Teams will take a number of different routes to motivate themselves.
For the Petoskey football team entering the 2026 season, it’s about knowing their faults and putting in the work to turn them around.
One of those blemishes includes something they can’t forget, the memory of a last second defeat to Gaylord last season in a 19-13 final.
They won’t forget because of the magnitude of that game, and they continued to make sure it’s felt and remembered by putting that exact score on the scoreboard on Monday, Aug. 10 at Northmen Stadium as fall practice officially began.
That loss was one of four in a 5-4 campaign a year ago for the Northmen, which also came with missing the postseason.
Petoskey was just a few plays away from being a playoff team last season and, with the youth they brought to the field, it’s reasonable to believe that can be turned around ahead.
There was some pep in Petoskey’s step Monday during the first practice, as they came out looking far from a team looking for leaders like they did a year ago.
They’re easy to spot in 2026 with Lukas Nemec, Jace Shaw, Connor Berg and Braden Fralick to name a few.
As the 2026 season just gets started. Here’s what’s of note early and where some questions lie for Petoskey.
A new bell-cow in the backfield?
There’s a new player taking handoffs out of the Petoskey backfield.
Second-year varsity junior Luke Pike, a well build 6-foot, 195-pound athlete, can now be found with the running backs.
But, I can’t help but believe Pike will still be catching some passes or even lining up out wide.
While he battled some injuries a year ago, Pike was still able to grab 38 passes for 450 yards and a pair of scores, with his run after the catch and physical style his best asset.
That’s why I love this move. Of anyone to fill into a lead role in the backfield, Pike makes the most sense.
Petoskey’s offense will surely spread it around quite a bit and it’s an offense where Nemec will be calling his own number often, but Pike taking handoffs is a new wrinkle I liked seeing, especially on a team that returns just one other player that took a handoff last season.
Who else emerges out of the backfield will be fun to see, but it looks like Pike’s job for now.
Defense has leaders
I like Petoskey’s offense a lot, but I have to give some love to the defense first.
At all three levels the Northmen have talent to rely on and I think they’re really well coached in the back end by Gavin Fralick and Garrett Fuhrman.
Along the defensive front, Jace Shaw should be in for a big season at one end spot and Marshall Corey came on in a big way at the end of last season. They’re a talented duo that can apply pressure.
At the next level, it all starts with Stuart Borowski, who started every game as a sophomore a year ago and added size in the offseason.
Braden Fralick might have been Petoskey’s best defensive player a year ago as a sophomore and he’s back commanding the secondary from his safety spot.
Fralick’s versatility and ability to play near the line and in center field really opens this defense up. Parker Ward is another key piece to rely on in the secondary.
As far as holes go, it’ll be interesting to see who steps up at linebacker in the absence of Sam Ingalls and Landon Lancaster, who both graduated. Beckett Blake was another playmaker that’ll need to be replaced.
The largest holes come on the outside, where someone like varsity newcomer Michael Harrington could fill in. He impressed over the summer as a sophomore.
Calling all playmakers
If the Northmen are looking to Pike in the backfield, there’s a series call out to everyone else to step up out wide.
One of the biggest questions entering the season surrounds the wide receiver position, just a couple years removed from it being the team’s strength with record setters like Seth Marek and Mitch Eberhart.
There’s plenty of opportunity for whoever wants to step up and take control of the job. I’m sure Nemec would be happy, as explosive plays is where Petoskey lacked the most last season.
An obvious choice is junior Parker Ward, a smooth athlete more than capable of filling a larger role offensively as a playmaker.
Also, look for unique ways to get Jace Shaw the ball. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, he’s one of the best athletes at Petoskey in a while and more than capable of out-leaping defenders or beating them on a route.
But if there’s a junior new to the varsity or even a sophomore looking for a chance to break into the lineup, look no further than here.
Reach Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com and follow him on X @DrewKochanny and Instagram @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey football looking for playmakers, but clear leaders established
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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By Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
