The Superior Central football team is preparing for its 2023 campaign with one main focus: improve on last year.

“My goal for the team is that we improve from last year, obviously. Last year we made the same mistakes game after game and it was detrimental to our success,” SC Head Coach Josh Trader said. “We are looking to improve on those aspects of our game.”

It was a rough year for the Cougars last season, finishing with a record of 1-7. The lone win, an 18-12 victory at Brimley, tied the most points scored in a game for the 2022 season. Most games were not close, especially against the tough competition of the Great Lakes Eight East conference.

“My team has a chip on their shoulder, so every team we play, it’s almost like they are out on a revenge tour after having a rough season last year,” Trader said.

Experience will be available in the trenches, as a couple UPSSA-recognized linemen will play both sides of the ball. Eli Penney was named second team all-U.P. for his work on the defensive line while Jason Kanerva was a special mention on the offensive side.

Trader also said that Drew Begovac and CJ Adams will be key additions to the offensive side of the ball. Putting the ball in their hands will hopefully move the turnover margin in Superior Central’s favor, Trader said.

“We need to have better ball control and win the turnover battle. You can’t give up the ball as much as we did last year and expect to win football games,” he said.

Stability will be important as the Cougars look to replace graduated seniors and U.P. Football All Stars Wyatt Kulik and Lucas Swetich. Swetich has moved onto NAIA Stockton-Culver and Kulik’s state-leading kickoff return average will be tough to replace.

Both played all three sides in offense, defense and special teams and the team’s punter in Ben Molag also graduated.

The coach is bullish on his incoming freshmen however, as many won a number of games with the middle school program. Trader is the former middle school coach before taking over the Cougars’ varsity squad last season.

“All of these guys have had me as their head coach for at least a season at the middle school or high school level, so they all know how I do things and how I run a program. I am confident that you’ll see an improved Cougar football squad this fall,” Trader said.

Superior Central’s first game is August 25 against the Cedarville-DeTour Islanders. They will play a full ninegame season, facing the same eight squads as last season as well as Carney-Nadeau, who had only a junior varsity program last season.

With changes in the Great Lakes Eight conference pairings, games against Cedarville-De-Tour, Rapid River, Brimley and Engadine will count for conference standings.

Munising is scheduled to end the season in Eben Junction on October 20 to end the regular season.