The Lansing football team’s 2025 season was one filled with challenges. The decision was made to move to the 8-man division just a month before opening kickoff. With a much smaller roster, the Bobcats finished with a 1-5 record. But numbers are stronger entering this year, and with that comes a renewed sense of optimism.
The Bobcats currently have 19 players on the roster, a few more than they had last time out on the gridiron. Some of the newcomers are returning to the gridiron after not playing last season, while others have transferred in. Second-year head coach Ralph Boettger gave full credit to his returning players for helping bolster their squad.
“I think it came down to the fact that a lot of people were talking about having faith in this staff, having faith in this program,” Boettger said. “The 1-5 record last year and getting beat up quite a bit, they had to get past that. I think that our players did a good job of protecting our program and selling it.”
Lansing lost its first five games of last year, all by at least 35 points. But they ended on a resoundingly high note by taking down rivals Dryden in a 37-34 thriller. The Bobcats hope to carry that momentum into this season with not just new players but also a new-look coaching staff. Assisting Boettger will be Joey Volpicelli, who has coached the modified team the last couple of years, and Jeff Lacey, who previously worked under Boettger while at Dryden and also coached at Cortland.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a staff like this,” Boettger said. “Maybe I have to go back to the ‘80s at Ithaca High School with Tony Marks and Tom Policay where they just see everything and they address it. They’ve asked me a million times, ‘I don’t want to step on your toes,’ and they have free reign because they’re that good. They’re knowledgeable. They’re taskmasters.”
The Bobcats graduated plenty of key players from last season’s team, namely All-State quarterback Brandon McMillen. There’s more depth at the position with Logan Mayo back under center. He backed up his older brother Jaxson when he was last on the team in 2024 and is primed to be the starter with sophomore Gabe Hollister next in line.
In the backfield, Logan Andress will continue to be their workhorse. The senior has once again been selected as a team captain, and his leadership has only grown throughout the offseason.
“Logan has done everything he expected an athlete to do from the weight room to going to camps, showcases, and so forth,” Boettger said. “He’s always there. He does a great job as a role model, as a captain, and he’s a pretty tough runner. He showed a little bit at Dryden. He had some tough yards in the last drive. He’s a little more elusive than people thought, and he has a little more confidence now.”
The Bobcats have also boosted their skill positions with a new crop of talent. That includes seniors Zayden Davis and Emerson Rose as well as juniors Parker Bowman and Brody David, the latter of whom transfers in from Southern Cayuga.
The defense is where the Bobcats see the most returning players. Along with Mayo and Bowman coming in, that unit also features seniors Jared Hall and Brennan Williams and juniors Jacob Bowen and Tyler Paige.
The youngest area for the Bobcats is undoubtedly on their line. Most of the makeup in the trenches will be underclassmen alongside senior Jackson Matusz.
“What we do have is a mix of great athletes with great speed,” Boettger said. “Now it’s our job as coaches to try to make sure that they learn our system because a whole bunch of them either don’t know about our system, haven’t played in our system, or haven’t played football before.”
With a plethora of weapons on offense combined with an experienced defense, the Bobcats are poised to bounce back from what was a tough return to 8-man football. Boettger knows that multiple things have to go right if the Bobcats want to punch their ticket back to the postseason.
“I think it’s going to be if the linemen come along offensively and defense,” Boettger said. “Defensively, our scheme is going to be similar. But it’s a matter of the reads and keys. Can they embrace that concept? A lot of kids on defense just fly, so it’s about the defense trying to learn their reads and keys and understand the importance of it. On offense, it’s just trying to fit all the pieces together. There’s only one football, but there’s a lot of weapons, so it’s keeping everybody engaged in the game. Not just happy, but engaged in the game.”
Lansing begins the season at home against Newfield on September 11.
