The Lakeland Conference begins its second season since its rebirth last year. It also begins the first season that there will be a team looking to defend their title from a year ago. Buchanan went 4-0 in Lakeland Conference play, but only a 6-point win against Berrien Springs and a slim 2 point win against rival Brandywine could have changed things dramatically.
Change is also the word to describe Berrien Springs. Coach Elliot Uzelac steps down as the head coach, but he is serving as the offensive coordinator for new head coach Ben Iliff.
All while Benton Harbor has their eyes on their first conference championship since 1984 when the Tigers won the Lake Michigan Conference. Back when Benton Harbor faced, Traverse City Central, Muskegon, Muskegon Catholic, Grand Haven, and Muskegon Mona Shores.
Traditional powers like Brandywine and Dowagiac hope to climb the standing from last year.
2023 Lakeland Conference Preview
Benton Harbor Tigers
2022 Record: 4-5 (2-2 Lakeland)
Head Coach: Sheldon Nelson (3rd season, 6-12)
2023 Schedule:
8/24 vs. Lawton – 7:00 p.m.
8/31 vs. Constantine – 7:00 p.m.
9/8 vs. Muskegon Catholic Central – 7:00 p.m.
9/15 vs. Buchanan – 7:00 p.m.
9/22 at Dowagiac – 7:00 p.m.
9/29 at Gull Lake – 7:00 p.m.
10/6 vs. Brandywine – 7:00 p.m.
10/13 at Berrien Springs – 7:00 p.m.
10/20 at Hopkins – 7:00 p.m.
There are some obvious reasons why Benton Harbor hasn’t won a conference title since 1984, the most obvious is that up until last year, the Tigers weren’t in a conference since 2015. Even before that being in the Big 8 with St. Joe, Portage Central, and Battle Creek Central, then members of the Expanded Big 16 with Lakeshore it was a weekly and prolonged battle for the Tigers program, even with former Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell suiting up in the orange and black in the early 2000’s.
Now comes the new Lakeland Conference, the Tigers dipped their paw back into the pool of conference play last year and now look to dive in head first and compete for the Lakeland conference title.
Coach Sheldon Nelson’s Tigers bring back eight starters on offense and return eight on defense. Benton Harbor has 33 on the varsity roster in 2023 and have 18 seniors.
The Tigers will work from the spread offense, with 6’3-194 Senior, Jaeden Meeks returning at quarterback. Three more seniors will be called upon for the Tigers offense, including OL Davyion Frazier (6’4-280), WR Rodney Ford (6’0-195) and RB Julius Watkins (5’8-178).
The Tigers will align themselves in a 3-3-5 defensive set, being led by seniors, LB Raymond Davis (5’11-190), DB Avontae Tasker (5’8-185), DB Zachary Sanders (5’8, 190), and DL Monty Duckett (5’8-240).
Ford and Watkins are the returners on special teams.
Nelson’s goal for 2023 is simple, “Win the conference and make the playoffs.” As for the Lakeland Conference, he says the favorite, “Outside of ourselves probably Buchanan.”
The Tigers open the season at Filstrup Field against Lawton on August 24.
Berrien Springs Shamrocks
2022 Record: 7-3 (3-1 Lakeland)
Head Coach: Ben Iliff (1st season)
2023 Schedule:
8/25 vs. Kalamazoo United – 7:00 p.m. *after JV game)
8/31 vs. Paw Paw – 7:00 p.m.
9/8 at Watervliet – 7:00 p.m.
9/15 at Brandywine – 7:00 p.m.
9/22 BYE WEEK
9/29 vs. Buchanan – 7:00 p.m.
10/6 at Dowagiac – 7:00 p.m.
10/13 vs. Benton Harbor – 7:00 p.m.
10/20 at Portland – 7:00 p.m.
Change is inevitable, especially in high school football. One of the biggest changes this season will be for the Berrien Springs Shamrocks. Elliot Uzelac may have retired as head coach for the Shamrocks, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be on the sidelines. Uzelac is staying at Berrien Springs as offensive coordinator under new head coach Ben Iliff. Iliff was an assistant under Uzelac at Berrien, and also at St. Joseph. But now Iliff is the one with his hands on the steering wheel and with the foot down on the gas pedal. However Berrien Springs loses much of the experience and starters from the 7-3 team from last year that finished second in the reborn Lakeland Conference.
Berrien Springs has 12 seniors on this year’s team, but only returns 3 starters on offense and 4 on defense.
Junior Quarterback Micah McFarland will lead the Shamrocks Zone Option offense. The middle of the offensive line are all seniors with Kyler Constable at Center, and Owen Kerlikowski and Tividar Tasi at Guard. One of McFarland’s top targets will be Sophomore wide receiver Walter Williams.
Kerlikowski, Williams and McFarland will also be key on the defensive side of the ball with McFarland lining up as a free safety, Williams at cornerback, and Kerlikoske at a linebacker. Joined by junior Brody Brewer at defensive end.
McFarland will also handle the punting duties with Efran Pedroza at place kicker. Williams and Clay Thibeault as kick returners.
Iliff describes his team as, “Very young and rather inexperienced, need to stay healthy, but should be competitive in all of our games.”
Iliff expects Benton Harbor as the favorite in the Lakeland Conference.
Berrien Springs also only has 8 games on the schedule this season, with an open week on September 22 (Week 5).
Brandywine Bobcats
2022 Record: 4-6 (1-3 Lakeland)
Head Coach: Justin Kinzie (2nd season, 4-6)
2023 Schedule:
8/24 at Watervliet – 8:00 p.m.
8/31 at Cassopolis – 7:00 p.m.
9/8 vs. Saugatuck – 7:00 p.m.
9/15 vs. Berrien Springs – 7:00 p.m.
9/22 at Buchanan – 7:00 p.m.
9/29 vs. Dowagiac – 7:00 p.m.
10/6 at Benton Harbor – 7:00 p.m.
10/13 at Coloma – 7:00 p.m.
10/20 vs. Hartford – 7:00 p.m.
Brandywine was in great shape at the midway point of the 2022 season. After an opening week loss to Watervliet, Brandywine rattled off four straight wins, but injuries and a lack of depth quickly came back to bite the Bobcats as they lost the last four games of the season to finish at 4-5, but were still able to make the playoffs.
Justin Kinzie is back for his second season as head coach, and hopes that year 2 will go more like the first half of last year than the second half.
Brandywine will suit up 35 players on the varsity this season, and nine of them are seniors. Brandywine will have six starters back on offense, even if some of their playing time was cut because of injuries. Senior Kaiden Reith (5’8-150) lines up at quarterback this season. With another senior Connor Dye (6’2-185) lining up a slotback, but also taking snaps at quarterback if needed. Senior Kevin Robert (5’10-170) also lines up in the slot. Junior Carter Sobecki (6’0-190) will play fullback, and senior Brock Dye (6’1-180) will play tight end. Up front on Brandywine’s triple option offense will be senior Charles McLaurin at tackle (6’4-245) and senior Gavin Schoff (5’9-175) at guard.
Brandywine will line up in a 4-3 defensive set. Led by Sobecki at middle linebacker, Roberts at safety, and Schoff at nose tackle. Joining them are Sophomore’s Kaeden Warfield (6’1-170 at safety, and Drew McKee (6’2-255) at defensive tackle. Senior Josh Patrolia (5’11-185) will play linebacker.
Kinzie says he still is looking to fill his kicker roles as they lost their two from last year. Senior fullback and linebacker Joe Frazier (5’6-160) is the early leader to handle the puntine duties.
Coach Kinzie says, “We survived 2022 with a thin roster that was complicated with a mass of injuries early on, as well as being our first season running an under-center triple option. We got better as the season went, and we’ve been able to use this Summer to sharpen our swords and get better at the basics. We’re now ready to take the next step, but the results this season are going to depend on a small – but talented – group of Seniors helping to lead and set an example for the many Freshmen and Sophomores that we’re going to have to rely on this season.”
As for his outlook on the Lakeland Conference, “Buchanan and Berrien Springs are always going to be the de facto favorites in this conference, and it’s their conference until someone else steps up and proves otherwise. Both teams lost a lot of Seniors from last season, but those programs do a great job of reloading year in and year out.
Brandywine opens the season at Watervliet
Buchanan Bucks
2022 Record: 8-2 (4-0 Lakeland)
Head Coach: Mark Frey (4th season, 22-15)
2023 Schedule:
8/24 at Saugatuck – 7:00 p.m.
8/31 vs. Coloma – 7:00 p.m.
9/8 at Kent City – 7:00 p.m.
9/15 at Benton Harbor – 7:00 p.m.
9/22 vs. Brandywine – 7:00 p.m.
9/29 at Berrien Springs – 7:00 p.m.
10/6 at Bronson – 7:00 p.m.
10/13 vs. Dowagiac – 7:00 p.m.
10/20 vs. Union City – 7:00 p.m.
A conference championship trophy always will have a home in a trophy case, and the only thing better than one Lakeland Conference championship trophy, would be two. Buchanan looks to keep their perfect record in Lakeland Conference play since the league was reincarnated last year. Of the conference wins for Buchanan last year, two of them were by less than a score and another was by two scores.
