An open letter to the FHC Community,

As I reflect on one of the most enjoyable seasons of my 27-year coaching career I feel indebted to so many who made this possible. In my profession, the head coach gets either too much blame when things go poorly or too much credit when things go well. The latter is true here.

Banquets are the time to thank players, coaches, parents, cheerleaders and boosters but I must start off by telling you how fortunate I feel to be surrounded by such dedicated people. The last six years have been rocky but you never wavered and stayed committed to the process. Thank you for the sacrifices you and your families have made for FHC Football.

To the fellow coaches, teachers, administrators, secretaries, and maintenance workers who went out of their way to offer kind words of encouragement, thank you. I am humbled that you followed our season so closely and took the time to say something nice to me, my staff or our players. You should know that a simple “Congrats, Good job, Good Lucka�� meant a lot to us.

When I first started here at FHC, I was told half the stands on game day were there for the band and they all left at halftime. These days, we have a new tradition where we celebrate a successful game by singing the fight song with the band at the end of the game. Band members and band parents stay the entire game. Thanks to the best band in Michigan. Your presence on Friday nights creates an atmosphere that is second to none.

I wish he was my starting offensive tackle instead of a sports reporter following our team, but I want to thank Jake Heilman for his coverage of FHC Football. He and The Central Trend were there every step of the way for this historic season. Your coverage was insightful and informative. Thank you for your kind words and positive coverage of our team.

Finally, thank you to the best student body in Michigan. Our away games were brutal this year taking us to West Ottawa, Greenville, Cedar Springs, Wayland and Grand Ledge. Rain or shine, you were always there making 45-minute treks to support your football team and classmates. Your presence at a game makes a difference. We could not have had the year we had without your support.

It is an honor representing all of you on Friday night. Thank you for making playing and coaching at FHC a great experience.

Coach Rogers