Center Line’s success based on ‘pride’ and ‘development’

CENTER LINE — Center Line High School football has longed for the days of its 2002 season when the school saw its team go 9-2 and earn the program’s last playoff win.

While Center Line (5-2) featured two winning seasons in 2017 and 2018, 2003 served as the last winning season before the 14-year drought began.

It’s been a long time coming for the Center Line community, but the 2022 season has set a new standard for expectations.

“There’s a lot of pride right now. The student body has taken a lot of pride in the football games,” Center Line coach Ajani Ali said. “It was a packed house against Lincoln. It was a different environment we hadn’t had before.”

Ali, in his first year as head coach, previously served as the team’s offensive coordinator since 2017. He has been a part of the Center Line winning culture, and he said there was one thing he wanted to focus on when he took over as head coach.

“The one thing we try to pride ourselves on is development,” Ali said. “We’re going to lose a lot, so guys are going to be put in important positions.”

Ali will have to focus on that next season with 18 seniors set to graduate, but the veteran leadership has set up Center Line football for success this season.

The school hasn’t had a junior varsity team for three seasons, so the freshman class in 2020 has finally come to fruition.

“We started out early going undefeated in eighth grade, and we knew from there we were going to be a strong team,” senior quarterback Fred Salem said.

Currently first in the Macomb Area Conference Bronze Division with a 5-0 conference record, Center Line is set to win its fourth division title since 1965.

Led by Salem, the Center Line offense has accounted for over 28 points per game with four games over 28 points.

“We went in there with a winning mindset,” Salem said. “It wasn’t so much about the win, but about handling business.”

Senior wide receiver Richard Kauffman, senior running back Antonio D’Agostino, senior running back Keaton Holliday, and senior offensive linemen and twin brothers Mason and Logan Mogg have made significant contributions offensively.

Salem has handled the bulk of the carries while D’Agostino and Holliday have added experience to the ground game.

“Our run game has always been strong,” Ali said. “The seniors know the system because they’ve been in it for years. We haven’t changed much up front.”

Center Line failed to handle business in its first two games, starting 0-2 on the year, but back-to-back wins put the team in a new mindset.

Center Line was tied with Detroit Voyaguer 20-20 with nine minutes left in the week one matchup before Voyaguer took home a two-touchdown win, and the 6-8 loss against Lamphere was not the Center Line team Ali recognized before.

“We just had to reiterate to the kids that we were a much better team than our record indicated,” Ali said. “Once we got into the win column, we had our focus on getting back to .500”

Senior defensive lineman Seth Fulton said the win over Hazel Park, which brought the team to that .500 mark, was a season-altering victory for the team.

“We definitely figured some things out in the second half of that game,” Fulton said. “Ever since then, our defense especially, we’ve been doing our job.”

Doing their job is an understatement, for the Center Line defense has held opponents to 15 points per game including three games with 8 or fewer points scored.

Senior defensive back Cody Boling, freshman outside linebacker Avery Taylor, and senior outside linebacker Amareyon Taylor have been stellar for the Center Line defense.

“Our defense has just been prepared,” Ali said. “They take pride in watching film and recognizing the play.”

With two games left on the season, Center Line will look to continue its success behind its senior-heavy class.

“Last year, we had a really small senior class and most of us were juniors, but this year we’re all seniors and we’re ready to get at it,” Fulton said.