Kalkaska Climbs Under 'Famed' Alum
September 28, 2016
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
KALKASKA – It was a whirlwind weekend for Jeremy Wilkinson.
The Kalkaska football coach led his unbeaten Blazers to a 35-0 victory over Cheboygan last Thursday. Then, 24 hours later, Wilkinson was inducted into the Northern Michigan University Sports Hall of Fame as part of the school’s Homecoming festivities.
“It’s a great honor,” the Kalkaska High School graduate said. “I remember 22 years ago looking at all the Hall of Fame plaques (in the Superior Dome) and thinking how cool it would be to be on that wall, too.”
Wilkinson, a wide receiver at Northern Michigan, still holds the career records for receiving yards (3,367) and touchdowns (35).
“This is a small town,” Kalkaska senior quarterback Hunter Suydam said. “Not too many (college) players come out of here, (certainly) not Hall of Famers. It’s pretty special.
“But he doesn’t really talk about it. It’s mainly, ‘Yeah, I played college football. Now, let’s get back to work.’”
That was Wilkinson’s mindset Monday as the Blazers began preparations for a big road task Friday at Boyne City.
With its 5-0 record, Kalkaska’s best start since the 1981 team went 9-0, the team’s generated quite a buzz in the community. But a difficult second half schedule includes games with Boyne City (3-2), Traverse City St. Francis (5-0) and Grayling (3-2).
It’s a stretch that promises to define the Blazers’ season.
“To be 5-0 is great, but our goal is the playoffs and we’ve got a tough schedule ahead of us,” Suydam said. “We need to focus on that. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5-0, if you can’t finish it off.”
Wilkinson has turned the program around since taking over in 2009. The Blazers are in the midst of a fourth winning season in five years – and a possible third playoff appearance during that span. One more win assures that.
“We know it takes one more win to make it into the playoffs,” Wilkinson said, ‘but we also know it’s not going to be easy. The next four weeks will be tough. We have quality opponents. We definitely have to clean up some mistakes we’ve been making the last couple weeks.”
Wilkinson is not surprised by the 5-0 start, which includes a 21-18 win over Leroy Pine River, a 4-1 squad that is ranked No. 9 in this week’s Associated Press Division 6 rankings. After all, the Blazers finished 5-4 a year ago and returned several players with at least three years of varsity experience.
One key returner was Suydam, who has completed 36 of 69 passes for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns in four games (the Blazers won one game by forfeit). Two weeks ago, he threw for 292 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-21 triumph over Elk Rapids. He was 7 of 11 for 103 yards and two more scores against Cheboygan.
“Over the past few years we haven’t thrown the ball a ton,” Wilkinson said, “but this year we’ve opened it up a little more because of the speed and athleticism of our skills guys and the size in our line. It’s nice to be able to throw because it takes defenses out of their comfort zone. Now they’ve got to drop back and try to cover instead of loading seven to eight players in the box. “
Suydam, now in his second year at quarterback, is still learning the position as far as reads, Wilkinson said.
“But he’s starting to put it together,” the coach added.
Wilkinson is quick to credit Suydam’s receivers as well as a line that includes tackles Luke Sexton and Seth Riddle, guards Jake Disbrow and Brad Berger and center Ed Davidson. Nolan Mitchell is the leading receiver with 15 catches for 265 yards and four scores. Hayden Zimmerman has added 10 receptions for 301 yards and three touchdowns while tight end Jake Kies has contributed five receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns.
“Our line has played well and our receivers are getting open,” Wilkinson said. “Once the ball is in their hands, they’re making plays. The last two weeks we’ve had plays where we’ve caught the ball within five to eight yards of the line of scrimmage and taken it 60, 70, 80 yards for touchdowns.’
Mitchell’s the leading rusher with 258 yards and three scores.
Defensively, the Blazers are paced by linebacker Gavin Peterson, who has a team-high 32 tackles. Mitchell and Disbrow are next with 23 and 21 stops, respectively. Kies, a defensive end, has four sacks.
“Our defense has been playing great and that’s because they’re playing aggressively,” Wilkinson said. “They’re flying around. They want to hit.”
The Blazers’ roster features 18 seniors.
“Fifteen were on varsity as sophomores,” Suydam said. “Yes, we were 2-7 (two years ago), but that year of experience helped us.”
One of the seniors, receiver-linebacker Jacob Shier, broke his fibula early in the opening game. Shier, who has been on the varsity since his freshman season, still attends practice regularly to be around his teammates.
“I want to be here for the guys,” he said. “This class has been working together since third grade and it’s clicking right now. There’s a lot of talent on this team, more so than we’ve had in a long time. It’s looking good. Everybody’s buying in.”
The experience bleeds down into the junior class. Four juniors are in their third year on varsity.
“What we’re seeing on the football field is a credit to the program as a whole,” athletic director Justin Thorington said. “It starts at the top with the coaches creating a program that our student-athletes are really engaged and interested in, and working hard at.
“Plus, we have a giant senior class, which is always good.”
There are 29 players on varsity, 25 on JV.
“Those are good numbers for a school our size,” Thorington said. “But our participation numbers in general are pretty big. This year we added a JV soccer team, which, as far as I know, is the first time that’s happened here.”
Kalkaska coaches also participated this summer in a training program through Michigan State called Spartan Performance. The program, according to the school’s website, is designed to enhance athletic development and sports performance through a multidisciplinary approach that includes physical training, recovery, nutrition, mental skills and athletic health.
Michigan State conducted a two-day in-service with the coaching staff, then came back for a follow-up.
“It’s collegiate-level training based on research,” Thorington said. “It’s more than just strength training, it’s speed and agility, nutrition, sports psychology. They did training with our female sports coaches on ACL strength and tear prevention. We’re hitting all the facets.
“Our football staff really spearheaded it and ran with it. We only had a couple weeks to implement it, but this offseason we’ll have the entire year to do it. We’re always thinking of ways to get a competitive advantage.”
That said, Thorington added that wins and losses are not the only way to gauge success.
“Our slogan for this year (in the athletic department) is ‘Embrace the Process,’” he said. “We’re not going to concentrate on the results, the wins and losses. That’s not why we’re here. Instead of worrying about championships, we’re going to worry about developing champions.”
One can lead to the other, though, and that’s what the Blazers are hoping.
And as Thorington alluded, it all starts at the top with Wilkinson, who is all about team.
That was evident over the weekend when he first saw his Hall of Fame plaque that listed his individual accomplishments.
“It took a lot of people to make it happen – teammates, coaches, family, friends,” he said. “I didn’t do all the work myself. It’s (induction) an individual honor, but it doesn’t take into account that I had the MIFC Player of the Year at quarterback (Matt Hoard) in 1996. We also had the Defensive Player of the Year (Jovan Dewitt). A lot of people played a huge role in this.”
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Kalkaska junior Nolan Mitchell (5) looks for a hole against Elk Rapids this season, with Luke Sexton blocking. (Middle) Kalkaska football coach Jeremy Wilkinson. (Below) Senior quarterback Hunter Suydam rolls left looking for a receiver against Leroy Pine River. (Photos by Greg Fast.)
Martin Returns, Redeems, Runs Away for 3rd Finals Championship in 4 Seasons
By
Jason Juno
Special for MHSAA.com
November 22, 2025
MARQUETTE — Martin has gotten used to making the long but fruitful trip to the Superior Dome in the middle of the Upper Peninsula.
But after winning back-to-back 8-player Division 1 championships in 2022 and 2023, the Clippers didn’t make it out of the Lower Peninsula last year, losing in the final second of the Regional Final.
That started the Redemption Tour.
The players coined it, the coaches went with it, a fan even painted it on his car windows. The Clippers completed the tour Saturday with a dominating 52-8 victory over Blanchard Montabella 435 miles away from their home south of Grand Rapids.
They didn’t want to forget what happened last year, and that bad taste in their mouths helped turn the 2025 campaign into the kind of season they’ll never want to forget either — only for much better reasons.
“We didn’t want that feeling again because it was terrible,” Martin coach Brad Blauvelt said. “Especially winning the two years before, we wanted to be here doing this.”
Senior quarterback Haylen Buell was a big part of the win; he ran for a game-high 179 yards on just nine carries and threw for another 134 during a four-touchdown championship day. That’s two years after being one of the leading rushers and receivers in the 2023 Final.
