CHESANING — Kickoff is five days away, and first-year head coach Jacob Price is preparing the Chesaning Indians for the 2026 season.
The MHSAA lists the school as Chesaning. Enrollment for 2026-27 is 388, Class B, 11-player Division 6. The school still uses Indians on its athletics site and district homepage. Chesaning competes in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference.
Price replaces Matt Walter, who was 24-15 in four seasons. Price was Chesaning's defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator during back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, and last season was assistant offensive line coach at Alma College. This is his first year as a head coach.
Last fall Chesaning was 1-8 overall and 0-7 MMAC with no playoff berth. The only win was 13-12 at Standish-Sterling on Aug. 28, 2025, and the Indians then lost their last eight. That followed a 9-1 season in 2024 (7-0 MMAC) that ended with a 36-29 loss to Lansing Catholic in the Division 6 playoff opener.
Returners listed in MLive's July hire story include Law Danek (WR), Braydyn Dilts (TE/LB), Logan Vogelaar, Andrew Reiber (OL/DL), Collin Brabant (OL/DL) and Nito Escamilla (QB/LB). Danek and Dilts were second-team MMAC. Price has not named a starting quarterback; MLive listed seniors Escamilla and Vogelaar and junior Jacob Zyrowski as candidates.
The opener is Thursday, Aug. 27 at home vs. Standish-Sterling at 7 p.m. The Argus-Press notes it is the eighth meeting, with Chesaning winning six of the first seven, and the Panthers were also 1-8 in 2025.
MMAC play starts Sept. 3 at home vs. Otisville LakeVille, then Durand on the road, home games against Montrose, Birch Run and New Lothrop, and trips to Mt. Morris, Ovid-Elsie and Corunna.
Price told MLive he is excited to be back coaching in Chesaning and that the group's expectation is to compete every day and hold a standard. The first chance comes Thursday night.
Sources: [MHSAA](https://www.mhsaa.com/schools/chesaning), [MLive](https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2026/07/jacob-price-takes-over-as-chesanings-football-coach.html), [Argus](https://www.argus-press.com/sports/by_school/chesaning/article_7ea4102a-3301-4b59-b346-53fa7d5d73ab.html).
