The first of the 2010 League Previews will cover the Detroit Catholic League Central Division, the league I follow most closely, and the league which many fans feel is the state’s strongest.  Last year, the Central Division produced the Division I State Champion, two of the four Division Two Semi-Finalists and the Division Three Finalist.  This year’s prospects look very promising for the league, which is now down to five teams with the departure of Dearborn Divine Child. 

2010 Detroit CHSL Central Division Preview:

Projected order of finish (predicted 2010 record and last year’s league record)

1.  Birmingham Brother Rice (4-0 in 2010, 3-2 last year)

2.  Warren DeLaSalle (3-1 in 2010, 1-3 last year)

3.   Detroit Catholic Central (2-2 in 2010, 5-0 last year)

4.  Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (1-3 in 2010, 3-1 last year)

5.  UD Jesuit (0-4 in 2010, 1-4 last year)

Birmingham Brother Rice:

The Warriors return one starter on offense and six on defense, but the newcomers to this year’s  starting lineup got considerable playing time last year–in some cases as much as last year’s starters.  Supplementing the returning players will be a host of talented players from last year’s Central Division JV Champion.  That group also won the league title as freshmen in 2008.

Rice will be led by six seniors who are getting Division One interest.  Tim Hamilton, Conor Hart and Jimmy Pickens hold multiple offers, while Loran Jaddou, Tyler Lendzion and Levi Richards are getting Div. One interest.    A number of underclassmen also are getting Division One looks.  The strength of the team will be its defense.  The front four are big, fast and experienced.  Senior co-captain Conor Hart and junior Dylan Anderson are the two ends.  Seniors Levi Richards and Dillon Ervin play inside.  The first three started last year, while Ervin played about half the time.  The linebackers are led by co-captain Tim “Jumbo” Hamilton (Central Michigan commit).  Hamilton broke Justin Cherocci’s  Brother Rice tackle record in the semi-final game vs. Lowell and will be a force for the Warriors at MLB and on offense at fullback.  Cherocci led the state in tackles the past two years and is now a preferred walk-on at Central Michigan.  While Rice will miss Cherocci, Hamilton is a great replacement at the Mike position.  The other two starters at linebacker likely will be from last year’s JV team.   The linebacker spots aren’t set yet, but it looks like junior Mark Doman and sophomore Jon Reschke have the inside track.  Juniors Austin Echols and Jordan Rabban and senior Jon Budiongan also will compete.  Doman got a lot of playing time in the playoffs after being brought up from the JV.  Reschke was a freshman on the JV last year and has tremendous potential.  Although returning only one starter, the linebackers should be one of the best positions on the team this year.  The DBs are led by three-year starter and co-captain Loran Jaddou, the strong safety.  Two newcomers, Eddie Kidd and James Hendrix (from the JV) are possible starters at cornerback.  Last year’s CB starter, Cody Ellwanger also is in the mix, although he will likely play some wide receiver on the offense.  Junior Travis Ferguson could start at free safety if Jimmy Pickens doesn’t play both ways.  Pickens, a co-captain is the top running back.  Junior Mike Bouchard will get significant playing time at safety.

With the departure of Frankie Popp, Kevonte Martin-Manley and Nate Saldivar-Garcia there will be a new look to the Rice offense.  Gone will be the heavy reliance on the pass.  Several school passing records were set by the departed trio.  Look for a more balanced attack this year, and a definite improvement in the running game.  If there was one big disappointment last season, it was the lack of a running game.  Granted, Rice faces some pretty strong defenses, but, in spite of having a solid breakaway threat in Pickens, the yardage was difficult to come by last year.  This year’s offensive line looks bigger and stronger and that should translate to more success running.  The quarterback position, now occupied by senior co-captain Tyler Lendzion, also will help the running game.  A dual-threat Division One prospect, Lendzion was responsible for the resurgence of the offense last year during the long playoff run.  Lendzion alternated with Popp for the last several games in 2009 and brought more of a running threat to the offense.  Any questions about his passing ability have been answered during the summer’s 7 on 7 contests.  He has shown the ability to move the ball through the air with pinpoint accuracy.  Lendzion is a gritty competitor with a lot of skill.  Look for him to become the team leader on the offensive side of the ball.  Pickens, a four-year starter,  got the bulk of the carries last year at running back.  He’ll get some much needed help as sophomore Deshun Brown joins the varsity full time.  Brown, a freshman last year on the JV team, was exciting to watch with his game-breaking combination of speed and power.  He’s not big physically, but very powerful.  Expect some growing pains as he faces the Central Division varsity defenses, but as he matures over the course of the year, he will become a dangerous weapon for the Warriors–for years to come.  The short yardage game will benefit from a Power I backfield that includes Pickens, Brown and Hamilton.