“(This) means everything. This is what we strive for each and every year,” Buell said. The workouts to get here start each year in March. “I think every senior was at every single workout. It showed up here.”
A dozen seniors, some with experience in previous Finals like Buell, were key to the season and to this victory. Despite the final score, Blanchard Montabella proved up to the challenge early on and Martin needed an answer.
The Mustangs scored first, a rarity for any team against Martin, according to Mustangs coach Tim Webb. They used 13 plays and nearly six minutes to go 90 yards as Brady Kieff put them on the scoreboard with a three-yard run.
Martin answered with a scoring drive to tie it, ending on a three-yard touchdown rush by Buell. Montabella took the ball back and took another methodical drive right back into the red zone, even overcoming a holding penalty early in the drive.
“We thought that we were gonna be the more physical, more dominant team,” Blauvelt said. “That first quarter, they gave us a run for our money and then we kind of took over with our physicality.”
With the help of a key takeaway to set it all in motion.
On the third play of the second quarter, and the 10th of the drive, the Mustangs fumbled. Martin senior linebacker Isaac Suk recovered, and the whole game changed. Compounding the devastating turnover, Martin scored on the very first play of the ensuing drive, on an 81-yard touchdown run by Bryer Watson.
“That was a huge turnover,” Blauvelt said. “Football is momentum, and once we had that, we didn’t really look back.”
It opened the floodgates for the Clippers.
The Mustangs went four-and-out. Martin scored on a 44-yard run by Buell. Montabella punted. Martin scored on a one-yard rush by Seth Toris. Montabella turned it over on downs near midfield. Martin scored on a 25-yard pass from Buell to Anderson Keeler.
It went from looking like a shootout to a 38-8 Martin lead at the half.
Webb said the Mustangs needed to play mistake-free football to compete. It was tough to keep doing that all afternoon.
“We did some good things, I thought, first quarter, first couple drives,” he said. “But we needed to play almost flawless to be able to compete. Their (12) seniors just kind of control the game. Line of scrimmage, they controlled the offense and defense. They tackled better than we did. And I got to give them credit for that.”
Montabella finished the season 11-2 while making its first trip to the Finals. A tough ending to be sure, but a lot to be proud of as well.
“It was a good experience for us, but I mean it’s tough to have it go the way it did,” center Brayden Foster said. “But first one in school history.”
Webb said he hopes the successful run this year shows other Montabella students they can do it, but it’ll take even more dedication in the weight room.
“It’s been a pretty magical couple weeks for our football program,” he said. “And I think we’re just getting started.”
Martin is the gold standard right now in Division 1, with the Clippers now winners of three titles over the last four years. They can forget about last year now that the Redemption Tour is complete with a 13-0 championship season.
“It’ll take me a minute to realize all that,” Blauvelt said. “We’re just trying to win the football game at this point. We’ll look back at it and years from now be like, ‘Man, that was a heck of a run.’ Heck of a run, just special, every time we get here and then win it, too. I’m just proud of my team and my coaches.”
He was thrilled to have a player-led team this time around, something that’s no slam dunk with high school-age kids. It’s the most tight-knit senior group he’s had, and that’s what made this team unique among the three champion squads.
Plus that dominating defense.
“Our defense is different,” he said. “This is our best defense that we think we had. And we held our hat on that, and we like to be physical.”
And if a strong senior class and a feared defense weren’t enough, Martin also had the advantage of having been here before, the coaches and the players. They have an itinerary for the trip that works — which includes speeches from players and coaches the night before — and the ability to focus on the game instead of the commotion of championship week.
“We take that as an advantage,” Blauvelt said. “We just try to soak in the moment every time we come. This is a special place to play. … It’s electric, it’s fun. It stinks it’s eight hours from home, but it’s a cool place.”
One that’s been very good to them.
PHOTOS (Top) Martin’s Weson Elkins (22) charges down the sideline Saturday as Montabella’s Austin Jensen closes in during the Division 1 Final at Superior Dome. (Middle) Montabella’s Brady Kieff steps into the end zone for the game’s first score. (Below) The Mustangs’ Noah Carlson (10) attempts to slow down Haylen Buell as he approaches the end zone. (Click for more from Cara Kamps.)