Snowbirds Soar Again As 8-Player Power
October 4, 2019
By Chris Dobrowolski
Special for Second Half
GAYLORD — After the first three weeks of the football season, it didn’t look like anyone was going to be able to stop Gaylord St. Mary.
The Snowbirds, after all, had scored 215 points over three convincing victories during their first season since making the move to compete as an 8-player team.
But that high-powered, explosive offense was ground to a halt over the last two weeks. It wasn’t because of a sudden lack of execution by St. Mary. Nor was it due to a stout defense rising to the occasion. Rather, it was back-to-back forfeits by opponents who weren’t able to field teams that sidelined the Snowbirds’ dynamic attack with an unwanted midseason break.
“Our kids want to play, but unfortunately it is what it is,” said Gaylord St. Mary head coach Kevin O’Connell. “It stunk for the kids because I know they really wanted to look forward to Friday nights, especially homecoming.”
St. Mary tried to turn the two-week pause into a positive. They hit the reset button and went back to focusing on fundamentals, with short periods of live contact during quick, but effective practices.
“Our practices have been nothing short of awesome,” said O’Connell.
St. Mary will find out this week against Suttons Bay if the time off disrupted its offensive flow. But the players are confident the break was not a hinderance.
“I don’t think it broke our rhythm. I think it brought us closer together,” said quarterback Brady Hunter. “We were able to bang heads with each other, get some frustration out.”
Hunter is one of a multitude of weapons the Snowbirds have in their veer option attack. The senior quarterback is joined by a stable of talented running backs in seniors Steven Koscielniak and Logan Murrell, and juniors Christopher Koscielniak and Dominic Keister. Senior center Rory Curran anchors the offensive line.
“I like this offense,” said Steven Koscielniak. “This is what our team is about, quick and fast.”
While the Snowbirds’ scoreboard numbers are eye-popping, the team’s individual stats are more modest – partly because those main threats didn’t play in second halves of two games St. Mary was thoroughly dominating. Also, there is enough talent on board to share the wealth and not miss a beat.
“It’s everybody. There’s not just one player who runs it. It’s the whole team,” said Steven Koscielniak.
As the quarterback, however, Hunter is thrust into the important role of leading the group, a task he does well. The three-sport standout, who also excels at basketball and baseball, fittingly, has his pilot’s license.
“He’s one of the best leaders,” Steven Koscielniak said. “No doubt about it. He pushes us to the next level. He pushes us in practice, when we’re lifting.”
“He conducts himself the right way in everything,” O’Connell said of his signal caller. “He conducts practices. He speaks respectfully. He’s a great leader.”
Each of St. Mary’s skill players are returning starters, but it’s been a completely different experience this season for the Snowbirds, who were depleted by injuries and suffered through a 2-7 grind a season ago.
“We took our lumps,” said O’Connell, in his seventh year in charge of the Snowbirds. “A lot of that had to do with we were senior-laden the year prior and then a lot of the seniors last year didn’t get quality reps the year prior. High school football is extremely cyclical.”
Still, St. Mary had a good outlook for 2019. It had speed, athleticism, leadership and experience all on its side, plus a better fit as an 8-player team for a school its size.
“We definitely saw it coming,” said Hunter. “Last year we had a little bit of a rough season. Coming into 8-man we had all of our skill players returning. We knew this offensive power was here.”
The offense has been so impressive that it overshadows what the defense can do, but St. Mary is tough on that side of the ball as well. The Snowbirds’ depth allows them to have only a few players who play on both sides of the ball. Kyle Murphy and Chris Grody are disruptive on the defensive line, while Murrell leads the defensive backfield and Christopher Koscielniak – who his coach lauds for his toughness – is an all-state caliber linebacker.
“He’s not physically imposing, but he is so tough,” said O’Connell. “He’s disciplined. He’s good.
“We’re not big in stature. We just have a lot of tough kids.”
The astonishing thing is the Snowbirds have only started to tap their potential on offense. The team hasn’t even utilized some of its capabilities yet.
“We like to spread ourselves so we’re very diverse. If a team comes and stops our run, we’ve got a great spread offense, a great wing set and a lot of stuff we can throw at them,” said Hunter.
The time to introduce some of that could be coming as the schedule ramps up considerably when St. Mary finally steps back onto the field. The matchup at Suttons Bay is a showdown between unbeaten teams and is followed by contests against a pair of current 4-1 teams in Vestaburg and Mio — the latter a rematch from a 48-32 Week 2 game — and 3-2 Brethren.
