Since becoming an 11-man program in 2016, MMCRU football has won just seven games in seven years of play. Three of those wins came in 2022 as part of a 3-6 campaign, and all but two seniors return from that team for 2023. MMCRU head coach Kyle Oswald says 47 kids are out for football this year giving the program some depth heading into an exciting season.
With experience comes growth, and the Royals have showed that during this summer and early fall. The Royals went to Wayne State for a camp this summer for an opportunity to get better. Coach Oswald says everyone has been taking ownership of their opportunities to get better throughout the offseason.
The Royal offense returns a 600-yard rusher, two 500-yard receivers, and a quarterback that threw for 1,425 yards last season. With all of these playmakers, some teams experience the problem of playmakers getting frustrated when they do not get the ball as much. Coach Oswald says that is not a problem his offense is facing.
The defensive side of the ball featured the most problems for MMCRU in 2022. The Royals held just one team under 20 points all season, and Coach Oswald knows that is not a recipe for success. He says things have changed a bit to try and improve things on defense for MMCRU.
A lot of those changes on the defensive end have come from switching players around to different positions to find the best combination. Coach Oswald says the guys have embraced that challenge and the competition that comes with it.
For MMCRU football, this feels like a very pivotal season. With all the experience coming back off a successful team last year, the Royals know there is no excuse if this year’s team does not reach their goals. Coach Oswald says that does not give the team a free pass to overlook teams though. He says the Royals still have to go out and earn everything that comes their way this season.
MMCRU opens the year on Friday, August 25th at Cherokee.
Click here to listen to our full interview with MMCRU Head Coach Kyle Oswald:
2023 MMCRU ROYAL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
August 25 – at Cherokee
September 1 – GEHLEN CATHOLIC *
September 8 – at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn *
September 15 – SOUTH O’BRIEN * (Homecoming)
September 22 – at Sibley-Ocheyedan *
September 29 – at Akron-Westfield *
October 6 – WESTWOOD
October 13 – ALTA-AURELIA *
* – Denotes Class A District 1 Game
