McDERMOTT — Northwest seniors Alex Baer and Wyatt Brackman have been key contributors in each of their first three seasons for the Mohawk football program.
Heading into their senior season, they have their eyes set on contending for an SOC I championship and a third-straight berth in the OHSAA playoffs.
Both were SOC I first team selections during their junior season, and Brackman earned Offensive Player of the Year honors as the Mohawks’ leading ball carrier.
“We’ve been working really hard, trying to get back into the groove of things,” Baer said, of early season practices. “We’ve got a lot of young kids and they’ve stepped up this summer.”
“It’s going great,” Brackman said. “We’ve had great practices with a lot of new young guys who are going to make an impact for us.”
Baer and Brackman help make up a 16-player senior class and a 40-man roster overall — as of Northwest’s fall media day.
“For us seniors, this is our last time playing,” Baer said. “Staying together and playing hard, and pushing these younger guys to be their best.”
“It’s a lot different from your freshman year to senior,” Brackman said. “We have some first year seniors, but I think the experience most of us have will help going into this fall.”
Northwest opens their 2022 schedule with a home game against Southeastern on Friday, August 19, followed by a pair of road games at McClain and Huntington. They’ll host Oak Hill in week four and travel to Valley in week five to close out the non-conference schedule.
In SOC I play, the Mohawks have home games versus Notre Dame, Green, and Eastern, and travel to East and to defending league champion Symmes Valley in week ten.
“It’s always a goal to win our conference, make the playoffs and win a game or two,” Baer said. “Always been my dream to win a state championship. We’ve won one playoff game, hopefully this year we can win two or more.”
“We want to be the first team in school history to go undefeated,” Brackman said. “To beat our rival Valley is a big goal for us. And to win playoff games.”
Reach Jacob Smith at (740) 370-0713 ext. 1930, by email at [email protected], or on Twitter @JacobSmithPDT © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved
