By DOUG DONNELLY

For a five-team conference, the TCC packs a lot of punch. 

“Our league, despite losing three members in two years, is still one of the toughest leagues to play in,” said Summerfield head coach Alex Lipka. 

All five current TCC teams had winning seasons a year ago and four of the five made the playoffs.

Whiteford is the defending champion and has a new head coach. The Bobcats have a tough non-conference schedule as they open the season with Blissfield, Ida and Detroit Loyola (top 10 in Division 7) before jumping into league play. 

Madison is in its final season in the Tri-County Conference and would love nothing more than to go out with its first TCC football title. Head coach Scott Gallagher has the Trojans working hard in weight room and building team unity and depth. The strength of the team should be on its offensive and defensive lines. 

“I am excited about our 2022 Madison football team and the growth I see in each player,” Gallagher said. “These guys have worked hard, been great leaders for the program and are ready to take the next step.” 

Sand Creek was hit hard by graduation. Head coach Marc Spicer, in his second season, said that has opened the doors for a new group of players. 

“We have a bunch of guys that want to prove themselves,” Spicer said. 

Brody Serin and John Hewitt are both two-way returning starters and Cody Prater should be an exciting running back for Sand Creek 

Summerfield and Erie Mason both return starting quarterbacks. Bryce Kalb is back for the Bulldogs while Vaughn Brown is back at Erie Mason. 

Brown had a great sophomore season. The 6-0, 170-pound junior completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns. He rushed for another 316 yards. 

More importantly, he got Mason to five wins and a spot in the Division 6 playoffs where the Eagles lost to Ida.  

Brown is being counted on this season to continue his improvement as the Eagles are a young team with a rebuilding offensive line but some skilled players that could be in for big seasons. 

“I feel a lot more confident, and I got a lot stronger,” he said. “I feel like I’m a much better player than I was last year.” 

Summerfield has one of the best athletes in the league returning in Brandon Thompson. 

“He can run like a deer and hit like a truck,” Summerfield coach Alex Lipka said. “He also leads effectively and is always picking his team up when they need it, which is why he is so important to us.” 

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the future of the TCC right now due to changes among the conference landscape in southeast Michigan, but the 2022 season should be an interesting one. 

Here’s a Team-by-Team breakdown:

ERIE MASON

2021: 5-5, lost first round of the playoffs

Coach: Steven Bowers, 2nd season, 5-5

Returning starters offense (6): Vaughn Brown (QB), John Nolan (OL), Cole Kreger (RB/WR), Xavier Wise (OL), Korbin Herrera (WR), Trent Herrera (WR).

Returning starters defense (5): Cole Kreger (DL), Trent Herrera (DL), John Nolan (DL), Thomas Hutson (DL), Korbin Herrera (DB).

Newcomers: Cameron Davis (Freshman, OL/DL), Blake Stanish (OL/DL), Aaron Koehn (OL/DL)

Outlook: Erie Mason made the playoffs last season in Bowers’ first season as head coach with Brown starting all season as a sophomore. He’s better this year. “He was committed to the weight room all off season while being a 4-sport athlete and has grown stronger and faster since last season, as well as more confident in his abilities,” Bowers said. Kreger gives the Eagles an all-around athlete who can play all over the place and both Herrera’s are top receivers. Louden Murbach is a senior linebacker ready to become a star.

Question marks: Only one full-time starter on the offensive line is back.

Strengths: The Eagles have a lot of skill players and depth at those positions.

Coach says: “We have a solid group of young players who have been working hard in the weight room since the end of last season. This group could be very exciting to watch as they develop over the next couple of seasons. We expect to compete in every game this season.”

MADISON 

2021: 5-4 

Coach: Scott Gallagher, 2nd season, 5-4 

Returning starters offense (7): Xavier Soss (OL), Cameron Grof (OL), Angel Cabrera (OL), Mark Najar (OL), Nolan Mathews (OL), Hadyn Stover (WR), Dominic Regalado (FB). 

Returning starters defense (7): Soss (DL), Caleb DeLeon (DL), Stover (DB), Ja’Shaun Rincon (DB), Austin Burciaga (DB), Regalado (LB), Nathanael Decker (LB). 

Outlook: With so many returning lineman, the Trojans are strong and up front. The team won’t be outmuscled by anyone.  

