Kalkaska brings back 17 of 22 starters

James Cook, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·4 min read

Aug. 23—KALKASKA — One of the best things about underclassmen is eventually they become upperclassmen.

That's what Kalkaska is looking forward to 2022 — with a large group of juniors and seniors back from last year's youthful team that took its lumps during a 1-8 campaign but hope that experience serves it well this time around.

The Blazers return nine starters on defense and eight on offense as one of the more intact teams in the area.

"We're definitely a lot more advanced," senior Chris Gay said of having all that returning experience. "We're more knowledgeable this year. We have a lot more skill. The only thing we're really lacking this year is big guys in our lineup. That's what we lost last year."

Kalkaska lost starting linemen Jake Schaub and Jacob Birgy and receiver Justin Harlan on offense, with even fewer defensive starters lost to graduation.

Gay, who starts at running back and played left wing for Bay Reps hockey last year, said his experiences on the gridiron and on the ice have gone hand in hand.

"Getting low out here, it really helps," Gay said last week after Kalkaska's scrimmage in Lake City. "In hockey, getting low really helps out. That's where all your power is —when you're down low."

Kalkaska started last season with a promising 30-28 win over Elk Rapids, one that snapped a 26-game losing streak. The Blazers lost the final eight contests of the season, including a forfeit to Grayling because of a COVID-19 outbreak and a season-finale 49-28 setback against the Elks.

Still, the Blazers put up some solid games against playoff teams, scoring 30 points on 8-2 Charlevoix, 20 against 6-4 Bark River-Harris and 16 versus 9-2 Boyne City.

"Those guys took their lumps and they learned a lot," Kalkaska head coach Jeremy Wilkinson said. "They're pretty sick of taking those lumps, week in and week out not having success."

Kalkaska has only one sophomore on varsity after eight played up last season. Three of those sophomores started on the offensive line.

Guards Josh Iott and Robert Dent, tackle Eli Dodge and center Dylan Iott all played significantly last season, with senior Tim Anderson back at tight end.

"You go back to experience," Wilkinson said. "The last few years, we were really young, not many seniors and not a whole lot of experience. Things look much better this year at this point than they did last year."

Landen Hart returns at quarterback, with Nate Babich and Brad Elkins joining Gay in the backfield.

"We want to make the playoffs this year," Gay said. "That's what we want to do, at least. At least win five or six games. We don't want to have a losing record."

Logan Leadman, the only sophomore up, is battling for a starting cornerback spot. The Blazers also have Kingsley senior transfer Braden Rohring adding to the secondary and receiver spots.

"It kind of feels like family," Gay said. "All of us are buddies. We always hang out outside of football. We're always together. It feels a lot better than last year. There's a lot better tempo."

The Blazers added former Elk Rapids and Traverse City Wolves head coach Tony Moller as defensive coordinator.

Kalkaska also has more to draw upon in terms of numbers, with 25 on varsity and another 16 rostered on junior varsity, with a small sophomore class and mostly freshmen making up the JV team.

"What is nice about having numbers and depth is that you have competition as well," Wilkinson said. "So those guys have to compete every single day. If you want to be the guy, you have to compete. In the past when we haven't had numbers, it's just kind of been, 'Well all I have to do is be better than the one guy behind me. I can do the bare minimum and play.'"

The Blazers add Tawas, which switched Northern Michigan Football Conference divisions, playing Elk Rapids only once this season. Tawas joined the NMFC-Leaders this season, and the two play for the first time in Week Four.

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