Onekama Celebrates New Stadium, Legends Past with Eyes on Another Playoff Run
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
October 23, 2026
Pretty much every player who has put on the Portagers football jersey over more than six decades of Onekama High School football knows the name Jim Taylor.
And if they didn’t know it before the team’s 52-8 win over Holton on Oct. 10, they do now.
The community of Onekama honored their former coach, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the only undefeated squad in the Portagers’ history and dedicated the district’s new football stadium during the win over Holton – which also helped keep Onekama’s playoff hopes alive this fall.
The Portagers enter this weekend’s regular-season finale at Merrill ranked No. 14 on the 8-Player Division 2 playoff-points list. The top 16 qualify for the postseason, which begins next week.
“We love our history and traditions – all of the generations have just supported each other and built it into what it is today,” said fourth-year coach Justin Sedelmaier. “The former coaches are still involved, mentoring me. … Coach Jim Hunter and Coach Jim Taylor … still coming and seeing and saying hi to the team and stuff every now and then. The ’76 team, a lot of them like Jerry Brown, are always around supporting us.”
Brown, the quarterback of the only Onekama team to finish undefeated, was the primary organizer of the reunion. He was on hand for the celebration, along with Hunter and Taylor, and was even more excited about honoring Taylor than he was about the reunion.
“The motivation behind it for me anyway, personally, was to throw as much light on our coaching staff, and most specifically, the head coach, Coach Taylor, who had such a huge impact on so many lives – mine for sure,” Brown said. “This was all about shining a light on Coach Taylor and his wife, Lora – what a team. She's been right there with him all the way, supporting him.”
Lora Tayler was the school’s cheerleading coach during the first decade of football at Onekama. She was also on hand for the Oct. 10 festivities.
Brown was one of 14 players in attendance to honor the 1976 team, which finished 8-0 and won the Northwest Conference title but did not qualify for the MHSAA Playoffs, which were in only their second year and included only four teams statewide per Class at that time. (Other Onekama teams have since finished perfect for the regular season but lost in the playoffs.)
Taylor started the football program in 1964 and served as head coach until 1988. During his time guiding Onekama, Taylor compiled a 124–58–3 record with only two losing seasons over 22 years. He returned to coaching as an assistant at Onekama from 1997-2008 and was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005.
During Taylor’s early years, the Portagers played their home games at nearby Manistee High School while waiting for a home field of their own. The new stadium was built thanks to support of a successful 2024 bond proposal which also provided enhanced security technology, an updated gym, new playground equipment, pickleball courts, team rooms and a modernized press box.
The press box replaced the original built by students in a shop class at Onekama, including the grandfather of the current – and only fourth – coach in the Portagers’ history.
“The press box that just came down was built by the assistant coach, Mr. Foster's shop class, and my grandfather was part of that,” said Sedelmaier, who was the defensive coordinator for four years under John Neph, who with Taylor and Hunter has been the only other head coach Onekama varsity football. “The shop class built the press box and stuff on the first field and just finally now, 60 years later, we're able to make all these field upgrades. It's really been a vision for a long time, and something that I fought for, past players have fought for, the community fought for, and it's a vision that finally came together.”
Sedelmaier was a 2007 graduate of Onekama. Taylor was an assistant coach then. Sedelmaier’s grandfather, Phil Sedelmaier Sr., father Phil Sedelmaier, Jr. and uncle Todd Sedelmaier all played for Onekama during Taylor’s head coaching days.
Justin Sedelmaier has the Portagers primed for another playoff run. They are 6-2, a win tonight should guarantee them a spot in the playoffs and potentially an opportunity to host a game at the new stadium. A loss also won’t necessarily end the season for Onekama, which has reached the 8-Player Division 2 Semifinals the past two seasons. The Portagers’ strength of schedule is expected to boost their playoff chances, no matter the outcome in the regular-season finale.
Bennett Zeller leads the offense. The sophomore quarterback has completed 32 passes for 683 yards and eight touchdowns and picked up 762 yards and 12 touchdowns running the ball. His favorite target is junior Jason Sedelmaier, who has 11 catches for 260 yards and three touchdowns. The next rushing leader behind Bennett is Caleb Porter, also a junior, with five touchdowns while averaging 54 yards per game.
On the other side of the ball, Onekama is led once again by senior Ryan Hrachovina, an all-state defensive linemen last season. He has been credited 103.5 tackles this year – with 22 tackles for a loss and 18 sacks. He blocked a kick and ran it in for a touchdown earlier this fall. He’s also forced a fumble and recovered another.
Jason Sedelmaier also has been a big contributor defensively with 37 tackles, including four for a loss and one sack. He leads the team with 11 pass breakups and has an interception and a fumble recovery, along with a forced fumble.
