Courtesy Photo The Onaway High School football team and new head coach Josh Bigby make its season debut on Friday at defending Ski Valley Conference champion Inland Lakes. Team members include seniors Justin Kramer, Jack Chaskey, Brendon Brewbaker, Zander McDonald, and Gavin Green, juniors Darin Wolgast, Billy Gasch, and Levi Rigot, sophomores Toby Pike, Brady Gapczynski, Trenton Soik, Lelin Splan, Greg Kuchinski, Jonas Benson, and Zach Artrip, and freshmen Kayson Jarvis, Eli LaLonde, Alex Gonzales, Phineas Benson, Zach Schmoldt, Morris Domke, and Caleb Booms.

ONAWAY — Since Aug. 7, the Onaway football team had been hard at work prepping for the first game of the season; scheduled for Friday at rival Inland Lakes.

The Cardinals had expected Josh Bigby, who was hired in May, to lead the team as head coach into that contest.

Things suddenly changed however, as he unexpectedly resigned Tuesday evening for undisclosed reasons. With no interim coach immediately named, Onaway is also expected to forfeit that contest to Inland Lakes.

When contacted Thursday morning, Onaway Athletic Director Marty Mix confirmed both things; that Bigby resigned and the team will not play in their season opening contest.

Mix added that the team is actively seeking an interim coach and that they expect to have the team ready for their week two contest; Aug. 31 at home against Bellaire.

Bigby has many years as an assistant coach at schools in both Michigan and Oklahoma. He was also previously a head coach at Kalkaska.

His time as Kalkaska’s head coach was short-lived as well; lasting six games in 2018. Bigby coached Kalkaska through the first six contests of that season, going winless and resigned the day after a 47-6 week six loss to Grayling.

Onaway also needed an interim coach last year, after former head coach Steve Klinge left the school district for a position at Kingsley during the opening week of practice. Interim coaches Bryan Pyle and Rice Price led the Cardinals to a 1-8 record; with their lone win coming over Forest Area.