Growing Gobles Preparing for Future with Return to 11-Player Football
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
August 25, 2026
GOBLES — For the last five years, Gobles saw success competing in 8-player football, making the MHSAA Playoffs four of those seasons.
This year, coach Greg Eichler hopes to transition that success into 11-player in spite of grumbling from some fans.
“We’re pretty doubted by the town right now,” sophomore tailback/free safety Case Lord said. “But I see what goes on at practice and in the weight room, and I see our work ethic and how strong we are. I think we can do something great.”
Eichler said numbers-wise, the Tigers could compete in 8-player, but “our district is growing, which is good, so when you look at the projected enrollments a couple years down the line, we’re going to be over that playoff limit for 8-player.
“We have a younger team, but we’ve got a diverse group from sophomores up to seniors in terms of their talents and abilities, and I think they can put together some good success right now and also build for the future.”
Gobles finished a combined 31-10 in 8-player over the last four seasons.
Moving back to 11-player, more athletes will have the opportunity to play big roles in the experience.
“It’s been good to have a JV and varsity consistently with no issue, but at the same time, we have a lot of extra kids on the sideline playing 8-player,” Eichler said. “With 11-player there are more opportunities for the kids.”
Discussing the move, the coach added, "When you’ve got three extra guys on the field, it changes how much space on the field you’ve got to cover and who you’re looking at, who you’re covering, who you’re keying on.”
Another change this fall will be playing several less familiar opponents as part of a combined league. Gobles is among a handful of Southwestern Athletic Conference schools playing football as part of the Southwest 10 Conference this fall.
"We’re playing a majority Southwest 10 schedule but will play Galesburg and Saugatuck from the SAC and everyone else is Southwest (10),” Eichler said. "Traditionally the SAC has been our league. You had to give that up, but you want to make sure you’re putting the kids in the best position.”
Eichler said the Southwest 10 has some great traditions and some solid football programs that will give the Tigers a run.
“We love a new challenge, and we feel that’s what this is. It’s a new step in our program that’s going to challenge everybody, coaches and players alike,” he noted. “Southwest 10 teams are a little bit more our size. They’re still mostly bigger than us, but I think competitively they’re probably the better teams to put on our schedule.”
Senior outside linebacker/wing back Hunter Piper said playing in both conferences is a plus “because we’re playing more schools that I know. We go to those schools for other sports, so it’s nice to play new competition.”
Eichler said one advantage for the Division 8 Tigers this year is that in 11-player “you get bonuses for playing bigger schools and most of the time, we’re the smaller school.
“We have several Division 7 schools on our schedule, so those are like little bonus incentives. That’s win or lose.”
They got their first taste of 11-player in a while last Thursday in a scrimmage against Coloma. Gobles will kick off the “real” season at home Thursday against Niles Brandywine.
“We had a competitive scrimmage, and a lot of our young players got some really good experience,” Eichler said. “I would say the following day’s film session was even more important, as our team learned a lot in order to prepare for our Week 1 matchup versus Niles Brandywine.”
Their second game is a big one for the town: The Tiger Tribute game versus Hartford on Sept. 3.
“It’s the military and first responder appreciation game (which will feature) flyovers, vehicles,” Eichler said.
Honorary captain this year is Navy Lieutenant Commander Ian Weston, a 2010 Gobles alum. The tribute will include a parade and the school choir singing the national anthem.
Sophomore & senior expectations
Eichler said Lord was the first freshman he moved up to varsity over his six years coaching.
“He took some lumps early but really grew as the year went on,” the coach said. “He’s going to bring some varsity experience even as a sophomore.
"I think that’s really good for that sophomore group. He understands what varsity football looks like, even though it was 8-player. We played some really good teams.”
Lord said playing varsity as a freshman was eye-opening.
“Out of the gate I wasn’t prepared for the speed, but I learned very fast that’s a big thing with a varsity game,” he said. “Now I understand what that is, and I can compete with others.
“I’ve been looking forward to this year since last season ended.”
Lord is no stranger to 11-player football, starting the sport 12 years ago on a club team.
“My brother (Adam Vosburg), and my grandpa (Gerald Gravatt) both played football,” Lord said. “My brother had D-I (college) offers everywhere but went to Olivet to stay close to home after my grandpa passed. My brother basically lived through him, and I live through my brother.”
Eichler counts on seniors such as Piper in leadership roles.
“Hunter brings experience, some really good leadership and stability,” the coach said. “I think that’s going to be important because our bigger group right now is our sophomores. We have him and a handful of other seniors to help stabilize them.”
Part of Piper’s experience is from the 2024 team that went undefeated in the regular season before losing its Division 1 8-Player Regional Semifinal to Martin.
Jumping to 11-player is “a little funky with a couple more players, and the field is definitely a little bigger, but it’s still the same game,” Piper said. “I love the game, and I like to bring a lot of leadership. I like to help out the younger kids.”
Piper, who is also on the wrestling team, said that helps him in football.
“I like the testosterone sports,” he said. “I like to go out there and fly around and hit. The energy is beautiful.”
In spite of hearing some of the town’s naysayers, Piper said, “There’s moments in practice where I think this is a great team. People don’t see what we see, and they’re definitely underestimating us.
“Our strength is the bond we have. We have a very strong connection between all of us.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Gobles’ Case Lord follows his blockers during a carry last season. (Middle) From left: Tigers coach Greg Eichler, Hunter Piper and Case Lord. (Below) Piper (7) lines up on defense last fall. (Action photos courtesy of the Gobles football program. Head shots by Pam Shebest.)
