Back Row: Landon Luchies, Harrison Scharmer, Brock Backus. Front Row: Will Fedewa, Bode Zygmuntowski, Timmy Railling.
(Photo courtesy of Michael Banka)
By Tom Kendra
LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON -- Muskegon Catholic Central last fall fielded the youngest football team in the school’s 70-year history, which struggled to a 1-7 record.
That type of record is totally out of character at MCC, which is second in the state with 12 state football championships since the playoffs began in 1975.
Now, the question is whether the Crusaders, who are also battling low numbers due to declining enrollment, can get back to their high standard of annual playoff appearances and Division 8 state championship runs.
“We should be OK with the starters that we have,” said 13th-year Catholic coach Steve Czerwon, who won state championships in his first four seasons as head coach, from 2013 to 2016. “We had three freshmen starting on the offensive line last year that are now sophomores, who are one year bigger and stronger and more experienced.
“The issue is that we don’t have a lot of kids, so we have about nine two-way players that will get tired. And if we have injuries, I don’t know what to tell you.”
The Crusaders do not have a freshman or JV team, and have 19 players on the varsity roster - with seven seniors, one junior, six sophomores, and five freshmen.
The strength of the team entering the season appears to be the offensive line, which is still young, but boasts excellent size - especially by Division 8 standards.
Senior Harrison Scharmer (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) anchors the line at center, where he is both a leader and a dominating force. Next to him at left guard is fellow senior Brock Backus.
The rest of the interior line are the aforementioned sophomores - tackles Beckett Ream (6-4, 230) and Drake Langlois (6-4, 230) and guard Alfonso Lopez (6-1, 220).
The biggest challenge will be replacing departed quarterback Bryan Convertini, a four-year starter who was at times last season a one-man show for the Crusaders, accounting for 16 of the
team’s 21 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Czerwon believes he has the man for the job in senior Bode Zygmuntowski, Convertini’s backup last season, who started at slot receiver and was also the team’s kickoff returner.
“Bode is a very diverse kid who can throw it and run it,” said Czerwon, who is assisted by Mike Ribecky, Jason Ribecky, and former North Muskegon head coach Mike Belmonte, who replaced Kolin Convertini. “He’s a very talented kid and we’re very excited to see what he can do.”
Senior fullback Timmy Railling will be a battering ram between the tackles, while the team’s veteran coaching staff is high on the potential of freshman speedster Nathan Rowan (5-9, 140).
“Nate is very quick and elusive and has some special skills running the ball,” said Czerwon. “He will be a very nice player as he continues to gain experience.”
One of the team’s top receiving targets was expected to be senior Will Fedewa, but he is still trying to work his way back after tearing his ACL during basketball season. The expected starters at end are seniors Carter Barron and Landon Luchies.
Many of the same players will be starting on defense as Czerwon said the Crusaders could have as many as 10 players going both ways. Scharmer, Langlois, Ream and Lopez are the projected starters on the defensive line, which is a quartet that should make it difficult for opponents to run the ball up the middle.
Railling, who was the team’s leader last year with 88 tackles, returns at inside linebacker, where he will be joined by Barron. The expected starters at outside linebacker are sophomores Joe Schneider and Orlando Sanchez.
Zygmuntowski and Neil Szymanski, the lone junior on the roster, will start at cornerback, with Rowan at free safety.
“We pride ourselves on stopping the run and that should be our strength again defensively,” said Czerwon, who calls the plays offensively and allows 48th-year MCC assistant Mike Ribecky to run the defense. “We need to be able to generate a pass rush and cover receivers downfield.”
The schedule features five home games, and started with a cross-state matchup on August 28 against traditional Division 8 power New Lothrop, which rallied for a late TD and two-point conversion in a 30-29 win in last year’s opener. That was the first of four losses by one touchdown or less in a hard-luck campaign, with the only win coming in Week 3 against Benton Harbor (49-8).
The only two local teams on the schedule are home games against Orchard View and Shelby in Weeks 5 and 6, respectively.
Czerwon said the team’s first goal, with just 19 players, is to stay healthy. The second goal is to win enough games to get back in the Division 8 playoffs (five wins should ensure a playoff berth, with four putting the Crusaders on the bubble).
“Our starting group is solid with some very talented kids that are working hard,” said Czerwon. “We are still a young team that we expect will keep getting better every single day.
