Bay Port turns to new – yet familiar – faces to continue success
SUAMICO – There are a lot of new faces you’ll see on the Bay Port football team this year.
One of them is head coach Gary Westerman.
Westerman looks noticeably different entering his seventh year with the Pirates. He’s lost nearly 80 pounds since taking on a different fitness program and cutting junk food from his diet on Feb. 1, 2017.
“I think it helps,” said Westerman, who will turn 42 at the end of the month. “My energy is so much better with the team and the kids. I just have more juice. That’s the biggest thing to me.”
The target on Bay Port’s back in the Fox River Classic Conference remains rather large.
The Pirates became the first team to win back-to-back conference titles since the FRCC was formed in 2007. They’re currently riding an FRCC record 18-game winning streak in conference play.
Not only does Bay Port have to replace eight first team all-FRCC players, but it will be doing so with mostly juniors and sophomores in the starting lineup this year.
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“We’re young,” Westerman said. “We’re playing a lot of underclassmen, both on offense and on defense.”
Five of the Pirates’ seven returning starters are juniors, including running back Isaiah Gash, offensive tackle Braden Doyle, nose tackle Jose Ramirez, middle linebacker Call Verlanic, and defensive end Max Meeuwsen. Senior guard Ty Dorvinen and senior linebacker Mars McGriff are also returning starters.
Verlanic (116 tackles) earned first team all-FRCC honors, while Meeuwsen (18 TFL and three sacks) was a second team all-conference choice.
Some of the youth consists of sophomore Shako Danforth at center and freshman Jayden Montgomery being in the mix at linebacker.
“They’re young, but a talented group,” Westerman said.
Bay Port will be turning to senior Jake Plummer to replace Isaac Krause at quarterback. Krause was the FRCC co-offensive player of the year after passing for 1,787 yards and rushing for 1,103 yards
Senior Cody Lindquist is expected to have a big year at receiver to make up for the loss of Cordell Tinch, while juniors Cole Weber and Griffin Hawley give the team a pair of capable tight ends to replace University of Iowa recruit Jack Plumb.
Meanwhile, Gash will see an expanded role on offense after rushing for 872 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore.
“We’ll give him more carries,” Westerman said. “He’s so talented with the ball. But we have two or three tailbacks behind him that are good, too. We have the option to put him out in the slot a little bit and move him around a little and get him the ball in different places.”
Bay Port hopes its new faces can help it end up in the same place in the FRCC standings again this season.
“We’re just trying to be this year’s team,” Westerman said. “We don’t ever talk about the win streak or anything like that.
“We just want to improve from day to day and make an improvement of who we are as people. If we just do that, then the team takes care of itself.”
Bay Port at a glance
Coach: Gary Westerman, 7th season, 58-10
Last year: 11-1
All-conference players to replace:
Isaac Krause, QB, 1st team
Eli Trast, OL, 1st team
Owen Trast, OL, 1st team
Cordell Tinch, WR, 1st team
Jack Plumb, TE, 1st team
Brady Van Ess, DL, 1 t team
Matt Barnard, OLB, 1st team
Tanner Hendricks, DB, 1st team
Spencer Van Pietersom, DB, 2nd team
Matt Rotter, OL, HM
All conference players returning:
Call Verlanic, jr., ILB, 1st team
Max Meeuwsen, jr., DE, 2nd team
2018 Schedule
Aug. 16 Sheboygan North
Aug. 23 at Sheboygan South
Aug. 30 at Manitowoc
Sept. 7 Ashwaubenon
Sept. 14 at Pulaski
Sept. 21 G.B. Notre Dame
Sept. 28 at G.B. Southwest
Oct. 5 at De Pere
Oct. 12 G.B. Preble
Alums playing DI-II college football:
Troy Albrecht, Northern Michigan
Logan Brunette, Michigan Tech
Alec Ingold, University of Wisconsin
Matt Lorbeck, Northern Illinois
Jack Plumb, University of Iowa
Cole Van Enkenvort, Northern Michigan
Cole Van Lanen, University of Wisconsin
Blair Van Ess, Bemidji State