The Waverly Warriors finished 0-9 last fall. Now, heading into year two under head coach Korey Ringer, the program says it's ready to answer the skeptics.

Ringer and his players told WILX News 10 that the team took the winless 2025 campaign personally and put in offseason work aimed at proving doubters wrong when the season opens Thursday, Aug. 27, at Fowlerville.

Team captain Darren Pope offered a bolder take. In a 517 Prep season preview published Aug. 2, Pope called the 0-9 year "just a bump in the road" and predicted a 9-0 finish in 2026.

That confidence will be tested early. Waverly lost key players to transfer this offseason, according to the 517 Prep preview, and the CAAC Blue schedule features Marshall, Coldwater, DeWitt, Lansing Everett, Grand Ledge and Okemos before a season-ending trip to East Lansing.

Family ties to Spartan football

Ringer is the nephew of former Michigan State and NFL running back Javon Ringer. When Korey Ringer arrived at Waverly ahead of the 2025 season, he said his uncle's presence around the program had been a blessing for his players, according to WILX's 2025 preseason coverage. The Warriors went 2-7 the year before Ringer took over, meaning the program has won two games in two seasons.

Waverly's all-time record sits at 180-371-3, and the Warriors are 7-38 all-time in CAAC Blue play, according to Michigan high school football historical records. One bright spot in the opener matchup: Waverly is 5-1 all-time against Fowlerville.

What to watch Aug. 27

The season opener at Fowlerville on Thursday, Aug. 27, will be the first test of whether the offseason work translates. WILX published two video segments Tuesday, Aug. 11, as part of its "20 on 10" preview series, highlighting the Warriors' mindset heading into the year.

The CAAC Blue gauntlet begins after the Fowlerville opener, with Marshall, Coldwater and DeWitt among the early-season opponents before Waverly faces local rivals Lansing Everett, Grand Ledge, Okemos and East Lansing down the stretch.