“That is definitely our goal - to keep improving and to win enough games to get back in the playoffs, and then to be playing our best football at that time.”
LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON -- Muskegon Catholic Central last fall fielded the youngest football team in the school’s 70-year history, which struggled to a 1-7 record.
That type of record is totally out of character at MCC, which is second in the state with 12 state football championships since the playoffs began in 1975.
Now, the question is whether the Crusaders, who are also battling low numbers due to declining enrollment, can get back to their high standard of annual playoff appearances and Division 8 state championship runs.
“We should be OK with the starters that we have,” said 13th-year Catholic coach Steve Czerwon, who won state championships in his first four seasons as head coach, from 2013 to 2016. “We had three freshmen starting on the offensive line last year that are now sophomores, who are one year bigger and stronger and more experienced.
“The issue is that we don’t have a lot of kids, so we have about nine two-way players that will get tired. And if we have injuries, I don’t know what to tell you.”
The Crusaders do not have a freshman or JV team, and have 19 players on the varsity roster - with seven seniors, one junior, six sophomores, and five freshmen.
The strength of the team entering the season appears to be the offensive line, which is still young, but boasts excellent size - especially by Division 8 standards.
Senior Harrison Scharmer (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) anchors the line at center, where he is both a leader and a dominating force. Next to him at left guard is fellow senior Brock Backus.
The rest of the interior line are the aforementioned sophomores - tackles Beckett Ream (6-4, 230) and Drake Langlois (6-4, 230) and guard Alfonso Lopez (6-1, 220).
The biggest challenge will be replacing departed quarterback Bryan Convertini, a four-year starter who was at times last season a one-man show for the Crusaders, accounting for 16 of the
team’s 21 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Czerwon believes he has the man for the job in senior Bode Zygmuntowski, Convertini’s backup last season, who started at slot receiver and was also the team’s kickoff returner.
“Bode is a very diverse kid who can throw it and run it,” said Czerwon, who is assisted by Mike Ribecky, Jason Ribecky, and former North Muskegon head coach Mike Belmonte, who replaced Kolin Convertini. “He’s a very talented kid and we’re very excited to see what he can do.”
Senior fullback Timmy Railling will be a battering ram between the tackles, while the team’s veteran coaching staff is high on the potential of freshman speedster Nathan Rowan (5-9, 140).
“Nate is very quick and elusive and has some special skills running the ball,” said Czerwon. “He will be a very nice player as he continues to gain experience.”
One of the team’s top receiving targets was expected to be senior Will Fedewa, but he is still trying to work his way back after tearing his ACL during basketball season. The expected starters at end are seniors Carter Barron and Landon Luchies.
Many of the same players will be starting on defense as Czerwon said the Crusaders could have as many as 10 players going both ways. Scharmer, Langlois, Ream and Lopez are the projected starters on the defensive line, which is a quartet that should make it difficult for opponents to run the ball up the middle.
Railling, who was the team’s leader last year with 88 tackles, returns at inside linebacker, where he will be joined by Barron. The expected starters at outside linebacker are sophomores Joe Schneider and Orlando Sanchez.
Zygmuntowski and Neil Szymanski, the lone junior on the roster, will start at cornerback, with Rowan at free safety.
“We pride ourselves on stopping the run and that should be our strength again defensively,” said Czerwon, who calls the plays offensively and allows 48th-year MCC assistant Mike Ribecky to run the defense. “We need to be able to generate a pass rush and cover receivers downfield.”
The schedule features five home games, and started with a cross-state matchup on August 28 against traditional Division 8 power New Lothrop, which rallied for a late TD and two-point conversion in a 30-29 win in last year’s opener. That was the first of four losses by one touchdown or less in a hard-luck campaign, with the only win coming in Week 3 against Benton Harbor (49-8).
The only two local teams on the schedule are home games against Orchard View and Shelby in Weeks 5 and 6, respectively.
Czerwon said the team’s first goal, with just 19 players, is to stay healthy. The second goal is to win enough games to get back in the Division 8 playoffs (five wins should ensure a playoff berth, with four putting the Crusaders on the bubble).
“Our starting group is solid with some very talented kids that are working hard,” said Czerwon. “We are still a young team that we expect will keep getting better every single day.
“That is definitely our goal - to keep improving and to win enough games to get back in the playoffs, and then to be playing our best football at that time.”
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