One of the pleasant surprises that emerged during the summer has been the quality of the new receiving corps.  With the departure of Martin-Manley and Saldivar-Garcia, it would be natural to worry about who would catch the ball this season.  Warriors fans need not worry.  The newcomers, including one who was hurt mid-season last year and didn’t return, will be formidable.  Look for at least four–maybe more–to be in the rotation at wide receiver.  Nick Dunn is emerging as the top receiver.  The senior had three receptions and a touchdown vs. Catholic Central last year, but didn’t play in the second half of the year because of an injury.  He’s back and better than ever.  Dunn was outstanding in the 7 on 7 championship game vs. Clarkston at Eastern Michigan.  He made several diving catches for touchdowns, including one on the final play of the game to send the game into overtime.  Right up there with Dunn is junior Devin Church, now bigger and stronger than last year when he mostly played defense and special teams.  Church, who can also play running back, will be one of the top Division One candidates at Rice next year.   Also in the mix at wide receiver are junior Cortez Hardrick, senior Matt Ogren, junior Brian Roney and senior Matt Currier.  Tight end also is loaded.  Joe Warner is the likely starter, but Conor Hart has the size and speed to be one of the best in the state if he played the position.  He may be needed more elsewhere.

The big question mark is the offensive line, which lost all five starters from last year to graduation.  It will be inexperienced, but there’s a lot of size and ability for the coaches to develop.  Tom Schneider, 6′4″ 285 lb. center is the anchor of the O-line.  Other linemen will be either be the result of position shifts, promotion from backup last year or newcomers from last year’s strong JV line.   Conor Hart and Clayton Weissenborn at tackle and Jon Kama and Alex Oles at guard  look to be at the top of the depth chart pre-camp.   Junior Pat Bua (5′9″, 265 lbs.) could end up starting at center, allowing Schneider to move to tackle (his other position).  That would free up Hart to play tight end or concentrate on defense.  It’s safe to say, the offensive line will not be set until camp.

Rice returns placekicker Adam Gorski for his senior year.  The All-State soccer player had an excellent season last year and the Warriors should be set at this position in 2010.  With non-league games against Detroit Martin Luther King, Highland Park, Toledo St. John’s and Indianapolis Cathedral, it will be a challenge and it may be easier to win the playoffs than to make the playoffs.  Last year, the Warriors were a wild card qualifier at 5-4, but they made a run to the semi-finals.  The league games will be critical.  With CC and OLSM down a bit this year, Rice should be able to improve on last year’s 3-2 league record.  That should help in the playoff race.  All four non-league games feature teams loaded with Division One talent.  Rice may not be favored in any of those games, but they will need to win at least two of them to have a good shot at the playoffs.

Most of the coaches return from last year, but there is a new face on defense.  Last year’s Defensive Coordinator, Larry Zimmerman, left to coach the linebackers at DeLaSalle.  The new Defensive Coordinator for the Warriors is Adam Korzeniewski, a former Rice Assistant Coach and former Coach and player at Western Michigan University.  Mark Goebel, Rice alumnus who played at Michigan State, is now on the staff as the running backs coach.

Fans of the Brother Rice and Catholic Central football teams will want to circle Sunday, October 10 on their calendar.  That’s the date of this year’s Rice–CC game–the 54th in the long series of classics.  The game will be played at Wayne State University at 2:00 pm.  It will be part of Rice’s 50th Anniversary Weekend and All-Class Reunion and will be the 500th game in the history of Brother Rice football.

