The offense was firing on all cylinders and the defense played inspired as Hart’s football squad shut out Lake City 40-0 in Hart August 29.
Lacey Mey, the daughter of Hesperia Community Schools superintendent Bryan Mey, is set to make an impression as the team's kicker at the varsity level and a kicker-wide receiver for the junior varsity squad.
Many of the Panthers football players have been given leadership roles and are expected to set the tone for the team.
Youth is the word for Hart’s varsity football team for 2024, but there is also a lot of experience due to some junior varsity players getting to play full quarters last season.
Reinforcements for the 15 players who graduated are coming to the Shelby Tigers football team in 2024 from the junior varsity squad and are expected to play key roles along with those remaining from last season.
Boys and girls from several grade levels descended on Hart High School August 6-7 as the 2024 Hart youth football camp offered football basics and lots of fun for all campers participating.
Thursday, Sept. 12
2024 OHJ Fall sports schedules
REED CITY — The Hart Pirates’ historic football season came to an end against the Reed City Coyotes, 50-18, in an MHSAA Division 6 district championship game Friday in Reed City.
Hart didn’t wait long to register its first playoff victory in football as the Pirates broke free from Kent City in an MHSAA Division 6 district semifinal game, 44-22, in Hart.
HOLTON — The Hesperia football team wrapped up the 2023 season last Friday with a 46-6 victory at Holton.
There’s an air of excitement around Hart that has never been seen surrounding the Hart High football team, which secured not only playoff berth for the first time ever, but the Pirates are hosting a game, too.
Hart’s football team did something it hasn’t done in a generation, and even then, it wasn’t quite like the 44-0 victory against Ravenna Friday night at Richard A Hodges Athletic Complex in Hart.
SCOTTVILLE — On a cold and rainy homecoming night, Mason County Central battled to a 28-7 victory against Shelby at Spartan Community Field on Friday in the 96th meeting between the two teams.
HESPERIA — Hart’s football team raced out to a 46-0 halftime lead on a raw, rainy night in Hesperia Friday night, and left with a 54-0 victory.
HESPERIA — The Mason County Central football team defeated Hesperia, 47-0, in a West Michigan Conference Rivers game on Friday at Hesperia High School.
HOLTON — Hart’s football team rolled through Holton for a West Michigan Conference Rivers Division victory Friday night in Holton, 72-12.
SHELBY — Rain caused havoc on Shelby’s homecoming, from the parade before the game to running the Tigers’ offense, in a 52-14 defeat at the hands of state-ranked Manistee last Friday in Shelby.
HOLTON — Shelby’s football team picked up its second consecutive victory last Friday night in West Michigan Conference Rivers Play, scoring a 48-6 victory against Holton at the Red Devils’ field.
HESPERIA — Hesperia’s football team suffered a 35-7 setback to Ravenna last Friday night in a West Michigan Conference Rivers Division game at home.
Hart secured a happy homecoming last Friday, turning away an effort from Mason County Central in a West Michigan Conference Rivers Division contest, 30-8.
Hart’s football team got itself within striking distance of league-leading North Muskegon in the second half, but the Norsemen were able to turn away Hart in a West Michigan Conference Rivers Division showdown Friday night at Richard A. Hodges Athletic Complex in Hart, 34-14.
SHELBY — Hosting the Friday night football game Shelby was looking for a win against West Michigan Conference Rivers Division rival Hesperia and win it did, 21-7.
OLIVET — Hart’s Joseluis Andaverde had a career night as he ran for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 54-41 victory against Stockbridge last Friday night in a game hosted at Olivet college.
NORTH MUSKEGON — Hesperia’s football team dropped a 69-7 decision in West Michigan Conference Rivers Division play last Friday in North Muskegon to the Norsemen.
SHELBY — Ravenna used big plays to pick up a 42-0 West Michigan Rivers victory against Shelby Friday night in Shelby.
HESPERIA — Hesperia’s football team dropped a 28-7 decision to White Cloud in a non-conference contest last Friday at home against the Indians.
SHELBY — Hart powered out to a big lead at halftime and rode it from there to a resounding 44-0 victory for the Blood, Sweat, and Tears Jug Friday night against neighborhood rival Shelby in Shelby.
ST. LOUIS — Hesperia’s football team dropped a 16-6 non-conference game to St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 31.
HART — Hart kept responding and kept responding and kept responding in picking up a 52-28 non-conference victory against White Cloud Thursday night at Richard A. Hodges Athletic Complex in Hart.
LUDINGTON — Shelby’s football team fell to 0-2 for the 2023 season with a difficult loss to Ludington last Thursday night at Ludington’s Oriole Field, 55-6.
FREMONT — The Hart football team defeated Fremont, 8-6, last week in Fremont to start the season 1-0. The Pirates won the turnover battle, 3-0, something head coach Joe Tanis said last week was going to key for them this season.
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS — Hesperia’s football opened the 2023 campaign with a 22-0 victory on the road at Muskegon Heights in a game that only lasted a little more than a quarter.
WHITE CLOUD — The Shelby football team lost its season opener, 13-12, to White Cloud Friday night in White Cloud.
The Hart football team will travel to Fremont to try to avenge its loss to the Packers a year ago.
The Shelby football team is looking forward to its Week 1 matchup at White Cloud, but it is hoping it to be better in the trenches than it was during its scrimmage in Montague last week.
The Hesperia football team will be heading down to Muskegon Heights for its season opener against the Tigers on Friday.
The MHSAA state football finals will be moved back one day this year to accommodate a Michigan State/Penn State football game at Ford Field the day after Thanksgiving, both schools announced Wednesday.
Oceana County’s high school football teams hit the field this week as MHSAA fall sports teams were permitted to begin practice Monday.
New Hesperia football coach Tyler Fehler played quarterback at Fruitport prior to a collegiate career that took him to Concordia University Ann Arbor, so he’s aware enough of the Panthers to know that they don’t have a strong football tradition — yet. He hopes to change that.
While it’s only in the exploratory stages, Walkerville High School has taken a step toward having its own football team this month, making a call for students to sign up and express interest.
Friday night marked the end of football season in Oceana County, but each team went out, in its own way, on a high note.
Oceana County’s football season will end this week without a playoff bid for any team, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to play for — particularly in Hart.
Friday's scheduled Shelby @ Oakridge football game has been canceled due to the Tigers' shorthanded roster, athletic director Chuck Persenaire said Wednesday morning.
While Hart continues to show signs of growth and optimism for the future, things have been rough for Shelby and Hesperia as we head into week seven of the football season. But none of the squads are giving up as they head into more challenging games this Friday.
County football teams delivered a mixed bag last week — one game was a disappointing yet encouraging loss, one game fell short of what the team had hoped, and a third game was wiped out by COVID-19 protocols.
Hesperia's football game against Kent City Friday has been canceled due to COVID-19 outbreaks in both programs, as reported by M7 Sports.
It was a rough week in Oceana football, as the three local teams combined to score eight points, all by Hesperia. Bouncing back will be the key if Hart, Shelby and Hesperia are going to be able to enjoy success in week five of the football season.
County football teams each have a different sort of loss from which to bounce back this week as the season nears its halfway point.
Two weeks into the Oceana County football season, Hart has snatched the headlines as the area’s top team, with Thursday’s upset win over Kent City giving the Pirates their first 2-0 start since 2004.
{{summary}}
