MERKEL — The 2019 Merkel football team will have a distinctly different look than the Badgers squads fans got to cheer into the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.

Gone are John Cornelius (now the coach at Sudan) and do-it-all athlete Jonah White (now a running back at Baylor). And taking over the MHS program is a coach in Brian Ramsey who will be shaking things up this fall.

With White off to college and no athletic equals to take his place, the Badgers will be trading their explosive spread option offense for a slot-T/wing-T base and a new “three yards and a cloud of dust” mentality. But if all goes well, Merkel will be closing this season the same place it has each of the past three: in the postseason.