie Cole who played a huge role as the CCA libero was first team all-conference and firstteam Pioneer Dream Team,” Nostrant said. “Kyleigh Swanson was our senior setter who did amazing in a 5-1 offense which she never ran before. Kyleigh also received all-conference and Dream Team recognition.
“Kristin Ulrich, who was a senior middle blocker for us, did amazing at the net
and kept getting better as the season went on. All three will be missed but are off to new things. I was happy to be able to coach them in my first year as CCA head coach.”
The Cougars will have many key players returning.
“Seniors Kristy Warczinsky, Chloe Hund, Selah Meeuwes, Alexis Carr, Breanna Hillier all played key roles on the team last year as well as sophomores Mercedes Carr and Tirzah Meeuwes who I expect big things out of this year,” Nostrant said. “Additions to the team this year will be juniors Dani Nostrant, and Grace Barrett, both juniors who are coming off a year off of volleyball. Nostrant
has been playing volleyball year round since she was 12 and will bring a lot of experience to the court with the potential to do great things.
“Barrett has been working extremely hard in the off season and with only having 12 team blocks all last season, I expect Grace to help us improve there significantly. We will have freshman Giovanna Nostrant, who also brings a lot of court knowledge to the team and has some potential to help on defense.”
The expectations are high for the Cougars.
“I expect Cougar volleyball to use last year’s ceiling as this year’s floor and continue to grow. Our goal is to be better than last year and bring home a
Conference championship which CCA hasn’t seen in years in volleyball,” Nostrant said. “I feel that we are a scrappy team and it will be hard for teams to put the ball down on us.
“We need to get better at blocking and putting the ball away to end long rallies. We start the season with a very tough pool at the Reed City tournament and, in order to
be competitive, we will need to be tougher at the net.” Crossroads hopes to make things interesting in the West Michigan D League.
“Last year we had a tough loss to Brethren, and Marion which landed us third in the conference,” Nostrant said. “Brethren has dropped from the conference and a few teams have got new coaches. Based on the talents I saw last year, I would expect us to be top competitor in the conference.
“I’m extremely proud of these players this off-season. They have put in a lot of hard work and shown a lot of dedication to Cougar volleyball. If we come out to play with the energy and passion that we have had in the off-season, we might catch a few teams by surprise.”
Alexis Carr hopes to have another strong passing season for Crossroads Charter Academy.
Talented Wildcats bidding for highly successful season
By John Raffel Sports Director
EVART – A new era kicks off this season for the Evart football Wildcats with firstyear coach Ben Bryant, who hopes to keep the Wildcats the winning direction.
Last season, Evart went 7-3 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Muskegon Catholic Central.
“Preston Wallace and Dakobe White were staples in our offense for the past three seasons,” Bryant said of some key graduates. “They were all-state athletes that helped us put up huge numbers offensively. Dakobe was one of the most explosive players in northern Michigan for the past few seasons, he will be super tough to replace. Preston’s leadership, knowledge of the game, and competitive drive will be greatly missed. Hunter Witbeck and Tanner Graber are other seniors who played
a huge role on the team the past few years. They brought a great toughness to our team.”
There is plenty talent on this season’s squad.
“We return several great players,” Bryant said. “Noah VanderLinde (senior wide receiver and linebacker) and Lucas Johnson (senior wide receiver and defensive back) are both tall, long, and sure handed receivers that will get a lot of targets. Sean Jackson (senior running back and linebacker) has a great nose for the football defensively and is a hard tackle with the ball in his hands.
“Aidan Anderson ( junior quarterback and defensive back) will take over at quarterback for Preston. He has all of the sought after skills you would want in a high school quarterback. Up front on our line, we return starters Kayleb Maxfield (junior, offensive-defensive
Evart volleyball looking to rise to new heights in 2024
linemen), Gabe Mitchell (senior, offensive-defensive linemen), Kaleb McKay (senior, offensive-defensive linemen), and Cole Staats (senior, offensive-defensive linemen).”
The goals are set high for the Wildcats.
“We are looking forward to making a run at a conference championship and putting ourselves in a good spot for the MHSAA playoffs,” Bryant said. “It’s early to predict our exact strengths, but I believe our experience of returning players will have a big impact on our season.
“Our conference continues to be one of the toughest, if not the toughest, small school conferences in Northern Michigan. Beal City is nearly always the face of the league and we want to continue to compete with them and take the crown they have held for a long time.”
Brendan Sanders Staff writer
EVART — The last few seasons, Evart athletics have had a sort of golden age and in 2024, Evart volleyball is looking to join the ranks the football, girls’ basketball and softball teams.
With a new coach in Dean Witte and several new players, the Evart Wildcats girls’ volleyball team will be looking to make a run to the top of the Highland Conference.
“Expectations for this year are to improve Evart volleyball and hope to contend for the conference title as any school hopes for,” Witte said. “These ladies are talented and with decent practice, anything can happen.”
The Wildcats went 6-13-1 in 2023 with
a district title appearance. Now they will utilize a seven-player roster Jozzlynn Baumgardner, Dezerae Kimball, Kayla Winters, Emily Miller, Kyrah Gray, Mattisen Tiedt and Keira Elder.
“Strengths of this team should be defense. We are in the beginning stages of creating a new culture for this program,” Witte said. “We will be continuously working to improve our hitting and tempo.”
The goal will be competing amongst top teams in the Highland Conference this season.
“The Highland conference last year was dominated by Lake City,” Witte said. “But with two key losses from graduation, they will still be strong as will Beal City. We hope to be in the mix with them at the end.”
Evart’s football team has been among the top squads in the Highland Conference in recent seasons and hopes to keep it that way in 2024.
Jozzlyn Baumgardner will a key returner for the Wildcats in 2024.
Ferris football team eyes another championship season
By John Raffel Sports Director
BIG RAPIDS -- A veteran group of returners will be back this football season for the Ferris State University Bulldogs, who hope to again be a contender on the Great Lakes Conference and national levels.
Ferris State will begin its 115th season of varsity competition this coming fall with its sights set on making a 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Bulldogs have made five national semifinal appearances along
with three trips to the national championship game and back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 during the stretch.
Over the past three seasons of action, the Bulldogs own a 36-4 overall record and FSU has reached the NCAA Division II playoffs nine consecutive years and counting. Ferris State has also reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals five times in the past seven seasons of action and ranks as the country’s winningest program over the past nine full seasons in D2 Football. FSU is 63-6 over
the last four seasons of on-field action, including back-to-back NCAA D2 national championships in 2021 and 2022.
Ferris State also holds the GLIAC’s best mark and the best overall record of all collegiate programs in Michigan at 123-20 (.860) overall since the arrival of Tony Annese as head coach in 2012.
Ferris State opens the 2024 season at Pittsburg State on Aug. 31 with the home opener set for Saturday, Sept. 7, versus Lake Erie at Top Taggart Field.
“We do play
Pittsburg State and they are a super program,” Annese said. “So we’ll have to be at our best. It’s awesome to have the guys experience those kind of challenges. That will get us ready for Great Lakes play.”
The Bulldogs’ GLIAC opener is on Oct. 5 when FSU hosts Roosevelt for the firsttime ever in its annual homecoming contest while also marking Ferris State’s 400th all-time GLIAC game.
Among the key returns is linebacker Sefa Saipaia.
“Our new strength coaching has been
drilling us hard,” he said. “We have a lot of returning pieces and a lot of guys who have known each other for a long time.”
Other key players back defensively are Jason Williams, Brennan Schwarz and Connor Near.
“There’s a lot of veterans here and a lot of guys pushing each other,” Saipaia said.
“We do a good job pushing each other.”
Senior wide receiver Tyrese HuntThompson is among the top weapons for the Bulldogs.
Carson Gulker returns as junior
quarterback for FSU.
“We lost some pieces but we haves some exciting pieces with which to fill, “ HuntThompson said.
Another key returning wide receiver is Cam Underwood.
Ferris was picked first in the GLIAC preseason poll.
“It’s exciting to attack this last senior season and hopefully it will be the best season I’ve had,” Thompson said.
“There’s a lot of veterans here and a lot of guys pushing each other,” Saipaia said. “We do a good job pushing each other.”
Ferris State’s defense hopes to have another dominant season.
Ferris volleyball team set for highly successful season
By John Raffel Sports Director
BIG RAPIDS – The Ferris State University volleyball team has reason to expect another highly successful season.
The Bulldogs reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen last fall for the third consecutive season. Ferris State also claimed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Championship along with making the school’s 12th consecutive and 27th alltime NCAA Tournament appearance. FSU closed the campaign with a 27-8 overall record.
Nearly the entire Bulldog volleyball roster is slated to return this fall.
Last spring, the Ferris State University women’s volleyball program arrived home from its highlysuccessful international spring trip to Spain and Portugal.
The Bulldogs, who
reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen each of the past three years, took part in a unique 10-day trip that included both game experience against foreign competition along with an opportunity to strengthen team bonds and enrich cultural perspectives.
Ferris players were set to start practices on Aug. 19. The season starts with a home exhibition on Aug. 24 with Central Michigan University and at the West Texas A&M University Invitational.
“I think we have a nice team this year,” said Ferris coach Tia BrendelWilhelm, who started as the program’s fifth coach in 1996. “We have eight seniors this year so we’re a little more mature than we’ve been the last few years. We have some good leadership and the players work very hard. I think we’ll have a chance to have an exciting season.”
Standout seniors are
expected to include setter Kaylee Maat, middle hitter Olivia Henneman-Dallape, outside hitter Claire Nowicki and libero Leah Bylut.
“Those are all four seniors who have played a lot,” Brandel-Wilhelm said.
Other key seniors include outsider hitter Hannah Tecumseh, middle hitter Syann Fairfield and middle hitter Chelsie Freeman.
“That’s a large number,” Brandel-Wilhelm said of her senior class. “If you have three or four seniors, that’s about normal.”
As for the potential playing time from newer players, “that’s hard to tell until they get here,” Brandel-Wilhelm said. “The freshmen were out here coaching camps and stuff in July. That gave them a chance to know the team and the program. They’re a really good group and I think they’re talented and we’ll see how they adapt to the college game.”
SILVERNAIL REALT Y
Senior setter Kaylee Maat returns for another season for Ferris State.
Montabella football in search of league title
By John Raffel Sports Director
BLA NCHARD –
Montabella’s football team hopes to make some noise in the Mid-State Activities Conference Blue Division this season.
The Mustangs will be competing against Breckenridge, Carson CityCrystal, Coleman, Merrill and St. Charles in the 8-player league.
The season was set to begin with a home scrimmage on Aug. 23 against WhittemorePrescott. The season opens with a home game on Aug. 29 with Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, followed by a road game on Sept. 5 at Breckenridge to open the season. Then it’s a game on Sept. 13 against St. Charles
and road games at Grand Rapids Sacred Heart on Sept. 19 and at Merrill on Sept. 27.
After a home game on Oct. 4 with Byron, Montabella is at Carson City Crystal on Oct. 12, at home with Coleman on Oct. 18 and at Morrice on Oct.25.
Timothy Webb will be coaching the team this season. Montabella has been 5-4 the past two seasons.
Montabella volleyball looking for improvement in 2024
Brendan Sanders Staff writer
BLANCHARD — Montabella volleyball will be kicking off its season looking to improve in 2024 with a new head coach.
