Whiteford Completes Championship Climb
December 15, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Ottawa Lake Whiteford football had been building toward this.
Coach Jason Mensing took over a program in 2012 that had gone 4-5 the previous fall, and immediately the Bobcats doubled their wins to finish 8-2. Next came seasons of 9-3, 7-4, 10-3 and program’s first MHSAA Semifinal in 2015, and 13-1 with its only loss in the Division 8 championship game a year ago.
And yet, for the bulk of this season Whiteford still had to look up at a few others, relatively speaking. Reigning champion Muskegon Catholic Central was most people’s favorite to win the division again – until the Crusaders lost their District Final to Mendon, which became the new favorite.
Meanwhile, Whiteford – the MHSAA/Applebee’s Team of the Month for November – bided its time until receiving its opportunity to make history. The Bobcats made the loudest statement with a 50-21 win over Mendon in their Semifinal on Nov. 17, and then assumed the top spot in Division 8 for the first time with a 42-21 championship game win over Saginaw Nouvel on Nov. 24 at Ford Field.
The Bobcats moving forward will still be looking up – but now at a championship banner to be hung and at a goal that certainly will seem more attainable now that they’ve achieved it for the first time.
“My hope is all the boys within our community and school see it and want to accomplish that for themselves,” said Mensing, also the school’s athletic director. “Obviously, it’s not realistic that it’s going to happen every year. But that aspiration for greatness and success … the idea that I can accomplish this, the idea I want this and I’m going to strive for it. Wherever you end up matters less (than) the pursuit of excellence.”
Whiteford pursued and attained excellence and dominance this fall on the way to a 14-0 record, starting with an offense that scored 737 points – tied for second most in MHSAA history, and an average of 52.6 per game.
Tri-County Conference rival Petersburg-Summerfield came within 16 points of catching the Bobcats in the District Final, Whiteford’s closest game of the entire fall as they won on average by nearly 40 points. During the playoffs alone, Whiteford outscored five opponents by an average of 50-18.
The Bobcats had fallen in the 2016 title game 35-6 to Muskegon Catholic Central, but certainly benefited from that first-time experience. Mensing sensed his team’s calm this time around, but also praised his players and coaches for staying focused week in and week out on improving and paying attention to details – no small tasks when everyone knew early on that Whiteford should be in the championship mix.
To win it all, teams generally must have size and speed, and Whiteford certainly had both, even as a school with roughly 240 students – but with nearly 50 on the roster for the championship game.
Let’s start with size. Senior Lucas Tesznar (6-foot-5, 285 pounds) set the tone up front offensively and senior Jarret Atherton (6-1, 255) was an all-stater on both sides for the ball. Junior DeShaun Williams (6-5, 280) was an all-leaguer on defense.
Speed and skill? Senior quarterback Thomas Eitniear and junior running back Logan Murphy keyed a dynamic backfield – Eitniear throwing for 1,403 yards and 17 touchdowns and running for 919 yards more, while Murphy ran for 1,873 yards. Together they combined to set eight school records including Murphy’s for yards gained on the ground. Junior Braden Clark-Gilmore added another school record with 10 receiving touchdowns.
On a defense that gave up only 206 yards of offense and 13 points per game, junior Ty Eitniear set a school record with seven interceptions. Senior lineman Matthew Taylor, senior linebacker Eli Shelton and junior defensive backs Hunter Lake and Zack Bertz joined Atherton as all-state picks on that side of the ball.
Total, eight players secured some level of all-state recognition and 13 Bobcats earned first-team honors in the Tri-County Conference.
The Bobcats are turning their attention to other sports this school year and a future in football without 14 hard-working seniors who will graduate in the spring. But the memories of this fall surely will be lasting, even as the program is poised to continue making runs at top finishes.
“There have been a lot of well wishes, to our kids and our staff, and the school as a whole,” Mensing said. “There are so many people who invest in a football program at all schools, let alone one getting that deep into the playoffs. All of those people who have invested and worked at it have some pride and sense of accomplishment.”