Warren DeLaSalle:

I was initially thinking that DeLaSalle and Catholic Central would be a toss-up for the second place Central Div. team, but some new information is enough to give the Pilots a slight edge.  Three out-of-state transfers and a couple good quarterback prospects have tilted #2 pick toward DeLaSalle.  Two big linemen (brothers) from Kentucky or southern Indiana (I’ve heard both) have transferred to DLS and are eligible to play this season.  Word has it that they are huge and very talented.  How much of this is legend or hype and how much is reality will be apparent after the season starts.  There’s also a new linebacker who has transferred from parts unknown.  All three of these players are expected to start and fill positions that were previously questionable.  There have been rumors like this in previous off-seasons (it’s an annual occurrence at OLSM), and they usually end up being apocryphal.  This time, I have confirmation from several sources, including DLS parents and coaches.  I’m fairly certain these transfers exist; I just don’t know how much of an impact they will have.  For now, I’m assuming that it will be positive for the Pilots.  The other piece of news is the quarterback situation.  With Steve Laudicina graduated, it could have been a re-building year at QB for the Pilots.  But, the success of Shane Morris (a freshman) late last season has the Pilots faithful thinking they are set at that position for the next three years.  Personally, I’m expecting a battle for the position between Morris and a senior transfer from Grosse Pointe North.  I don’t have a name, but I’ve heard from a DLS coach and a BBR coach who saw him at the Fracassa QB Camp, that he has a strong arm and could end up being the starter this year.  He sat out last year after the transfer.  I think if it’s close, the edge goes to the senior over the soph., but Morris will be a factor at some point in the future.

In spite of some help coming in from the transfer route and a good situation at quarterback, DeLaSalle will be largely in a re-building mode.  The Pilots lost a lot more than they have coming back.  Top players who have departed include Steve O’Shell, Tim Zabawa, Matt Privett, Joe Bierrnat, Eric Smith, D’Angelo Parris and a few more who contributed the last two years.  On offense, the Pilots return only two starters–linemen Michael Keith and Cody Silk.  That’s a good start, and if the two big transfers can fill the void left by Biernat, Nick Shaum and Privett, the Pilots could end up with the best offensive line in the Central Division.  The skill positions have no returning starters, although the projected starters did get some significant playing time.  Look for Sterling Johnson and Lyle Vanfleteren to fill the void at receiver left by the departure of Pat Harris and Michael Oles.   Damorria Lilly saw a lot of action last year while Parris was hurt.  He will be the primary running back.  The big question mark will be the fullback position, where DLS has had a lot of strength over the past five years.   Maybe the linebacker transfer also is a running back.

On defense, the Pilots return three starters–cornerbacks Lucas Khalil and Lilly and strong safety (and placekicker) Dominic Brugnoni.   With all the returning starters playing in the secondary, the front seven positions have to be seen as an area of concern for the Pilots.  Other than the aforementioned linebacker transfer, there doesn’t appear to be much help.  Last year’s JV team was not particularly strong; the freshman team was very good, but those sophomores will likely not be impact players this year.  It’s possible that some of the OL will go two ways and help out on the DL.  That leaves the linebacker spot to solidify.  It looks like a lot of pressure will be placed on the un-named transfer.  New linebacker coach, Larry Zimmerman (from Rice) will have a challenge at LB.  Ironically, the strength of Brother Rice is defense (particularly with the front seven) and you know what they say about defense winning championships.

The playoffs are far from a certainty for the Pilots in spite of a fairly weak early season schedule.  While I’m picking DLS for #2 in the league, there’s not a big difference between DLS and the 3 and 4 teams–CC and OLSM.  If my assumptions on the three transfers and the strong quarterback position fail to materialize, DLS could drop all the way to #4.  Last year, with arguably a much stronger team, DLS lost to all three main competitiors in the Central Division.  DLS had to get a gift crossover game (vs. Detroit Western) to finish 5-4 and squeak into the playoffs.  At that point, it was off to the races.  As I’ve mentioned before, it is easier to win the state championship than the CHSL Central Division title.  Last year, DLS (along with Brother Rice) made it to the Division 2 Semi-Final after qualifying on points at 5-4.

