Column: Mikey’s Team

Skye Pournazari
Jon Dykstra Managing Editor The Maryville Forum

I absolutely love doing the ‘Bearcat Primer’ positional preview series each summer, because it teaches me more about Northwest football and some players that we might not hear from after every game.

The guy that we in the media have made talk the most over the last two years is Mike Hohensee. That’s the starting quarterback’s lot in life to have to deal with us media folks.

I didn’t expect the player I learned the most about in this series through six installments to be the guy we talk to the most, but Hohensee has been who nearly everyone wants to talk about and it has been unprompted.

This week was a prime example as I talked to running backs coach Roberto Davis — a Bearcat legend as a player and a member of the 2009 championship team. Davis and I talked about his running back group and what he expects out of guys like Jay Harris, Jadon Brady and Tank Young, as well as youngsters Jackson Miller and Eric Richardson.

As we were wrapping up the conversation, I asked Davis if I missed anyone or he had anything that he wanted to add.

“I’m excited for the season,” Davis added. “I’m excited for the work we are about to have here in a couple weeks with this group and see what we can be. But we will be led by Mike Hohensee and I look forward to it.”

That has been the theme talking to guys this summer, both players and coaches, this is Mike Hohensee’s team to lead and they believe in him.

With four returning offensive linemen, three starting receivers, three running backs with experience — the pieces are there for Northwest to have its most productive offense since 2016.

Hohensee has proven that he can be that guy when he’s healthy. In 2021, he made 10 starts and led the nation in completion percentage and passing efficiency. That season ended with him injured in the first round of the playoffs and missing the regional semifinal loss at Ferris State.

Last season, Hohensee had eerily similar passing numbers, throwing for one more yard while making 10 starts again. Again, his season was derailed by injuries and he could not start the regional semifinal at Grand Valley State.

The last two seasons, Northwest has had their version of Monopoly’s ‘Get out of jail free’ card when Hohensee has gotten hurt with veteran Braden Wright able to step in. Wright’s efficiency wasn’t to the level of Hohensee, but he was someone the Bearcats could trust at the helm.

Behind Hohensee this season, there is absolutely no experience. The coaching staff knows much more than fans or the media as to what they’ve got behind Hohensee at quarterback and are high on those players, but as coach Rich Wright said of Hohensee after the Spring Game, “He’s the guy.”