South Macomb County Football Preview

MACOMB COUNTY — As summer workouts come to a close, southern Macomb County readies for another exciting football season. Here are previews for all teams in the C & G Newspapers coverage area.

 

Center Line
Last season’s record: 6-3.
League: Macomb Area Conference Bronze Division.
First game: vs. Melvindale High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Taking a major step in the right direction, Center Line football is playing with confidence as it heads into the 2023 season.

The Panthers will hand the offensive keys to four-year varsity quarterback Ian Klekotka this season as the offensive unit looks to continue its success from last year.

Center Line coach Ajani Ali said Klekotka’s knowledge of the game has him poised for a successful season.

“He knows how to facilitate the offense — he knows where to put the ball at and just how to operate everything,” Ali said.

Junior wide receiver Elijah Williford will be Klekotka’s No. 1 target this season while sophomore linebacker Avery Taylor and junior defensive lineman David Smith will lead the defensive unit.

 

Eastpointe
Last season’s record: 0-9.
League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: at Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 7 p.m. Aug 25.

There’s only room for improvement for the Shamrocks, and they’re looking to show a lot of it this season behind an array of offensive weapons.

Senior quarterback Donavan Phillips will command the offense this season with an abundance of wide receiver help in senior Rickey Crudup, senior Tyler Wiley Jones, junior Jajuan Stewart and sophomore Terron Bush.

Only his first year on varsity, Eastpointe coach Donavon Hall said Phillips is poised for a breakout season under center.

“He’s got all the tools man,” Hall said. “He can make every throw and make every read. He’s just that kind of kid. I think he’s going to be awesome for us.”

Senior RB/MLB Jordan Brooks will be a key impact player this season while junior Dreshawn Morris is expected to anchor the defensive line.

 

Grosse Pointe North
Last season’s record: 8-2.
League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: at Clinton Township Clintondale High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Similar to the six-year stretch of winning seasons from 2012 to 2017, North appears to be building a foundation for sustainable success, but it’ll be up to the senior class to continue in that direction.

“They know that the bulk of the season rides on their back, and they know that they have to bring the younger guys up to speed,” North coach Joe Drouin said. “We got some really good seniors that are more nurturing with their leadership. They know that the younger guys are their legacy.”

Senior quarterback Ryan Henderson will command the offensive unit with an abundance of weapons in junior wide receivers Leo Perettie and Sebastian Rouse but will also see contributions from junior Daylon Doe (WR), senior Rocco Cardinale (WR) and senior Nick Saigh (WR).

Replacing Jaden Holyfield in the backfield is an impossible task, but junior Andrew MacGillis, junior Ethan Hamilton and sophomore King Jackson are all expected to get some touches behind an experienced offensive line.

Senior Jaylen Hardy (LB), senior Clintin Allen (LB), senior Ethan Bailey (LB) and senior Matthew McLeod (DB) are expected to lead the Norsemen defense.

 

Grosse Pointe South
Last season’s record: 6-4.
League: Macomb Area Conference White Division.
First game: vs. Port Huron Northern High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Extending its playoff streak to eight, Grosse Pointe South has built a foundation of success with 15 winning seasons since 2007.

Returning key players in junior Sam Craparotta (WR), junior Vincent Vachon (WR), senior Charles Schervish (OL/DL) and junior Noah Hart (DB), South is poised for another successful season.

South will have a tough three-game stretch to end the season with St. Clair Shores Lakeview, Romeo and neighborhood rival Grosse Pointe North.

 

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
Last season’s record: 7-3.
League: Catholic League Intersectional 2.
First game: vs. Fowler High, 4:30 p.m. Aug 24.

Tallying its highest win total since 2016, University Liggett is poised for another successful year behind its stout defensive unit.

The Knights allowed just under 15 points per game last season, earning two shutout wins.

If the team is able to repeat its success from last season, Liggett will look to win its first playoff game since 2016.

 

Harper Woods
Last season’s record: 3-6.
League: Oakland Activities Association White Division.
First game: at Stoney Creek High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Harper Woods has all the talent to be successful, but it was an adjustment last year playing an OAA-White schedule.

