Walled Lake Northern hungry to right the ship under new head coach

Walled Lake Northern is determined to bounce back this season after winning just one game a year ago.

The Knights have a new man at the helm, Mark Brimmer, who makes his return to Commerce Township after serving as the program’s junior varsity coach in 2022.

“It’s like picking up where we left off,” said Brimmer. “We’ve emphasized it since Day One that that we’re going to play to the whistle and everything that we’re doing with a purpose, you know, whether it’s learning a play, or it’s in the weight room, or it’s in the classroom, all of it ties together so you can be out here on Friday nights.”

“(Many of us) had him as a JV coach, a great coach, a great guy, he’s really committed,” said senior quarterback Alex DeFinis. “I mean it’s a different offense, but I think it fits our team way better. and we’ll be way more successful with it.”

There’ no question the Knights are hungry. Especially the upperclassmen, who are focused on righting the ship after a pair of tough seasons in 2022 and 2023.

“Almost every practice the 1-17 (record) from the past two years is mentioned,” said senior lineman George Melton. “I don’t think a day goes by where the seniors and juniors don’t think about it, and I think it’s really impacted the way that we think about this upcoming season.”

“All around we’re just going to have a lot more energy,” said senior linebacker Jackson Ferguson. “We had way too many mistakes the last couple of years, and we just got to clean that up.”

“They have that desire and that hunger,” said Brimmer. “They want to be the different, they want lay the foundation for the future of this program, and to right that ship. They want this community to be proud.”

Walled Lake Northern opens its season on Thursday, August 29, at home against South Lyon.