Question marks: Most of the offensive backfield is new and will have to settle into the Single Wing. Look for Madison to put together some long, methodic scoring drives this season behind the offensive line. 

Strengths: Physicality and strength.  

Coach says: “We are a year stronger and have made great gains in the weight room this off-season with expectations to increase not only our physical toughness but more importantly our mental toughness. Our goal is to be able to compete week-in and week-out for 48 minutes and put ourselves into an opportunity to be able to win each week.”

SAND CREEK 

2021: 7-4, lost in second round of playoffs 

Coach: Marc Spicer, 2nd year, 7-4  

Returning starters offense (3): Brody Serin (TE), John Hewitt (T), Cody Prater (WB) 

Returning starters defense (5): Serin (T), Hewitt (T), Prater (LB), Jordan Illenden (DB), Dylan Francoeur (DB). 

Newcomers: Mark Cantau (G/DE), Jacob Shamberger (G/LB) 

Outlook: Sand Creek enters year No. 2 under Spicer and will rely on some newcomers to fill in the holes left by a large senior class.  

Question marks: After several years of having a 1,000-yard back in the backfield, the Aggies must develop a new big-play threat. 

Strengths: The offensive and defensive lines graduated several two and three-year starters, but the core group of returning lineman are solid. Serin is an outstanding two-tackle.  

Coach says: “We graduated a lot of really good linemen the last few years but every day in practice for the last few years this year’s group had been going up against them and had the opportunity to develop themselves and I believe it will be the strength of our team. If we can play physical and discipline, I think we will be in every one of our games.” 

SUMMERFIELD

2021: 6-4, lost first round of the playoffs

Coach: Alex Lipka, 4th season, 14-15

Returning starters offense (6): Bryce Kalb (QB), Brandon Thompson (HB), Dakota Kohn (FB), Josh Whaley (G), Mason Hall (G), Jake Wadsworth (WR). 

Returning starters defense (6): Kohn (LB), Wadsworth (LB), Kalb (LB), Thompson (FS), Whaley (NT), Hayden Noland (CB).

Outlook: The trio of Thompson, Kohn and Kalb are as good as any trio in the TCC. Summerfield returns a solid linebacking crew and has talent in its backfield. Lipka said one of the keys to the season is new terminology on defense.

Question marks: The Bulldogs face a lot of unknowns in its non-league schedule – teams they haven’t faced before.

Strengths: Skilled players, speed, running game and linebackers.

Coach says: “Our team will be a young team led by a small group of strong seniors. We have seniors in key positions with a lot of sophomores and juniors around them as their supporting cast. I believe if our older kids are able to lead effectively, the younger group will do more than pull their weight and make us one tough team.”

WHITEFORD

2021: 11-2, lost Division 8 semifinals to Hudson

Coach: Todd Thieken, first season

Returning starters offense (7): Shea Ruddy (QB), Jake Iott (RB), Shane Suchora (G), Ryin Ruddy (TE), Brayden Luse (G), Drew Knaggs (FB), Kyle Gray (C).

Returning starters defense (8): Shea Ruddy (CB), Jake Iott (LB), Shane Suchora (NT), Ryin Ruddy (S), Owen Knaggs (DL), Drew Knaggs (LB), Seamus Waterford (DE), Hunter DeBarr (DB).

Newcomers: Stepan Masserant (RB), Kolby Masserant (TE).

Outlook: The Bobcats led Hudson 22-0 at halftime of the Division 8 semifinals last year before the Tigers mounted a second half rally to win 28-22. Whiteford aims to finish stronger this season with eight returning starters on both sides of the ball. Several preseason polls list the Bobcats high on the list of Division 8 favorites. 

Question marks: The Bobcats face a difficult non-league schedule, especially the first three weeks, then play Division 1 Kalamazoo Loy Norrix later in the season.

Strengths: Shea Ruddy is a four-year starter and was first team all-state a year ago. He’s never most Whiteford career passing records. Whiteford is experienced on the offensive and defensive lines and at linebacker.

Coach says: “We rushed for over 4,000 yards in 2021, and do not see that changing as our rushing game through our four-back offense will continue to be a strength. The last two years we have been a very young team. However, the experience those young kids gained as now they mature into juniors and seniors is going to be invaluable to our season.”