This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 2h ago
First impressions of Gaylord, St. Mary and JoBurg football in 2026
GAYLORD ― Welcome back, high school sports fans!
The fall sports season is officially underway as teams from across Michigan hit the turf, the gym and the pools (and anywhere else they hold practice) on Monday, Aug. 10, the first day of the 2026-27 MHSAA sports season.
For the Gaylord area, that meant a practice at midnight for the Johannesburg-Lewiston football team, a return to practice for Gaylord and St. Mary football and tryouts across the rest of the area sports scene.
We made it out to all three of the first high school football practices for the Gaylord area, catching up with a new-look GHS squad , a familiar group at GSM and a senior-led team at JoBurg.
What are our first impressions? What are the storylines to watch? Players to note? We've got you covered: here are quick thoughts after day one of the high school football season.
St. Mary GSM football enters new conference, faces new look schedule in 2026
Gaylord Gaylord High School football schedule breakdown, 2026
JoBurg Check out the Johannesburg-Lewiston high school football schedule
Returning players to watch: Leland Korona, Wyatt Metzger, Calvin Cosby
Few teams have gone through as much roster turnover as Gaylord since last season, seeing its starting quarterback, running back, fullback and top three receivers all graduate with the Class of 2026. Plenty of role players were also part of a transformational graduating class, helping GHS rebound from a three-win season in 2024 to an undefeated regular season in coach Matt Silsbury's first year at the helm.
Now, it's time to find out if the next group is ready to take on the expectations that were left behind.
"The guys that we've got coming in, they watched that senior group and saw what it takes to get to the next step," coach Silsbury said. "They've taken that leadership role in their capacity as seniors and they're really working towards making this team in their image."
While no starting quarterback has been named, expect to see junior Calvin Cosby in some capacity behind center this year. An all-state pole vaulter, Cosby has the athleticism and arm talent to be a dangerous playmaker for a team replacing nearly all of its offensive playmakers from last season.
St. Mary
Last season: 8-3 overall, 5-1 Ski Valley (second)
Key departures: David Wahl
Returning players to watch: Nathan O'Connell, Cal Royce, Logan Greenier
On the opposite side of the roster-turnover spectrum is Gaylord St. Mary, returning nearly every starter from a team that finished second in the Ski Valley Conference and scored 84 points in a first-round playoff victory. Arguably, the roster is even better than it was last season, especially with a healthy Cal Royce back in the fold.
The questions surrounding GSM are less about who the playmakers will be, but rather if those playmakers are ready to help the Snowbirds take the next step.
"Being able to develop leaders, it takes time, and it takes adversity," coach Kevin O'Connell said.
Entering a new conference, the Snowbirds should have opportunities to win a league title and make a run into the 8-player Division 2 postseason. What happens in Week 8 against Pickford and Week 9 vs. Inland Lakes will likely dictate how this team's season will shape up.
Johannesburg-Lewiston
Last season: 1-8 overall, 0-5 Northern Michigan Football Conference-Legacy
If you're a football fan in Otsego County, you probably know the story of JoBurg by now; once a dominant program and state title contender in the 2010s, the Cardinals have won just five games since 2021 and finished at the bottom of the conference last season. Now in a new-look Northern Michigan Football Conference, the coaching staff hopes a solid core of senior leaders will push them back to playoff contention.
On one hand, JL returns many of its key playmakers from a season ago, including a 1,000-yard rusher in Joey Smokevitch and dynamic athletes like Peyton Basinski and Cash Cunningham. On the other hand, the depth usually needed to run their traditional Power-T offense, both in the backfield and on the offensive line, doesn't seem to be a strength of the 2026 roster.
Could that mean some different offensive looks for JL this season? It just might.
Still, expect that run-heavy offensive philosophy to stay front and center in whatever the Cardinals may run this season.
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: First impressions of Gaylord, St. Mary and JoBurg football in 2026
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
