HOWARD CITY, Mich. — Tri-County football will look a bit different after a large graduating class, but the new Vikings are more than ready to fill their shoes.
“Our expectation and what we need to do every year is to set the bar high and our linemen last year set the bar high,” said Tri-County Head Coach Phil Butler.
All five starting linemen will be replace this season.
“So I think our guys are more excited to step into their shoes rather than thinking they have to fill them,” said Butler.
The Vikings finished last year 7-3 with back to back losses to Belding and Kingsford, ending the 2023 season. While they’re are new faces, the returning skill players can’t wait to take the field.
I’m just excited to have fun. I’m excited to build a bond. I’m excited to hit. We’re ready to win some games and prove that we don’t need a 70 man roster to win. We like to have fun with what we have and we have a lot of talent so we’re ready to use it,” said Jayden Button.
“It helps that last year we had great leaders and they set the standards. We’re here to keep those standards high, and keep going,” said Cade Hallman.
Phil Butler has been the leader at Tri-County for the last 12 years. Him, along with his veteran staff, will make sure their team is ready to face the tough schedule they’ve created this year.
“Last year we could make mid-game adjustments, we could do a lot of things just because those guys had played together. This year we’re very prepared on what to do and what we have to teach in this moment. We’re still going to be somewhat explosive with the guys we have back. The younger guys are starting to figure it out on the offensive line and I’m excited to see their ceiling,” said Butler.
Despite the changes, there is one thing that remains the same. Tri-County has grit.
“We love to hit. We always get called like the toughest hitters. We don’t ever quit. We always hit as hard as we do during the 1st quarter compared to the 4th,” said Button
The Vikings will kick off the 2024 season on Friday, August 30th on the road at Comstock Park starting at 7pm.
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