Schoolcraft Soccer Record Setter Brings Scoring Touch to Football Field
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
September 21, 2021
SCHOOLCRAFT — Soccer phenom Hannah Thompson has a flare for finding the net.
This fall, the Schoolcraft High School senior is aiming even higher – in the most literal sense.
Thompson is the place kicker on the Eagles’ football team, and in the team’s three games so far, she has connected on 4 of 5 point-after attempts.
The first female varsity football player in school history, Thompson is no stranger to breaking records.
Her 87 goals in soccer last spring not only set an MHSAA girls record for most goals in a season, but also eclipsed the boys mark.
Kristi Vandeberghe, a standout at Mount Clemens, had set the previous girls record with 66 goals in 2001. The boys record of 76 goals was set in 2009 by Dearborn’s Soony Saad.
While both sports involve kicking, the vivacious senior said there are differences.
“In soccer, you’re supposed to keep your body over the ball,” she said. “In football, you’re supposed to lean back so the ball goes higher. That’s probably the biggest difference.
“In football, if you try to kick as hard as you can, like for power, the ball can go off to the side. In soccer, you want to kick it hard.”
Head football coach Nathan Ferency, who teaches health and physical education at the high school, had tried to convince Thompson to join the team since she expressed an interest as a freshman.
“I took my health class outside one spring morning and worked her out a little bit to see if she could kick — and she can actually kick,” he added with a grin.
Ferency immediately offered her a spot on the junior varsity team, but since she plays travel hockey in the fall, she opted to concentrate on that until this year.
Her high school soccer coach, Scott Thompson, also her dad, has no problem with her playing football, “and my (soccer) teammates think it’s cool and amazing,” the senior said.
“They’re very supportive of me. My (travel) coaches do not like it whatsoever. They’re not a fan.”
Her dad sees some positives coming from football.
“As her coach, I have no issues with her playing football,” he said. “She’s working on driving through the ball and working on her leg muscles.
“Being in high school, I didn’t see any issues. As a place kicker, she has minimal opportunities for getting hurt.”
Ferency is aware that soccer is her main interest.
“We’re never going to put her into a kickoff situation where she has to hit somebody,” he said. “We feel comfortable in a PAT or field goal situation where she’s protected and unlikely to have contact.
“We want to preserve her senior year of soccer. That’s her love, and we want to make sure her goals are met.”
Thompson, who has committed to play soccer at Eastern Michigan University, said the hardest part of football is putting on the equipment, especially clipping down the shoulder pads.
“I wear youth large pads so they’re like the middle school pads, and it’s hard to get them clipped down,” she said, laughing while she demonstrated with her hands.
Pads also posed a bit of a problem for her debut.
“The first game, the girdle has the hip pads and the butt pads,” she said. “The pants have pads on the front and on the knees.
“I didn’t know you only had to wear one set. The first game I wore both and I had two pads everywhere. I didn’t know until the next game.”
Thompson said she is also developing her neck muscles.
“The helmet’s really heavy,” she said. “My neck’s getting strong.
“I have a big head, so I have to wear size large. But I got a new helmet that no one’s ever worn, so that’s good.”
Unlike the constant action in soccer, Thompson waits on the sidelines for the nod to play.
When she got the call during that first game, “I wasn’t really nervous because it happened super fast, so I didn’t really think about it,” she said.
“It was exciting. I’m supposed to keep my head down when I kick it so I don’t see it, but I looked up and saw it going (over).”
She almost had a chance for a field goal that would have clinched a win for the Eagles.
“Week 1, we were down two points late in the game and getting close to field goal range,” Ferency said.
“Unfortunately we threw an interception before she had an opportunity, but I was prepared to let her kick the game-winner at that point.”
Thompson practices with the football team twice a week and with her travel team twice a week.
“She puts the work in,” Ferency said. “We go through her kicking game, and she conditions and runs with the team afterwards.
“She makes it a point to do everything she can to be a part of the team, and we accept her just like anybody else.”
Pressure in football and soccer is nothing compared to pressure she felt twice before in her young life.
When she was 5 years old, she was home with her newborn sister, Makenna, when their mother suffered a brain aneurysm.
“I called my dad, who was going out of town, and said mom’s not OK,” she said.
Her father came home and her mom, Alyssa, was rushed to the hospital where she was in ICU for 17 days.
“It was remarkable for a 5-year-old,” her dad said. “We had just taught her how to use the phone. She was very heroic.”
Ten years later, it happened again, but this time her father was away on business and could not make it home.
Although she had just a driver’s permit, she loaded her mother and sister into the car and headed to the hospital.
“She remembered that I said earlier that it would be quicker for me to drive her mom to the hospital than wait for an ambulance to find us,” her dad said.
“When she talked with me, I could hear the confidence in her voice. She handled that better than most adults would and she took care of her sister.”
He said that confidence carries over to everything his daughter does, and he is savoring this time with her, especially during her senior year.
“It’s more fun to watch (her play) as a parent, but it’s also very satisfying to help your daughter (as a coach),” he said. “No one can ever take that time back.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Schoolcraft’s Hannah Thompson, left, lines up for an extra point this season. (Middle) Thompson and Schoolcraft football coach Nathan Ferency. (Below) Thompson set the MHSAA single-season record for goals scored as a junior. (Football photo by Jamie Zinsmaster, head shots by Pam Shebest, and soccer photo by Walt Tokarchick.)