The second Monday in August is always a fresh start for every high school football team. That was especially true at Gaylord High School and St. Mary’s opening practices Monday, as both programs began new eras in their storied tradition.

At Gaylord, Mark Mendolia led his first official practice as head varsity coach, and Bob Cherwinski did the same at St. Mary. Both are replacing highly-successful leaders.

Gone are the winningest coaches in their respective programs — Gaylord’s William Cleaver and St. Mary’s Rod Bragg.

Cleaver’s winning percentage of .696 was by far the greatest in school history. He took a perpetually competitive program and transformed it into a perennial playoff contender. He led the Blue Devils to nine playoff games and sent many athletes onto the next level. That’s exactly where he went, as he is now serving as an assistant coach with the Central Michigan University program.

Bragg’s 86 career victories is almost more than double than any coach in program history. He was a part of two state championship-qualifying teams, one as an assistant (actually under Cleaver) and the other as head coach. The Snowbirds went to 18 playoff games during his tenure and developed into the most fearsome team in Ski Valley Conference history.

Needless to say, the new coaches have some big shoes to fill.

But at practice Monday, each seemed comfortable and energized in their new role, and well they should. Each has been a long-time assistant in their respective programs and each has had much to do with past success.

Mendolia has served the program in multiple roles over the past 15 years, in everything from freshman and junior varsity coach to varsity assistant. His intense, yet player-friendly style was on display Monday, where a large number of varsity players came out for the first day of camp.

Cherwinski has been the mastermind of St. Mary’s defense, which was instrumental in its dominance of the Ski Valley Conference for much of the past decade. He has slid so naturally into head coaching role that it was hard to notice much of a difference at Monday’s practice.

Both teams have the ability to be good this season, but the road won’t be easy. Gaylord returns a number of excellent players, but has an especially challenging schedule, with battles against Escanaba, Cheboygan, Muskegon Heights and Ogemaw Heights adding onto an always rugged Big North Conference slate.

The gap between St. Mary and the rest of the Ski Valley has closed the last couple years, so much so that the Snowbirds were 5-4 last year and missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.

But on this second Monday in August, both programs were charged with the prospects of another winning season. And their new coaches stand tall, ready to write their own chapter in local football history.

Jeremy Speer is the sports editor at the Gaylord Herald Times.

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