John Raffel
Sports Scene
Mitchell Myler remembers what it was like to quarterback a state championship team. He wouldn’t mind doing it again.
He is back for his third season as quarterback for the Sacred Heart Academy Fighting Irish.
The Irish went 5-4 during the regular season last year but made the playoffs, went 1-1, and ended up at 6-5.
“It was a good season,” said coach Rick Roberts. “We have 12 returning players who will be seniors and juniors. It’s an exceptional group coming back.”
The offense’s potential appears to be solid. “We should be able to move the ball,” Roberts said. “We return two defensive players and six on offense. Our defense will be a work in progress.”
In the 2010 state title game, a 42-21 win over Saugatuck, Myler completed 9 of 11 passes for two touchdowns, no interceptions, and 178 yards.
Nick Hire is a four-year varsity running back who has been the team’s leading rusher. He caught three Myler passes for 38 yards in the 2010 state title game.
“We had a great team,” Myler recalled. “We had good offensive linemen, receivers, running backs, and ends. I was happy with my completion percentage and only three interceptions. The coaches put me in a good position to have success.”
A 13-1 season as a sophomore fell sharply for Myler, whose Irish slipped to 5-4 during the 2011 regular season.
“We had a tough schedule with Mendon and Muskegon Catholic Central,” he said. “My sophomore year, I think I was more accurate. As a junior, I could put more zip on the ball. I felt more [steady] in the pocket.”
Myler ran for 300 yards as a junior.
“I got a few more opportunities,” he said. “This coming year, I think I’ll run a lot. I became a better leader and a better football player.”
Myler considers one of his strengths is “knowing where the open player is going to be. I have a pretty good idea of where I’ll be throwing to by seeing how the defense is set up. I can thread the needle within 20 to 25 yards – that would be my strength.”
Myler had a busy summer getting ready for his senior season. He went to various quarterback camps, including one at Brother Rice High School.
“I was throwing the ball around in the backyard trying to get lots of reps in and make my arm stronger,” he said. “From the individual standpoint, I feel I have all the tools it takes.
“I think I’m able to lead this team to a good regular season and hopefully to the playoffs. I’m ready to help make things happen.”
Sacred Heart is looking for Myler to be a dangerous open field runner against opponents.
“I can lower my shoulder and make people miss,” he said.
His coach is looking forward to seeing Myler in action for another season. “He is a very intelligent quarterback,” Roberts said. “He has a good arm. He has completed 77 percent of his passes. He’s bigger and he’s stronger. I think he’s one of the best players in mid-Michigan. He is an outstanding player.”
Justin Cowell is back as a lineman in his third year. He had two solo and two assisted tackles in the 2010 title game. Brooks Hyble returns as a tight end and defensive lineman.
Having Hire in the backfield is a weapon Myler will enjoy for another season.
“He will be a good player for us,” Myler said. “But we have to focus on defense. We lost a lot of players from our defense last year.”
The Irish quarterback is confident that his team can do well in a regular-season schedule that includes Beal City in the opener.
“I believe we can go 9-0,” he said. “Beal City week one will be tough.”
After high school, Myler probably has a college future, but most likely in basketball, his preferred post-high school sport. He has relatives in the New York area and he’s thinking of playing Division III basketball out there. Alfred University is a possibility.
“If I’m playing sports, it will be at a small school,” he said.