Newsome Takes Over Northwest Football

Key players for the Northwest High School varsity football team include, from left, Izayiah Hawes, JR Morrow, head Coach Stafford Newsome, Easton Craig, Carter Fairley, and Eli Stetz. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports. 

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

Last year: 1-8 overall

New Northwest High School head football Coach Stafford Newsome has already seen how to rebuild a program.

He spent three years at Napoleon watching the Pirates and Derek Shell rebuild a program.

Newsome had been part of the last two football staffs at Northwest High School.

“I learned a lot from Derek about how to make practice plans and rebuild a program,” Newsome said at the JTV Media Days. 

The Mounties have struggled to earn wins in the rugged Interstate-8 Conference. Northwest has won only one game in the I-8 in the last eight seasons. 

Key returnees for the Mounties are Easton Craig (lineman), JR Morrow (quarterback/defensive back), Eli Stetz (receiver/defensive back), Izayiah Hawes (running back/linebacker), and Carter Fairley (running back/defensive back). 

“You can see the attitudes and everything changing,” senior Eli Stetz said. 

Stetz and his teammates said players on the 2022 team talked a number of players to give the sport another try this fall. 

Newcomers for the Mounties include Adam Haselius (running back/linebacker), Ryan Kosmet (lineman), Kaden Gattshall (lineman/linebacker), Braden Gariety (running back/linebacker), Thomas Dodson (lineman), and Addison Fischer (end/defensive back). 

The Mounties expect more than 30 players at the varsity level and approximately the same amount on the junior varsity team. 

Northwest High School

Football Schedule 2022

Aug. 26 Northwest at Eaton Rapids 7 p.m. 

Sept. 1 Gabriel Richard at Northwest 7 p.m. 

Sept. 9 Northwest at Harper Creek 7 p.m. 

Sept. 16 Pennfield at Northwest (Homecoming) 7 p.m. 

Sept. 23 Western at Northwest 7 p.m. 

Sept. 30 Northwest at Lumen Christi 7 p.m. 

Oct. 7 Coldwater at Northwest 7 p.m. 

Oct. 14 Hastings at Northwest 7 p.m. 

Oct. 21 Northwest at Marshall 7 p.m.