BRANCH COUNTY – The 2024 high school football season in Branch County is firmly in our past, as most athletes have moved on to their respective winter sports. Even though the season is now just a memory that does not mean we cannot look back at the year that was and celebrate.
Union City won its third straight Big 8 title thanks to a senior laden team of play makers, while the Bronson Vikings enjoyed a resurgence under new management as head coach Tony Myers took his Viking team to the playoffs.
Coldwater brought a new meaning to Cardinal Football, as gone was the traditional ground and pound running attack, replaced by a wide-open spread offense led by a dynamic group of play makers.
Both Quincy and Tekonsha were under new management this season and while there were a few growing pains there were a number of great things to look forward to in the years to come.
With all that in mind we take a look back at the best of the best Branch County had to offer in the sport of football as we announce our annual The Daily Reporter Football Dream Team.
The Daily Reporter Dream Team is our attempt to recognize the best of the best in Branch County, those who rise above and beyond and lead with both their efforts on the field and their demeanor off.
Each prep season, The Daily Reporter sports staff selects its Dream Team, area players we believe have shown great ability, leadership and drive. Those chosen are athletes who finished out the season in good standing with their respective teams and showed integrity and hard work all season long. Coaches were consulted in the choosing of these teams, both for the team itself and for Honorable Mention.
(Editor’s Note: Many of the players chosen here would have been chosen for their work on both sides of the ball, however in the spirit of recognizing all those from Branch County who deserve to be honored, players were limited to just one side of the ball, despite deserving the honor on both sides.)
The Daily Reporter Football Coach of the Year– Bronson head coach Tony Myers.
Myers took over a program in desperate need of a shot in the arm and he delivered just that, taking a no-nonsense approach to his time on the sidelines while keeping his team concentrated on the little things on and of the field. Myers led Bronson to a spot in the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs and managed to build a solid foundation for years to come. Bronson finished in second place in the Big 8, finishing 6-1 in the conference that season.
Congratulations to The Daily Reporter Football Coach of the year, Bronson’s Tony Myers.
QB- Dracyn Foster, Coldwater; Spencer Losinski, Bronson; Eli Payne, Union City
RB– Dylon MacDonald, Union City; Jace Hoard, Bronson; Brendan Labar, Union City;
WR- Rick Austin, Union City; Evan Lewis, Coldwater; Ryan Kempter, Quincy; Dayton Ennis, Coldwater; Noah Rufenacht, Quincy
OL– Reed Goodwin, Union City; Rylen Dickey, Quincy; Taylor Curtis, Union City; Sam Tappenden, Bronson; Lance Salek, Union City; Gavin Kelly, Union City; Garrett McVicker, Coldwater
DL- Caden Hughes, Union City; Lance Salek, Bronson; Carson Danke, Union City; Collin York, Bronson; Josh Bailey, Tekonsha; Evan Hamilton, Coldwater
LB- Aiden Decker, Union City; Ethan Pearson, Quincy; Karsen Scare, Bronson; Alex Boyer, Union City; Jackson Reilly, Coldwater; Preston Pombier, Tekonsha
DB- Kam Brackett, Bronson; Ben Stevens, Bronson; Kelub Miller, Union City; Bennett McDonald, Coldwater.
Do you agree with sports editor Troy Tennyson and his picks? Do you have a student athlete you feel deserves recognition? Let him know via email at ttennyson@thedailyreporter.com.