Andi Gasco-Shaw will be entering her first season at the helm of the Mustangs, who went 4-14 in 2023. While this is Gasco-Shaw’s first season, she has coached softball at Montabella for the last two years.
“I think that there is always room for growth and potential,” Gasco-Shaw said. “I don’t think that there is a single team that is looking to be below the .500 mark in winning percentage. We are definitely looking to improve that number, even if it is just slightly.”
The Mustangs are still working to discover each player’s best individual strength heading into the fall season.
“I think the challenge with every sports team is learning that each player plays a crucial role in the
success around them,” Gasco-Shaw said. “If we can learn to overcome differences, work together, and have fun, you will see that the team itself has a lot of potential.”
The goal will also be to continue building up the program for the Mustangs for years to come.
“We have a ton of girls that are interested in the sport right now, and with the numbers that we have, we will be able to begin developing the younger players so that they are ready for the varsity team as their academic years progress,” Gasco-Shaw said. “This will be super beneficial for the Montabella volleyball program because we won’t have to begin the younger players at a level where they aren’t ready for yet.”
Montabella will host a tournament on Saturday, Aug. 24 featuring Lakeview, Central Montcalm and Ashley.
“All of our coaches are very excited
to begin the 2024 season,” GascoShaw said. “We have a lot of hungry athletes that are looking to improve. With tryouts right around the corner, we are chomping at the bit to get on that court and work hard.”
Andrea Gasco-Shaw will be leading the Montabella volleyball program this year.
Morley Stanwood boasts several talented players in lineup
Morley Stanwood’s offense (left) goes up against Evart during a summer scrimmage.
By John Raffel Sports Director
MORLEY – Morley Stanwood’s football team enters the 2024 campaign with high hopes under veteran coach Art Campione.
The Mohawks have been rebuilding the past two seasons with steady progress.
“Highlights from last year was beating White Cloud on homecoming with a backup quarterback on a cold rainy night,” Campione said. “Losing Cameron Cass, Andy Willis and Konnor Riggs will be tough to replace. They were great students in the classroom and leaders for us on the field.”
Key players are expected to be seniors Gage Freiberg (linebacker-tight end, Jordan Shilling (offensivedefensive tackle, Jordan Grau (wide receiverdefensive back) Nick and Shane Chapin (wide receivers-defensive backs) Van Britt (center-defensive
tackle) and Logan Tutewiler (tight end-linebacker).
Other potential standouts are juniors Griffin Babbitt (Athlete), Colt Ward (offensive/defensive tackle), Aiden
Miles (wide receiverdefensive back), Karri Lee (quarterback-defensive back), and Brandon Heath (offensive guard-defensive tackle).
“Our interior line will be led by Shilling, Ward, Britt and Heath,” Campione said. “Their ability to make line calls and control the interior will go a long way in determining the type of season we will have.
“At quarterback, we have two strong candidates in Lee and Babbitt. Both have shown the ability this summer to make plays and that battle will continue into fall camp. Our biggest improvement has been at wide receiver where Babbitt, Grau, Freiberg and Miles have shown the ability to catch the ball and make plays in space.”
The expectations are
unique for the Mohawks.
“Our schedule is much more manageable this season so getting off to a good start will be key for us,” Campione said. “Our overall expectations are to learn from our past mistakes, finish drives and avoid costly mistakes in the red zone. If we can do that and continue to improve on the small things during practice, anything is possible.
“Our strength will be getting our athletes the ball in space and making smart decisions with the football.
The team speed and overall athletic ability of this group will change the outcome of games for us this season. Our interior line is young and untested. Fall camp and our pre-season scrimmage will tell a lot about this group. If they can gell early as one unit good things will happen for us this season.”
The Mohawks compete in the Central State Activities Association White Division.
GOOD LUCK THIS SEASON MOHAWKS!
Morley Stanwood girls eye another championship season
By John Raffel Sports Director
MORLEY – The 2023 volleyball season was another memorable one for Morley Stanwood’s volleyball team.
