By Dan Hardenbrook
The opening week of the high school football season is like a holiday on its own, and Newberry and Engadine hosted their 2026 season openers last week. Unfortunately for both, excitement was quickly subdued in lopsided losses that sent both teams into week two with an 0-1 record.
The Eagles started the season at home on Friday, welcoming the Rapid River Rockets for a non-conference matchup. It was the second straight season opening battle between the two sides, and Rapid River controlled the contest. The Rockets shut out the Eagles, 36-0.
Rapid River had a noticeable size and strength advantage, especially along both the offensive and defensive lines. Engadine leaned heavily on its running game, but speedster Coleman Loebach was bottled up most of the night. Trailing big in the first half, Howard Hood’s group adjusted and went to the air, and quarterback Gavin Maki showed flashes, finding different targets with the ball. Still, the Eagles couldn’t consistently keep the ball moving.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Eagles did make life harder for Rapid River. The Rockets were off their game early, with Engadine forcing them into multiple big yardage losses. A frustrated Rockets squad responded by committing many penalties in the first half, slowing their momentum.
The Eagles will try to bounce back when they travel to Bellaire for a Thursday night game.
In Newberry on Saturday, the hometown field saw an all orange and black battle, as the Merrill Vandals brought strong JV and varsity squads north of the bridge. The celebration started early, and by the end of the night, the Vandals raced to big wins in both the JV and varsity matchups.
In the varsity game, the Vandals moved with precision, making big plays on the ground and through the air. Despite a tough start, the Indians continued to fight. The Indians had better stats than Merrill at times, but still trailed on the scoreboards. The Indians led the turnover count, had fewer penalties, and lost less yardage.
The Vandals kept hitting big plays, often converting long second or third downs into crucial first downs. They let Newberry drive multiple times, but the Indians kept getting stalled out in the red zone.
Merrill made a statement with a 40-8 victory. The Indians will also look to bounce back when they host the Brimley Bays on Thursday. That will be a varsity only contest kicking off at 7 p.m.
