TUSCOLA — Two full seasons into his tenure as head football coach at Jim Ned, Johnathon McClure has posted a 20-6 overall record including district and co-district championships.

This year, however, graduation has stripped away much of the talent and experience the Indians had possessed — pushing Jim Ned into one of those youthful phases that all programs face sooner or later. 

In total, 21 lettermen from last year’s 11-2 district title team were handed their diplomas, with only 16 experienced players returning. Among them: only one offensive and two defensive starters are back, meaning the Indians have some seasoning to do prior to getting underway in District 2-3A DI. 

“We had a great senior class who played for (Jim Ned) for several years and we hated to see those guys go with as much experience as they brought to the table,” McClure said. “But that’s the breaks of the game and everyone is in the same boat. You graduate a group then wait for the next batch.”