CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — Cedar Springs will kickoff the season Thursday night at East Grand Rapids in the Blitz Game of the Week.
The Red Hawks expect to be a different team this fall after a "program reset" in the off season.
Head coach Gus Kapolka is entering his 11th season leading the program and says the changes were not about the team's 0-4 start last year or first round playoff exit, instead were because of how they played and interacted as a team.
The roster has been trimmed, but the players are excited about who they have and what they have accomplished the last several months.
"I think this off season has probably been one of the best in our program history, it has been great," Cedar Springs senior fullback Dylan Fontsee said. "Our attendance has been off the charts compared to last year's and I think losing first round of the playoffs last year like we did, it built a fire in these guys to get at it during the off season. We've never been more mentally prepared week one as we are now."
The team believes the changes have got the program back to its roots.
"We have really gone back to what Cedar Springs football really is," Red Hawks senior linebacker Nate Slager said. "Grounding and pounding, holding up the standard of what we know we can do. We know what we're worth and just having high character guys who are willing to put their life on the line for this game."
The smaller numbers and decision not to play anybody on both sides of the ball means some young and talented guys are getting a shot.
"We're going to start a lot of young guys," Kapolka said. "We are going to start a freshman and three sophomores on defense. We have a ton of wrestlers sprinkled in out there, we have a couple guys as sophomores that were state placers as freshman last year in the state tournament. The goal is to just get back to being gritty, abrasive and physical and I think those guys bring it, they might not look very impressive getting off the bus, but they'll play real hard."
Cedar believes that the offensive line can be a strength of the team, they return three starters up front.
"I think those guys, just getting that experience has helped them out greatly," Fontsee said about the returning lineman. "They feel way more confident up front and they are able to move people more and with our strength coach, the incredible work he's done just building their muscle and getting them stronger and be able to move people and the backfield knowing what to do more, I think it's going to get our offense rolling a lot more than it did last year."
Game one is taking on a whole new purpose for the Red Hawks after last season's tough start. Tomorrow night's game at East Grand Rapids is a very important one.
"After last year it's probably more important than any other year," Kapolka said about the opener. "We started 0-4, which I've never, as a head coach, experienced, got shutout two of our first four games. When I say we have to start fast, this is not coach speak, we have to start fast."
Friday night's start at the Pioneers Memorial Field has been pushed back an hour to 8 p.m. due to the heat.
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