“It’s definitely going to be fun,” said Hunter. “Those blowout games aren’t really fun for anyone. Suttons Bay’s a great team. Mio, (Vestaburg and Brethren) — they’re all great teams. It’s going to be a good battle towards the end of the season, and it’s really going to prepare us for playoffs.”
Chris Dobrowolski has covered northern Lower Peninsula sports since 1999 at the Ogemaw County Herald, Alpena News, Traverse City Record-Eagle and currently as sports editor at the Antrim Kalkaska Review since 2016. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Gaylord St. Mary’s Logan Murrell (7) follows Steven Koscielniak (1) and another blocker around the edge during a Week 3 win over Central Lake. (Middle) The Snowbirds bring down the Trojans' T.J. Schultz. (Photos by Sports in Motion.)
1st & Goal: 2024 Week 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 5, 2024
It’s only Week 2. We’re just getting started.
But at least five games this week look likely to end up counted among the most notable of the regular season, statewide, when all is said and done Oct. 26. Another handful could eventually determine league championships, if past history holds again.
We’re back to our regular schedule, with six games played Thursday night, the great majority tonight and seven games set for Saturday. All listed below are today unless noted, and scores will be updated throughout the weekend on the MHSAA Scores page.
Bay & Thumb
Armada (1-0) at Croswell-Lexington (1-0) WATCH
The Blue Water Area Conference schedule begins tonight, and Croswell-Lexington owns a 19-game winning streak against Armada after claiming last year’s meeting 53-28. But the Tigers are coming off a third-straight winning season, and a third-straight victory last week over perennial power Marine City – and a historic Armada win tonight would throw a wrench into the Pioneers’ plans to take back the BWAC for the first time since 2021.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Haslett (0-1) at Fenton (1-0), Goodrich (0-1) at Linden (0-1) WATCH, Saginaw Heritage (1-0) at Midland Dow (0-1), SATURDAY Harbor Beach (1-0) at Marine City Cardinal Mooney (0-1).
Greater Detroit
Warren De La Salle Collegiate (1-0) at Detroit Martin Luther King (1-0)
This might be one of the most anticipated games statewide this year, not just one of the best of the week in Metro Detroit. The 2023 Division 2 runner-up Pilots began their pursuit of a fourth-straight trip to the Finals with a stunning defensive effort and 21-3 win over Davison last week. King is attempting to get back to the Finals this fall for the third time in four seasons after ending their run in the Division 3 Semifinals a year ago, and the Crusaders opened with a 25-21 win over Ohio powerhouse Cleveland Heights. King and De La Salle last faced each other in a 2017 Semifinal.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY West Bloomfield (1-0) at Birmingham Groves (1-0) WATCH, Clarkston (0-1) at Southfield Arts & Technology (1-0) WATCH, Jackson Lumen Christi (1-0) at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (1-0) WATCH, Muskegon Mona Shores (1-0) at River Rouge (1-0) WATCH.
Mid-Michigan
DeWitt (1-0) at Mason (1-0)
After falling to DeWitt five straight meetings over the eight seasons, Mason defeated the Panthers twice in 2023 – 42-23 during the regular season and 42-7 in a District Final – on the way to finishing Division 3 runner-up. The Bulldogs graduated nearly all of their starters from that run, but the new crew joined four-year starting quarterback Cason Carswell in downing Holt 26-7 to open this fall. DeWitt has nearly its entire lineup back from a year ago and also one of the top quarterbacks both in the Lansing area and statewide – Elliott Larner, who threw for four touchdowns and ran for four in the Panthers’ 69-42 win over Haslett.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Lansing Catholic (1-0) at Lansing Sexton (0-1) WATCH, Olivet (1-0) at Portland (1-0), Hastings (1-0) at Williamston (0-1) WATCH, Bath (0-1) at Pewamo-Westphalia (1-0) WATCH.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Kingsley (0-1) at Gaylord (0-1) WATCH
Forget for a minute that both fell in openers last week. Gaylord is coming off its best season since 2002 after finishing 11-1, and Kingsley is the reigning Division 6 champion with one of its two losses last fall in a 42-39 classic against the Blue Devils. Back to last week, Kingsley did lose 24-22 but it was a rematch of its 2023 Semifinal win over Reed City. Gaylord’s defeat came against longtime former league foe Traverse City West, but the defense that gave up only 14.5 points per game last season remained on point, allowing just six to the Titans.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Maple City Glen Lake (1-0) at Frankfort (1-0) WATCH, Boyne City (0-1) at Elk Rapids (1-0), Parma Western (1-0) at Traverse City Central (1-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Lawton (1-0) at Traverse City St. Francis (1-0) WATCH.
Southeast & Border
Saline (1-0) at Dexter (1-0)
The Southeastern Conference Red season also begins tonight, and with the matchup that eventually determined last year’s league championship. That went to Saline, thanks to a 41-25 victory over Dexter, and the Hornets opened last week by doubling up Brighton 41-20. The Dreadnaughts actually come into this rematch on a higher note than a year ago after edging Livonia Franklin 27-26 last week, avenging their 33-27 loss to Franklin from last season’s opener.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Whitmore Lake (1-0) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (1-0), Addison (1-0) at Manchester (1-0) WATCH, Three Rivers (1-0) at Adrian (0-1) WATCH, Jonesville (1-0) at Napoleon (0-1).
Southwest Corridor
White Pigeon (1-0) at Buchanan (1-0) WATCH
More statewide fanfare should be given to White Pigeon’s fantastic run over the last three seasons, as the Chiefs went a combined 29-7 with three trips to Division 8 Regional Finals. They opened in dominant fashion 52-14 over Reading last week, but get a Buchanan team that also has been quietly solid with a combined 15-6 record over the last two seasons – and with two of last year’s defeats by seven points apiece. The Bucks opened last week with a 32-6 rumbling over Saugatuck, which avenged a 25-14 opening loss to the Trailblazers from a year ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY St. Joseph (1-0) at Edwardsburg (1-0), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (1-0) at Portage Central (0-1) WATCH, Battle Creek Central (0-1) at Battle Creek Harper Creek (1-0), Midland (1-0) at Portage Northern (0-1) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Calumet (1-0) at Ishpeming Westwood (1-0) WATCH
Both of these teams are looking for bounce-back seasons, and off on the right foot. Calumet went 3-6 a year ago, its first sub-.500 finish since 2013, but opened with a 50-0 shutout of West Iron County last week. Westwood won once in 2023, its fewest victories since going 2-7 in 2016, but opened last week with a 36-12 win over Bark River-Harris, which finished 5-4 a year ago and defeated the Patriots 50-14 to start last season. Calumet defeated Westwood in last season’s matchup 42-22.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hancock (1-0) at Menominee (1-0) WATCH, Iron Mountain (1-0) at Bark River-Harris (0-1) WATCH, Houghton (0-1) at Kingsford (1-0) WATCH, Gladstone (0-1) at Negaunee (1-0) WATCH.
West Michigan
Muskegon (0-1) at Rockford (1-0) WATCH
West Michigan has several intriguing matchups this week, especially in places with new coaches this fall. But this one always will rise to the highest level of statewide interest. Rockford won their season-opening clash last year 27-7, and Muskegon actually started last year 0-2 before winning 12 straight games and the Division 2 title. Both programs surely benefit greatly from these mega matchups early, and that’s key perspective as the Big Reds also opened this season with a loss, 28-13 to Zeeland West. Rockford is a combined 32-3 over the last three seasons and may be on the verge of something even bigger this fall after defeating Detroit Cass Tech 30-23 in their opener.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY East Kentwood (1-0) at Byron Center (1-0), Grand Rapids South Christian (1-0) at East Grand Rapids (1-0) WATCH, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (1-0) at Jenison (1-0), Caledonia (1-0) at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (0-1) WATCH.
8-Player
Martin (1-0) at Bridgman (1-0)
With Martin the reigning two-time Division 1 champion, and Bridgman building a combined 35-game winning streak going back to 2020 (but with an enrollment too large to compete in the 8-player playoffs), it’s safe to say these have been two of the elite handful of teams in the state to start this decade. And their matchups have been must-see; Bridgman won 35-34 in 2022 and 14-12 last season. Although Bridgman also faces 2023 Division 1 runner-up Indian River Inland Lakes in Week 4, this could prove for both to be their biggest game of the regular season again.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Morrice (1-0) at Merrill (1-0) WATCH, Lake Linden-Hubbell (0-1) at Munising (1-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Newberry (0-1) vs. Climax-Scotts (0-1) at Gaylord, Marion (1-0) at Onekama (1-0) WATCH.
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PHOTO A Montague ball carrier attempts to break free last week from multiple Forest Hills Eastern defenders, including Jordan Shabazz (23). FHE won the opener 48-7. (Photo by Michigan Sports Photo.)