High School

Bay City Central Brings in State Championship Winner as New Head Coach

Bay City Central hires Marc Jarstfer, former Gladwin High School coach, to lead the Wolves. Jarstfer brings a championship mindset, All-Star Game experience, and a proven track record of building winning programs.

Conner Linsner

Gladwin's Lincoln McKinnon hugs his coach after Gladwin's 10-7 win over Frankenmuth in the Division 5 football final at Ford Field on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
Gladwin's Lincoln McKinnon hugs his coach after Gladwin's 10-7 win over Frankenmuth in the Division 5 football final at Ford Field on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. / David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bay City Central has been looking for a new head coach, and they finally got their new head man.

Former Gladwin High School head coach Marc Jarstfer will take over as the new head coach of the program. The Wolves went 1-8 in 2025, with their only win coming over Carman-Ainsworth 41-16 in the first game of the year.

Bringing Success at Gladwin High School to Bay City Central

Gladwin High School has been one of the state's premier programs in Division 5 since Jarstfer took over. The Flying G’s etched their name in school history in 2022, defeating Frankenmuth 10-7 on a game-winning field goal. The kick delivered Gladwin its first-ever state championship and completed an unforgettable 14-0 season.

Jarstfer arrives at Bay City Central with a championship mindset, fully aware that the Wolves face a steep challenge in a highly competitive league. Bay City Central hasn't had a winning season since 2016, when they went 6-4 and ultimately lost to Midland Dow 55-14 in the first round of the Division 2 State Playoffs.

Gladwin, however, was never a powerhouse before Jarstfer took over, so he's proven he can build up a program into a championship-level team. Jarstfer’s track record suggests he’s no stranger to building trust quickly. For Bay City Central, the hire represents an opportunity to establish a new identity under experienced leadership.

Jarstfer Brings All-Star Game Success, too

Last year, Jarstfer was the head coach of the West All-Star team in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association All-Star Game. The West defeated the East 35-13, marking the third year in a row the West has won.

Jarstfer said, "It was unbelievable, I mean, the whole experience was awesome. The Michigan High School Football Coaches Association does such a good job putting on this event and providing a great experience for coaches and the players."

Jarstfer also talked about his adjustments in the game, saying, "Yeah, I mean, we were just looking for certain things within their offensive and defensive schemes that we could key in on and make those adjustments. And once we saw what we wanted to see, it was kind of off to the races and quick scoring."

Bay City Central MHSAA Records


Bay City Central's Ed Rybak is tied for the MHSAA record for blocked punts in a game, with four, in a November 21, 1940, matchup versus Pontiac.

That record is shared by Flint Northern’s Glenn Stockowitz, who blocked four punts in a single game back in 1928 against Bay City Central.

Published
Conner Linsner
CONNER LINSNER

Conner has been covering high school football and basketball recruiting for over five years. In college, he started his own blog covering high school recruiting. Right now, Conner is the Site Expert at All for Tennessee, covering Tennessee Volunteers athletics. He has also been covering college and professional sports on various FanSided sites since 2020. After graduating from Wayne State University in 2024, he decided that his passion for collegiate and professional athletics had driven him to pursue a career in sports media. Conner has been to over half of the Major League Baseball stadiums with his father and plans to hit every single ballpark in the majors. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2026.

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