DeLaSalle starts off once again with three sure wins:  Detroit Henry Ford, Flint Carman-Ainsworth and London (Ont.) Clarke Road.  It’s time for DLS to strengthen its non-conference schedule like the other top teams in the Central.  Yes, it gives them a 3-0 record every year before league play starts, but it is not in keeping with the philosophy of the league’s top teams–to be the best you have to play the best.  The first to go should be the Canadian team.  This is a sure blowout win for DLS every year and the Canadians go home and win the rest of their games (they play only five games).  The extra playoff points earned by beating an undefeated Class A team which plays only five games, helped DLS make the playoffs last year.  You might think they are smart for doing this, but I feel it’s time to dump the Canadian opponents.  After the first three games, it gets very interesting for the Pilots.  Weeks four through seven have Brother Rice, CC, Inkster and OLSM.  That stretch will determine DeLaSalle’s season.  If DLS loses all four, they would have to receive another crossover gift in Week 9 in order to have a shot at the playoffs at 5-4.  Look for DLS to win two of the four mid-season games.  They will use the “pre-season” to get some experience for the newcomers and be ready for Central Div. play come week four.

Detroit Catholic Central:

The Shamrocks are coming off a dream season in which they were undefeated (14-0) and won the Catholic League A-B and the Division One State Championships.  That’s the good news for the CC faithful.  The bad news is that they lost all the top players from last year’s team.  The worst news is that there was very little substitution last season.  Those departed seniors played most of every game and some arguably good juniors didn’t get the playing time that can be so valuable in a re-loading year.  I guess it’s possible that this year’s starters got enough experience playing every day in practice against the state’s best team.  It’s also possible that they didn’t see the field because they were not as strong as the backups were in the past, when the Shamrocks successfully reloaded after losing most of its players.  My initial review of the few returning players and the projected newcomers shows that there will be some successes, particularly on defense, but that the Shamrocks will likely not win the Central Division again this year, and will probably battle OLSM for third place.

Last year’s senior class was one of the best at CC in a long time.  Not only did they win the football championship, but they also won several other state championships.  In football, they will be tough to replace.  The entire backfield and offensive line have departed.  For a ball control, running team this has to be a concern.  The only starter on offense that returns is TE, George Darany.  He’s a good receiver, and he also plays defense, but CC is not a passing team and you don’t build an offense at CC around a receiver.  Even if the Shamrocks had backups just as good as the graduating seniors, the fact that they did not play much has to be worrisome for the Shamrocks fans.  When you think about who’s gone:  Palazeti, Herzog, Landry Savakus, Jakubik, Sherman, Snyder, Still, Bolig, Stante–well, you might wonder why I have the Shamrocks as high as #3 in the Central.  I think there will be some success at re-loading, but it’s going to take some talent emerging from all three areas:  last year’s backups, the JV and the Freshman teams.

Even though CC is not a passing team, quarterback is a key position.  With two-year starter, Sam Landry, gone, the heir apparent appears to be Mike Birney.  His main attribute apparently is  speed.  It’s certainly not experience.  He did not play quarterback as a freshman.  He did play some as a sophomore on JV.  Last year, he may have gotten some mop-up duty in a couple games.  His experience is minimal, at best.  Whether speed can overcome lack of experience remains to be seen.  One thing I do know is that if Birney starts, he must have something going for him.  There are too many good athletes at CC.   Of course, he may not be the guy.  We’ll have to wait for the first game, or some inside information from CC bloggers.  Assuming that the QB spot is set, there will definitely be a fall-off at running back.  Niko Palazeti will not be replaced.  In fact, it doesn’t appear that there is a big, bruising fullback in the Niko mold, ready to step in.  Look for more speed and some power with Justin D’Agostino playing both ways (he is CC’s best defensive player) and Andrew Erickson are two probable running backs.  Neither is a power runner and neither got many carries last year.  It’s possible that CC will find a power runner at the linebacker spot, something that they’ve done a lot in the past.  Some names to consider are:  Louis DiPonio,  Justin Messner, Stone Monarch and sophomore Wyatt Shaliman.  The soph. was outstanding on both sides of the ball on last year’s freshman team and he could be the next power runner for the Shamrocks.  Another possibility is Matt Godin, a junior.  Godin was one of the few sophomores on the team last year and he got some playing time, but as a lineman.  He was a good running back in his freshman year.  He may be too big now and too valuable on the line to be used at fullback, but if needed, he might be the guy.  For now, I’m thinking that the position is wide open heading into camp.