Heading into 2023, Harper Woods returns senior quarterback Stephone Buford Jr., senior wide receiver Keyontae Wilson, and all-region honorees and seniors Willie Powell (RB/LB) and Jessten Johnson (OL).

University of Michigan commit and senior Jacob Oden (DB), junior Bryant Weatherspoon (DE) and Powell will anchor the Pioneers defense.

Scoring 14 or fewer points in five games last season, the Harper Woods offense will look to get going early this season.

 

Roseville
Last season’s record: 8-3.
League: Macomb Area Conference White Division.
First game: at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice High (at Lawrence Technological University), 7 p.m. Aug 24.

Earning a third straight playoff appearance for the first time since 2011, coach Vernard Snowden has his guys playing inspired football.

Roseville will have a massive void to fill with the departure of WR/CB Amare Snowden to the University of Wisconsin, but there’s still a healthy amount of talent returning to make another run at the playoffs.

Senior running back BJ Weathersby and junior wide receiver Eric Slater will look to lead the offensive unit while seniors Huston Eubank (LB), Corey Cobb Jr. (LB), Anthony Scott (LB), and Elijah Parker (DB) and juniors Desmond Straughton (DB) and Mike Chude (DL) will anchor the defense.

Senior offensive lineman and all-region honoree William Woodard will lead the offensive line.

 

St. Clair Shores Lakeview
Last season’s record: 7-4.
League: Macomb Area Conference White Division.
First game: vs. Warren Woods Tower High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Lakeview’s five straight playoff appearances are already historic for the football program, but now Lakeview is looking to take the next step when they reach the playoffs.

It’ll be a difficult task this season after Lakeview graduated a large amount of its offense — 31 of the team’s 33 touchdowns last season to be exact — but coach Pat Threet said the team’s culture speaks for itself with the new players stepping up.

“We’ve got a recipe for success and it’s not about the offense or defense we run,” Threet said. “My belief is faith, family and football. We talk to our coaches about leading these guys the way you’d lead your own son. Make them accountable, be tough on them, but show them love. That’s really what we’re about, and I think that’s really helped us have a great culture.”

On the offensive end, junior Bobby Clark II (OL), senior Malik Mason (OL) and sophomore John Kline (OL) lead the offensive line while senior Gary Winston (RB/MLB), junior Aidan Daniels (RB/TE) and junior Eric Simmons lead the running back corps.

Defensively, Lakeview is expected to be strong once again after earning four shutout wins in 2022 and allowing just over 19 points per game.

Senior David Osagiede (DE), senior Tucker Weddle (LB), senior Keonte Woolf (DB), senior Corion Lattimore (DB) and junior Terrell McCurdy lead the Huskies’ defensive unit.

 

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
Last season’s record: 4-5.
League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: at Sault Ste. Marie, 7 p.m. Aug. 25.

Building off a near winning season in 2022, Lake Shore is looking to rely on its returning players to lead the way this season.

Junior quarterback Jordan Alston will command the huddle this season with junior Ja’Sean Dean (WR) and junior James Taylor Jr. (TE) leading the pass-catching group.

Alston, who started last year as a sophomore, is looking to progress after an efficient year last season.

“He’s a pure pocket passer,” Lake Shore coach Marcus Cribbs said. “Last year, he had some growing pains, but he’s been coming along really well.”

Returning all-region defensive lineman James Brown (Sr.) and senior defensive lineman Keith Reeves are expected to anchor the defense.

 

St. Clair Shores South Lake
Last season’s record: 6-4.
League: Macomb Area Conference Silver Division.
First game: vs. Macomb Lutheran North, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Having extended its playoff appearance streak to three, South Lake appears to be in a groove on the offensive side of the ball, and the team is hoping that the defense follows suit in 2023.

In 2022, South Lake averaged just over 30 points per game while allowing just under 25 points per game.

The Cavaliers will have an early test this season when they match up against Lutheran North in the opener. Lutheran North took South Lake to the wire last season in a 46-40 thriller that South Lake won.

