Much-admired team manager could be star of ‘Rudy’-esque send-off

The MVP (Most Valuable Person) of Northville’s 2025 football season may never step on the field this season.

The operative word is may, which we’ll get to later.

How much has the Mustangs’ widely-respected third-year team manager Drew Bandilla meant to the program since Head Coach Brent Luplow took over prior to the 2023 season?

“Drew is probably the most valuable member of this team, bar none,” Luplow emphasized. “I will probably cry when he goes. He does everything we ask him to do — from charting plays, to hanging up jerseys, to filling in for assistant coaches when they are absent — and he does everything to the best of his ability.

“When I get to practice, I hand him my keys and everything is set up. I never have to worry. And our players have so much respect for him. They absolutely love Drew.”

Mutual respect

The feeling is mutual, Bandilla said more than once during an interview earlier this week prior to a Mustang practice.

“The best part of this is being around the guys,” said Bandilla, a senior who aspires to be a head football coach one day. “They show me so much respect; probably more than I deserve.”

The respect Bandilla receives from players and coaches has been earned.

When he’s throwing pre-game passes to the team’s receivers, he’ll make it a point to boost the spirits of a player who momentarily hangs his head after dropping a catchable pass.

“I helped coach the Northville Stallions youth team when I was younger,” Bandilla reflected. “I usually worked with the developmental players, the ones who weren’t quite good enough to start yet.

Uplifting presence

“Whenever I’d see a player get down on himself, I’d offer a few encouraging words and talk to him about the next-play mentality. I’d tell him not to dwell on the past.”

At least one developmental Stallion player Bandilla mentored was promoted to a starting position each year of his tenure with the team.

“That was always my goal, and it really felt good to see one of my players get moved to the starting line-up,” he added.

Once Luplow was hired as Northville’s head coach prior to the 2023 season, one of his top priorities was finding a dependable team manager.

“Northville is an extremely big high school, so there are a lot of students who want to be involved, but don’t necessarily want to play football,” Luplow said. “A friend of Drew’s mom told me he’d be great for this role. I reached out to him. We met. And the rest is history.

‘Coach Bandilla’

“He started as the varsity team manager his sophomore year. From Day 1, all of our players have called him Coach Bandilla.”

Bandilla’s college of choice is Michigan State University, where both of his parents earned degrees. Armed with a stellar grade-point average and outstanding extra-curricular resume, his future as a Spartan is nearly a certainty.

Not surprisingly, he yearns to become involved in MSU’s football program as quickly as possible.

“I’ve reached out to them already, but haven’t heard anything back yet,” he said. “From what I understand, though, that doesn’t usually happen until you’re officially accepted to the school.”

Amazing script in store

Bandilla has such a firm grasp of the Mustangs’ offense, Luplow has plans to let his team manager call a few plays later this season.

“That would be really cool,” Bandilla admitted.

Want to hear something even more cool?

“If Drew chooses to, we want him to dress for our Senior Night game this year,” Luplow said. “And we’re going to try to get him into the game for at least a play or two at quarterback. Not sure if we’ll have him throw it or hand it off. Either way, it will be special.”

Luplow wholeheartedly agreed that Bandilla is the Mustangs’ unsung hero.

When reminded that Drew is so highly thought of by everyone in the program, the head coach thought a second and delivered a classic response.

“You’re right, Drew’s not unsung,” Luplow said, smiling.

“He’s just a hero.”

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.