Past Teams of the Month, 2017-18
October: Beaverton volleyball - Report
September: Shepherd girls golf - Report
PHOTOS: (Top) Ottawa Lake Whiteford raises its Division 8 championship trophy at Ford Field last month. (Middle) Senior Eli Shelton leads the Bobcats onto the field.
New Turf, Renewed Expectations Greet Kingsford Football as 2025 Fall Practices Begin
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
August 11, 2025
KINGSFORD — Growing up his whole life in the Kingsford community, Jack Kriegl admits the sight is surreal – and a dream.
Just before walking out Monday morning during the first day of high school football practice across the state, Kriegl and others could only beam at the community’s new addition: a gleaming new artificial field installed at the school’s stadium over the summer.
The funds for the field were raised entirely through private donations, according to Kingsford principal David Lindbeck.
“It’s beautiful,” Kriegl said. “It’s weird to see because we’ve been on a grass field our whole life. It looks awesome. “There always has been talk about getting turf forever. We finally got it, and it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Practices began for all fall sports and 100,000 athletes at MHSAA-member high schools Monday. Kingsford's football team didn’t practice on its new field, however, because construction on the track surrounding the field is taking place. The school annually hosts the MHSAA’s Upper Peninsula Track & Field Finals for all three divisions.
But practicing on the huge and well-manicured grass field behind the stadium didn’t dampen the enthusiasm during the first practice – nor what the future holds once the track is completed and the new turf field is officially open for business in this town of just more than 5,000 adjacent to Iron Mountain on the Upper Peninsula’s southern border with Wisconsin.
“It’ll probably be the premier facility in Upper Michigan,” said Kingsford football head coach Mark Novara, who began his 27th year in the program and seventh as head coach. “It’s that next level of stuff that we’re really ultra-serious about what we’re doing around here with our athletics program.
“Our former superintendent Dave Holmes really had this vision and wanted it to be done for us. The big thing is that we can use that piece of real estate a lot more than we could before. Our baseball team, our softball team can get out there in the spring. Our band can use it, our PE classes can use it, on down the line. It’s nice.”
“Nice” has also been a way to describe Kingsford’s program in recent years. The Flivvers have become arguably the most consistent 11-player program in the Upper Peninsula, amassing a 19-3 record over the last two seasons and with a string of five consecutive winning seasons total.
Kingsford enters this year hungry after a disappointing first-round exit in the Division 5 playoffs last year. The Flivvers enjoyed an unbeaten regular season, but suffered an 18-15 loss to Gladwin in District opener. They had reached the Regional Finals in 2023.
“I’m feel like we all want to get back this year,” said Kingsford senior lineman Logan DeClark. “We want to make it far. We were all pretty bummed last year, losing in the first round after having such a great season and going unbeaten. Speaking for everyone here, we don’t want that to happen again.”
Repeating last year’s success will be a challenge for Kingsford, given the Flivvers were a senior-dominated team in 2024 and newcomers will have to adapt fast to varsity football.
The good news is that Kriegl, a three-sport athlete who has committed to play football at Michigan Tech, is back for his third year on varsity and gives the team notable experience moving over to quarterback after earning all-league second-team as a receiver and first team as a defensive back last season.
Kriegl suffered a spleen injury in practice before the regular-season finale last fall and missed the playoff game.
There are also three starters back along the offensive line – Logan and Preston DeClark and Connor White.
“We’re just trying to maintain that same mental and physical toughness and that hard-nosed brand of football,” Novara said. “I think the talk (from others) will be that ‘they lost everybody.’ But too bad. We’re reloading, and here we come.”
Even better, Kingsford will do so with its spectacular new field on display for the rest of the Upper Peninsula.
“I’m sure it will bring people into the games,” Kriegl said. “Bigger crowds, which will be fun. Hopefully we can put on a show.”
PHOTOS (Top) Kingsford players work through an agility drill Monday during the first day of practice statewide. (Middle) Ian Spencer catches a pass during the team’s first session of the season. (Below) The Flivvers’ new field turf glimmers during the sunny morning. (Photos by Keith Dunlap.)