The search for a new football coach ended, as the team announced Michael Stewart, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, as the new coach.

Stewart has led the team to three shutouts in the 2018 season, the second most by any squad in school history, as well as allowing only 15.3 points per game, fourth among all teams since the school opened in 1993.

Stewart said he is excited to be the new head coach and hopes to help the team grow even further.

“ I think that, because I know a lot of these kids already, we’re going to be able to hit the ground running,” Stewart said.

Stewart said he hopes to expand upon the team’s success over the last couple of years by making them yearly competitors for the Conference title.

“We have two titles, and I think that we can get to a place where we are one of the top teams every year,” Stewart said.

Chase Callahan, junior, agrees and said that team confidence, particularly the confidence instilled by Stewart, is going to play a big role in the team’s success.

“Our team motto for this season is going to be ‘together,’ and that I think instills a lot of confidence in all of us,” Callahan said. “As long as we think we’re the best and we can win, then I don’t think anything will stop us.”

Callahan, outside linebacker, was third on the team with 30 tackles and 3 recovered fumbles, and he returned one for a touchdown. He credits a lot of his success last season to Stewart’s coaching.

“He really got us ready to play and perform at our best,” Callahan said.

Matt Kadlec, junior, led the team in tackles last season with 52 total, and like Callahan, credits much of his success to Stewart.

“He was really good at helping me find the holes in the way I play and helping me take advantage of those faults so that I can be better all around,” Kadlec said.

Kadlec said he’s confident that, in spite of Stewart’s defensive background, he’ll be able to build upon both sides of the ball.

“He’s got a really good football mind, and he’ll be able to grow the team and we can become really solid all around,” Kadlec said.

Elijah Biener, sophomore, is an offensive lineman and is confident in Stewart’s ability to build a strong team.

“I think that, while he’s definitely going to change a lot about the way we run plays, it will be for the better,” Biener said. “He knows a lot about the game and we will greatly benefit from it, like we did with Klein.”

Biener and the offensive line helped push the team’s rushing game up to 2,393 yards, the second in the division, trailing Lindbergh by 5 yards. Biener said he wants to build on this success and the rest of the team’s success next season and is confident that they’ll be able to do it.

“We’re all really excited to see what Stewart, and the next season, have to bring,” Biener said.

Activities Director Shane Matzen was pivotal in the selection process for the new head coach.

Matzen said that they have no fears for how his defensive background will affect the team’s offense.

“Stewart, in his interview, made it really clear- he’s not going to be a defensive coach, he’s going to be the team’s head coach,” Matzen said.

He said that out of the large pool of highly qualified candidates, Stewart stood out to his experience with the players, and his love for MHS.

“What really drove the decision was Stewart’s passion for MHS and his desire to take the team to new heights,” Matzen said.