Mount Pleasant High School Football 2017

To our Followers, As the college semester comes to a close we would like to thank you all for following our stories and making this year of Oiler Football a special one for us. We learned a lot about these players this year through not only their play on the field but also one on one interviews and their social media. We would like to wish all the athletes good fortunes for the remainder of the year. Next year be ready for a dominate Oiler Football Season! Go Oilers - Spencer Arends *Not Affiliated with MPHS

Tomorrow at seven pm the girls' Mount Pleasant varsity basketball team squares off against the Sheperd Bluejays in their home opener! The team looks to bounce back after an 18-point loss to Manton in their season opener. As it is their home opener, let's attempt to get a big crowd for them and rally them to victory! My 104.3 will start live coverage of the game at 6:45 pm. Tune into their fm station, 104.3, if one cannont attend the game! Go Oilers! -Jon Bevier -Not affiliated with MPHS

This past Friday and Saturday, Ford Field in Detroit hosted the 2017 MHSAA Football State Championships. Many great games were played over the two days, but one game however stuck out over the others. Clarkston High School and West Bloomfield High School battled it out playing for the Division 1 State Championship. This game came down to who had the better defense. Not a single touchdown was scored the entire game. West Bloomfield would force a Clarkston safety early in the first quarter to take a 2-0 lead. As the first half came to a close, Clarkston would take a 3-2 lead off a 30 yard field goal from Jermaine Roemer. The entire second half came down to which defense could grind it out the hardest and Clarkston would end up holding off West Bloomfield with the final score of 3-2. The score resembled more of a baseball or hockey score, rather than a football score. However, this game would go down as one of the lowest scoring football championship games in MHSAA history.  -Bra...

2017 is drawing to an end, high school football season is over, and many of the football players that we enjoyed covering this season are involved with another sport. So with roughly 9 months until the next Oiler football game, what do you do? I say you go follow our Oiler football athletes in their other sports, and keep the Oiler Pride alive! You can stay updated on all things Oiler sports related  here . But if you don't have time, here are the next game/meet for each sport... Boys Varsity Basketball 12/08/17 @7pm at Bay City Central HS Girls Varsity Basketball 12/01/17 @7pm vs Shepherd HS Boys/Girls Varsity Bowling 01/03/18 @5:30pm at Dow HS Boys Varsity Hockey 12/01/17 @8pm at Rockford HS Boys Varsity Wrestling 12/09/17 @9am at Owosso HS *Noah Burgess *Not affiliated with MPHS

As the 2017 Fall sports season comes to a close, it is often a time to look back on the fond memories the student athletes of MPHS created for not only themselves, but for you, the community. We had a blast covering the Oilers football team, and hope to see them do well in the years to come. We will no doubt be keeping our eyes on many different sports teams that compete, whether it be on the ice for the hockey team, on the hardcourt in basketball, or on the diamond for Mount Pleasant's always successful baseball team. We wish everyone good luck not only on the field, but in the classroom as well. Go Oilers! Matthew Flahive *Not affiliated with MPHS

Muskegon found themselves in a similar situation this past Saturday competing for the division three championship in football. Muskegon has been a dominant force in the Michigan state playoffs where they are in division two or three. On Saturday, their dominance continued defeating Farmington Hills Harrison by a score of 28-10. Harrison scored quickly with a 91-yard kickoff return. Thereafter, Muskegon shutdown Harrison only allowing 114 yards of total offense. Muskegon was led by, recently named Michigan High School Football Player of the hear, senior La'Darius Jefferson with 245 rushing yards and four touchdowns. A great way to end a high school football career from an excellent player. We hope everyone had an ecxcekkent Thanksgiving.! -Jon Bevier -Not affiliated with MPHS

As Michigan football comes to an end, many athletes are resting for their upcoming winter sports. At Mount Pleasant , they value athletes playing multiple sports and not just focusing on football. If an athlete is only specifically training for one sport, they are constantly using the same muscles every day which increases the chances of injury. If one plays multiple sports, they are utilizing the specific muscles for whichever sport they are playing. Properly developing all of one's muscles is the key of playing collegiate sport and limits the chance of injury. As they go into the winter season, be sure to support them in whatever sports they play! -Jon Bevier -Not affiliated with MPHS

Peter Smith made plays all year for the Mount Pleasant defense. He played in all 9 games and recorded 96 total tackles. 46 of those being solo tackles. Smith made our Defensive Player of the Week list and was always in the conversation week in and week out. He was also named 2nd team all-conference and was gracious enough to take time out of his day to answer some questions. 1. What has being a Mount Pleasant Football player meant to you? It means playing through adversity, sacrificing your whole self for the team and giving all that you have for your teammates on and off the field. It has been a huge priority for me over the last couple years. 2. How has being a part of this team made you a better person? I’ve been lucky to form so many great relationships with everyone involved in the program. I’ve learned to push through pain and fight back when adversity presents itself. 3. What is your favorite memory of football. Take me through that play. My favorite m...

