The school year may not be on its way yet, but fall sports are in full swing in Ranger Country. With the summer dwindling, the Ranger varsity football team is ready to kick off its season. 

With a new season comes a new team, but for the players, it just means a new year for opportunity. The team’s head coach, Tim Rogers, is optimistic about these changes and feels that the roster is packing a punch, not only experience but also upcoming talent. 

“We are replacing 31 seniors,” coach Rogers said. “So many of our starters this year will be inexperienced. However, the new players are talented. It will take us some time to get comfortable performing our assignments,” 

After a solid 9-0 conference season last year, the pressure is on for the upcoming seniors who now must fill the shoes of some of the biggest names in the school’s history. Regarding last year’s season, two of the most exciting games were the Byron Center game with a final score of 42-0 and the Northview game ending in an impressive 45-0 score for the Rangers. Games like these showed that FHC’s powerhouse of a team was a force to be reckoned with. The team’s only losses of the 2021 season were against Grand Blanc with a 37-35 final score early in the season and a disspiriting fall to Mona Shores in its only playoff game that cut the season much shorter than expected. 

This season will be different, though; the boys start this year against Jenison to battle the Wildcats in a neck and neck showdown that will show both team’s conferences what they are working against this fall. For most people, that first game will be the first look at two of the top teams in the area, but most of all, the matchup will show the Rangers what they are working with too. 

Returning seniors like Justin Osterhouse and Raymond Cargill are two players right out of the gate that the team is excited to unleash on the field, along with some newly crowned underclassmen who will help the boys in significant ways. 

“Justin Osterhouse played a lot last year and will provide stability at the QB position,” coach Rogers said. “Ray Cargill started last year at linebacker, and he will be our leader on defense. Ty Hudkins and JT Hartman are very talented juniors who will start on both sides of the ball.”

The 2022 football season is right around the corner, and everyone here in Ranger Country is on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what that will mean for their home team. The boys hope to start the school year off right on Thursday, August 25 at 7:00 pm, when Jenison travels to FHC when the Rangers try to secure their first win.