Mitchell varsity football hasn’t trotted out a team to Garry Berry Stadium in nearly two years.

The Marauders lost 42-0 to Cañon City on Nov. 3, 2022, to conclude a rugged year on the gridiron.

Mitchell finished 2022 with a 0-10 record – its third consecutive winless season – and scored just 26 points all year.

“Two seasons ago we played a varsity schedule, and it was not good for anybody involved,” said Chris Noll, Colorado Springs School District 11 athletic director. “It wasn’t good for our kids, and it wasn’t good for the opponents.”

This season, though, the Marauders return with renewed confidence and their largest roster (42 players) they’ve had in years.

Athletes, administration and coaches hope the patience and dedication pays off this year.

Tough choice

Amanda Wermers’ tenure as athletic director began with what she calls “one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my educational career.”

Wermers, the Marauders’ AD, entered Mitchell in 2021 as an assistant principal and took over as athletic director in 2023.

She watched in 2022 as the Marauders’ football team fielded just 20 kids. In football, the offense and defense operate with 11 players. That meant many kids played both offense and defense with minimal rest.

So, Wermers decided to drop Mitchell football to JV for one season.

“I knew the kids were disappointed,” Wermers said. “At the end of the day, I had to make a decision that was in their best interest and ultimately their safety. We were slated to play against Liberty and Discovery Canyon and we knew those would be difficult games. I wanted to look out for their physical and emotional safety.”

Mitchell, which won football titles in 1975, 1977 and 1981, for the first time in school history, would have a season without varsity football.

Though the move ruffled some feathers, Noll agreed with and supported Wermers’ decision.

Mitchell’s opponents outscored them 526-26 in 2022. Of their 10 contests, the Marauders failed to score in seven games, including a “rough experience” in their eighth matchup of the year.

“(Against Pueblo East,) we got beat 83-0,” Noll said. “That’s not a good experience for anybody. … We believe in exceptional experiences for all students. When you get beat like that, that’s not an exceptional experience for anyone. … I was a part of (Wermers’) decision and … was it a tough decision? Yes. Was it the right decision? Absolutely.”

Noll, who played football at Mitchell in the ’90s when the Marauders were 6A, said more players showed up last season when Mitchell moved from varsity to junior varsity.

Wermers said the junior varsity team experienced “some success” in 2023 versus the struggles from 2022.

“Standing on the sidelines last year when the JV kids brought home that first win was amazing,” Wermers said. “A (win) is a (win.) I’ve never seen kids so excited before. The wins were the wins and the losses were the losses but we didn’t have running clocks or (83)-to-nothing games. Now, the boys who didn’t graduate are back.”

And they needed a coach. But that remained a question mark until early August.

Bleed navy blue and orange

Josh Browning entered Mitchell on Aug. 4 as the cross country coach.

When Browning left that night, he was the football coach.

“It was a super last-minute change,” Wermers said. “We got lucky and all the stars aligned for Josh to come on. We had a head coach who was returning from the previous year. But some last-minute things happened and that didn’t work out. Josh was set to coach cross country as he had the past four years, and it was just the right moment for him.”

Boys basketball coach Dorian Watson will take the reins of Mitchell cross country. For Browning, despite the eleventh-hour move, it was not unexpected.

Browning, who also coaches track and field in the spring, served as an assistant football coach from 2015-18. Wermers said Browning hoped to eventually return to football.

As Browning observed the school during the summer, he noticed a handful of football players practicing.

But he saw no coach.

“At that point I started to get a little curious about what was going on,” Browning said. “Last year, for the first time in our school history, we didn’t have varsity. And if we didn’t have varsity this year, I’m knew I’d lose a bunch of kids (for track and field). I called Amanda and asked what’s going on with the football program and she told me that they were looking at some things for the upcoming season and getting it figured out.

“… When I started to realize there wasn’t going to be a coach, I’m like, ‘What can I do to help this program?’”

During girls’ basketball season in 2022-23, when the Marauders couldn’t find a coach, Browning filled in for the season.

Whatever it takes to keep the operation afloat, Browning will do. Noll cherishes that.

“Josh Browning is what we want in terms of all of our coaches,” Noll said. “He’s a student-first coach and teacher. Josh Browning is as Mitchell Marauder as it comes. He is 1,000% in on Mitchell High School. When it came time to transition with the football coach, it was an easy decision.