Caleb Vasquez is coming off his final season of football at Mount Pleasant High School. The Senior Tackle has had quite a journey throughout his time as an Oiler making lifelong memories with his friends and teammates, on and off the field. Caleb was kind enough to do an interview and answer a few questions about the season, his memories at Mount Pleasant High School, with football in general, and what his future plans are looking like. -The season did not end the way you expected it to, but what can you take away from this season? "Of course I am upset we didn't make the playoffs, but I wouldn't take anything back that happened this season because it showed me and my teammates how to fight back and never give in. We started off the season 1-4 unfortunately and I knew people were doubting us, so as a team we all focused on one game at a time and we ended up winning the last 4 games of the season to end up with a positive record of 5-4" -Favorite game/memory ...

Jayden Perry was a senior wide receiver on Mount Pleasant's football team this fall. Jayden was more than happy to answer a few questions about this football season. As a senior, when you don't have the perfect season that everyone dreams about, there can be lot of reasons to look back on it with sadness and regret. However, Jayden was the complete opposite. He spoke solely on the fun memories and times he had with his friends that will be with them for the rest of their lives. 1) Favorite memory of this season? - “ My favorite memory of the season was catching the touchdown pass against midland high... the way my team ran over to me was a memory I'll never forget” 2) How do you think the team will do next season? - “ My favorite memory over all 4 years has been working with my team mates and watching us all grow as athletes” 3) What has playing football for Mount Pleasant meant for you? - “ Being an oiler is such a n incredible feeling down to the ...

This past weekend I was out to eat with some buddies when I noticed an elderly couple sitting in the corner eating alone. Now normally, I would have kept to myself and minded my own business but I noticed the husband wearing a long sleeve shirt with the Oilers logo across his chest. I instantly knew I had to hear his story about how he was connected to the Oiler Football community. I introduced myself and found out his name was Joe, he let me ask him a few questions. His story was not what I expected... Me: Well, I first noticed you wearing the Oilers Football shirt, how are you connected to the team? Joe: Actually I'm really not, my wife and I moved into the community 15 years ago after we retired. Once and awhile we will catch a game on a Friday evening if we don't have much of anything else going on. The Oiler Pride is contagious around here and it is always nice watching the team play each year.  Me: So with no ties to the school, what draws you into attendin...

Interview with Freshmen Assistsnt Head Coach, Shane Travis What criteria do you look for when selecting your team captain(s)? Do you have preseason meetings with your captains? If so, what sort of things do you discuss at these meetings? I look for qualities such as leadership and “coachability”. Such things as extracurricular activities weigh in heavily on who becomes a team captain. Silent leaders are just as effective as one who energizes people through leading by example. They are voted on by coaches to eliminate the chance of a popularity contest. They choose three to four captains where one represents the offense and the defense and the last one is from either the offensive or defensive line. What would you say are a few essential things to cover when having a preseason parent meeting? One needs to establish a coach and parent relationship by explaining coaches’ coach and parents’ parent. There is a 24-hour rule when confronting issues. There are open lines of communica...

With football season behind them, the boys of fall move onto their winter activities. Some wrestle, some play basketball, others begin to prepare for the always successful Oiler baseball season. Some of the athletes from the football team will trade their cleats for sneakers as basketball season nears. Tommy Arends and Jackson Ostrowsky will look to lead their team to the same success they had last year, as the Oilers fell in the regional finals to the Titans of Traverse City West. Their first game is scheduled for December 8th on the road at Bay City Central, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00. *Not affiliated with MPHS Matthew Flahive

This winter, 4 Mount Pleasant High School football players will be turning in their cleats for a pair of skates. Cole Smallwood, David Zwick, Jakob Higbie, and Mason Pinwar return to the Oiler Varsity Hockey team this November for another year. Seniors Cole Smallwood and David Zwick will be looked at to help lead this veteran team. After having an up and down year last year with a young team, the Oilers will look to bounce back with the experience the younger players gained.  Team try-outs were held October 30 and October 31 and will open up their season at home on November 17, hosting Port Huron High School at the ICE Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm. Go Oilers! Photo Courtesy Mitchel Hartman ( MI Prepzone ) -Brandon Hoffman *Not Affiliated With MPHS

