East Kentwood Football Preview

East Kentwood is ready to go. Like everyone, they've waited forever to get back on the field and their season starts Friday. We're giving a preview of their upcoming season and reviewing their 2020 campaign. <strong>2020 Review</strong> Last year, the Falcons had an up and down season. They stumbled out of the gate and tried to gather themselves but could never quite get back on track. They showed up last year and beat Grand Haven on the road 42-12 and that was the peak of the season. It looked like that could have been the turning point for them but it didn't happen. Offensively, they were decent putting up over 26 PPG. The problem was on defense they struggled to stop anyone. They gave up just over 30 PPG and that's what held them back. <strong>Coaching Staff</strong> The Falcons are going to be led by Head Coach Tony Kimbrough again heading into 2021. Behind Kimbrough, the Falcons have had success. They have faltered these past few years but they'd like to get back to that 9-2 type season they had just in 2018. Some of the struggle last year could be attributed to the sudden passing of their offensive line coach in the middle of the season. Page was a science teacher and an important factor for the coaching staff up in East Kentwood. It's hard to replace a guy like that, especially in the middle of the season. A year removed, they've got every spot filled and they feel comfortable with the full staff. <strong>Key Players For 2021</strong> The Falcons will be relying on Casey Joppie to lead them on the field in 2021. The 6'1" 185 lbs sophomore QB has spent his summer doing the things he needs to in order to prepare to be a starting QB. He's definitely more of a pocket-passing quarterback. He's best when he's able to sit back and read the field. He's young, he's growing, and still has plenty of time to develop. How far he goes will depend on how far the team as a whole goes. Reg Brown is a starter on both sides of the ball. Brown will start at WR and CB for the Falcons. The 5'11" and 175 lbs senior makes plays at both positions. At WR he will line up in the slot and make the tough catches over the middle. He's able to make some guys miss with the ball in his hands as well. At CB he likes to play in their face and tends to be pretty hands-on. He will get caught with some fabric in his hands here and there. If he can clean that up, he's going to have a great year. The Falcons defensive leader will be Haiden McNeil. McNeil plays all 3 LB spots and will even line up at RB sometimes. He's a decent raw athlete and is just over 6' and 155 lbs. He's able to come to balance and make solid form tackles. He isn't the biggest hitter but he can definitely make a hit when he needs to. He's fantastic at blitzing off the edge and can create issues for offensive lines on a regular basis. <strong>2021 Schedule</strong> East Kentwood starts their season at home on Friday against Muskegon. Muskegon is a team that's always ready to go and will immediately put the Falcons to the test. They then hit the road for back-to-back weeks before having a 2 game homestand. The Falcons will finish their year away on the road against Jenison on October 22nd at 7 PM. There's some intrigue and excitement with the Falcons heading into 2021 and we get to start getting answers Friday.