But 2024 could also be an intriguing one.
The Mohawks were 2811-2 and conference champs a year ago. They won their home invitational and the Chippewa Hills Invitational. They also won the Silly Games championship at the Leland Invitational, which Kozuch said is her team’s favorite of the year.
Sienna Ososki also recorded her 1,000th assist .
“We will be missing many graduated seniors this season,” Kozuch said. “We had five seniors last year who all played a vital role to the success that we experienced. Sienna Ososki was our starting setter for three years. She loved the game and had a true passion. Her hard work and dedication to the sport earned her many awards and accolades over her career as a Mohawk. Her lighthearted spirit will be greatly missed. Alaina Christensen was a big offensive threat for us last year. She has played a ton of volleyball for both the high school and club. She was a gritty player with an all-out give-me-the ball attitude. She really started to find her skill attacking with
versatility.
“Lynsey Biller was a natural leader in every sport that she played and volleyball was no different. She always worked hard and encouraged her teammates. She was a fantastic role model for the younger players. They really looked up to her. She is a kid who truly embraced a ¨team first¨ attitude. You can’t have enough kids like Lynn. On top of the great attitude, she was tremendously athletic and played much bigger than her size.”
Kozuch added: “Makenna Martin was an extremely court savvy middle attacker. She had ability to see open spots on the court and hit them with great accuracy. She never seemed to get rattled. She also did a great job for us when she got in the back row. She loved to show that she had the skill to be back there.
“Lila Hoisington really enjoyed playing her senior year. She has a real love for basketball so coming onto the volleyball court was not in her comfort zone. She struggled a bit with confidence as a junior but let it all go as a senior. I loved her willingness to get after it in blocking.”
Now it’s time to focus on 2024.
“This year we have an extremely young team,” Kozuch said. “ Our returning few have a lot of experience playing so
we will expect them to be great leaders to our younger athletes. We will have two seniors with five years of varsity experience.”
Among the seniors is Piper Kozuch.
“Piper Kozuch will be both setting and attacking for us this year,” Robin Kozuch said. “She has good court awareness and works tirelessly at improving her game. She has played so many roles over the years and never complains about what she is asked to do. She is one of the hardest workers I have had over the years and truly loves the game. I could definitely see her in my shoes on the sidelines coaching one day. As an attacker she is very versatile in her attack and as a setter has worked hard to spread the attack and find the player that can get the kill. She has so much energy on the floor and truly loves to see the success of her teammates.
“Brooke Moore (senior) is our returning libero and is another kid who has put a ton of extra time and energy into developing her craft. She has worked so hard in the off-season to improve her defensive skills. I don’t think that some people quite understand how much extra our two seniors this year have put into being the best players they can be.”
Another key returner is junior Alexis Martin.
her all around play. Matty hits a heavy and hard ball. She jumps really well and has natural court intuition. She is young but has the ability to play at a veteran level. I can’t wait to see what she can do.”
The rest of the team is new to the varsity level “but are great athletes and are embracing the expectations of a program that has had a great deal of success over the years,” Kozuch said. “ “Katelynne Nawrot is a strong and extremely smart athlete who is very coachable. She isn’t afraid to ask questions and you never have to tell her something twice. She is a natural leader and works well with those around her. We also have junior Lila Prescott who has spent a lot of time working on her skills outside of season playing club ball. She works hard and has a great attitude and is willing to do whatever we ask her to do. She loves the game and loves being a part of MSHS volleyball
the sport and it’s so exciting to see someone grow so much in such a short amount of time.”
A lot of questions remain unanswered.
“I don’t know exactly what to expect out of this young team,” Kozuch said. “I do know that they will work hard, they will support each other’s success and help them through their struggles. This team is truly a great family who want to have fun and strive to be the best team they can be.
in our ball control so we can diversify our offense.”
Morley Stanwood will battle Kent City, Central Montcalm, Lakeview and White Cloud in the CSAA White.
