The Michigan girls high school league is poised to kick off this weekend, and the big question will be: Can Grandville repeat its first-ever state championship, or will traditional power Traverse City reclaim the top spot? Grandville finds itself in a similar state as last year in terms of depth and experience, but the young program has proven that the rebuilding process doesn’t have to get in the way of winning.

The majority of players joined the team within the last year, but there are seven returning veterans who comprise the core: seniors Alex Atkins and Kendra Marckini; juniors Emily Bickel, Bethany Gable, Erin Fitzpatrick, and Lizzy DeYoung; and fifth-season sophomore Matja Saarenheimo-Vanderhorst. The aforementioned were integral to Grandville’s success last year and return a little smarter, a little harder.

But no one has banked as much high-level experience as senior Bayleigh Gable. The 17-year-old blends all of the best attributes of a basketball and track athlete, and during her first season with Grandville last fall, served as flyhalf. She jumped onto the national radar pretty quickly and by June of this year, the now-senior was training at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. She spent a week with fellow high school standouts while helping the USA Women’s 7s team prepare for the NACRA Olympic 7s qualifier.

“In just a week at the OTC, I grew so much as a player,” Gable reflected. “The senior team is super supportive and willing to help you with anything and everything.”

In July, Gable traveled to Colorado for her first Stars & Stripes assembly, where she joined 49 other top high school athletes. She impressed the Girls High School All American staff and was chosen to the program’s first-ever 15s tour, a two-game series against the British Columbia U18s last month. Gable subbed on at flyhalf while the Americans ran away with two big wins.

“Playing with the USA Girls High School All Americans was by far one of the best rugby experiences I've ever had,” Gable said. “The level of play is so high, and you change every aspect of your life to fit the needs of being a high-performance athlete, from constant recovery, to a whole new nutritional plan. But the best part is definitely the unbreakable bonds you make with the other girls. I went there with just a vague idea of who each of the girls were and left with a new family of sisters.”

Gable brings her diverse experience back to Grandville, where she will be a source of direction and inspiration.

“We are mostly rebuilding this season,” Gable indicated. “Many may see this as a setback, but I think it is just the opposite. We have just as much potential, if not more, this coming season.

“Our team has a lot of new players this year, three of which are freshmen, and they all are going to benefit the team immensely,” Gable added. “These girls are hard-working, eager to learn, and just excited to play rugby. All of the newbies show promising talent in at least one aspect that will help us in the season.”

The big difference this year is that Grandville now has a target on its back. After last year’s undefeated season, which included single-digit playoff wins against Sparta and Traverse City (state champion from 2010-13), the competition is well aware of the Bulldogs as a threat. Gable’s hoping that the positive, relentless attitude that saw the team through those close games will keep Grandville on a successful path. And of course, Gable credits the coaches for leading that charge.

“Our coaches really believed that we had the potential to win it all,” Gable said of coaches Terra Gunther and Magdalene Law. “Although they were hard on us, they did it so that when the state championship game arrived, we were well prepared, and it showed the moment the whistle blew.”

Grandville opens its season on Sept. 19 against Traverse City in a rematch of the 2014 state final.

“They are a very aggressive and competitive team, and they never fail to make it one of the most challenging games of the season,” Gable said. “Last year was when we really came together as a team and were able to show our team chemistry on the field in every game. This year will be a good test to see if we can make ourselves the traditional leaders of this league.”