The receiver positions are pretty much set, although they don’t play a huge role in the CC offense.  There are two tight ends–Darany and junior Matt Doneth.  They could alternate and give each other a breather since they both will be playing defense.  It’s also possible one of tight ends will move inside to play tackle.   At wide receiver, there’s no experience there, but some good athletes could step up to fill the largely ceremonial position.  Andrew Nelson is a possibility if he’s capable of going two ways.  Nick Ebrat and Greg Voutsos are two other contenders for WR.

The offensive line is a big question mark–even more so than the backfield.  All five starters from last season have departed and the backups did not get much experience last year.  This is a critical position for CC and somebody needs to step up and fill five interior lineman spots.  Godin looks to be the anchor of the OL line in 2010.  He has been touted as a legitimate Division One prospect and he has two years left at CC.  Look for him to blossom this year.  Apart from Godin, the OL spots should be up for grabs.  Right now, I’m thinking that Brandon Tammaro will go both ways and play on the OL this year and that the bigger of the tight ends (Darany/Doneth) will also play inside.  That leaves two spots.  They will likely go to last year’s JV linemen.  Starting on the OL for last year’s JV were:  Jake Widmer, Sam Vaitkevicius, Mark Becker, Dan Mixer and Marshall Hart.  Garrett Wiska also got some playing time.  Look for those to battle for the final OL spots.

The situation in Novi looks a lot rosier for the defense, although there will be a lot of new faces there as well.    There are only three starters returning on defense, although Darany started about half the games in place of Tammaro.   They will both play this year, so let’s assume the Shamrocks have four returning on D.  The other returning starters are Nelson and D’Agostino.  That still leaves seven spots to fill–mostly with last year’s backups.  The D-Line will likely consist of Darany and Donneth at the ends and Tammaro and Godin inside.  That’s a pretty strong line.  The linebacker spot is built around three-year starter D’Agostino.  Supporting him will be two players from this group:  Erickson, DiPonnio, Messner, Monarch and Shaliman.  A longshot will be Clay Behrman, one of the better players on the JV last year.   If that sounds similar to the group competing for the fullback spot, it is identical.  That’s the CC system.  Look for everyone in this group to get a lot of reps in support of D’Agostino.  The big question mark is will these new linebackers be up to the level of Michael Kinville and Butch Herzog.  I’m thinking no to Kinville, yes to Herzog.  The secondary starts with a solid Nelson.  The three newcomers will come from the wide receiver group:  Voutsos/Ebrat or last year’s JV:  Aaron Hess, Michael Kovanda and David Racey.   I’m betting that CC’s DBs this year will have two juniors starting.

CC will have to replace one of its kickers this year–punter Corey Smith.  They are set at placekicker, with the return of D’Agostino.  Since defense has always been critical to the success of CC teams of the past, the Shamrocks should be encouraged by the fact that the defense appears to be stronger than its offense.  But, some of the players I’m assuming will start on D still need to prove themselves at the Varsity level.  That may take a few games.  CC has a tougher early season schedule this year.  They open with Fordson at home, then travel to Hudsonville and return home to play Inkster in Week Three.  With a re-built squad, all three non-conference games will present a challenge.  I think Hudsonville will be CC’s toughest early season opponent, while Fordson and Inkster will be toss-ups.  It would not surprise me to see CC at 0-3 after the first three weeks.  If that happens, the Shamrocks likely won’t make the playoffs, although they will be better late in the season.  Even if CC wins two of its first three games, they will have to beat at least one of the Central Division majors to have a good shot at the playoffs.  I think OLSM is the best chance for a CC victory, although they get DeLaSalle at home in the Boys Bowl.  I’m assuming wins over Divine Child and UD Jesuit.  The other showcase game comes later this year than the usual Week Four matchup.  That’s the battle with Brother Rice.  This year’s game is on October 10, a Sunday afternoon, at Wayne State University.  This promises to be a classic battle–the 54th in the CC-Rice series.  It will be played as part of Rice’s 50th Anniversary Weekend and will be the 500th game in Rice history.  CC should be at full potential by that point in the season, and given the fact that records get thrown out and no team is favored, this game should be an instant classic.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s:

The Eaglets were 4-4 in the regular season last year and qualified for the Division III playoffs as an at-large team, the third CHSL Central team to do so.   Like both Brother Rice and DeLaSalle, OLSM had a long playoff run.  The Eaglets  made it to the  State Championship Game before losing to East Grand Rapids 24-21.   It should be another challenge to make the playoffs in 2010.  It will likely come down to how St. Mary’s does in the tough Central Division games.  If their games against Rice, CC and DeLaSalle go as expected, I don’t think St. Mary’s has enough sure wins in the non-conference season to make the playoffs.  If they do, it would probably be as an at-large qualifier.  Given the success of the CHSL teams in the playoffs, and given the fact that OLSM will be Division III, the ultimate goal of a state title is within reach.

OLSM lost a lot from last year’s team, and the 4-4 JV team (losses to CC, Rice and DLS), likely won’t help that much this year.  While they have some great athletes returning, the lack of depth, particularly on the offensive line, could be an issue.  The most significant loss will be three-year starter at quarterback, Robert Bolden (Penn State).  While Bolden’s performance in the last two years was spotty, he still was  a huge presence in the Eaglets lineup and a big-time player.  Replacing Bolden will be senior, Mike Koenigsknecht.  He’s a gritty competitor (he also plays safety) and is capable of getting the ball to the excellent receiving corps, but he’s no Bolden.  If he can show the consistency that Bolden lacked, he might just pull it off.  His performance at the Michigan State 7 on 7 was fairly average.  If Koenigsknecht is used primarily to direct a running offense by handing off the ball and occasionally passing, he’ll be OK.  If he needs to direct come-from-behind drives with his passing, St. Mary’s could be in trouble.  The supporting cast on offense could end up being as good or better than last year, except for the line.   Although the Eaglets lost its best running back (Enrique Pardo), they have a lot of experience coming back in junior Spencer MacInnis and senior Corey Lucas. I think we’ll see those two in the backfield most of the time.  If there’s a problem, it’s that neither is the big power runner that St. Mary’s likes to rely on.  In goal line situations, Cortez Riley, the big defensive lineman, again will be available.  At receiver, Nick Larson and Gary Hunter have departed, but the Eaglets return their top guys–Allen Robinson and Keith Stonestreet.  A junior up from the JV, Austin Crutchfield, looked good at the Michigan State 7 on 7 and could be a strong #3.  At tight end, Blaise Salter, should get the start this year.   Salter (Bill Freehan’s grandson) is a Division One baseball catcher, but has the size and athleticism to be a good tight end.

The offensive line will be critical to St. Mary’s success, both in rushing and protecting the new quarterback in the passing game.  The line will be all-new and without a lot of experience.  I don’t know enough about the backups or JV linemen and you can’t just assume the big guys are the best guys.  But, here’s a starter list of possible OLSM linemen for 2010:  senior, Darrell Freeman (6′6, 225 lbs.);  junior, Jesston Vanderhoff (6′1″ 270 lbs.);  senior, Justin Hairston (6′)” 225 lbs.);  senior, Alex McNair (6′4″ 250 lbs.);  senior, Andrew Sandiha (6′2″ 275 lbs.)   Some other possible linemen may move over from the defense.  Both of these players got playing time last year, and one actually started a few games.  Junior, Joe Eroyan (6′3″ 210 lbs.) and senior, Marcus Gleaves (6′0″ 240 lbs.) could help out on offense.  Then, there’s Cortez Riley, the big DL/FB.  He’s the most experienced of the bunch and could be called on to play OL.