“Lexi has all kinds of natural athletic ability and strength,” Kozuch said. “She has really started to figure out how to control her attack and figure out what is needed to get the kill. In the past she just wanted to bang balls to the 10-foot line. She has now really started to diversity her attack and will be a key part of our offensive attack.
“Madeline Kozuch is a sophomore and will also play a huge role for us with
“ We round out the squad with three more sophomores, Aivree Christensen, Saige Ososki and Jayda VanDyke. Saige is a ball of energy. As soon as she starts to figure out how to harness it.... she could be a defensive weapon and help us tremendously on the offensive side as well. Aivree is working in the setting position. She is a strong, tall athlete with great hands for setting. She is working on being comfortable running the floor and being surrounded with a great positive culture will help her blossom into the confident setter and attacker that I know she can be.”
Kozuch added: “ Jayda is an extremely positive attribute to our program. She is an incredibly hard worker and grows by leaps and bounds daily. She is fairly new to
“We have adopted our slogan for the year and it comes from a book we read as a team this summer called, ¨Twin Thieves¨ a great book on building a culture. Our word for the year is ¨Ubuntu¨ which means, ¨We are who we are because of us.¨-Basically saying that we are responsible for our own success and we plan to work to achieve it.”
Kozuch added: ‘Because we are a young team, we have to work on playing together to get to the point where we know each other’s tendencies. So they start to feel the natural flow that is created when a team is confident in what roles each player on the floor is responsible for.
“That confidence comes with time and a lot of hours of playing together. We will keep working at consistency
“Our conference will be a battle this year. We have many kids that have played club together and are now back on their high school teams. There are a wide range of talented kids out there and it will be interesting to see who can put it together in the best way to come out with victories. White Cloud has a pretty veteran group that has put in a ton of time outside of school and they will be strong. Kent City is always strong as well. I will always say that we are in the running, because regardless of whether we have a young team or a veteran squad, the kids will work hard and want success.”
Kozuch has a solid coaching staff.
“ I am lucky enough to have some great coaches surrounding me with Lexi Cumings, Katie Johnson, Emilee Cornell, Tricia Smith-Bennett, and when not busy working with Ferris State’s volleyball program, Matt Kozuch,” she said. “We have a great staff and great parents who are all willing to help whenever and wherever they can.”
Morley Stanwood’s volleyball team hopes to be celebrating titles again this season.
Bucks football looking to continue upward trend
Bucks volleyball looking to compete at the top in 2024
Brendan Sanders Staff writer
LEROY — The Bucks are back in 2024 and looking to continue their upward trend.
After a 2023 campaign that saw Pine River have its most wins since 2019, the Pine River Bucks football team is looking to continue the forward momentum in 2024.
“The expectation is always to play together through it all,” Pine River football coach Brian Jackson said. “We will have a lot of young athletes, so, I am looking for the junior class to rise up and be leaders. We expect to have a winning record this year and to keep growing as a program.”
The team graduated some solid players from the 2023 campaign including Damien Jackson, Ryder Holmes, Bobby Lilly, and Andrew Baldwin. They will turn to strong players such as Mason Gugle at slot wide receiver and safety, Jericho Holmes at slot wide receiver and linebacker and senior quarterback Hunter Johnson.
“Mason (Gugle) is very athletic and will make plays with the ball in his hand. Ryder (Holmes) will have speed on the outside and can make some
explosive plays.” Jackson said. “Hunter Johnson makes very smart decisions as our quarterback. That is extremely important in our offense style.”
Jackson said the biggest strength for the team will be the receiving core.
“Our strength this year will be our receiving core as well as our backfield on defense,” Jackson said. “Our line will not be the biggest on the field, but we will make up for that by technique and being in the right positions.”
Even with the upward trend with the program, Jackson expects stiff competition in the Highland Conference in 2024.
