BALDWIN, Mich. — 2022 was a fairytale for the Martin football team. They dominated the regular season and fought their way to Marquette to take on Merrill in the 8-player D1. The clippers won their first state championship since 1987 and hope to do it again this year.
"Yeah there's pressure. We want to do it again. So we feel that pressure but at the same time we've been there. We've got experience so we feel good about it," said Martin Head Football Coach Brad Blauvelt.
Pressure makes diamonds. And the Clippers want more bling to go with the championship rings they earned last year.
"Winning a state championship, I think us as players and coaches expect nothing less than a state championship this year so yeah there's a lot of pressure," said Taegan Harris.
Martin graduated nine really important players from last season but they've got the depth to fill their shoes. Including senior DB Abe Dykstra.
"As a senior you're a team leader now so you don't have people to rely on. You are the people that they rely on so, it's a lot more pressure with everybody expecting another state championship. Obviously we can go do it. It's a lot of work, a lot of pressure and we all have to be a team to be able to go it," said Dykstra.
Replacing a guy like JR Hildebrand won't be an easy task but they've got the talent to do it.
"We were so deep last year that some of these guys didn't get to play, and they're good. So we're looking forward to them. Taegan is going to have a standout year this year. JR's cousin is going to be our quarterback this year, Gavin Meyers, he's going to step in just fine. He's a little bit of a different threat. He throws the ball a little more. So we'll look a little different on offense. Defensively we might be a little bit better. That's the standard we're holding them to right now," said Blauvelt.
"We had a lot of depth last year and some of us seniors didn't get to play a whole bunch as we should've so this year we'll get to step up and rise so it'll be fun," said Harris.
For the last three years, Martin has traveled up to Baldwin for their first few days of practice. They stay at one of their coaches cabins in town. They workout in the morning but then go have fun at the lake at night and they credit that to the great team chemistry you see on the field.
"You'll learn a lot about each other. Like I'll talk to people that I don't even talk to, because we're all in a small school but I'll talk to them up here and we'll be friends or at least teammates by then and we know each other and we have more trust in them," said Dykstra.
"That's a big reason why we come up here. It's to one, come up here to practice, but also also go back to camp and get close. I mean, we're in like a two bedroom, three bedroom house so all of us are sleeping on the floor, just laughing at night," said Harris.
It's fun and games now during camp, but they have a message for the teams on their schedule this year.
"I'd be ready. Because we're going to be just as good or even better than last year," said Dykstra.
