Support comes for Coach Eric Brege at board meeting
by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor
Sixty people from the community, including 10 Rogers City baseball players, filled the high school library Feb. 19 for a special meeting of the Rogers City Area Schools (RCAS) board of education, urging the reappointment of varsity baseball coach Eric Brege and his volunteer assistants.
Former and current ballplayers spoke during the public comment period before athletic director Karl Grambau again recommended Eric Brege’s hiring for another year. The board took it to a vote and approved the renewal on a unanimous vote, 7-0.
Feb. 10, the motion by board member Scott Orr died for a lack of support. This time, board member Tom Catalano made the motion and it was supported by Orr. With no discussion, board president Andy Grambau went right to a roll call.
Following the vote there was a resounding round of applause and relief from those in the audience that Eric Brege and assistants Chuck Krueger and Austin Brege would be back in 2025.
Eric Brege said he was emotional while his players were speaking, but even more so following the final vote of the board.
“I cried the whole time,” said Eric Brege. “When you hear somebody step to the plate for you and say the nice things that they said, the former players and the impact you had on them, you never hear it until you end up with a situation like this. I could not fight (the emotions) back.”
Former players speaking were Spencer Whitford and Jacob Bruski. Whitford was on speakerphone from Trine University in Indiana and Jacob Bruski, now a Michigan State Police trooper, spoke from the podium.
“Coach Brege created an environment where it was more about the team than yourself, it did not matter if you got to play, it was about the team,” said Bruski. “That is something that went far beyond baseball and it is still something I value very much in my life.”
“I can personally attest to the impact (the coaches) have had on our program and me,” said Whitford. “Coach Brege and coach Krueger have been more than just coaches, they have been mentors, role models and leaders on and off the field.”
One of the more emotional moments of the 25-minute meeting came when current junior athlete Justin Romel, the starting catcher on the team, returned the baseball most valuable player trophy (MVP) he had earned at the end of the 2024 season. He placed the trophy at the edge of the podium before he started speaking.
“While I am deeply honored for the recognition and support I have received, I also have to realize this trophy has inadvertently caused conflicts and division among my team and community,” said Romel. “The essence of sportsmanship lies in unity, teamwork and mutual respect. I believe that no individual award overshadows these core values. The success we have achieved was a collective effort and each member of our team played a crucial role in our achievements.
“It is not right for one person to be singled out in a way that creates discord, therefore I have decided to return the MVP trophy in hopes to remind everyone that our greatest victories are not won by a single person, but achieved together.”
Romel, who led the team with a .450 batting average with two home runs and team-high 47 RBI in 31 games, returned to take a seat in the front row with his teammates,
Eric Brege believes the baseball program will remain on a firm foundation and the success of the baseball program is why he was in attendance, Feb. 19.
“I’m only here because I care about the kids and the program, and strive to make it better,” said Eric Brege.
(An update to this story will appear in the Feb. 27 edition of the Advance)
