This is not the Shelby football team of old. That was made clear Thursday, Aug. 29 when the Tigers stomped White Cloud into the ground to the tune of a 59-20 victory in their season opener at home.
After two straight seasons of 2-7 finishes, there is legitimate reason for excitement around Shelby’s football program in 2024. A new group of upperclassmen have been groomed for leadership while newcomers look to make an impact. Included in those fresh faces are several members of last year’s JV team that went an astounding 8-1 overall.
The Tigers wasted no time against White Cloud, making a statement on the first play of the night.
Junior DayDay Garcia lined up on special teams, eager to get things going on the opening kick return. Garcia fielded the ball and promptly ran it back 71 yards for a touchdown. Fellow junior Eli Kelley – who is serving double duty as a member of both the boys soccer team and football team this fall – added an extra point to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead just seconds into the game.
White Cloud’s first drive offensively did little to stifle the confidence Shelby had gained early. The Indians’ offense struggled to move the ball, resulting in a quick three-and-out that featured a massive hit from Shelby senior Kaden Hallack that forced a quick punt situation.
From that point on it was all Shelby.
Junior quarterback Isaac Garcia – taking the helm from last year’s starter Lalo Garcia – accounted for a total of six touchdowns to lead the Tigers to victory. Isaac threw three touchdowns through the air, ran two in by himself and got involved from his safety position on defense, adding a pick-six for good measure.
Trevor Weiss, a transfer from Hesperia, impressed in his first action on the gridiron for Shelby. Weiss scored two touchdowns of his own and added an interception on defense.
Shelby senior running back AJ Melchor fights through contact from White Cloud defenders on a run to the outside. Melchor led all rushers for Shelby with 77 yards on the ground.
Seniors AJ Melchor and Griffin Olmstead were the top two receiving targets for Isaac Garcia, as each found the endzone on receptions.
“Huge shoutout to our o-line,” Shelby Head Coach Phil Fortier said after the game. “We struggled with (White Cloud’s) defensive front early, but were able to make some adjustments at halftime and really found our groove running the football -- Ethan Viterna, David Purdy, Oscar Leonides, Casey Lamblin, and Colin Fenton. I wanted (to) recognize them all by name because they did an outstanding job tonight run-blocking and in pass protection.”
The defense was led by Brody Fessenden and Jaylin Henderson, each with seven tackles. Fessenden and Henderson were both forces in the backfield as they combined for seven tackles for loss, including a forced fumble for the former.
“We got contributions from a ton of guys out there tonight. Great team win,” Fortier said.
With a 1-0 start to the season, Shelby’s first true test will look to end the momentum they created in game one. The Tigers will host North Muskegon (0-1) to open West Michigan Conference Rivers Division play, Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.
The Norsemen are fresh off an 8-7 loss to Pewamo-Westphalia.
Shelby Football put up 59 points in week one and there were plenty of contributors to that. Junior quarterback Isaac Garcia led the way with six total touchdowns, seniors Griffin Olmstead and AJ Melchor added one score each and junior DayDay Garcia took the opening kick to the house.