Oiler Football may be over for this year, but this season should be looked upon as a success. The team had a tough schedule the first five games, their record reflected this as they started the season 1-4. After the rough start, a lot of people may have given up on the team, but the team never gave up on itself. The guys knew they all had one another’s backs when everyone else had lost hope in them. The Oiler’s refused to roll over and give up on the season, they went on to win their last four games of the season and keep their playoff hopes alive. Now, we all know the playoff dreams didn’t come true, but this team would not give in and stood victorious the last four games this season. Over that four-game span, the Oilers outscored their opponents 181-46, now that’s making a statement. With the season coming to an end, we say goodbye to another group of seniors. To those seniors, do not hang your head, you persevered and showed the underclassmen how to never give up on their Oiler Pri...

Although, the Mount Pleasant Oilers football season for 2017 is over. The 2018 season is just beginning. Being a Mount Pleasant football player isn't simply playing each fall. It requires a year round commitment. Players will be strength and conditioning year round starting with winter sports or weight lifting. Following winter Oiler football players are required to play a spring sport, this is essential to prevent rust from a long offseason. As soon as the students are off for summer break the players will continue their strength and conditioning with morning workouts. These workouts are months before football practices begin. However it is necessary in order to keep up with the demanding physicality of football. Despite the fact that the next Oiler football game is nearly 10 months away. The upcoming Oiler football teams will be hard at work all offseason, in order to put themselves in the best position to succeed! -Spencer Arends *Not Affiliated with MPHS*

All season long, the Freshmen football team at Mount Pleasant found ways to be successful. They had two victories which stand out amongst their 8-0-1 season. The first came against the Davison cardinals . The final score was 26-14. The oilers controlled the game by running the ball and picking up key first downs when they needed to. Defensively, they played well with good form tackling and stopping the cardinals' run game. These two combinations allowed them to pull out a huge home victory at Community Memorial Stadium. Their victory against the Lapeer Lightning  also came at home. The oilers again showcased the ability of controlling the clock by winning with a score 28-19. The oilers were able to control the ground game enough to win, but there was huge contributions from quarterback Owen Cole. He made key passes in third down situations which either stopped moment gained by Lapeer or adding momentum by avoiding a three and out after a defensive stop. On the other side of the ba...

This weeks defensive player of the week is without a doubt junior Hunter Norris. Norris recorded 15 total tackles, with 9 of them being on solo adventures. He also added a fumble recovery to continue his career night. In what turned out to be the final game of the Oilers' season, Hunter truly put the team on his back defensively. Norris looks to be a force on the defensive side of the field next season, as he will be looked at as a senior and a leader in the 2018 campaign. *Not affiliated with MPHS Matthew Flahive

The Offensive Player of the Week recipient for Friday nights game against Saginaw Heritage was Cole Smallwood. The Senior put on a show for the Oiler crowd as he rushed for 191 yards on 26 carries. Smallwood also punched in 4TDs in Mount Pleasant's big win on Senior Night. After Friday night's impressive performance, Cole Smallwood had a season total 11 touchdowns and rushed for 593 yards. Unfortunately the Oilers did not make the playoffs as a 5-4 team, but Smallwood and the rest of the Oiler Seniors have a lot to hold their heads up high for. Go Oilers! Photo Courtesy Ken Kadwell, The Morning Sun -Brandon Hoffman *Not Affiliated with MPHS

On Friday night, Mount Pleasant came into Senior Night on a three game win streak and looking to extend it to four as they hosted the Hawks from Saginaw Heritage. The Oilers came out and picked up right where they left off from the week before. This week though, it was all about the run game. Senior Cole Smallwood led the Mount Pleasant rushing attack by having a 4TD night. Junior Kevin Davis contributed to the scoring by punching in a TD of his own. The Oiler Defense had another fantastic game shutting down the Heritage Offense and limiting them to only 6 first downs the entire game. Mount Pleasant shutout the Hawks in the first-half, leading 27-0. The second half was focused on defensive play as both teams only gave up a touchdown each, both coming in the 3rd Quarter. Mount Pleasant would go onto win 34-7, winning their fourth straight game. What a way for the seniors to go out on their last home game with a win. Go Oilers! Photo Courtesy by Ken Kadwell http://media.themornin...