DAVID COOK
Sports Scene
The Ovid-Elsie football team has been on a roll for over ten years, but the way last season ended left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Marauders who come into this season with plenty of determination.
Last season Ovid-Elsie qualified for the playoffs for the 10th time in the past 12 seasons. After finishing the regular season with a 7-2 record and placing second in the Mid-Michigan Athletic Conference, the Marauders opened the playoffs with a win against Almont. The next week, the season came to an abrupt end as the squad dropped a 31-28 decision to a Lansing Catholic team that reached the Division 6 state championship game.
With a solid core of players returning from that team, Ovid-Elsie is determined to accomplish even more this season.
“I think we are going to be solid,” said senior Daniel Topping a 6-foot-3, 240-pound offensive tackle and defensive end. “We bring back some explosive players and I think we are going to have a solid season. We just have to buy into our team motto, `run it again’. We are striving for perfection. We are always looking for perfection.”
That sentiment is shared by senior Brock Spitzley, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound fullback.
“We want to go undefeated,” Spitzley said. “That is one of our goals. We want a state championship too.”
Spitzley is part of a strong group of running backs that include junior speedster Chase Fabus (5-11, 175) and sophomore Bryce Krueer (5-9, 200).
Up front, the Marauders have a big, strong and experienced offensive line paving the way. Along with Topping at right tackle, the line is paced by right guard Logan Mason (6-2, 270) and senior left tackle Braxton O’Bryant (6-3, 275), a four-year starter. Senior Daniel Olger (6-0, 270) and junior Dylan Henning (6-0, 180) round out the offensive line.
“We’re definitely very explosive,” Mason said. “We are going to be able to move some people. We have some big boys for sure.”
Balancing the offense for the Marauders is a potent passing game led by senior quarterback Owen Long (5-10, 175).
“Our offense is looking pretty good,” Long said. “I think we will have a pretty explosive passing game and a very aggressive running game. We passed a lot more than we usually do last season and I think we will keep throwing it this year but we can always rely on our running game also.”
The passing game welcomes back some experienced receivers in senior Michael Bancroft (6-1, 185) and junior Brody Howard (5-10, 170).
“We still have some receivers back from last year and we threw the ball around pretty good last season,” Howard said. “I think we are looking pretty solid on both sides of the ball.”
Bancroft pointed out team chemistry was a key to success last season and sees that being a strong point this year as well.
“Last year we had great chemistry,” Bancroft said. “We need to build up the young guys and get everybody on the same page.”
Junior Julian Medina (6-1, 160) and sophomore Joie Fabus (6-0, 170) are a pair of wide receivers that add even more options to the passing attack.
On defense, Mason, O’Bryant and Olger clog up the middle while Robert Kebler, Henning and Topping are at the defensive end spots. Spitzley leads a strong group of linebackers that includes Bancroft, Chase Fabus and Krueger.
The secondary returns Long at free safety, Howard at strong safety and Joie Fabus, Medina and Wyatt Lover at cornerback.
“I think that last couple years our success has kind of built our team to were we have a good foundation and culture,” said Ovid-Elsie coach Travis Long. “It seems like have things rolling and we are going to keep things going. We lost some really good seniors so we have some younger guys who need to step up in some key roles but we do feel like we have a really talented squad.”
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