Morley Stanwood

Morley Stanwood football coach has high expectations

By John raffel Jraffel@pioneergroup.com

MORLEY – Art Campione is back for his second year as coach with hopes for a more normal year but a successful one for his Morley Stanwood football team.

“Last season highlights were a 4-1 start and second-place finish in the CSAA Silver with a new coach and new system on a team that only started four seniors,” Campione said.

Some key seniors graduated but Campione has several fine players coming back.

“Key athletes this season will be senior linemen Brandon Lintemuth, a returning all-conference player that will anchor both sides of the line of scrimmage for us,” Campione said. “Senior Kodee Engstrom is a three-year starter on varsity that will lead our defense and is also a returning all-conference player.

“Senior Aaron Moore will lead our offense from the quarterback position. Aaron has done a tremendous job leading our summer workouts and team camps. He will be crucial to our success this season.” Campione can’t wait to get started.

“Expectations are high and we plan to be playing into November this season,” Campione said. “Our players have put in the work this summer and if our seniors continue to lead us, we will be a team to keep an eye on.

“Leadership will be the strength of this team. Our seniors have put in a lot of work this summer and have led by example. They are the first ones on the practice field and the last ones to leave it. Our players have started to develop that brotherhood we have been looking for and they understand that when you help our younger players, the program gets stronger.”

Campione said his team needs to make sure it avoids complacency.

“Will our seniors continue to push us when we have success and how will they handle a setback?” he said.

As for the CSAA “our conference will be strong again and we expect to compete for a league championship, but our players know that the title runs through Kent City in week four,” Campione said.

Campione had to face the COVID fac-

Morley Stanwood coach Art Campione talks to his players during a summer practice. (Pioneer

flle photo/John Raffel)

tor in his first season as Morley Stanwood coach.

“Not having COVID restrictions was big in the development of relationships, accountability and brotherhood that develops over the summer without COVID restrictions,” Campione said. “Our players’ mental health is so much better when they are out competing with their friends as opposed to last year when many were sitting home alone.”

Mohawk volleyball team poised to make another deep playoff run

By Joe Judd Joe.Judd@pioneergroup.com

MORLEY — The Morley Stanwood volleyball team is looking to replicate its run of recent success during the upcoming 2021 season.

Coached by Robin Kozuch, the Mohawks are coming off of a season that saw them win their conference and district, before coming up just short in the regional finals.

This season, Morley Stanwood will be without the duo of graduates Landrie LaPreze and Brooke Brauher, who both have paved the way to so many victories over the past four years.

With the offseason departures of LaPreze and Brauher, the Mohawks lost a great deal of height from one season to the next.

“This will be the shortest (team) that I have coached in my 21 seasons at MS,” Kozuch said. “Although tiny, they are feisty and they work hard; I couldn’t ask for more.”

Morley Stanwood will also be without the likes of Grace Timmers and Isabel Devereaux, who also graduated during the offseason and were key members of the Mohawk front line in recent years.

“We will greatly miss them all this year,” Kozuch said. “They were a really fun group of girls who got along great and complemented each other, both on and off the court.”

Kozuch also said she thinks this year’s edition of her team is eager to improve on their skills and show off what they can do.

“No matter who we put on the floor, they know that nothing but their very best effort will be given,” Kozuch said.

The Mohawk coach said she expects for her team to, once again, be competitive with its conference this season, but pointed to Kent City as being a tough group to deal with again.

Kent City’s strength during recent seasons is the primary reason why Kozuch said her team will never take another team for granted.

“In order to be successful this year, our squad is going to have to be very strong defensively and pass the ball well,” Kozuch said. “We have talked a lot about embracing roles on our team this season and, whatever that role is, to do it positively and do what they can to help our season be as fun and positive as possible.”

Members of the Morley Stanwood volleyball team celebrate after winning a point during a match last season. (Pioneer flle photo)