School: Bath
Nickname: Fighting Bees
Coach: Chris Rypstra
2012 record: 3-6
Players lost: Mike Flegal, Nick Preville, Richard Sivak
Players returning: Dylan Moffitt, Anthony Rhyndress, Leslie Payne, Cameron Ellsworth, Marcus Allen, Brandon Chapko, Mike Miller, Deontay Walker
Coach’s comment: “Solid senior leadership hopefully makes us competitive in every game. In order to compete for the playoffs, we need to win the close games.”
School: Dansville
Nickname: Aggies
Coach: Dan Price
2012 record: 8-3
Players lost: Garrett Soule, Jake Grice, Cam Jones, Joe Parson, Jeremy Demers
Players returning: Will Walker, Evan Pregitzer, Zac Runciman, Blake Renfro, Brent Flynn
Notes: The Aggies suffered some major losses, especially at the skill positions. Junior running back Brent Flynn will play a bigger role in the offense this season.
School: Fowler
Nickname: Eagles
Coach: Kris Ernst
2012 record: 9-2
Players lost: Tyler Koenigsknecht, Kevin Koenigsknecht, Cam Bongard, Dustin Wirth
Players returning: Austin Feldpausch, Quinn Myers, Austin Cook, Chandler Campbell
Coach’s comment: “We have two great running backs that have good size and speed in Austin Feldpausch and Austin Cook. They will be running behind a group of offensive lineman that have worked really hard in the off-season to get stronger and more physical. The defense will be anchored by Quinn Myers at middle linebacker.”
School: Fulton
Nickname: Pirates
Coach: John Winkler
2012 record: 3-6
Players lost: Korey Moomey, Joe Wilson, Jake Knight, Zach Thum
Players returning: Tyler Spade, Jordan Buck, Jacob Litwiller, Eli Stephens, Josh Stephens
Notes: Sophomore quarterback Jacob Litwiller is a promising young signal caller. The Pirates also also have some quality offensive lineman.
School: Laingsburg
Nickname: Wolfpack
Coach: Brian Borgman
2012 record: 4-5
Players lost: Shaun McKinney, Dan Kiesling, Jake Zielinski, Luke Jorae, Sam Edwards, Hayden Arthur
Players returning: Michael Schauer, Zach Rosenberry, Adam Wickham, Jake Arthur
Notes: The Wolfpack have the makings for a strong defense but will have some work to do on offense.”
School: Potterville
Nickname: Vikings
Coach: Phil Davis
2012 record: 1-7
Players lost: James Tisdale, Garrett Whipple, Dominic Curtis, Kody Wood
Players returning: Seth Austin, Clinton Ward, Logan Pitcher
Notes: The Vikings will build around Austin, a standout at fullback and linebacker. Ward (6’2″, 270 pounds) provides an anchor to the offensive line.
School: Pewamo-Westphalia
Nickname: Pirates
Coach: Jeremy Miller
2012 record: 9-4
Players lost: Jake Nurenberg, Michael Peterson, Clayton Platte, Ty Simon, Anthony Klein
Players returning: Kyle Nurenberg, Lane Simon, Owen Schafer, Ben Fox, Aaron Rademacher
Coach’s comment: “We have many returning players who have a lot of experience at the varsity level. We expect to compete for the league title and make a deep run into the playoffs.”
School: Saranac
Nickname: Redskins
Coach: Terry Johnson
2012 record: 4-5
Players lost: Jacob Coulier, Nick Kooiman, Dustin May, Ryan Gowing, Noah Anderson, Bryce Besson
Players returning: Christian Belt, Jeremy Gleson, Zane Swagert
Notes: The Redskins were hit hard by graduation, losing a number of talented linemen and backs.