<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0JHLar_0vDTod2T00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0JHLar_0vDTod2T00" width="1280" height="853" ><figcaption>Newaygo’s Blake Kerr on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. (Ridley Hudson | MLive.com) Ridley Hudson | MLive.com</figcaption></figure>NEWAYGO – Ralph Munger knows what a state championship program looks like.The legendary head coach won a combined 335 games and three state championships during tenures at both Rockford (28 seasons) and Frankenmuth (11 seasons). As he enters Year 2 as the head coach at Newaygo, he’s witnessed signs of improvement that the Lions are headed in the right direction after a 3-6 season last fall.“We’re still building a culture at Newaygo,” Munger told MLive. “Most of the young men and their parents haven’t been exposed to a winning football program that excels every year, so I think Year 1 might have been a bit of culture shock to some people. We still have miles and miles to go but we are inching our way there. Our numbers in the weight room improved a lot and more kids are showing increased commitment levels to offseason workouts.”Injuries derailed Munger’s inaugural season with the Lions, as 11 of the 32 players on the roster missed significant playing time due to injuries.“It’s critical that we stay healthy this year,” added Munger. “Injuries at a small school can really sink a season in a hurry, so it’s always important that we avoid mass injuries because our roster numbers aren’t very big.”Munger should have plenty of varsity experience at his disposal this season, as the Lions return six starters on defense and eight starters on offense.“We are fortunate to have a roster this year that has a lot of guys who can contribute in some way, shape or manner,” added Munger. “I think having all of these guys with another year of varsity experience will pay dividends for us and getting more familiar with our schemes and philosophies will allow them to play a little faster on the field too.”Senior Blake Kerr returns as the team’s starting quarterback this fall as he uses his dual-threat skill set to put the Newaygo offense in a position to improve on its production after scoring just 163 points last season.“We’ll go as he goes on offense,” said Munger of Kerr. “He’s a very good talent and he has the potential to play at the next level too if he continues to improve. The quarterback has a lot of responsibilities in our offense but he’s a really smart kid in the classroom and on the football field, so we trust him to make the right reads and avoid making those bad decisions that can change momentum in a hurry.”Senior Hunter Yearsovich and junior wideout Sebastian Belanger will be Kerr’s primary targets in the passing game, while Damone Moore, Porter Slominski and Ethan Reyburn will form a stable of capable running backs in the ground game.“We will have more speed than last year at the skill positions,” said Munger. “We haven’t been blessed with a ton of size at wide receiver but we aren’t running around with a bunch of Mickey Mouses either. These guys can play physical and run good routes and help out their quarterback by getting open and making plays.”Newaygo will return five starters along the offensive line, including tight end Henry Wood.“Xavier Stroud, Jacob Eager, Noah McLaughlin and Tyler Borden are all returning linemen for us this year,” added Munger. “We’re hoping that having experience upfront will allow us to see some improvement in our offensive production and also help us short up our rush defense this year.”McLaughlin and Eager will double as defensive linemen for the Lions, while Wood, Stroud, and Slominski will play linebacker and Yearsovich and Belanger will move over to safety when the Lions are on defense.Munger hopes some younger players can also work their way into the defensive rotation so he can attempt to avoid injuries and keep his limited roster fresh for the second half of the regular season.“We’ve got some really nice athletes in our junior class who have the opportunity to earn some playing time on defense this year,” said Munger. “We’ve only got 32 total kids on our roster so naturally some kids are going to have play ways, but I’m hoping more and more kids will improve to the point that we are at least splitting time at some positions.“That will give us the best chance to reach our potential as a team this season and not wear down as the season progresses.”Newaygo will open the season with a home game against Kent City on Aug. 29, followed by a road trip to Central Montcalm in Week 2 and will host Grant in Week 3.“We certainly feel like we were competitive in just about every game last year, so if we can make some strides on both offense and defense, I think we could eventually compete for a playoff spot,” said Munger. “All of these kids have brought an excellent attitude to the locker room and they’ve already shown they are committed to the grind. Now, we can just go out there and have fun.”---2024 Newaygo Lions---Head coach: Ralph Munger (2nd year)Conference: Central State Activities AssociationKey players: Blake Kerr (Sr., QB), Henry Wood (Sr., TE/LB), Damone Moore (Jr., RB), Hunter Yearsovich (Sr., WR/DB), Xavier Stroud (Sr., OL/LB), Jacob Eager (Sr., OL/DL), Noah McLaughlin (Jr., OL/DL), Tyler Borden (Sr. OL), Ethan Reyburn (Sr., RB), Porter Slominski (Jr., RB/LB), Sebastian Belanger (Jr., WR/DB), Ryan Pickerd (Sr., DB), Cody Deur (Sr., DL).2023 review: Newaygo started the 2023 season 1-3 overall but bounced back to win two of three games with impressive victories over Grant (28-8) and Chippewa Hills (44-36). Unfortunately for the Lions, injuries continued to mount and the team dropped its final two games of the regular season to Central Montcalm (32-0) and Comstock Park (25-18) to finish 3-6 overall.2024 outlook: Newaygo has an opportunity to make a playoff push in Year 2 of the Ralph Munger era. The offense returns four offensive linemen and one tight end upfront, as well as dual-threat quarterback Blake Kerr. If the new group of skill position players can hit the ground running this fall, the Lions should have no issues increasing their offensive production from last season. A better effort against the run will be paramount for the Newaygo defense this fall, as they attempt to shore up some of the inconsistencies that plagued them last season.---2024 scheduleAug. 29 – Kent CitySept. 6 – at Central MontcalmSept. 13 – GrantSept. 20 – at Howard City Tri-CountySept. 27 – at Reed CityOct. 4 – Remus Chippewa HillsOct. 11 – Big RapidsOct. 18 – Lake Odessa LakewoodOct. 25 – at Fremont---Follow Josh VanDyke on Twitter and Facebook for more West Michigan sports contentIf you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters.Love reading about local sports? 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Newaygo football preview: Lions ready to roar back in 2024

NEWAYGO – Ralph Munger knows what a state championship program looks like. The legendary head coach won a combined 335 games and three state championships during tenures at both Rockford (28 seasons) and Frankenmuth (11 seasons). As he enters Year 2 as the head coach at Newaygo, he’s witnessed signs of improvement that the Lions are headed in the right direction after a 3-6 season last fall.

Newaygo football preview: Lions ready to roar back in 2024

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