Editor’s note: This article will be published in the 2026 Playbook football preview magazine, included in the Wednesday, Aug. 26 edition of the Record-Eagle. The Playbook previews 14 area football teams and includes several feature stories and rosters for band and cheerleading teams.
MANCELONA — Josh Nycz is Mancelona’s fifth football coach in the past 85 years.
“The kids are awesome,” said Nycz. “They are ready for a change. It’s kind of hard to believe since 1941 they’ve had only four head coaches.”
Mancelona’s former coach Dan “Boo” Derrer stepped down in November 2025 after 19 seasons and 30 overall years with the program.
Nycz was hired in March and has been taking time to get to know his players.
The 1999 East Detroit High School graduate played quarterback, tight end and defensive line. He went on to play at Western Michigan until 2002.
He started coaching in 2013 at L’Anse Creuse High School-North and has since been an assistant at Charlevoix, Gaylord and the head coach at Central Lake. For the past three years, he has been the offensive line coach at Traverse City West.
“Pretty much anything to do with quarterbacks,” said Nycz.
The Mancelona coach said Ironman junior Gavin Forfinski is the frontrunner for quarterback this season.
“I can say we’re going to be more of a passing team, but if I don’t have a quarterback that can throw the football, I can’t throw the football,” Nycz said. “But we got Gavin Forfinski and he’s doing a good job. We may not be able to chuck the ball down the field as much as I would like, but I can manage with him at quarterback, and we can move the football and play some defense and win some football games.”
On defense, the coach said senior Hunter Stuck will be at middle linebacker heading up the defense and will also run the ball on offense.
Another player that will play both ways is senior Heath Bradley.
“He is a gamer,” Nycz said. “He’s going to make some plays on offense and defense for us.”
Seniors Owen Miller and Ty Phillips will anchor the offensive line. Miller will be at center and Ty will start at left tackle.
Mancelona is expected to have 25 to 30 varsity football players this season, according to the coach. The team loses 14 seniors, but has good incoming numbers.
“Most of the kids are moving up into varsity and they don’t know anything else,” said the coach. “They weren’t with the last coaching staff, so it’s kind of an easy, smooth, transition.”
Underclassman Emmett Krino will play tight end and wide receiver. He will also be a backup quarterback.
“One of our sophomores that’s coming up is Emmett Krino,” Nycz said. “He’s going to be a player. He will make some plays for us on offense. We’re going to have a nice little two or three tight ends that will be difficult to stop.”
Mancelona finished last season 5-5. They lost to Glen Lake in the last two games of the season, including the district semifinal matchup on the road, 0-35.
The Ironmen will now start the season against Glen Lake on the road Aug. 28.
Mancelona competes in the Northern Michigan Football Conference-Legacy along with East Jordan, Frankfort, Harbor Springs, Johannesburg-Lewiston and Glen Lake.
“We are just going to try to build some momentum,” said Nycz. “I don’t want to sit here and say, ‘Oh, you know, we’re going to make a deep playoff.’ I don’t know. I am just trying to get the kids to follow me and move forward in a new direction for Mancelona football. I think we’re doing that right now, and we’re all kind of coming together, and the kids seem to like me, and I like the kids. We just need to get through that first game, which is going to be a tough one against Glen Lake.”