We’re less than a month away from the start of a new season of high school football. A new season means new storylines and opportunities for teams and players to shine on Friday nights.
Usually, we get to talk about high expectations for teams expected to compete for championships. But there is also another storyline where we get to discuss coaches heading into their first seasons at their respective programs.
As we begin the start of the Outside the Huddle 2023 season preview, new OTH correspondent Sam Frick had an opportunity to catch up with several of the newbies recently.
Next up – new Eastside head coach Alyx Brandewie.
Arguably the most significant coaching change from the Fort Wayne area came in Butler. After six wonderful seasons in the Todd Mason era, Eastside will be coached this season by Alyx Brandewie.
Brandewie coached three seasons for the Manchester Squires, going 8-22 overall. He said it was a difficult transition being hired there during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he is proud of his time and the relationships built at Manchester.
Brandewie is very grateful for the opportunity to coach at a football-rich community at Eastside. He is expecting big things out of an experienced frontline that was a huge factor in producing just under 3,600 rushing yards (7.1 yards per carry) offensive and 24 sacks, and 87 tackles for loss on defense in 2022. Brandewie points to seniors Dane Sebert (a track state finalist in discus and shot put), Joey Eck and Owen Davis as major contributors to a tight-knit group of kids.
Cohesion and work ethic are notable traits pointed out by Brandewie that are key to maintaining the expectations at Eastside. The Blazers have dominated the NECC’s Small School Division since the return of the two-division format in 2014. In that nine-year span, Eastside has won this division eight times, including titles in each of their last four seasons, which ties a program record.
That championship success includes a sectional championship in two of the last three seasons and the program’s first and only trip to semistate in 2021.
Eastside comes into this season not only with a new head coach but also some big shoes to fill having to replace several key players such as Carsen Jacobs, Dax Holman, Briar Munsey and Dackotia Reed.
Despite these changes, Brandewie does not expect his team to be satisfied with the glory days of
the past and already has their focus set on Week 1 at Woodlan.
“While I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” said Brandewie. “It’s time for us to go to work
and make sure that we are building on all of the past success.”
Senior Wyatt Davis, who will be the starting quarterback, is complimented by his coach as an intelligent, hard-working kid that is a “good decision maker.”
When asked about the backfield, Brandwie admitted that no one can truly replace Holman, but he still expects it to be a team-by-committee. Wyatt Davis, Lincoln Carter (sophomore), Gage Spalding (senior) and Connor Mutzfeld (senior) are expected to get some reps in the backfield.
The community has already welcomed the new coach with open arms, with close to 200 total people (players, coaches and parents) involved in Eastside’s summer youth camp. Expectations remain high: the small school division is Eastside’s division to lose. That doesn’t take away from the fact that this team will not take any moment for granted.
“I’ve had plenty of people telling me this ‘Hey, make sure you’re enjoying this,’” said Brandewie. “I’m sure that first home game when I get to see the stands full and get to feel that atmosphere in the stadium, that’ll be one of those moments that will be a pretty special one.”
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