Mark Frey returns for his fourth season on the Bucks sideline, with and very large and somewhat young roster. Buchanan’s varsity has 57 players on the roster but only nine seniors.
However, Buchanan pro style offense has 6 returning starters from 2022 and the Bucks 3-4 aligned defense has 8 starters coming back.
Frey said his key starters on offense this season are; Drew Andersen OL Senior, Dean Roberts OL Senior, Caden Legault OL Senior, AJ Camille-Mcleod OL Senior, Nico Finn RB Senior, Leland Payne RB Junior, Jake Franklin QB Junior, Kyle Lewis-Schadler TE Senior, and Jamari Brown WR Senior.
The Bucks defense will be manned by; Drew Andersen DL Senior, Dean Roberts DL Senior, AJ Camille-Mcleod DL Senior, Nico Finn LB Senior, Leland Payne LB Junior, Kyle Lewis-Schadler LB Senior, Gabe Tompkins LB Junior, Jamari Brown DB Senior, Tyler Baker DB Junior, and Maishaun Hayes DB Senior.
Buchanan plans to use three different players to return kicks this season. Junior Leland Payne, and Seniors Nico Finn and Jamari Brown.
Frey tells us, “We’re hoping to continue to grow from the success of last season and be competitive enough to return to the playoffs. Our nine seniors have led our program through a great offseason, and we feel that we have had a solid summer heading into the preseason. We have a lot of newcomers and former rotators from last season that will need to step up right away, but they have the athleticism to do some special things.”
As for the outlook on the Lakeland Conference. Frey said, “Looking at the returners from each team, we would have to say that Benton Harbor and Berrien Springs are going to be near the top of the list. With that being said, we hope to be competitive with them and be in the hunt as well.”
Buchanan opens the season on the road at Buchanan before opening the home portion of the schedule the following week against Coloma. The game against Coloma is a special tribute night. The Buchanan football team is planning a special Galien Gaels tribute game. Where Buchanan will wear Galien uniforms to honor the former school that closed 20 years prior and had many of their players attend Buchanan after the district shut down.
Dowagiac Chieftains
2022 Record: 2-7 (0-4 Lakeland)
Head Coach: Duane David (3rd season, 2-16)
2023 Schedule:
8/24 at South Haven – 7:00 p.m.
8/31 vs. Watervliet – 7:00 p.m.
9/8 vs. Coloma – 7:00 p.m.
9/15 at Parchment – 7:00 p.m.
9/22 vs. Benton Harbor – 7:00 p.m.
9/29 at Brandywine – 7:00 p.m.
10/6 vs. Berrien Springs – 7:00 p.m.
10/13 at Buchanan – 7:00 p.m.
10/20 at Cassopolis – 7:00 p.m.
It’s hard to call a 2-7 season an improvement, but 2022’s 2-7 is exactly an improvement for the Dowagiac Chieftains. After an 0-9 2021 campaign, Dowagiac picked up their first win since defeating rival Niles 20-0 in week 8 of the COVID shortened 2020 season.
Although 2-7 a step in the right direction, it’s not where the legendary Chieftains program has been in the last 40 years, and is not where fans expect them to be. Dowagiac has taken the steps to bring the program back.
Dowagiac will run a Wing T offense and returns seven starters from last year. Over half of the players on the Chieftains varsity roster this season are seniors, with 16 of the 31 player roster.
Dowagiac quarterback will be Isiah Hill (6’2-210 Senior). Also joining Hill on offensive are Justin Bannow RB 5’8 180 Sr., Max Stelmasiak RT 6’3-270 Sr., Isiah Mourning RG 5’7-205 Sr., Josh Winchester-Jones WR 5’10-160 Sr., Cal Chapman Center 6;2-230 Jr., and Devean Whitaker LT 5’9-275 Jr. Head Coach Duane Davis will call the plays as well.
On defense, Dowagiac will lineup in a 4-3 set, with key players, Jacob Leitch DE 5’10-205 Sr., Quent-Hill DE 6’0-205 So., Avery Amundsen LB 5’7-190 Jr., Arturo Benitez CB 5’7-160 Sr., Christian Wheaton CB 5’6-150 Sr., Jamal Williams FS 5’5-150 Jr., and Kaleb Smith SS 5’8-160 Jr.
Sr. Jacob Reid (6’0 195 Sr.) will handing the duties of punting and place kicking.
Davis says of his team, “the team has committed to putting in the time in the offseason and also with bonding with each other. We are excited to get back to work and play football again.”
As for the Lakeland Conference, Davis tells us, “I can’t wait to play all of them because there are some really good high school football teams in Southwest Michigan this year.”
Dowagiac opens the season with a road game against South Haven on August 24.
Next preview: Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC)