Breaking News
Local Sports

Making an investment: Young Mustangs took lumps last year to get more experience

By Steve Brownlee 5 min read

MUNISING -- The 2025 season was an investment into the future for the Munising High School football team.

It wasn't what veteran head coach Matt Mattson necessarily wanted, but he sees that from what turned into an 0-9 campaign a year ago when the Mustangs gave up 30 points every game and only scored in double digits three times.

"Yeah, we had a lot of young kids last year, so we've at least gained some experience from that," Mattson said before MHS opened its eight-player football season against a powerhouse Norway team at home on Thursday night.

The Knights not only went 9-0 in the regular season last year, winning every one of those games by at least 20 points, but reached the MHSAA Division 1 playoff semifinals before bowing out to eventual state runner-up Blanchard Montabella and finishing 11-1.

That game is just one of three to open the season against what is likely the toughest part of Munising's schedule that includes a road trip to traditional powerhouse Forest Park next Thursday and a home encounter against always-tough Lake Linden-Hubbell the following week.

Mattson hopes having a big number of last year's players back can be cashed in by at least contending for a Division 1 playoff spot.

"Obviously, you've got to stay away from injuries when you don't have great numbers, but I feel like we'll have a chance if we do that," the coach said about his 15-player varsity unit. "Then let's see what happens in that first month of the season. That's a really tough part of our schedule.

"If we get one win, maybe even two, then we can go from there."

He has guided the Mustangs to the playoffs in four of the past six years, including to the D-1 semifinals in 2022 when MHS missed a spot in the Superior Dome-hosted finals by two points.

"The kids are working hard, and I like that with 12 players on JV, we have enough with our combined practices," Mattson said.

Starting on offense, the coach also likes where his charges are at.

"I feel pretty good about our run game, we just need to find more skill players," Mattson said. "Some guys are there, but just that they don't have a ton of experience.

"We have a bunch of kids around the 180-pound range who run fairly well, which is pretty good in eight-man."

Leading the way is junior quarterback Jacob Coppick, who at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, returns at the position after a knee injury only allowed him to play about half of last season.

"He throws it well and is plenty physical enough to run with the ball, too," his coach stated.

Seniors Brody Johns and Keelan Hase are the leading running backs to start the campaign, partially because junior Levi Hauler pulled a hamstring just a few days back that may hamper him for awhile.

"Our running backs are pretty good," Mattson said.

At tight end, senior Nolan Dolaskie has made a name for himself as a wrestler during the winter season with some state tournament runs and brings some of that grit to the gridiron.

"Nolan is a hard-nosed kid, a good athlete, and he even runs cross country at the same time in football season," Mattson said.

Senior Blake Tyner is something of hybrid tight end-wide receiver and will see plenty of time with whatever he's needed to do.

Munising's top true receiver should be junior Andre Hart.

On the line, a trio averaging close to 200 pounds will protect all those skill players -- senior center Brandon Boyak, senior guard Ethan Petersen and sophomore guard Brevin Connaughton.

Many of the same names pop up when talking defense.

Petersen and junior Chase Hauler are set at defensive tackle, with Johns and Boyak at inside linebacker, and Tyner and junior Keenan Nesberg at outside linebacker.

And then there will be the "H" gang roaming the secondary, Hart and Hase.

On special teams, Mattson expects to have Dolaskie handle kickoffs and any placekicking duties, Coppick the punting, and Hart and Hase punt and kick returns.

With the ever-evolving scene in eight-player football, the Upper Peninsula-based Great Lakes Eight Conference underwent more changes this past offseason.

With the departure of four eastern U.P. teams to the Bridge Alliance, Munising shifted to the West Division, which more properly should be called the "Big Kahuna" Division, as all the U.P. Division 1 teams are there, along with Division 2's North Central and LL-H.

There are nine teams altogether in the West, while the East Division was left with five squads, all D-2 schools including Superior Central, which appears on Munising's schedule in Game 7 in early October.

Story contents based on a telephone interview with Munising head football coach Matt Mattson. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

Starting at /week.