Green Devils want to bring defense to elite level

Brown City senior Ethan Worrell receives a handoff during the Green and White’s practice game last Friday night. Worrell begins his fourth season with the Brown City varsity team. Photo by Mike Gallagher

BROWN CITY – Three seasons ago, Ryan Binkley-Potts, Brian Mulholland, Ethan Worrell and Bryer Halbert were rookies and played on Brown City’s final 11-man team.

Over the past two seasons, those four, along with other talented seniors, have helped make the Green Devils a state power in the 8-player league, achieving a 10-2 record and making it to the state championship semifinals in 2022 before reaching a 10-1 record last season that included an undefeated regular season and a North Central Thumb League Stars Division title.

Now Brown City head coach Aren Cooper is relying on those four and a strong junior class to take the Green Devils and their defense to the next level.

“The returning guys already have their roles, so we’ve talked about how they can improve,” Cooper said. “Last year we allowed 89 points in the regular season and they’re ready to go even deeper this year. It’s the next level to get better and be elite and they’re taking it seriously. What I like about it is not only seeing what they’re doing because I know how good they are, but also how much the guys who moved up from the junior quarterfinals have improved in a week. I was a little worried about whether our returning guys had a little more depth, but I feel really good about it because the young guys are ready to go.”

The 2024 Brown City football team is led by seniors (from left) Noah Holland, Brian Mulholland, Ryan Binkley-Potts, CJ Smith, Ethan Worrell and Bryer Halbert. Photo by Mike Gallagher

Binkley-Potts has developed into one of the state’s best linebackers during his time at Brown City.

In his freshman year, he received honorable mention as an All-Conference linebacker in the Greater Thumb East, and in his sophomore year, he had 57.5 total tackles, including seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Last season, he was selected to the All-State first team by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association and received honorable mention by the Associated Press after recording 77 tackles (55 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, three fumble recoveries and three pass breakups.

Mulholland was the team’s second-leading tackler last season with 69 (47 solo), adding five tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Halbert was fourth on the team with 59 (41 solo).

Halbert was also his team’s second-leading player with 662 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns, while Worrell was one of the team’s best defensive backs and offensive weapons.

Lawson Cooper, returning for his third season on the varsity team, leads the junior class after being one of eight players on the Thumb last season.

On offense, Cooper threw 58 of 118 passes for 1,017 yards and 13 touchdowns, as well as 927 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

On defense, he was the third most successful player on his team as a safety with 60 tackles (41 solo).

“He’s going to be a problem,” Cooper said. “You can have a good scheme and then he just breaks a tackle. He’s got quick feet and he’s really gotten stronger. He’s worked really hard and I’m proud of him. Defensively, between him and Binkley in the middle, there’s just so much speed and football IQ.”

This season, Coach Cooper will again focus on defense, while assistant coach Jimmy Sheridan will take over play calling for the offense.

“My focus will be more on defense,” Cooper said. “In the past, I’ve called both sides and coach Sheridan has been a big contributor on both offense and defense. This year, he’s going to call more of the offense. We really want to get the defense to an elite level.”

Brown City will open the season on August 29 with a home game against Peck.

The Green Devils will then begin their title defense in the league with a home game against Memphis.

In their first and only season in the North Central Thumb League Stars Division last year, Brown City finished 7-0.

This season, the Green Devils are members of the Blue Division of the Big Thumb Conference, which also includes Memphis, Capac, Deckerville, Kingston, Dryden, Mayville and Auburn Hills Oakland Christian.

With Brown City’s enrollment numbers above the limit required for the Michigan High School Athletic Association postseason, the Green Devils’ top goal this year is a conference title.

“It would have been important anyway because the league is the first thing you think about,” Cooper said. “But since we don’t have the next level to worry about or anything to think about in the future, I think the focus is a little more on the first month of the season because Weeks 4 and 5 we’ll see Deckerville and Kingston. And after that Oakland Christian will be good. Even outside of our league, the Bay City All Saints will be a really good team to end the year. So it’s going to be tough, but we’re ready for it.”

Despite the fact that Brown City cannot qualify for the postseason, the interest and participation in the program has been exceptional.

At the Green-Whites’ practice game last Friday night, Brown City had over 40 players and will likely enter the 2024 season with 21 players on both the junior and varsity teams.

“I think there are a lot of things that go into it and a win always helps,” Cooper said. “When you win and you gain momentum, other kids want to get involved. I’m so proud of my coaching staff. I have Bob McClintic, who used to be the varsity head coach, and Rob Hatten, who is our varsity basketball coach. Guys that just know how to get kids ready. They do such a great job that a lot of them come in, play football and are ready to play and then we can take it to the next level. It’s just a unit, you get energy from the kids, you work hard in the weight room and you get wins and it just grows. We just try to keep it that way.”