“He’s all about kids and he’s all about Mitchell and he has enough football background to help us build this program.”

Wermers also noted how kids gravitate toward Browning’s positivity and loyalty.

“Josh is at 42 kids right now,” Wermers said. “In my four years at Mitchell, we haven’t seen 42 kids walk on to a football field. … The culture he’s built in such a short time is amazing. They know he’s dedicated and committed, and they know he’s giving it his all, so they’re giving it their all.”

For junior Damontae Simpson, it means the world to see a coach locked into his job for the players.

That’s been rare for Simpson during his time at Mitchell.

A new chapter

“Instead of having to see other great athletes and student leaders go to other schools,” Browning said, “I started to think about how I could help the football program here.”

Browning didn’t notice it, but as he uttered those words, Simpson briefly cracked a smile while sitting in Browning’s office at Mitchell.

Since 2019, Mitchell’s head coaching position has served as a revolving door.

The Marauders have had five coaches in five varsity seasons, with Browning serving as the fifth. With Browning at the helm, Simpson believes the Marauders can begin getting consistent returns on the field.

“It was hard having different coaches because you don’t know the plays when you come back every year,” Simpson said. “Now, we have players coming out because people aren’t worried about the coach leaving.”

A key addition to the Marauders’ roster is quarterback Noah Ogilvie, who came from Florida to Colorado.

Ogilvie, whose mom is in the Air Force, said he grew up about 25 minutes away from IMG Academy, a prep boarding school in Bradenton, Fla.

IMG Academy boasts a plethora of notable alumni from several sports. For football, that includes players such as J.J. McCarthy, Josh Lambo, Tony Jones Jr. and a swath of others.

Ogilvie recognizes the work required to become a force in a sport. And Ogilvie feels Browning is helping him reach his potential.

“Coach Browning has helped me a lot and he’s been in my corner,” Ogilvie said. “I feel like this is going to be a winning program. We have nine games this season, I think we’re winning at least six of them. I have complete faith in our team.

Mitchell last won six games in 2004 under coach Archie Malloy III. When Browning noted Mitchell’s last six-win season, Ogilvie’s response humbled him.

“I wasn’t even born yet,” Ogilvie said. “We’re ready. We’re going to put in that work and our linemen are going to fight in the trenches, our wide receivers are going to make those catches and we’re going to go out there and get it done.”

Mitchell has not won a varsity football game on the field since Oct. 12, 2019, when the Marauders beat Sierra 35-28.

The Marauders also won via forfeit against Sand Creek that season.

Since the forfeit win against the Scorpions, Mitchell has lost 24 consecutive games and has scored just 105 points.

This year, Mitchell will compete in 2A rather than 3A. Players and coaches believe the Marauders will end that losing streak and reinvigorate the program.

The Marauders face Arvada (0-1) at 10 a.m. Saturday and have nine chances this season to earn their first victory since 2019.

Players are ready for that win.

But Browning said this is bigger than a record.

“Wins and losses come and go, that’s a part of life,” Browning said. “Teaching these boys lifelong skills so they can carry out the rest of their lives and have something to hold on to and say, ‘I’ve persevered through adversity and know how to make it through,’ is what this is about. Establishing culture, standards and structure are bigger than X’s and O’s. That’s what we’re about.”

Schedule

*Denotes 2A Metro League game

Aug. 31 vs. Arvada, 10 a.m.

Sept. 6 at La Junta, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 vs. The Pinnacle, 6 p.m.

Sept 19 at Manual, 6 p.m.

*Oct. 4 vs. Denver West, 7 p.m.

*Oct. 11 at Alameda, 7:30 p.m.

*Oct, 17 at D’Evelyn, 4 p.m.

*Oct. 24 vs. Lincoln, 6:30 p.m.

*Nov. 1 at The Classical Academy, 7 p.m.

Marauders’ 2024 opponents’ records from 2023 season:

Arvada 6-3

La Junta 8-2

The Pinnacle 1-8 (Only win came via forfeit in finale against Sheridan; also only scored 14 points last season including 2 from the forfeit)

Manual 4-5

Denver West 5-4

Alameda 0-8 (scored 47 points all year)

D’Evelyn 5-4

Lincoln 1-9 (played in 3A last year)

TCA 8-3