The defense appears to be stronger, at least with experienced and talented players.  The best of the bunch is junior linebacker, James Ross.  He is already being recruited by some big-time college programs.  Although Ross is an excellent linebacker, I’m not sure he is strong enough to carry the team.  He had two strong partners at linebacker last year (Michael Padula and Earnest Thomas) and that took a lot of pressure off the young sophomore.  This year, Ross will be the leader, without a lot of support.  I thought Padula actually played better than Ross in most games–at least statistically.  Interestingly enough, there’s another Padula on the roster.  I don’t know if Nick, a senior, will play at the level of his older brother, but on name alone, I’m slotting him into one of the linebacker spots.  Senior, David Anderson could be the other linebacker.  The defensive backfield could be very good.  Koenigsknecht will likely go both ways and play free safety again.  Allen Robinson might be the other safety.  The corners are both stong and experienced–Lucas and Stonestreet.  The defensive line is in better shape than the offensive line.  Three experienced players return:  Riley, Gleaves and Eroyan.  Darrell Freeman could be the newcomer.  While it appears that the defense has the edge over the offense, that wasn’t the case at the Michigan State 7 0n 7 competition.  OLSM lost to Brother Rice 20-10.  Three of the OLSM points were scored on the last play against the Rice backups.  Also, the OLSM defense didn’t score any points (3rd down stops, interceptions).  That’s somewhat unusual.  The offense did look better than I expected, particularly with the new quarterback, but most passes were of the short variety.

One of the biggest concerns of the Eaglets has to be depth.  Most of the better players play both ways and that can be a problem in competitive games against teams with better depth.  If some new players step up and allow more platooning,  OLSM could end up being a surprise contender for the league title, or even a state title.  The schedule is a little easier for the Eaglets in 2010.  They open at Grand Rapids West Catholic instead of East Grand Rapids (losses the last two seasons).  West Catholic is not the powerhouse that East has been, but they are a good program and OLSM can’t overlook them.  Even though the game is in Grand Rapids, I think the Eaglets can come home with a victory, but it’s no sure thing.  Game number two is a tough one.  Highland Park will visit Orchard Lake for the first game under the new lights.  The Polar Bears beat OLSM last year at Orchard Lake–a place where it’s not easy for visitors to win.  HP will be better this year.  I think a St. Mary’s win here has to be considered an upset.  Game two will say a lot about St. Mary’s prospects this season.  Week three is a breather–a game against London (Ontario) St. Thomas Moore.  I don’t like the trend that has developed with CHSL teams playing sure win games against Canadian teams.  I guess it’s better than not playing a game, but if  St. Mary’s, DeLaSalle, CC and Divine Child are playing these teams just to get a win, I have a problem with it.  Week  Four kicks off the Central Division schedule, which is interrupted for a non-conference game against Columbis (OH) DeSales.  I do give credit to St. Mary’s for scheduling a tough Ohio team.  This could be a difficult game  for the Eaglets.  DeSales is generally a better program than Bishop Waterson, a Columbus team that beat DeLaSalle last year.  At least, the Eaglets get DeSales at home.

University of Detroit Jesuit:

With Dearborn Divine Child moving out of the Central Division, it’s now the Big 4 and Little 1.  UD Jesuit has the daunting task of playing Brother Rice, CC, DeLaSalle and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s every year.  In the past, they could count on one or even two of those teams having down years.  But, in recent years, there’s been a lot of parity among the Big 4, and there have been no weak links.  On the other hand, the Cubs have faced some adversity and have not been competitive since Scott Merchant left as head coach several years ago.  Jeff Putnam moved over to UDJ from Davison last year and didn’t have a lot of success on the scoreboard, although there have been signs that the program is on the upswing.  Their non-conference schedule, against teams the Cubs have a chance against, should give them a shot at a 4-5 record, but it’s the league games that remain very difficult , if not impossible to win.  One of these years, Putnam and his Cubs will pull off a huge upset, and that will be pointed to as the beginning of the Cubs resurgence.  I don’t think it will happen in 2010.

