Written by: Will Hoenike
Some may suggest a drop in classification is what will lead to the Genesee Bulldogs finding success on the football field in 2024. The program has moved down from 2A (formerly 1A Division 1) to 1A (formerly 1A Division 2) at the same time as powerhouse Kendrick is moving up from 1A to 2A, thus leaving a mad scramble for the top spot in the 1A Whitepine this fall.
However, Bulldog head coach Justin Podrabsky points to something else. If his team is going to compete for a playoff spot this fall, it won’t be because of a drop in classification. It will be because of numbers.
“Depth and experience will be our biggest strength,” said Podrabsky, who is entering his fourth season as Genesee’s head coach. “We will have previous playing experience at every position. We will also have depth at each spot to be able to rotate guys in and out.”
It’s young experience, but experience nonetheless. Genesee graduated just three seniors off of last season’s roster. The same roster also listed nine freshmen. So while the overall results may not look great on paper (the team went winless), those young players got a lot of playing time and earned valuable experience.
The team has two vets leading the way up front in senior Vince Crowley and Justin Leavitt. They’ll play in front of sophomore quarterback Jackson Banks, who leads an impressive list of sophomores. Running back Cameron Holmes and receivers Conrad Seubert, Noah Bollman, and Carsen Warner-Hall give the program a strong nucleus of skill-position players to grow around for the next three seasons.
“Our skill positions will be our biggest strength,” Podrabsky said. “We will be two-deep across (at every position) and this will allow us to keep our guys fresh. We will have a lot of team speed and will have the ability to stretch the field with our guys.”
The young depth will be augmented by senior running back Ryan Impson, junior receiver Cadyn Brummer, and a pair of incoming freshmen, quarterback Neil Jarolimek and tight end Preston Cass.
The end result should be a more consistent and potent offense. The Bulldogs scored just 52 points last fall, with 20 of them coming in a loss to nearby Troy High School. Increased experience and confidence are two big factors, as is a third: speed. Good, old-fashioned speed.
“This will be the most players and best overall team speed I have ever had in my years at Genesee.” Podrabsky pointed out.
Gains will need to be made on the defensive side of the ball as well. While the offense struggled to score, the defense had a hard time getting off the field, holding just two opponents under 48 points in 2023. But the coaching staff believes the pieces are in place to make important strides on that side of the ball as well.
“We need to improve on tackling and assignment errors,” Podrabsky said. We gave up too many big plays last year because of these two things.”
What can help with tackling and assignment errors? Depth and speed. Check … and check.
To state the obvious, moving down a classification as juggernaut Kendrick moves up will play a role for Genesee this fall. The Bulldogs join the 1A Whitepine League with Deary, Timberline, and Lewis County. Those three programs are no pushovers, but it’s also a group that Genesee expects to be able to compete with right away. The Bulldogs host Lewis County in September before closing the regular season with back-to-back conference games at Timberline and Deary. If the program’s growth and development remain on track this fall, people around the team believe it could earn a playoff berth.
“We have the guys and talent but will need to continue to improve each week to put ourselves where we want to be at the end of the season.” Podrabsky concluded.