Mesick football enters the 2023 season with coach Tim Parrish in charge

Aug. 16—MESICK — The Mesick varsity football program is heading into the 2023 season with a new coach but has maintained the winning expectations with their second coaching change in two years.

First-year varsity coach Tim Parrish credits the Pop Warner program for turning out the players that have played for Mesick over the years.

"They're running pretty much the schemes we're running in junior high. The Pop Warner coach is coming up to coach junior high, and he sits in the meetings. And I work with him so he can ask me questions daily," Parrish said.

Parrish has been a part of the Mesick community since 2010, coaching Pop Warner and the junior high team. The veteran coach was on the varsity sidelines assisting coach Otto Ream and Brian Mumby during their tenure.

Parrish's sons played and graduated from Mesick. But even after they left, he still gets a kick out of coaching.

"To be able to teach the guys the game and watch them have fun is just great," Parrish said.

The seven seniors and 13 juniors all have played under Parrish since Pop Warner, including seniors Ben Humphreys and Connor Thwaites.

Humphreys and Thwaites' friendship began in preschool. Humphreys said football has been his first love since watching his brothers play. Thwaites said he joined Pop Warner because he wanted to be with his best friends.

"It's (Humphreys) favorite sport, so I just come out and support him," Thwaites said, smiling.

They both are excited to have Parrish as the coach because it's someone they've known their whole life.

"It's cool because he coaches baseball too, and it feels normal," Humphreys said. "There's not a change or anything."

Mesick's coaching changes started in 2022, with Ream stepping down. The Bulldogs hired from within, as Mumby spent three years on the varsity staff before taking over.

Mumby led the Bulldogs to a 5-4 record last season but a second-place finish in the West Michigan D. Mesick also missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

The Bulldogs were a game away from making the playoffs, but missing the playoffs still doesn't sit well with the seniors.

"We want to make playoffs again," Thwaites said. "And one of our team goals is to win not one playoff game but two to smash our legacy into the school history books."

Mesick won their first playoff game in school history in 2020, beating Vestaburg 34-0. Having a senior group that has experienced a playoff win has been huge for Mesick.

"It was like no other feeling because it was in the afternoon," Humphreys said. "We were here at seven o'clock in the morning."

Mesick graduated five seniors who contributed to their second-place finish in the conference. Having a new coach comes with new roles like quarterback and running back. Since quarterback Ashtyn Simerson and running back Colton Eckler graduated last year, everything is up for grabs.

"It's next man up, and they all know their roles," Parrish said. "There's competition every day, and I tell the kids, you're all JV-type players until otherwise."

Eckler accounted for most of Mesick's offense, as he racked up over 900 yards (8.5 per carry) with 15 touchdowns. Mumby's coaching style was run first, but Parrish has a different approach.

"We're probably going to be 60/40, so (fans) can decide what is 60 and what's 40," Parrish said, laughing.

The seniors notice a different vibe during their first practice without the previous seniors on the field. Humphreys said it took time to get used to not having his best friends on the field.

"In our first practice, we were looking around, and it was weird," Humphreys said.

A new season also means new goals and expectations.

The expectations at Mesick have always been to win the conference and make playoffs, but over the years, the West Michigan D has been controlled by Marion. The Bulldogs haven't won a conference title since the 2019-20 season.

"We definitely should have been closer, but we got new kids and a new coach," Humphreys said. "(Marion) lost a couple of people, so it's going to be a good game again."

Mesick travels to Marion on Sep. 8 for their Week Three matchup.

Some of the seniors have some personal goals they want to accomplish before their time is up. Humphreys has his eyes on his sophomore-year tackle record — 74 tackles. The linebacker had 64 tackles last season.

Thwaites led the team in tackles last season but has his eyes on 97 tackles. Senior tight end Tyler Hall has a different approach to his personal goals.

"I want to make sure that I can be a leader of this team and put my all into every play," Hall said.

Parrish said before taking the field for their second week of practice that he's already seen leadership qualities in the seniors.

"It's been great to see some of the seniors working with the freshmen, saying this is what you got to do and explaining things," Parrish said. "It's turning into the big family we want it to be."

The players know it takes a team to accomplish the team's goals, but during their first week of practice, the team went through a bunch of group competitions to help build the bonds.

"We've done suitcase drills with two 5-gallon buckets full of water while running 40 yards and back as a team to see how much water is left," Parrish said.

The team also did fireman drills and a drill where everyone is laid out on their back while trying to balance a bucket of water.

Humphreys said not one person got past trying to balance the water because Parrish would ask someone to try to remove a sock while balancing the bucket.

"It's been fun," Hall said. "It's not an overnight camp, but we're still bonding."

Mesick kicks off their season at home against Vermontville Maple Valley on Aug. 25 and concludes the season at home against Suttons Bay on Oct. 21.