Hudson Macdonald scores a Lutheran North touchdown during the first quarter of a Prep Bowl game against Everest Collegiate at Ford Field on Saturday. (GEORGE SPITERI, file)

There’s a buzz in and around the Lutheran North community.

After going 9-3 last season with an undefeated record in league play and a CHSL championship, the expectations remain high for the Mustangs going into the 2024 campaign. But the time for hype is over.

“If we want to replicate that, we’ve got to play well this season,” said LHN head coach Garrett Wenzelburger. “I think we’ll be able to do that.”

Overall, the Mustangs return 11 starters – five on offense and six on defense – from last season’s nine-win squad, a school record.

The big name is Hudson MacDonald.

“He’s been a fantastic wide receiver for us,” Wenzelburger said. “Great athlete. Get the ball in his hands, and he can score at any time. We had a couple games last year where he touched the ball three times and he had three touchdowns. That’s a kid that you’re going to lean on.”

Entering his third season as a varsity starter, MacDonald is a player that younger kids on the team “naturally look up to” while opposing defenses look ahead at. He finished the 2023 season with 612 yards and eight touchdowns receiving along with 329 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

That versatility allows for Wenzelburger and the Mustang staff to get creative.

“We’re going to do whatever we can to get the ball in his (MacDonald’s) hands as much as possible,” Wenzelburger said. “We’ve got a pretty good blueprint from an offensive standpoint (and) defensive standpoint as to what we like to do. But we’ll have to get creative to get the ball in his hands as much as possible.”

And there’s good news for MacDonald: the LHN offensive line returns four of their five starters from last season, making for an experienced group to help open holes for the senior and his teammates.

Chris Gottschalk, an MHSFCA all-region selection last season, will be the leader of the group – and he’s also expected to get some reps on defense.

Coach Garrett Wenzelburger gestures during Lutheran North practice on August 9, 2023. (DAVID DALTON for MediaNews Group, file)

But not every position has an incumbent. In order to help reach their goals this season, they’ll need some players to move around and others to fill gaps that they weren’t asked to in the past.

It starts with Nathan Nazarko and Jack May. Both played primarily defense last season, but the Mustangs are going to need them to play both sides. Bryce Teodecki, who was an odd man out at both wide receiver and in the secondary last season, will move into critical roles on both ends this season.

Wenzelburger is confident in his players and their flexibility.

“I have no doubts that our guys – nothing’s promised – but our coaches, our players are going to give us an opportunity to replicate what we did last year and then some.”

Fast forward to November – what would a successful season look like for the Mustangs? What would it take for the Lutheran North faithful to christen a job well done?

It starts in league play.

“I think to even think about the playoffs and what you can do in the playoffs, you got to hang your hat on trying to win a conference championship,” Wenzelburger said. “Our first goal every year is a conference championship and a prep bowl.”

Both of those boxes were ticked last season, though the Mustangs lost their prep bowl appearance to Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 35-28 – this year, they want to “do what they couldn’t” and win one.

From there, of course, it’s about the postseason, in which they won two games in 2023 against Armada and Marine City before bowing out against Corunna.

The Mustangs’ 2024 season begins with a rare in-county matchup at L’Anse Creuse North on Thursday, Aug. 29.

“We don’t get to play a lot of Macomb County teams,” Wenzelburger said. “I’m excited for week one playing at L’Anse Creuse North. A school that’s right down the road, much bigger than us. I’m always excited when we can play somebody in our county – maybe not as long as a trip.”