Jespersen: Bidding a final farewell to the 2023-24 sports season

Wow, what an amazing year it was to be the sports editor for the Gaylord Herald Times.

There has always been a rich tradition of excellence among the Otsego County High Schools, but there was something a bit extra special in the air this season; an undefeated football team, individual and team state champions and much, much more made this one of, if not the most memorable year to be covering Gaylord-area sports.

I've used the downtime of summer vacation to look back on some of the best of the best that came with the 2023-24 season, naming the top male and female athletes and the best coaches from each season. Later this week, I'll say my final goodbyes, showing off some of the top photos from each season and telling you some of my favorite moments from a historic year.

But first, I want to give you all some of my final thoughts as we close the book on the 2023-24 sports season

Thank you for reading, subscribing and voting

I have received my fair share of 'thank you's' in my short time here in Gaylord. And, while I truly appreciate the sentiment, I sometimes feel the gratitude is misplaced, because if you're thanking me for my work, I should be thanking you.

The people who read my stories, look at my photos and share the links across social media allow me to do what I love; cover sports. Because of community members like you who truly enjoy high school sports coverage, I get to spend my time not in an office, but out and about on football fields, baseball diamonds and everywhere in between.

When you click on an article or vote in a poll, those interactions help people understand what has been clear to me since I started back in May of 2022; Gaylord cares about sports, a lot.

So long, Class of 2024 (but keep me posted)

I've written at length about what the Class of 2024 meant to all three of the high schools in our coverage area.

Athletes like Brady Pretzlaff, Jayden Marlatt, Miriam Murrell and many others have set new standards for what top-level athletes out of Northern Michigan can look like. As we get set to begin my first season in Gaylord without them around, I wanted to bid them one final farewell before moving on to the next crop of athletes set to take their places.

Still, this isn't a normal goodbye; with over 20 college-bound athletes, I will be doing my best to keep up with each and every one of your careers as you get set to head to the next level. Feel free to reach out with any accomplishments I'm sure you're bound to achieve because we know fans back home will be eagerly awaiting the good news.

Ready for a year of change in 2024-25

The next sports season is just around the corner; football practices are set to begin in early August, meaning just weeks separate us from the beginning of what is going to be a brand new era of sports in Otsego County.

Not only did we say farewell to one of the most talented classes of athletes, but it was also the final year for many iconic names in the Gaylord Athletics landscape; GHS athletic director Christian Wilson, wrestling head coach Jerry LaJoie and girls basketball coach Kelli Parker are among those not returning 2024-25, and with a whole host of new faces taking over on the field, it's only fitting to have some new names on the sidelines as well.

If you are one of those fresh faces, feel free to reach out to me in the coming weeks and months. I'm excited to get to know those coming to Gaylord and being a part of the sports world here in Northern Michigan. You've got a great community and a ton of support to start with.

Again, thank you to everyone who made 2023-24 a sports season we'll never forget. Enjoy your summer, and I'll see you this fall.

Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Jespersen: Bidding a final farewell to the 2023-24 sports season