GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- With the 2025 football season officially underway, Ottawa Hills football is hoping to build on its momentum from last year. The early part of last year brought its challenges, but the Bengals showed significant improvement in their final game — something the coaching staff has used as a foundation for growth during the offseason. This year, Head Coach Kendall Jackson and his Bengals are determined to continue that upward trajectory.
“Some of the goals we have are to be more competitive in games. To win games you must be competitive in them,” said Coach Jackson. “We won the first game in three years to end the season last year. We want to build on that this year.”
A major part of that preparation came through a series of summer workouts. Players committed themselves to strength training, position-specific drills, and 7-on-7 events aimed at building physical and mental muscle this summer.
“Training has been good; we have seen a lot of learning going on this summer and are excited about the growth of the program since we arrived in 2023,” Jackson added. “We have seen a lot of improvements in the weight room and overall knowledge of the game.”
Senior Maurice Merritt agrees with his coach. “The energy is good, but we need to keep pushing for it to get better,” Merritt said when asked about the team’s vibe heading into the season. Personally, he added, “I have gotten stronger in the weight room and have been working on being able to play a whole game.”
Coach Jackson and his staff have emphasized fundamentals and effort throughout the offseason, laying the groundwork for a team identity built on consistency and accountability.
Senior Xzavier Lawler, a key contributor for the Bengals this year, is focused on keeping the team grounded and united.
“The way that I plan to contribute to our team's success is by keeping a level head and making plays when needed,” Lawler said. “I trust the guys I’ve worked out with all summer, and they trust me. I plan to make sure our team never turns on each other and that we can stick together through adversity.”
Lawler is also working his way back from a setback. “The biggest challenge going into this season would be coming back off an injury that sat me down for a couple weeks and working on getting stronger and making sure that I’m one hundred percent,” he explained. Now that he’s back, Lawler hopes to rush for over one thousand yards and make the playoffs this year.
Junior Martell Jackson has an equally impressive goal: “I want to help change the thoughts that people have about the Ottawa Hills program.” Through hard work and discipline, Martell believes that can happen.
The Bengals aims to turn last year’s flashes of success into a consistent, winning formula. The road won’t be easy, but the Bengals are ready to compete — and continue proving that their late-season win in 2024 was just the beginning. As a team, Bengals football plans to continue to “Restore the ROAR.”
