A New Era begins at East Grand Rapids

On March 15, 2022, East Grand Rapids announced the hiring of New Head Coach, Josh Shattuck. This marks the end of the Peter Stuursma coaching line, as former head coach Casey Longo was a long-time assistant for the legendary Stuursma. Now, EGR looks to perform at the elite level they were at for the longest time. EGR could make some noise this season with a new offensive system with an experienced head coach and a team full of seniors. In this team preview, I’ll discuss a few of EGRs brightest talents, in addition to discussing hurdles to jump and decisive games this upcoming season. <strong>Last 5 Seasons</strong> 2017: 9-1, 1st-round L vs. Cedar Springs 2018: 7-4, 1st-round L vs. Muskegon 2019: 8-4, Regional L vs. Muskegon 2020: 6-5, Divisional L vs. Muskegon 2021: 3-6, Did not qualify for playoffs <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Players to Watch </span></strong> <strong>QB S<a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14549787">cotty Millman</a></strong> Millman is a Southpaw with tremendous potential. Active during the offseason, Millman sports an 87.28 score on the QB Hit List. His most significant strength is his fundamentals while being above average in accuracy and decision-making. I expect the new offense to be very pass-heavy, so Millman’s play should impact the team more than anyone. <strong>DE/K [player_tooltip player_id="241279" first="Nick" last="Collins"]</strong> Collins plays two of the most critical positions on the field as a defensive end &amp; all-state kicker. His size is good at 6’2" 195lbs, but if he comes out having gained much more muscle, he could turn into a game-breaker on the defensive line. As for his kicking, [player_tooltip player_id="241279" first="Nick" last="Collins"] was all-state last season and looks to be just as good in 2022. Kicking could be the difference in any game, and it’s always game-changing having an elite special teams unit. <strong>OL/DT George Bernecker </strong> #69 last season did a sensational job stopping penetration from opposing defensive lines while being a promising defensive tackle at 6’2" 230lbs. Offensively, Bernecker can be a bit lower with his blocks and clean up his footwork a tad. I also hope his pass sets improve. On the defensive side of the ball, he’s a powerful run-stuffer who can do many things for the EGR Defense. Overall, he can do a ton of damage as a two-way player, and I expect him to look improved heading into 2022. <strong>Other Players to Watch: </strong><a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13199816">Andrew Caswell</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13200566">Jeremy James</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13200224">Max Torres</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14549803">Ian MacKeigan</a> <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Hurdles to Jump </span></strong> <strong>New Regime Woes</strong> From the High school to NFL level, a brand new Head Coach/Coaching Staff almost always had an adjustment period. From the Spring through Summer into the Fall, EGR will be implementing a new playbook with new schedules, coaching styles, and more. There’s a lot to adjust to, and there’s only so much that can be perfected before being battle-tested during the regular season. Therefore, there may be a better chance of early-season woes for this program. <strong>Winning the Big ones</strong> For the sake of confidence, playoff points, morale, etc., EGR must find a way to win the big games. This means Rockford, South Christian, FHC, and other games where they’ll be the underdog. If EGR can find a way to win the first few big games, confidence will go up, trust in the playbook will go up, trust in each other will go up, and overall program growth will occur. <strong>Important matchups</strong> <strong>Week 1 vs. Rockford</strong> EGR Has a ticker counting down the days until Rockford so that right there should tell you the importance of this matchup. Even with Rockford’s heavy 2022 graduating class, the Rams will be the favorites heading into this one. To be the best, you have to beat the best, and this matchup will be a great measuring stick game for the Pioneers. <strong>Week 2 vs. South Christian</strong> South Christian is a sneaky-good team that was super under-the-radar in 2022. EGR defeated the sailors last season, but they ended up having the better season at 8-4, playing very close games with Cedar Springs and Edwardsburg led by a great defense. This is a critical early-season matchup that is a momentum shifter. <strong>Week 5 vs. Grand Rapids Christian</strong> The big crosstown rivalry, this game means more. Chrisitan came away with the 13-11 victory last season. Even more importantly, EGR hasn’t beaten its rival since 2017. It’s turning into a lopsided rivalry; no matter what, this is a momentum shifter for both programs.