“The Highland is always a very competitive conference every year,” Jackson said. “On top as always is Beal City. They had a great senior class last year but the program and buy in from the community and players are always impressive. McBain will be strong this year with their size and the returners they bring.”
The first game of the season for the Bucks will be at Harrison on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.
“I like the way our schedule is this year, but to be honest we are currently focused on week one Harrison at Harrison.” Jackson said.
LEROY — The Pine River Bucks volleyball team was young in 2023, and now will look to draw on past experiences to push the Bucks to the next level.
The Bucks went 6-15 on the year, with an exit in the first round of districts to McBain. Now they look to exceed that record and possibly make a run at the conference title and/or a district title.
“Last year, we were disappointed in how our season ended. We had felt we could win districts and then weren’t able to fulfill that goal,” Pine River volleyball head coach Jana Dennis said. “Because of this, it has driven us to be much more focused and intentional on doing the little things better than everyone else. The little things are what wins games. We are determined to not be let down this year.”
The team only lost two seniors, Miriam Johnson and Emily Lockhart. Now they will turn to top players such as Riley Thompson, Lanie Sparks, Madison Rush, Lilly Felsk, Emma Tice and Kaylee Nethers.
“Our strength always is our serving. We serve aggressively to keep the other team out of system,” Dennis said.
“I think our offensive has definitely improved and will also be a strength this year.”
It will be a tough battle in the Highland Conference with teams such as McBain, Beal City and Lake City making noise.
“The biggest thing our team needs to work on is trusting each other,” Dennis said. “We spend much of our time playing safe and not wanting to lose instead of playing to win.”
The Bucks will open their season with a quad on Aug. 28 at Big Rapids. Their first home game will be on Sept. 12 against Hesperia.
Brendan Sanders Staff writer
Pine River football will once again be coached by Brian Jackson in 2024.
Jana Dennis and the Pine River Bucks volleyball team will be looking for a strong year in 2024.
Reed City football team pursues another championship season
By John Raffel Sports Director
REED CITY — If it’s a typical Reed City football season, it can only mean the Coyotes are riding high.
This could indeed be a season where Reed City football is again riding high.
A year ago, Reed City was 9-4, finished third in the CSAA, and won a district and regional championship. In 2022 and 2023, Reed City won back-to-back semifinals appearances in Division 6.
Key graduates from a year ago were Max Hammond, Spencer Hansen, John Ondrus, Zach Erickson and JC Contreras.
“These guys were tough and played hard everyday,” Shankel said. “They all had experience and a very competitive group of young men, and a super hard working group of players.”
There are many talented players on this year’s Coyote team.
This includes seniors
Wyatt Spalo, Ethan Powell, Anthony Clark, and Jaxson Benson on the offensive and defensive lines, Zach Rogowski at running back and linebacker and Landen Jackson at quarterback and defensive back.
Juniors are Tyler Woodside at offensive line and outside linebacker, Jack Deitsch at wide receiver and defensive back; Andrew Kiaunis at running backdefensive back; Payton Goglowski at tight end and outside linebacker and Jacob Tayor at running back and defensive back. “Expectations for these guys are to keep the Reed City tradition rolling and to work hard daily and be great role models for other players and athletes at Reed City,” Shankel said, adding a goal for the Coyotes would be to “hopefully win a conference championship and make a run in the playoffs.
“This group has had
a great summer and worked really hard. They are a competitive group that loves to compete. We have guys up front and skilled players that are returning. They are a hungry group of players waiting to put their stamp on Reed City football.”
The key for the Coyotes, Shankel said, “is getting better every rep, drill, and day… Not settling and striving for excellence.”
The Coyotes play in the Central State Activities Red Division against Chippewa Hills, Tri County Newaygo, Grant and Big Rapids.
“The conference will be tough again this year. I see everyone as a favorite this year,” Shankel said. “ Week in and week out you have to bring your best in order to compete for a conference championship. I believe we will be in the race for the championship.”
