Vyhnanek has been the leader Newton needs

In his first year as North Newton’s head coach, Marc Hall could use some consistency, hard work and leadership from his seniors to help carry the squad. You can’t get more hard-working and consistent than senior defensive end Wade Vyhnanek.

As for the leadership trait Hall is looking for, that started last year for Vyhnanek. “Last year I had to be a leader because we only had two seniors and we weren’t doing too well,” Vyhnanek said. “I’m a third-year starter and a second-year senior.”

He’s not really in his second year in 12th grade, but as much as he feels he was thrust into a leadership role, he thought of himself as a senior on the field. The coaches didn’t bestow the leadership role upon him. It was all Vyhnanek thrusting it upon himself.

“It was definitely a learning experience as a leader,” he said. “You have to help the younger players. If you mess up you’ll hear about it.” That’s the straight-forward attitude Hall is looking for in his first season at the helm, especially from one of his captains.

“He’s dedicated himself in this past offseason,” Hall said. “He’s been at every weightlifting session. Last summer I went to pick him up to take him to every weightlifting session and now he’s coming on his own. He’s become our best lineman on both sides of the ball.”

Vyhnanek also plays offensive guard for the Spartans and he earned the team’s “Best Lineman” award last season. At 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, he’ll be a big load for most schools in the Greater South Shore Conference.

“He’s the biggest and strongest kid on the team,” Hall said. “He’s been squatting over 500 pounds. With his bench and clean, I think he was around 940 pounds in our lift-a-thon.”

That makes Hall happy, but he’s more happy with Vyhnanek’s self-imposed leadership abilities that made up for a lack of leaders on the team last year. It has carried over to this season.

“Some kids you have to teach to be good leaders and they help out the underclassmen,” Hall said. “We’ve had seniors in the past who haven’t had the best judgment.” Vyhnanek and the rest of his senior teammates are going to make sure that doesn’t happen this year. He said they whole team is ready to rebound from a disappointing season last year when blowout losses were the norm.

“As a team we get the system now,” Vyhnanek said. “We don’t second guess (the coaches). I’m enthused and ready for the season.”

Coach

Marc Hall

Coach’s record

Overall: 0-0

Last season

Lost 55-12 to Delphi in sectional opener

Key returnees

DE/OL Wade Vyhnanek

QB Ryan Georgeff

LB/C Derrick Brown

LB/RB Jake Schuitema

TE/LB Josh Walter

RB/S Ike Grevers

NG/WR Cody Jackson

Key Losses

WR/LB Jake Chambers

WR/DB Joe Jones

College prospects

DE/OL Wade Vyhnanek

QB Ryan Georgeff

FB/DE Vince Georgeff

WR/S Steven Groah

Season outlook

Change is the theme for this year’s Spartans. Hall may have been an assistant the last two years, but as the head coach he has some ideas on how to turn around a dismal 2-8 campaign. First, he wants a change in outlook and atmosphere. “We’re trying to change the attitude, the way we do things and have competition at a lot of positions,” he said. “We opened everything up with a new offense and people have stepped up to take the spots.” That new offense is the change most fans will notice. The Spartans’ offense had been a flex wishbone, but Hall has implemented a more conventional Pro ‘I’ system. “It gives us a better chance to get the ball to our athletes more often,” Hall said. And it takes a little less pressure off QB Ryan Georgeff, who was expected to run more last year. The new system will allow Georgeff to distribute and create. This year’s senior are pretty much unified on the ultimate goal — a record of 6-3 or better, which hasn’t happened since 2004, and at least a win in the first round of sectionals, which hasn’t happened since 2000.