Last year’s Southern Michigan Timberwolves opened the season with five straight wins while outscoring their opponents by a cumulative 159-0.
Don’t expect a repeat of that dominating start this season.
Head coach Mike Piasecki knew the great start against a soft schedule created overconfidence and didn’t help his team. The T-Wolves finished 10-5 and lost their last two games.
Piasecki and General Manager Scott Beard have beefed up the non-conference schedule and will be tested early this season.
The T-Wolves will open their 19th season as Monroe County’s semipro football team with a game against the Detroit Ravens at 7 p.m. Saturday at Beverly Hills Groves High School.
“We’ll see if my gamble pays off this year,” Piasecki said. “We’ve got some tough game right out of the get-go. This will be a dose of reality early-on to see what we can do. We want to get better every day.”
About 60 percent of last year’s Timberwolves team returns, but so much about the 2012 season is new. Southern Michigan left the Elite Mid-Continental Football League after 18 seasons and the league has since folded. The T-Wolves joined the Great Lakes Football League which means shorter road trips. This will also be the earliest opener in franchise history as the team has moved from a summer-fall to a spring-summer league.
Piasecki began last season with only three players with Monroe County connections. Others joined later, but now the number of players with local ties is up to 15. Newcomers from the region include lineman Craig Miller (Jefferson), wide receiver Dylan Jablonski (Erie Mason), cornerback Gerald Wilson (Monroe), safeties Nick Fix and Jacob Goodwin (Jefferson) and linebackers Evan Epoch (Airport) and Zac Drummonds (Monroe).
Two of the three players with the longest continuous T-Wolves service are back in defensive lineman Lance Hazlett and punter Troy Rizzuto. But linebacker Greg Tomecek has retired after an outstanding semipro career. Others key losses include wide receiver Anthony Price and Darryl Folks who are not playing, tight end Ray Johnson who has returned to college and wide receiver Lamar Toney who has joined the Michigan Gators.
Key additions include Miller and Jablonski, running back Bryan Burrell, offensive lineman Kyle Jaeger, linebackers D.J. Jones and Matt Calhoun, defensive tackle Isaac Saxby and defensive end Brandon St. Pierre.
“Bryan Burrell has been a great addition to our running back position,” Piasecki said. “He has had a good spring so far and we expect him to contribute.”
Adam Headley returns at quarterback. The coaching staff expects a much-improved offensive line with Miller who played at Wayne State and Kyle Jaeger from the University of Toledo.
“The unit stood out against a very talented Michigan Gators defense during this past weekend’s scrimmage,” Piasecki said. “Matt Smith and Mike Iatzko (Airport) have against improved and are expected to be key contributors this season.
“Our offensive line I thought was a weakness last season. It has gotten significantly better. We’ve added depth and we’ve added talent. I really like how things are shaping up on our offensive line.
But the T-Wolves already have suffered major injuries to key players this spring. Running back/linebacker Quentin Celano tore his Achilles’ tendon playing arena football and likely is out for the season. Likewise, kicker Steve Smith probably is done for the year after suffering a hip flexor in an all-star game. Jason Robbins decided to retire after a concussion but has joined Southern Michigan’s coaching staff. George Murray III played college ball at Cincinnati and arena football with the Cincinnati Commandos. He broke his foot at work and will miss the season.
Tony Gaisser has returned as Southern Michigan’s defensive coordinator. Nate Brandon of Ida is back as defensive line coach. Two former players have returned as coaches. Former Airport great Jeremy Anderson will coach the defensive backs and Robbins will handle the linebackers.
The T-Wolves have implemented a new defensive scheme and made major changes on offense. Practices are now videotaped and players are able to watch them later from their smartphones.
“I felt our offense was stale (last year) and I did not do a good enough job getting the ball in our playmakers’ hands in space last season,” Piasecki said. “This year we will stretch defenses both vertically and horizontally and give our players an opportunity to make plays.”
Southern Michigan’s “home” opener will be held at Ida at 7 p.m. May 12. All of the other home games begin at 7:25 p.m. at Navarre Field. This is the first time the T-Wolves have ever played in Ida although they have hosted home contests at Erie Mason, Dundee and Monroe High. The night also will feature a halftime performance by the Ida High School marching band.
“There’s still a lot of baseball going on at Navarre,” Beard explained. “We’ve been trying to play a game away from Navarre as often as we can. I talked to (Ida athletic director) Tim Leonard a couple of weeks ago and asked if he knew of any places we could play. They are trying to raise money for football helmets, we came up with a good way to make a little money for both teams. Hopefully we can get a good crowd.”
Southern Michigan also will celebrate its past with its first Alumni Night June 30 during the Motor City Soldiers game. All former players from 1994 to 2011 are invited to take part in the festivities and will be introduced on the field at halftime. Original PA announcer Bobb Vergiels — now the announcer for the Detroit Tigers — will return as special guest announcer.
Saturday’s opener against the Ravens features a team that also was with the EMCFL last season. The team include former T-Wolves Brian Cooper and Jack Eckles as well as former coach Rob Streeter who is Detroit’s defensive coordinator.
Groves High School can be reached by taking I-275 north, I-696 east and M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway) south. Exit at US-24 (Telegraph Rd) north and turn right on 13 Mile Rd. The school is at 20500 West 13 Mile.