One of the problems is that UDJ will not relax its stringent academic standards to accommodate the elite athletes.  Even when a high profile athlete enrolls at UDJ as a freshman, he often ends up transferring.  Three  examples in recent years:  Dion Sims and Earnest Thomas (to OLSM) and Devin Gardner (to Inkster).  I applaud UDJ for not caving on academics and looking the other way when an athlete can’t cut it in the classroom.  The problem is that as athletes get word of this, they continue to leave the neighborhood around UDJ and drive all the way to Orchard Lake to attend school.   UDJ does a good job of recruiting student/athletes from the northern suburbs and Grosse Pointe.  But, it appears that Brother Rice and DeLaSalle have picked off the better football players in recent years.  UDJ has had some success in other sports, but with the numbers required for football, they fall short.  A lot of the UDJ students who come in from the suburbs are legacies and the Cubs alumni who send their boys to Jesuit are very passionate about the school.   But, that doesn’t necessarily help the football program since UD’s football history has not had the kind of success that its Central Division rivals have had.   Trying to break through the legacy enrollments at Rice, DeLaSalle and CC, which include top-level football players, have proven to be very difficult for UDJ.

With that negative backdrop, there are some signs of better things to come for Cubs fans this season.  The Cubs were very young last year and will return 9 starters on offense and 5 starters on defense.  There will also be several returning non-starters who got significant playing time.  If any other team in the Central Division had that number of returning starters, they would probably be ranked #1 in the state.  For, UDJ, it’s a sign of hope that they can be competitive in the non-conference games.  Basically, it comes down to the quality of the players.  The fact that they started last year doesn’t necessarily translate into success on the field.  If these young players can develop, UDJ can continue to improve its program.  One problem UDJ has is that there’s not much help on the way from the JV/Frosh teams from last year.  Both teams were win less.  It appears that Putnam moved every good athlete up to the Varsity to start getting experience at that level.  It’s possible that there will be good freshmen enrolling this year, but even if they are superstars, they can’t be expected to help much this year.

While experience may be the good news, the bad news is the schedule.  With four games against the Big 4 of the Central, the Cubs start the season in the hole.  Last year, UDJ lost all four games to the Big 4 and the combined score was UDJ 6  OPP 180.  I wouldn’t expect a different outcome this year.  UDJ finished 4-5 last year, with wins over Hazel Park, Avondale, Redford Union and Divine Child.  The Cubs don’t play any of those teams this year.  The first two games are against Grosse Pointe South and Country Day, both playoff teams from last year.  Those will be tough games for UDJ to win.  Ferndale is coming off a 2-7 season and Evansville (IN) North was 3-7 last year and will have to travel to Michigan to play the Cubs at Ferndale.  With a winnable crossover game in Week 9, it looks like a 3-6 record in 2010.

The best player on the team is junior quarterback Brian Cleary.  A three-year starter, Cleary has gotten better as he has gotten bigger and more experienced.  Cleary will have all his receivers back:  senior Tor Vinson and sophomore Harrison Wenson.  Tight end Vaughan Jenerette also returns.  Junior running back, David Hughes returns, but spunky Stephen Degenhardt has graduated.  Look for sophomore Curtis Smith to get a shot at replacing Degenhardt.  The best lineman, Jordan Dean, has departed, but four starters return:  David Jordan, Xavier Stallworth, Alex Ziedas and Joe Koch.

The defense will have to replace a very good linebacker in Paul Napolitano and defensive lineman, Luke Hurches.  Both were All-League last year.  Tim Iaquinta is back at linebacker and Stefan Sims will anchor the defensive line.  The secondary is the strength of the defense with three starters back:  Vinson, Duane McKissic and Adam Nelson.

I don’t envy Coach Putnam and the difficult job he has at UD Jesuit.  I wish him well.  I think a strong UDJ would be a plus for the Central Division.  For the immediate future, it looks like UDJ will be one of those games where everyone plays and you just try to hold the score down.  I don’t think anyone likes those games.  Putnam is a quality coach and if anyone can turn this program around, he can do it.  I’m sure it will be tempting for him to leave if an opportunity presents itself.  Let’s hope he sticks around long enough to enjoy some success.