Coldwater's Coffing and Munson earn All I-8 1st team Football honors; Ruden and Johns nab HM

The Coldwater Cardinals entered into a bit of a rebuild in 2022 on the gridiron, as the coaching staff led by Jeff Schorfhaar was tasked with replacing a bevy of starters on both sides of the ball. While that rebuilding year proved to have its rough spots, there was no lack of effort from the red and white, as Coldwater battled in every game and showed flashes of greatness throughout the year.

While Coldwater’s success and growth on and off the field did not necessarily translate to wins, as the Cardinals finished the season at 1-8 overall with their lone win coming against Interstate 8 rival Pennfield, strides were made and Coldwater ended the season playing their best football of the year. In the final game of 2022 Coldwater took the Parma Western Panthers, a playoff team at Division 3, to the very brink, falling by just a single score 35-28 after leading much of the game.

As for the Interstate 8 conference itself, the Hastings Saxons won the conference for the second straight season, finishing the year with an undefeated record of 7-0 in the conference and 10-2 overall. The eventual Division 7 state champions, the Lumen Christi Titans, finished in second place with a conference record of 6-1 overall and parlayed that success into a run to another MHSAA state crown, defeating Traverse City St. Francis in the D7 State Finals. Parma Western finished in third place in the conference with a record of 5-3, followed by Marshall at 4-4, Northwest at 3-4, Harper Creek at 3-4, Coldwater at 1-6, and Pennfield at 0-7.

With the season now behind us it is time to look back on the year that was, as the Interstate 8 conference announced its All Conference Football honors, and a handful of Cardinals were recognized for their work throughout the year.

Interstate 8 All Conference First Team

A pair of Cardinals earned Interstate 8 All Conference First Team honors for the 2022 season, both on the offensive side of the ball. Honored by the conference coaches were junior quarterback Zach Coffing and senior wide receiver/tight end Hunter Munson.

Coffing, who was honored as one of two quarterbacks on the Interstate 8 First Team, stepped into the full time role at quarterback brilliantly for the Cardinals as the junior lefty showed flashes of brilliance with both his feet and his arm.

Coffing was the true definition of a dual threat quarterback, leading the Cardinals in both passing and rushing. Coffing led the Cardinals in passing after completing 62 of 134 passes for 697 years and four touchdowns. The big junior also led the team on the ground, carrying the ball 134 times for 592 yards with five touchdowns scored. In all, Coffing was responsible for 1289 yards of offense to lead Coldwater, scoring a team high nine total touchdowns. Coffing was also no slouch on the defensive side of the ball, ending the season as the teams leading tackler with 38 total tackles, including two for a loss with one interception.

Coffing will return next year to lead a revamped Coldwater offense that is due for an influx of talent from a very talented junior varsity and eighth grade class. Coffing will undoubtedly step into the senior leadership role as he looks to lead the Cardinals back to the top of the Interstate 8.

Munson saw his first extended amount of playing time in this his senior season and made the most of it, showcasing his playmaking ability and athleticism after earning Interstate 8 All Conference First Team honors as a wide receiver/tight end.

Munson led the team in receiving yardage, hauling in 21 catches over the nine game season for 301 yards and two scores, with a long catch of 59 yards. Munson also was used in various other roles, including on the ground and a bit with his arm. Munson completed 3 of 4 passes for 56 total yards on the year, while also rushing the ball 12 times for 46 yards and one touchdown. Munson was also a major key to the Coldwater defense, notching 23 total tackles, including two for a loss.

The full Interstate 8 All Conference First Team are as follows:

Offense

QB: Zach Coffing, Coldwater; Joe Lathers, Lumen ChristiRB: KeyShaun Matthews, Harper Creek; Derrek Walker, Lumen Christi; Robert Slaughter, Hastings; Lanny Teunessen, Hastings; Alex Trudell, Parma WesternWR/TE: Hunter Munson, Coldwater; Conor Smith, Lumen Christi; Jake Jacoby, Marshall; Brenden Duncan, Pennfield.OL: Aiden Pastoriza, Lumen Christi; Cooper Cumberworth, Lumen Christi; Nick Ryan, Marshall; Zander Forbes, Hastings; Jared Love, Hastings; Easton Craig, Northwest; James Daly, Parma Western.

Defense

DL: Brody McKerchie, Harper Creek; Garrett Slider, Lumen Christi; Johnny Zacharski, Marshall; Diego Coipel, Hastings; Brady Plate, Parma Western.LB: Davian Franklin, Lumen Christi; Hogan McCleary, Marshall; Jack Kensington, Hastings; Landon Heavy, Parma Western; Luke Teachout, Parma Western.DB: Reid Garcia, Lumen Christi; Elliott Dodds, Marshall; Carter Fairley, Northwest; Layton Eastman, Hastings; Jet Barnum, Hastings; Caden Oliver, Parma Western.

Kicker: Maddox Grimes, NorthwestPunter: Noah Berdiner, Parma Western.

Interstate 8 All Conference Honorable Mention

Two Coldwater Cardinals earned recognition from the conference coaches for their work on the gridiron this season with Interstate 8 Honorable Mention honors, as the duo of Jack Ruden and Garrett Johns were both recognized.

Ruden came into the season a bit undersized for his spot in the box on defense, but someone seemed to forget to tell him. The 5’9”, 155 pound defender played havoc with opposing offenses, routinely making the big stop for his Cardinal defense. Ruden played in eight games this season, recording 24 total tackles with one and a half tackle for a loss under his belt.

Ruden also saw a little time on offense for the Cardinals, carrying the ball 12 times for 76 yards while also hauling in four catches for 54 yards and one touchdown. Ruden will return next season looking to lead the Cardinals on both sides of the ball with his leadership, energy and grit.

Johns saw his first extended time at the varsity level this season and made the most of it, serving as one of the main defenders for the ever improving Coldwater defense. Johns finished the season playing in seven games, recording 22 total tackles, including one for a loss. Johns will also return next season looking to help lead Coldwater back to the top of the conference standings.

The full list of Interstate 8 All Conference Honorable Mention honorees are as follows:

Coldwater: Jack Ruden and Garrett JohnsPennfield: Braden Austin, Kaiden Guthrie, Trenton Dolloway, and Isaiah AdamsMarshall: Austin Miller, Aiden Noel, Luke Holbrook and Brady KoeningLumen Christi: Luke Smith, Charlie Konkle, Britton Hampton, and Kadale WilliamsHarper Creek: Ricky Johnson, Jimmy Leamy, Cooper Fry and Brady SouthfieldParma Western: Aidan Duncan, Gibson French, Mitchell Williams, and Jack LaPorteNorthwest: Izayiah Hawes, JJ Miller, Antonio Green, and Charles SimpkinsHastings: Jackson Clow, Tom Hollars, Aiden SaintArmour, and Landon Stewart.

Congratulations to all those student-athletes who earned recognition with Interstate 8 All Conference Football honors for the 2022 season.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Coldwater places four on Interstate 8 All Conference Football team