A lot of shifting has taken place since the last time local high school football teams took the gridiron last fall. Three teams in our coverage area enter the 2014 season in a different league than they finished in last season.
Charlotte enters the newly formed Interstate 8 after a 7-3 campaign. The Orioles finished second in the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold division with a 4-2 record.
Second year head coach, Jeff Finney enters the new league with a young and mostly unproven team.
“We expect to have a very competitive team this season,” Finney said. “We are going to be very young with a lot of guys that do not have varsity experience. We expect younger guys to step up and learn in a hurry.”
The Orioles lost a number of key seniors last season, including Zach Telfor, Colten Walser, Chase Challender, Chad McClintock, Shane Goodrich and Alec Kushion. The Orioles will rely on the experience and talent of returning seniors Kyle Davids, Tyler Davis, Stephen Jones, Andrew Lula, Brandon Johnson and Damon Bartlett as well as junior Andrew Burdick.
Despite their overall youth, Finney said the team’s goal is to make the playoffs again this season and to win in the playoffs. He said the team also wants to represent the Mid-Michigan area well in the new league, which features Jackson Lumen Christi, Jackson Northwest, Marshall, Coldwater, Harper Creek, Pennfield and Parma Western.
Charlotte opens the season at home against Ionia on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
Maple Valley
Lions head coach Brian Lincoln is ready for his team to take a step forward following a 2-7 season last year. Maple Valley makes the switch from the Kalamazoo Valley Association to the Greater Lansing Athletic Conference this year. The Lions will face six relatively new teams this year.
“The team has set a goal to make it to the playoffs,” Lincoln stated. “It is our goal to compete for a league title in the new league.”
In order to do that, the Lions will rely on several skill position players that return this season. Top returners include Austin Creller, Cole Decker, Alec Hosmer, Beau Johnson, Ryan Mudge, Marcum Terpening, Gunner Tobias and Corey Turner.
“We expect our seniors to lead us,” Lincoln added. “We want to get better each and every day. We would like to stay healthy and work to our full potential.”
The Lions join Olivet, Lakewood, Lansing Christian, Leslie, Perry and Stockbridge in the GLAC.
Maple Valley opens the season on the road on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. at Fowler High School.
Olivet
Olivet finished its affiliation with the Kalamazoo Valley Association with a bang last year, finishing 8-1 and tied for first place. The Eagles will look for an equally impressive start to the Greater Lansing Athletic Conference this season.
Coach Priddy is big on his seniors leading the way and the Eagles lost a number of solid seniors from last year’s team. This year’s class has set the team’s goals of winning the GLAC, make the playoffs and to continue the family atmosphere the program has created.
Leading the charge are seniors Nate Barnes, Craig Byron, Deion Feldpausch, Ashley Harmison, Hunter Hoffman, Austin Sadler, Malachi Salyers, Ryan Tennant, Ben Turner and Preston Willavize, as well as juniors Dustin Holden and Wyatt Smith.
“We hope to compete for our league championship this year,” Priddy stated. “We have a lot of inexperienced players who will jump into the fire quickly as we open with two tough opponents in Pennfield and Thornapple-Kellogg. I think this will be a team that gets better as the season goes.”
Olivet opens the season at home against former league rival Pennfield at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Potterville
After finishing 2013 with a 2-7 record, Potterville High School varsity football coach Mike Selzer is looking for continued improvement this year.
The Vikings return several contributors from last season, including Kolin Groom), Luke Wood, Kyle Ireland, Dom Ackley and Tom Waligorski.
Selzer said the 2014 team has set goals to compete every down and work hard every practice.
Potterville opens the season against Camden-Frontier on Friday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.
Bellevue
The Bellevue Broncos open the season on the road at Bay City All Saints Central on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