 

Warren Cousino
Last season’s record: 6-4.
League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: at Auburn Hills Avondale High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Tallying its highest win total since 2016, Cousino was dominant in league play as the team averaged 27 points per game and allowed just over 15 points per game in MAC-Gold matchups.

Senior running back Dequawn Woodruff will look to lead the offense this season as Cousino attempts to make its first back-to-back playoff appearances since 2006-2007.

 

Warren De La Salle
Last season’s record: 13-1.
League: Catholic League Central Division.
First game: at Davison High (Flint Atwood Stadium), 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Winning is a tradition unlike any other at De La Salle, and the program has done a lot of it recently with five state championships since 2014, including back-to-back wins in 2017-2018 and now 2021-2022.

Looking to hoist a third straight title, the Pilots will be without an array of all-state talent from last season including University of Cincinnati quarterback Brady Drogosh.

But with the culture De La Salle has in place, coach Dan Rohn said his group is retooled and ready to make another run at it.

“It just has to do with our process,” Rohn said. “I had a high school basketball coach come to our practice the other day, and he’s had a lot of success himself, but he just wanted to see what we were doing. He watched us in the weight room and he said, ‘I’ve never seen a group of kids move around the weight room and do things so routinely, like it’s expected.’”

De La Salle’s offense will rely on senior running back Rhett Roeser to handle the bulk of the carries while junior running back Michael Lopez will also see some touches.

Sophomore wide receiver Damion King leads a highly touted wide receiving room alongside junior Phoenix Glassnor and Briheem Rahbi, while senior Caden Campbell returns at the tight end position.

Only a sophomore, King is a speedster who is poised to make a name for himself in 2023.

“There are kids that it just comes natural to and they can do things at a different level, and Damion King is one of those kids,” Rohn said. “You don’t get to coach very many of those kids often. We’ve had a lot of coaches on campus, and when we had our college day, and I think we had 70 coaches, Damion King striked the eye of all of them. He’s so fluid and so natural. Everything is effortless.”

 

Warren Fitzgerald
Last season’s record: 2-7.
League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: vs. Warren Mott, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Defense was a massive struggle for Fitzgerald in 2022, and it’ll be the primary focus as coach JuWan Shakespear and his squad enter the 2023 season.

Allowing just over 38 points per game last season, including three games of 50 points or more, Fitzgerald will look to senior linebacker J’len Anderson to anchor the defense this season.

 

Warren Lincoln
Last season’s record: 2-6.
League: Macomb Area Conference Bronze Division.
First game: vs. Mount Clemens High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Lincoln is a team to keep an eye on this season largely due to the fact that its offense and defense both showed flashes of efficiency last year.

Senior quarterback Terrance Lombard returns to lead the offensive unit, while junior wide receivers Jeremiah Hutson and Aaron Logan lead the receiving core. Senior running back Davis Rogers is expected to handle the bulk of the carries this season.

“You’ll see another level of efficiency on the offensive side of the ball,” Lincoln coach Darrius Alexander said. “You’re going to see a lot of consistency and a lot of guys making plays.”

 

Warren Mott
Last season’s record: 5-5.
League: Macomb Area Conference Blue Division.
First game: at Warren Fitzgerald High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Last season’s playoff appearance was a major step in the right direction for Mott after snapping its 10-year playoff streak in 2021.

While Mott saw a first-round exit, the team is looking to show that it is headed in the right direction this season behind senior WR/CB Sopuruchi Ojinnaka, junior WR/CB Wes Gilmore, senior RB/DE John Grant and senior RB/LB N’Marian Gilbert.

Mott coach Tom Milanov said he expects his team to benefit from multiple qualities this season.

“Team speed is definitely a benefit, and we definitely have good camaraderie and a team that likes each other,” Milanov said. “That can make a world of a difference.”

Mott hasn’t lost a season opener since the 2011-12 season.

 

Warren Woods Tower
Last season’s record: 2-7.
League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: at St. Clair Shores Lakeview High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

For Tower, it’s all about getting the offense and defense on the same page.

Both units showed flashes of efficiency in 2022, but neither seemed to click when Tower needed them most.

Tower will have an early test again as it opens up against St. Clair Shores Lakeview, who blanked Tower 35-0 last season.