Rewind: Ferndale Football Coach Recaps 2011 Season

The Ferndale High School varsity football team had another year full of ups-and-downs.

It opened the season 1-3 for a second straight year. The Eagles lost their first three games before knocking off a then undefeated Avondale 23-22 on the road.

Momentum from the upset was short lived. Ferndale lost the following week to North Farmington 12-6. With four losses, Ferndale needed to win the rest of its games to have any shot at making the playoffs. 

Wins over Andover and Groves gave the Eagles a chance at pulling back to .500 against Seaholm. The Maples used a fake field goal in the fourth quarter to take a two-possession lead. They held for a 27-21 win.

It was Ferndale’s fourth league loss of the season and not a single one of them was decided by more than 10 points. 

“The Blue was very competitive this year and we felt like we competed at a very high level,” Eagles coach Ryan Dunlap said. “Our biggest loss was by only eight points in league and all four of our losses came down to just a few plays that we did not take advantage of.”

Ferndale Patch talked to the coach about this season and what direction he thinks the squad is headed.

Ferndale Patch: This season, a 5-4 record might have been enough to get you in the playoffs. Having lost four games by seven points or less – do you feel like one or two plays go your way you could be playing this weekend?

Ryan Dunlap: This year we would have qualified as a 5-4 because of the additional playoff points earned by beating Avondale and Groves. If we beat Seaholm in week eight it would have given us one of the highest point totals of any 5-4 teams in Division 3.

A few plays here and there and we could have had one or more additional wins. We would much rather be practicing than cleaning out lockers.

Ferndale Patch: You had one of the youngest teams in the OAA Blue; do you think that played a part in all the close finishes?

Dunlap: Our age was a factor along with our inexperience. Nearly all of our players except Chevez Farris and Brandon Davis were first year starters at their positions.

Ferndale Patch: Any one of those games in particular you felt should’ve been a win?

Dunlap: Berkley was a tough loss in week one. We played great defense against their option offense all game except for their first drive. We moved the ball well and got inside their red zone multiple times and just couldn’t finish.

Ferndale Patch: After opening the season 1-4, did you have a sense that the team would turn things around in the second half?

Dunlap: Yes, our players are resilient and very tough. After taking some knocks and getting some experience in close games, we finally stated to play well as a team starting with Avondale.

Ferndale Patch: What was the biggest difference between those first five games and the last four games?

Dunlap: Our offense progressed well under junior quarterback Eric Ellis, our backs were more productive and our defense was more dominant. I think it was a combination of those factors along with a deeper sense of urgency by our seniors.

Ferndale Patch: Your defense was a lot more consistent throughout the year than the offense. Any reason the defense seemed to be ahead of the offense this season?

Dunlap: We have always played tough defense at Ferndale. We take tremendous pride in being strong at the point of attack and playing aggressive man-to-man coverage. It’s a big part of our program’s identity. 

It’s also easier to progress defensively in my opinion than offensively when a team has so many new starters, especially on the front line. The offensive line is the most important unit on any football team and four of our five were new this year. They came along nicely as the year progressed.  

Ferndale Patch: You beat two playoff teams this year. Which win – Avondale or Groves – do you think was the more impressive win of the two?

Dunlap: Avondale was big as they were undefeated and we were winless. Stopping Mitch Robinson was no easy task, but our defensive backs played outstanding and didn’t give him much to throw to.  

The win sent the message to the league that we were not going to lay down and fold.  

But, the win at Groves was more impressive. We dominated the game from the onset and played our best game of the year.  

They were in first place at the time and looking for an automatic playoff bid. Our offensive line and running backs controlled the game and we rushed for over 350 yards and four touchdowns.   

Ferndale Patch: We talked before the season about the big group of sophomores you had playing on varsity including Shaquann McGriff and Tyree Bell. How did the group develop as the season went on?

Dunlap: Tyree and Shaquann will be excellent players for us for the next two seasons. Tyree moved into a two-way starting role at fullback and middle linebacker. He is a force in the middle of both the offense and defense.  

Shaquann is a big running back who will only get better with time and reps. He’s also an excellent strong side linebacker.

They both played significant time this year and both played with great physicality. They will be guys we lean on next year to lead us.  

Delante Dorris also got better this year and learned to be the anchor of the defensive line at our nose tackle position. His size and strength are impressive and as he learns to use them, he will be very integral to our run-stopping defense.  

Shane Sandlin played primarily on special teams and did a lot of learning this season. He is a great team player and will do anything asked of him. He has the potential to play multiple positions with his size and speed.  

We also moved up a newcomer to our program in defensive end Nate Brisson-Fast. He has the physical size and speed to be an outstanding player at 6 feet 5 inches and 230 pounds. He was new to football this year and we plugged him in at defensive end starting with the game against Groves.

With an offseason in the weight room he has the potential to be a dominant player in our league and a potential college recruit.  

Finally, our other sophomore may be the most talented. Termichael Brown could not play this year as he was a transfer and the MHSAA would not allow him to compete. He has great instincts, speed, and strength. He can play four or five positions on offense and defense. He will be a two-way starter for us next season. 

Ferndale Patch: This year you’ll be losing seniors like Brandon Davis, Earl Tilford and Chevez Farris – what will you miss most about this year’s group?

Dunlap: Their work ethic and character. This is an outstanding group that has done well in the classroom and on the playing field. 

They are always willing to volunteer their there time to mentor younger students or help in the community. They are much more than just football players and have demonstrated to our younger players in our program the expectations we have of them year round.