Jeremiah Fry (9) never thought he’d be on the varsity football team as a freshman, but the coaches had better plans. Fry transferred to East Lansing from Waverly two weeks before school started.
“I never prepared to be on varsity,” Fry said. “But I guess the coaches thought I could play at this level, and I could deliver as a player.”
The decision to cut the JV team this season was due to a lack of players. Without a JV football team, underclassmen players have faced more pressure to perform, but also found new opportunities to grow. Freshman and sophomores who would’ve spent their time on JV developing their skills quickly had to adapt to the competition of being on varsity.
“They’re a lot bigger, stronger, and older,” Cameron White (10) said. “Like 18-year-olds and so on. Last year, I played against people my age [14], so it’s a big change.”
The previous overall record of the 2024-2025 varsity football season was 9-4, with a Michigan ranking of #33. After graduating a strong senior class, the current results this year are very different, with an overall record of 5-5, and a rank of #116. But regardless, the players still play to the best of their abilities.
“There’s always room to improve, but we’re trying our hardest, and we’re gonna keep on getting better as the season grows
throughout,” White said.
Jean-Michael Smith (11) faced a collarbone injury during their week three game against Grand Ledge, resulting in missing a quarter of the season. Despite the injury, he felt that his teammates stepped up and played their roles.
“[Rodney Moore Jr. (10)] filled in for me as quarterback, he learned all the plays needed and he really stepped up and did his part,” Smith said.
For many, this is their first year on varsity, but it’s been an enjoyable one.
“It’s great [being on varsity], it prepares me a lot for my future,” Jaedyn Burton-Bowers (9) said.
This adjustment isn’t one you can learn overnight. Playbooks are fuller, practices become longer, and hits are harder.
“You know, just putting in that work every day, getting what I deserve,” Fry said. “Just working day by day, getting to where I want to be—it feels amazing.”
Additionally, upperclassmen have noticed the dedication the underclassmen have been putting in.
“They’re looking up to us seniors and learning off of us, just like what we used to do with the leaders we had when we first started playing football,” Pernell Evans (12) said.
Even as the season closes, the familial bond still remains.
“Everybody has their ups and downs,” Fry said. “But we always pick each other up as brothers.”