Landen Jackson (1) returns at quarterback for Reed City this season.
Reed City volleyball team eyes another league title
By John Raffel Sports Director
REED CITY – it was a championship volleyball season in 2023 for the Reed City Coyotes, and veteran coach Don Patterson is anxious to see what his Coyotes will be able to accomplish in 2024.
“We were 25-10-3 and 9-1 in the conference and co-champions,” Patterson recalled. “ We won the Big Rapids tournament. We graduated four seniors: Kyleigh Weck, Molly Bowman, Andie Bennett and
Kenzie Shoemaker. Kyleigh Weck was a first team allconference player, All-Area and Big Rapids Pioneer Player of the Year, and she was a steadying force for us in her senior season. Molly Bowman was an honorable mention conference player and was the leader of our defense for us in her senior year.”
Reed City returns juniors Emma Johnston, Miyesha Baumgardner and Morgan Hammond.
“We will be competitive in the conference and our
district,” Patterson said. “We will be an experienced team with some very capable leadership. We will be working on developing our defense into a strength.”
The Coyotes will compete in the Central State Activities Association Red Division, which also consists of Big Rapids, Grant, Newaygo, Chippewa Hills and White Cloud.
“The conference will again be strong and any number of teams will compete for the title,” Patterson said.
Reed City’s Don Patterson returns for another season as volleyball coach.
Tri County football looking to reload in 2024
Brendan Sanders Staff writer
HOWARD CITY —
The Tri County Vikings football team had a strong 2023 season, and will look to go one step further in 2024.
The Vikings took second in the CSAA in 2023, going 7-3 overall with a conference record of 5-1. This included a win over Reed City. This year, the Vikings will have a number of athletes to replace including starting quarterback Owen Behrenwald and their entire offensive line.
“We should be competitive. We are really young and inexperienced.” Tri County football head coach Phil Butler said.
There will be a few key players to Tri County’s success on the year including wide receivers Jayden Button and Cole Plotts, running back Chase Keller and linebacker Cade Hallman.
“We will be pretty athletic and are a tight knit group.” Butler said. “We lost our whole offense line. We will need to gel with that group.”
In the last two seasons Tri County has been battling near the top of the conference with Reed City and Big Rapids, and that’s who they expect will be near the top of the conference as well.
The Vikings’ first game will be Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at Comstock Park.
The Vikings will be looking to replace quarterback Owen Behrenwald alongside much of their offensive line heading into 2024.
Vikings volleyball looking to rise to the top in 2024
Brendan Sanders Staff writer
HOWARD CITY —
With new divisions in the CSAA this season, the Tri County Vikings volleyball team is looking to finish atop the Red division this season.
The Vikings had a rebuilding year last season as they finished with a 2-12 record with wins coming against Chippewa Hills and Lakeview. Tri County returns the majority of their roster, only losing two players to graduation.
“ALL players will be key for Tri County this season,” Tri County volleyball head coach Stacy Durian said. “I have three captains, (Jade Gould, Sydney DeHart and Lexi Bakhan) that have worked hard this summer and really impressed me with their positive leadership skills. I also have two sophomores, Julianne Thompson (Libero) and Easton Harkness (Setter), that are going play an important role this season.”
Returning so much talent, there are a few strengths that Durian is looking to build on
this season.
“We are strong competitors, and we have the passion and desire to win.” Durian said. “We are always working on remaining positive through our errors and learning from them. Smart plays at crucial times.”
With the CSAA being split into two divisions again, the Vikings expect that Central Montcalm and Grant will be two teams to watch.
“I’m looking forward to the season so we can show what hard work, and determination can do from season-toseason,” Durian said. “We are really clicking so far, and these girls are anxious to hit the court.”
The Vikings open their season at Sparta on Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m., and their first home game will be against Grant on Aug. 27.
Stacy Durian will be leading the Tri County Vikings volleyball squad in 2024.
