Engadine’s Austin named AP 8-man Coach of the Year

BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) — Quarterback Jason Whitens of Powers North Central High School has been named The Associated Press 2015 Player of the Year for eight-man football in Michigan.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Whitens directed the Menominee County school of 119 students to 72.6 points a game, its first perfect regular season in 35 years and a run to the state finals.

Whitens headlines the 2015 All-State Team that also features North Central’s Bobby Kleiman, Battle Creek St. Philip’s Brendan Gausselin, Posen’s Travis Sharpe and Skyler Tulgetske, Lawrence’s Hunter Coombs, Owendale-Gagetown’s David Binder and Deckerville’s Austin Spaetzel.

Joe Austin was selected the Coach of the Year after guiding Engadine to a 7-2 regular season, the program’s best since 1998.