1986

Team Picture:
Back Rows: Coach Marine, Rick McConnell, Tony Crawford, Tim Gogolwski, Rob Wing, Todd Dickenson, Eric Justin, Sean Taylor, Todd Hill, Mike McCarthy, Burt Howard, Coach Sandborn
Middle Row: Rusty Leutz, Clark Trowbridge, Bob Rose, Jeff Watson, Raph Hurley, Steve Dettloff, Matt LaGrow, Bob Stephenson, Randy Fewless, Scott McConnell, Dean Armstrong, Trainer Dee Lowell
Front Row: Manger Doug Jones, Larry Wilmot, Russ Baker, Bob Lockhart, Larry Campbell, Mark Peterson, Scott Loop, Jim Edwards, Dan Hammer, Rob Helsel, Bill Moore, Darrin Holmes, Spencer Akers, manager Dale Howard

The 1986 season would begin the first of two coaching stints for Jim Sanborn at Pine River. The ’86 season was a very successful one as the Buck went 7-2. The Bucks two losses came by a combined total of 8 points. The Bucks defense shutout 4 opponents and only gave up 87 points for the whole season. The season started out with three straight victories including shutouts of both Reed City and Evart. The Bucks then lost a one point game to Marion but followed that up with a shutout of McBain. The Bucks last loss would come the next week as they dropped a game to Lake City by 7 points. The Bucks would finish the season with three straight victories and post the best record in school history to that point.

Note: Pine River Football Player Spencer Akers gave his life fighting in Iraq in 2005. His sacrifice will always be remembered by his Pine River Football family.