Local Sports: Coaches put 13 Region players on its All-State teams
The Michigan High School Football Coaches' Association has selected 13 Monroe County Region players for its All-State teams.
Whiteford led the way with five honorees in Division 8 – offensive lineman Jack Iott, wide receiver-tight end Kolby Masserant, running back Hunter DeBarr, lineman Drew Knaggs and linebacker Jake Iott.
Boys basketball previews: Short turnaround for Whiteford's boys
Quarterback Cooper Nye and specialist Nolan Zajac of Airport were picked for the Division 4 team along with New Boston Huron athlete Micah Smith.
In Division 5, wide receiver-tight end Braiden Whitaker and defensive back Ethan Layton of Dundee were selected along with Flat Rock defensive back Brian Booms and Milan defensive back William Gaskell V.
Ida offensive lineman Jackson Wertenberger made it in Division 6.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Estes steps down again
BLISSFIELD – Ron Estes, who has spent the five years as the interim head football coach at Blissfield, is retiring for a second time.
“I’ve stayed so long because I’ve loved it,” he said. “I never thought it would be for five years. That wasn’t what I had in mind. When Ryan (Love) stepped down and I had just come back as an assistant, I said I’d take the job for a year.
“I’ve had a great time. I’ll miss the kids.”
Estes, 62, got his first varsity coaching job in the early 1980s and won a Tri-County Conference championship at Deerfield while still in college.
He was a football assistant at Toledo Central Catholic and wanted to coach basketball. When Northwood, Ohio, offered him the basketball job, he took it. He later would coach at Summerfield before becoming an assistant for Blissfield’s football team.
He became head coach at the tail end of Blissfield’s 33-game losing streak.
He quickly turned the program around, leading the Royals to eight playoff appearances in 11 years. Blissfield played in 2007 at Ford Field in the state finals.
He stepped away from coaching football and wound up coaching the Blissfield varsity basketball team for a couple of seasons. When he retired from teaching, he coached basketball at Adrian College for a season.
He returned to coach Blissfield, coming back as an assistant coach on Ryan Love’s staff. Then Love resigned and Blissfield Athletic Director Steve Babbitt asked Estes if he would consider being head coach again.
“They kept me on and I’m grateful for that,” he said.
Over the past five seasons, Blissfield has won an LCAA title and made three more playoff appearances. This past season the Royals went 5-5, losing to Clinton in the opening round of the playoffs.
Estes retires as the winningest football coach in Blissfield history and one of just a handful of coaches to reach 100 career victories. He went 102-60 in 16 total years as the Royals head coach.
“We’ve won our share of games,” he said. “In my second year back, we won the league (LCAA), which is very difficult to do. It was a fun run. I’ve had some great assistant coaches. They sacrifice a lot.”
He and his wife Susie have been married 38 years. They have two sons, Andrew and John, both who played sports at Blissfield. He and Susie have four grandchildren with another expected in February.
“It’s time to spend some time with the grand kids,” he said. “That’s what I want to do now. I love coaching and things like being in the weight room and all that. I love it. But it’s time to let someone else do it.”
ADULT SOCCER
Anderson scores two
Rob Anderson scored two goals to lead Hot Spurs to a 6-3 win over Athletico in the Monroe Adult Indoor Coed Soccer League at LevelUp Training Sunday.
Ryan Murray scored two goals for Athletico.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Local Sports: Coaches put 13 Region players on its All-State teams
