Harrison football looks to stay focused ahead of season of potential

By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sports Writer

With as good as the Harrison football team was last year and with as much talent as they have returning, it’s no secret that they could be really, really good this fall. Tenth-year Hornet head coach Jamie Lipovsky knows that his squad has to stay locked in at the task at hand though.

“They have to stay focused, that is going to be the key,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent coming back, we have to fill in some holes in practice, but the returners know what they are doing and they are pretty smart kids, but there’s work to be done. They can’t just say they know how to do this already. They have to put in the work.”

The Hornets certainly put in the work last year, going 8-3 overall, and winning a first round playoff game over Morley Stanwood. They did lose at home to Shelby 30-16 in the Division 7 district championship, and that’s something that Lipovsky admits still doesn’t sit well with his squad.

“I think that they have some revenge on their minds, the fact that we had a chance to win a district and we didn’t win it,” he said. “That’s one of those deep-down things; they want that trophy.”

Returning to the team this year will be seniors Aiden Brewer (running back), Kelton Carlstrom (tight end), Ray Cosgrove (running back), Collin Dennis (running back), Alex Erskine (offensive line), Kaiden Hendren (offensive line), Alex Jansen (offensive line), Matt Latunski (quarterback), Errol Mashue (offensive line), Nyxon Rhodes (running back), James Sample (offensive line), Dominic Stump (offensive line), Cooper Whitaker (offensive line), junior Clayten Austin (running back) and sophomore Parker Latunski (tight end).

“The seniors as a group (will be leaders),” Lipovsky said. “They know the expectations and what Harrison football is all about.”

New to the team will be seniors Conner Haske (offensive line), Tim Goodenow (defensive line), juniors Kannen Sheldon (offensive line), Mike Jacobs (offensive line) and sophomore Dan Seefeld (running back).

“We only lost to Meridian (in the Jack Pine Conference Division 2), and took second in our division, Meridian is loaded again, but my kids have that target, they looked right at them and said we are going to go get them,” Lipovsky said. “The kids want to win the Jack Pine Conference Division 2, make the playoffs and make a run. Our players are very unselfish and have put team goals over individual goals.”

Harrison hosts Pine River in its season opener on Aug.28, and they’ll be at White Cloud on Sept. 3.

“We are excited, we are looking forward to getting going, there’s a lot of energy,” Lipovsky said.