By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Metro | Published August 9, 2024
METRO DETROIT — C&G Newspapers sports reporter Jonathan Szczepaniak looks at players to watch in the Catholic High School League.
Damion King IV, Warren De La Salle Collegiate
You have to keep your head on a swivel as a defensive back when King is lined up across from you.
With a play style that mirrors Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, King, who stands at 5-foot-8, is lethal as both a pass catcher and ball carrier.
His crisp route running and physical pass catching ability make him a threat on the outside and when he’s lined up in the slot, and he showed his breakaway speed in the 2023 Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state championship game when he took a 15-yard catch at the middle of the field and broke away for a 55-yard touchdown.
A state champion already in 2022 as a freshman, King led all De La Salle receivers in the 2022 state finals with seven receptions for 91 yards.
The spotlight doesn’t faze him nor does any number of defensive backs on the opposite side, because King will always find a way to get open.
Entering his junior season, King currently holds D1 college offers from the University of Illinois, Western Michigan University, and Kent State University and has his eyes on returning to Ford Field in search of another ring.
Jabin Gonzales, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
It was quite the freshman season for the 6-foot-2 quarterback, especially going against the heavy hitters the CHSL throws at you each week.
Showcasing his elite-level mobility and strong arm, it’s no secret as to why Gonzales has already garnered a ton of attraction from D1 colleges.
Entering his sophomore year, Gonzales currently has offers from Bowling Green State University, Marshall University, Central Michigan University, Kent State University, Miami (Ohio) University, and the University of Toledo.
Sure, you can make the case that what jumps out on his film is his ability to tuck the ball down and scramble for massive gains or extend plays in the pocket to find the open man, or maybe it’s the arm talent that showed precise accuracy for a freshman.
What really stands out is Gonzales’ poise in the pocket, knowing he’s going to take a hit and deliver a strike to his receiver.
As St. Mary’s looks ready to contend for the CHSL Central Division, Gonzales looks like the right man to lead the Eaglets.
Jaden Pydyn, Detroit Catholic Central
When you see the way Jaden Pydyn plays the game of football, it shouldn’t come as a surprise why he’ll be calling West Point home soon.
The three-star recruit (according to 247sports) and Army football/baseball commit plays an aggressive brand of football, which is a perfect fit for DCC’s run-heavy offense.
Whatever you need of Pydyn, he’ll execute it and do it with extreme efficiency. For DCC, it was all about lowering the shoulder and driving through the defense, and 161 carries for 1,091 yards and 16 TDs speaks for itself.
Just when the defense thinks they have him wrapped up, he’s making a house call down the field.
Pydyn also tallied three passing touchdowns and one receiving TD while also manning the safety position, playing just as aggressively on the defensive side as he does offensively.
Catholic Central has won eight games every year of Pydyn’s high school career, so maybe the Shamrocks will send him off with a nine-win season, or maybe even a CHSL Central Division title.
Brady Thomas, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice
There’s nothing like staring down an 0-9 season and facing a CHSL Central Division to have you battle-tested, and Brother Rice’s junior quarterback is just that.
Earning his stripes as the starter last year, Thomas displayed a strong, accurate arm that is well equipped to lead Brother Rice back to its winning ways.
Thomas has had an impressive camp so far this summer and will have an early test with Roseville as Brother Rice’s season opener. Roseville beat Brother Rice 41-0 to start the 2023 season.
Gary Stacy, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
The Knights’ senior running back better be prepared for another lion’s share of the carries as Liggett makes the jump to the CHSL Intersectional 1 division, but Stacy is the kind of guy they can always lean on.
Tallying 1,525 rushing yards and 25 TDs on the ground last year, Stacy was the ultimate workhorse for the Liggett offense, handling carries, catching out of the backfield, or laying a block on a rushing defender.
His physicality, breakaway speed, and ball-carrier vision make him one of the top running backs in the CHSL, but the recruiting trail doesn’t seem to give him the respect he deserves.
Stacy currently holds an offer from Lawrence Technological University, but another year with video game-like numbers in a stronger division could boost his recruiting stock.
Someone is going to get a diamond in the rough with him.
Hudson MacDonald, Macomb Lutheran North
Anyone outside of Macomb Township may have missed the stellar season Lutheran North football put together, tallying the most wins (nine) in school history and winning its first-ever district title.
When you have a playmaker like MacDonald on your team, it’s difficult not to be successful.
On each side of the ball, MacDonald is just an elite-level player who’s just who he is.
On offense, MacDonald rushed for 329 yards and 3 TDs while racking up 612 yards receiving and 8 TDs. When the Mustangs needed him on defense, he delivered with 36 tackles and 5 INTs at the safety position.
MacDonald received his first offer from Madonna University, but his senior year should see more recognition with what he can provide on the field.
Similar to Liggett’s Stacy, a college coach is going to find a diamond in the rough with MacDonald.
Other players to watch:
Sante Gasperoni (QB), Warren De La Salle
Jacob Tur (DL), Warren De La Salle
Dalton Drogosh (LB), Warren De La Salle
Charles White (LB), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Bryson Williams (ATH), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Jayden Savoury (TE), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Benjamin Eziuka (OL), Detroit Catholic Central
Lee Krueger (RB/LB), Detroit Catholic Central
Kadale Williams (RB), Jackson Lumen Christi
Dante Banks (ATH), University of Detroit Jesuit
Zachary Green (DL), University of Detroit Jesuit
Marcello Vitti (ATH), Dearborn Divine Child
Antonio Sobush (RB/SS), Riverview Gabriel Richard
Joseph Calhoun (RB/LB), Riverview Gabriel Richard
Bryson Franklin (OL), Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard
Raylon Murry (MLB/ATH), Detroit Loyola
Owen Steinke (WR/DB), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Mitchell Brewer (OL/DL), Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Lucas Roman (RB/LB), Allen Park Cabrini
Cam Spezia (WR/DB), Marine City Cardinal Mooney
James Nedwick (ATH), Clarkston Everest Collegiate
Alex Asai (RB/LB), Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
Josh Cairo (SB/LB), Royal Oak Shrine Catholic