The Portagers’ only loss last season came in a Division 2 Semifinal to Felch North Dickinson. Coach Sedelmaier is ready to build on the support of Onekama’s former players and coaches as his team prepares to make another run.
“To get to see them all coming back, wearing their replica jerseys and supporting us while we get a look back at some of the history and honoring that history was great for the kids to see,” Sedelmaier said. “That team was the first team to ever go undefeated in the regular season, and they're still the only team that's ever went the entire season total undefeated.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. 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) Longtime Onekama coach Jim Taylor shakes hands with current players during the football program’s reunion and recognition night Oct. 10. (Middle) Ryan Hrachovina (25) works to get around a Holton blocker. (Below) Members of the 1976 Onekama team walk toward the field at the new stadium. (Photos by Meredith McNabb Photography.)
Jesuit's Nelson Thrives in Many Roles
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
August 31, 2016
DETROIT – Scott Nelson and his football coaches at U-D Jesuit are doing their best to deter specialization.
Nelson, a senior defensive back/receiver, was the sixth man on the U-D team that won the school’s first basketball MHSAA title, in Class A, this past spring. He started in the outfield on the school’s varsity baseball team as a sophomore – although he chose not to play baseball this past season so as to concentrate on football and basketball.
“When I grew up I just played sports,” Nelson said. “I stopped playing hockey to play football.
“I love competing. I love playing sports.”
U-D is an all-male private school located on the city’s northwest side. The academic curriculum is demanding, and most students who attend the Jesuit school choose to go there for that reason without the thought of participating in athletics. Some programs have thrived; the school's basketball, soccer and bowling teams have won MHSAA championships over the last 15 years, while the baseball, tennis and lacrosse teams have finished Finals runners-up.
It’s different for coach Oscar Olejniczak’s football program. Participation is a must for football coaches. They need players, and lots of them, to conduct practices properly. U-D has not been able to field a junior varsity team the past two seasons. Olejniczak has 44 on varsity, which is a workable number, but it is paramount that the good athletes in the school participate in more than one sport to help fill out the rosters.
“I encourage every one of our players to play two sports,” Olejniczak said. “If they play three sports, no problem, but academics is so tough here that two is all most can handle.
“When you play two sports … it helps them 100 percent. Each sport uses different muscles. It helps with hand-eye coordination.
“It’s a big mistake when you play one sport. People get into their ear. I’m sorry to say sometimes it comes from the coaches.”
It’s likely Nelson could have played any one of the three sports in college. In the end he chose football for the simple fact that he likes it more than the others. Nevertheless, he fully intends on playing basketball this winter. And why not? He’ll have a chance to start on a team that’ll once again be one of the state’s best.
“I’m biased,” Nelson said. “Multiple sports give you different skills. Basketball gives me that. You have to be in great shape to play basketball. On the basketball court, I’m not the best player. That helped me mentally. Playing with Cassius (Winston, now at Michigan State), people aren’t concentrating on you. That’s fine. Let me do my role. And that’s what I’ll do, and I’ll do my best. In football it’s different. I am an important part. With my coaches, they know I shouldn’t have a bad game. I put pressure on myself. I know I can make the big plays.”
Defensive coordinator George Harris knew that before Nelson did. Nelson played on the freshmen team before he was moved up to the varsity in time for the 2013 Division 2 playoffs. Not only did he dress, but Nelson was shocked to learn he would start that first playoff game against Warren Woods Tower.
“A senior was late for team prayer service,” Harris said. “We have rules here, and we suspended him for the first quarter. So I asked (Nelson) if he knew the coverages and everything. His eyes got real big.
“His football I.Q. was high for a young kid. He wasn’t afraid of the moment. That year we had a (preseason) 7-on-7 scrimmage and he had six interceptions in one game. I said, oh my goodness. He has a lot more confidence now. He’s more physical. That comes from just growing into his body. I can pull things out of his brain, and we can now talk the same language.”
The skills the other sports taught him undoubtedly made Nelson a better football player. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, he’ll likely play safety in college. Northwestern is the lone school that’s recruiting him to play receiver. The other schools that have offered him a scholarship want him to play defense. Nelson has narrowed his choices down to five: Northwestern, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Nelson is coming off of what was a breakthrough season. He accounted for 21 touchdowns, which came passing (2), rushing (13), receiving (4) and on kick returns (2).
This season he was not expected to play quarterback, but he was pressed into service, due to injury, in the opener at Detroit Mumford. The Cubs led 2-0 late in the first half and prevailed, 23-14.
As far as his college future, Nelson is uncertain whether he’ll make his decision during the season or after.
There’s no hurry. The Cubs, which made the playoffs last fall losing to eventual Division 2 champion Detroit Martin Luther King 35-24 in a Pre-District, are optimistic that they’ll make a return trip.
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTO: Scott Nelson (10) eludes a pursuing defender. (Photo courtesy of U-D Jesuit/Brent Wilkerson.)