Marlette Fall Sports Preview

Marlette Varsity Football

Coach:  Dennis Lester
Years as Head Coach at Marlette:  22
Overall Record Last Year: 5 wins, 5 losses
League Record:  2 wins, 3 losses
Career Record at Marlette:  96 wins 101 losses
Overall W/L Record: 96 wins 101 losses
Players lost from last year:  2 Returning Letterwinners:  14
Starting Offense Returnees:  9
Starting Defensive Returnees:  9
Offense:  Spread
Defense:  Multiple
Returning Starters Offense: QB: Quintin Sartin; RB: Logan Malloy/Tyler Izydorek; WB: Westley Chapin; FB: Domonic Crossno; TE: Aaron Bower (3rd year varsity); TE: Triston King; OL: Dow Huggett; OL: Connor Kelly (3rd year varsity); OL: John Machia
Returnees: Aaron Bower, Sr., TE/LB; Connor Kelly, Sr., OL/LB; Quintin Sartin, Sr., QB/DB; Logan Malloy, Sr., RB/DB; Triston King, Sr., OL/LB; John Machia, Sr., OL/DL; Tyler Izydorek, Sr., RB/DB, Braden Gonzalez, Sr., OL/DL; Westley Chapin, Jr., RB/DB ;Dow Huggett, Jr., OL/DL; Domonic Crossno,Jr. RB/LB; Trey Lester, So., QB/DB; Adam Wilcox, So.,RB/DL; Julius Johnson, So., OL/DL
Key Returnees Skill: Quintin Sartin: 143 rushes for 721 yards & 12 TDs, 28 out of 61 for 623 yards – 7 TDs & 3 INTs; Westley Chapin: 59 rushes for 496 yards & 6 TDs, 7 receptions for 233 yards & 3 TDs; Logan Malloy: 79 rushes for 472 yards & 7 TDs; Tyler Izydorek: 67 rushes for 340 yards & 5 TDs; Aaron Bower: 13 receptions for 196 yards & 2 TDs; Adam Wilcox: 21 rushes for 242 yards & 3 TDs
We are very excited with the skill players that we have back this season. We have 99% of our rushing back from a very young team last year. All of these guys are capable of having big games. Both Logan and Tyler have looked great throughout the summer and our early practices. Quintin is a strong quarterback that really was a weapon running the ball last year. We need him to take that next step throwing the ball. He is very capable at being a very good passer. He has been working hard at the passing game in practice. We like where we are right now in practice. Westley is our big play guy. He lines up primarily at wing back and his speed and strength makes him very dangerous. As a junior, we have high hopes that he is going to take that next step and be even more explosive this year. The one area at the skill position that we have this year is depth. We really depended on Quintin, Logan, Tyler and Westley last year. This year we have guys that are going to step in and really help us out. Adam and Trey both played a lot of football for us as freshman on the defensive side. Both are very good athletes that have the ability to make plays. Domonic Crossno started on offense last year at fullback and tight end. He was so important to our running game. We really think that he can add more to our offense than just being the hammer in the running game. We also have two really good tight ends in Aaron Bower and Triston King. They are both great blockers in the running game. Aaron was the bigger target in the passing game last year. Triston has really improved his hands this year. He will factor into the passing game more this season.
Offensive Line: I love the group of guys we have up front this year. Add in our two tight ends and we believe that we can be very good up front. Connor is coming back for his third year as a starting guard. He is the best puller I have ever coached. He is quick and does work when he gets up the hole. He is set up for a great senior season. John Machia is back at our strong tackle. John is a worker. He loves moving people. He has increased his strength and is looking to take that next step as an all-conference lineman. Dow Huggett started at quick tackle for us last year but is moving to center. Dow was our most improved player as a sophomore last year. He improved so much. He works incredibly hard. We hope that he continues his upward trajectory. We have two sophomores that will be rounding our offensive lines. Julius Johnson is our strongest kid in the program. He played a good amount last year at the end of the season starting in our last three games. He is a very good athlete for his size. We are very excited to see how he progresses this season. RJ Davis will be rounding us out up front. He will be lining up at quick tackle. He has worked very hard this off season to play varsity football. His hard work is translating to the practice field as well.
Defensive Returning Starters: D-Line: Adam Wilcox, Dow Huggett, Braden Gonzalez, Aaron Bower; LB: Triston King (before injury), Connor Kelly; DB: Quintin Sartin, Westley Chapin, Logan Malloy, Trey Lester
Quintin Sartin – 30 solos & 7 Assist – 4 TFLs; Connor Kelly – 24 solos & 10 assists – 5 TFLs – 1.5 sacks; Adam Wilcox – 25 solos 4 assists – 6.5 TFLs – 2.5 sacks; Logan Malloy – 20 solos 4 assists – 2 TFLs; Trey Lester – 17 solos & 5 assists – 2.5 TFLs; Westley Chapin – 17 solos & 5 assists – 1 TFL
There is no doubt that we struggled defensively last year. We were so young and inexperience and it showed. It was a big disappointment that we did not improve as much as the year went on. I think a lot of that had to do with our low numbers. It was so hard to practice. We have taken the entire off-season as a coaching staff looking at the personnel that we have and tailoring our scheme based on that. We feel like we have some players on our roster that can be very good defensive players. Our goal is to put our best eleven players on the field defensively. Our defensive line can be a plus for us this year. We have six to seven kids that can really contribute there. We feel like we can get really good play from a lot of guys. Adam, Dow, and Braden have the most experience from last year. We expect a lot from them. John Machia played some on the defensive line last year and he has been pushing for more time with the way he practices. We’d really like to get a nice rotation going in there to keep guys fresh. At defensive end, we have some nice players. Aaron will be starting his third year there so he has a ton of experience. He understands how to play the position. We have a couple of sophomores playing there as well in Julius Johnson and RJ Davis. Both have excellent size for the position. Last year, we really struggled at linebacker. We did not get enough production from that position. We have to find a way to get our guys to play fast. They need to get their reads and go. Coach Hartsell has taken on the task of coaching up the linebackers. He is doing a great job with teaching the ins and outs of the position. We have a real battle going on there for playing time. Both Triston and Connor have experience there. We’ve added Adam Wilcox, Dominic Crossno and Ryan Ramirez to that position and both are working hard to get some time. The best two will play. At defensive back, we have a lot of guys coming back with a ton of experience. We feel really solid back here. Westley, Quintin, Logan, Tyler and Trey all started games last year. They all bring their own strengths to the back end. We feel like we have some very talented guys back here and that we can really be good.
How I see this year’s team: Last year, our guys really surprised us with the amount of guys we lost from the year before. We did not have a lot of numbers. We used the fifth quarter rule to the max. We were able to really improve as the season progressed. Being able to make the playoffs really gave us some confidence going into the offseason. The kids have really worked hard and are excited to show what they can do each and every Friday night. We have a lot of experience coming back. That is always a good feeling as a coach. We were able to start practice off knowing so much more than last season. We have been able to add more to our offense because we are so much further ahead. I really like the way our offense is shaping up. We have a ton of experience on the offensive line and they will be paving the way for our guys in the backfield. We need to continue to work to play lower and to the whistle each and every play. Defensively, the coaching staff has worked hard on putting a defensive scheme together that fits our personnel. We are trying to put the kids into positions that will make us successful. We know that the only way for us to take the next step this season is to play better defense. That has been a focus in practice for our entire program. We talk about it all of the time. We feel like we have a group of kids that can really go out and compete each and every night. It’s a group that has high expectations for this season. They are working hard in practice to be able to be the best team we can possibly be.
How I see the league: Like each and every season, the GTC-East is going to be an extremely tough division to be in. Ubly, Harbor Beach and Sandusky are going to have very good teams this coming fall. Memphis and Bad Axe will both have new coaching staffs this season so they are really teams that we don’t know much about. Harbor Beach has a lot of good players coming back along with some very talented youngsters. Sandusky has some really good skill players that will make things challenging. Everyone will have to go through Ubly though. They are led by the best athlete in our division in Evan Peruski. They have great coaching staff and bring back a lot of quality players from their Division 8 runner up team. The GTC-East is going to be a grind once again. We know that we have an experienced group of kids that have the capability to play at a high level. I love the way our kids are working in practice. If they can continue that and really focus in on the little things to get better than I think we are in for a good season this fall.

Marlette Junior Varsity Football

Marlette Varsity Volleyball

Head Coach: Brandi Bishop Coaching Record 77-72-3 Last Year’s Record (league)12-0 (overall) 31-10-1
Key returning athletes: Gabby Martinez(Sen.), Emma Heussner(Sen.), Olivia Findlay(Sen.), Dalaney Gage(Sen.), Adi Ruggles(Sen.), Lily Lemanski(Sen.)
Comments on returning players:
Gabby Martinez is a 4-year varsity starter that worked hard in the off season to prepare for this season. She’s explosive at the net and reads other hitters well.
Emma Heussner is a returning setter, she hustles all over the court and can take the ball over herself if needed.
Olivia Findlay is a returning outside hitter, she has a powerful swing and a great jump serve.
Dalaney Gage is taking over the libero position this season, she’s very quick and can read the hitters well.
Adi Ruggles is a returning outside hitter, 6 rotation player that plays hard and stays positive at all times.
Lily Lemanski has improved her vertical and swing since last season and is becoming a force on the right side.
Lost to graduation: Hollie Hartwell, Ciatilyn Keys, Josephine Hinojosa
New athletes to the team: Abi Rohling(Fr.) Megan Bartz(Soph.), Tilli Ruggles(Fr.), Emmy Crane(Jun.)
Comments about your team’s strengths/weaknesses and any goals for the season: We have a very skilled group of seniors back this season that were a big part of our success last year. The younger girls are mixing in well and eager to learn. We have a lot of skill and depth on our roster.
Outlook for your league – Where do you see you team fitting in? We are looking to be very competitive in the league again this season. We know that Brown City had a rebuilding year last season and will be tough this year.

Marlette Junior Varsity Volleyball

Marlette Boys and Girls Varsity Cross Country

Varsity Girls Cross Country Preview

Coach’s Name/Years Coaching:Foster Findlay 27
Coaching Staff/Assistant Coaches: Rachel Bennett
Team’s record and finish last season:3rd in League
Key returners with comments:
This year we return Lily Lemanski and Alexandra Findlay. Key losses to graduation: Abbey Meyer, Devyn McIntyre and Isabella Hinijosa will be missed greatly. They were amazing teammates and worked very hard.
Top new prospects:
Chloe Ludwig and Maggie Cox are both new to running this season. They are improving greatly and have learned to work very hard. I look forward to watching them improve this season.
Player(s) to watch:
Alexandra Findlay was second team All-conference last season and just missed qualifying for the state meet. Alexandra is working hard and looking to improve on her accolades from last season. Lily Lemaski was first-team All-Conference last year and qualified for the state finals in Brooklyn. She is looking to continue her success in the League and looking to make the podium for the State Meet.
Team strengths: The kids are very easy to coach and they work very hard.
Team goals: Improving on last year’s performances and continuing to work hard
Comments on your league/conference: I expect Ubly and Sandusky to be on top of the League,
Season Expectations: Improving on last year’s performance and continuing to increase our numbers in the future.

Varsity Boys Cross Country Preview

Coach’s Name/Years Coaching:Foster Findlay 27
Coach’s Record:NA
Coaching Staff/Assistant Coaches: Rachel Bennett
Team’s record and finish last season:5th in League
Key returners with comments/last season’s honors/grade:
This year we return Turlough Bennett, Nino Perna, Caden Meyer, Cameron King and Anthony Rosario and Luke Thomas.
Key losses to graduation: Dakota McCombs was our team captain and an amazing teammate.
Player to watch with comment:
Nino Perna had a good track season and is improving on his form each week. We look for him to earn All-Conference Accolades and improve significantly from last season.
Turlough Bennett was first-team All-Conference last year and qualified for the state finals in Brooklyn. He is looking to continue his success in the League and earn All-State accolades at the final Meet.
Team strengths: The kids are working very hard and are willing to put in extra training to improve.
Team goals: Improving on last year’s performances and improving on our League/Regional finish from last season.
Comments on your league/conference: I expect Ubly and Brown City to be on top of the League.
Season expectations: Improving on last year’s League performance while sending more athletes to the State finals.