August 27, 2008

Photo by Anthony Taylor Tower senior running back Jeff Weeks missed most of last season with an injury but is back to lead the rushing attack. Coach Dan Eberhardt called Weeks his key player on offensive. Rollover photo by Randy Wilcox Warren Cousino senior Ryan Plodzik will lead the Patriots’ defense from the linebacker position. Plodzik and the Patriots are vying for a third straight MAC White title in 2008.

Warren De La Salle

League:  CHSL Central Division

Last season: 6-4, lost in Division 2 pre-district

Offense

Key players: Senior running back Chet Privett and junior running back Tim Zabawa.

Privett, who was also named the team’s top linebacker for the 2007 season, and Zabawa, who averaged more than 11 yards per carry and garnered the award for the team’s most improved back, rushed for a combined 509 yards on 86 carries with three touchdowns last season.

“Chet played fullback last year, and Tim played more in the slot,” coach Paul Verska said. “We have four to five guys who can pick up the workload, but they’re the ones who are getting a lot of the carries.”

           
Defense

Key players: Senior defensive backs Jim and John Martinez.

The Martinez brothers earned league honors in 2007 — John was named All-Catholic and Jim was tabbed All-League — and now they are set to put the Pilots back atop their league.

“It’s their third year starting, and both are great defensive backs,” Verska said. “They have experience, and we have four guys back in the secondary who played last year.”

Special teams

Key players: Senior kickers Andrew Stebens and Steve O’Shell.

With Stebens handling the place kicking and O’Shell taking control of the kickoffs, the Pilots boast a powerful one-two combination.

“We’re pretty deep in the kicking department,” Verska said. “We’ve got two or three kids who can punt and another two or three who can kick. They’re guys who, when it’s their turn, will be ready to perform.”

Coach’s outlook

Playing in the Central Division, the Pilots are no strangers to competition or to the benefits and challenges that competition represents.

“We’re going to compete for the Central Division championship and see how far we can go,” Verska said. “Those are the goals we’ll try to achieve.”

Warren Lincoln

League: MAC Bronze

Last season: 5-4

Offense

Key player: Donovan Durham, senior, quarterback.

Lincoln coach John Moher spoke modestly about the offense he will lead in 2008.

“We should be pretty decent,” he said.

That may be an understatement considering the Abes return nine starters, including Durham, who enters his second season under center.

“It’s always good to bring back that many kids,” Moher said. “Not only is it a stronger and faster group than last year, they are also more experienced.”

Defense

Key player: Steve Convery, senior, linebacker.

Limiting mistakes, especially those of the mental variety, was the first thing Moher spoke of when asked about his defense.

“There were some little things that hurt us last year,” he added. “We want to eliminate those this time around.”

Convery, one of seven starters back on defense, leads the way.

“He’s going to have a great year for us,” Moher said.

Special teams

Key player: DeAndre Ducker, senior, return man.

Moher admitted his special teams have been on the back burner for much of training camp.

“I’m not exactly sure what we have there just yet. We’re going to find out soon, though. That’s a very important part of our team,” the coach said.

One guy he can count on is Ducker, a very fast, athletic return man.

“He’ll give us good field position,” Moher said.

Coach’s Outlook

When asked about his goals for the coming season, Moher gave a confident, quick answer.

“I think everyone in the Bronze, every team, believes they have a shot at winning the division title,” he said. “We have the same belief. Our goal is win the Bronze.”

Warren Cousino

League: MAC White

Last season: 11-1, lost in a Division 1 regional final

Offense

Key players: The offensive line.

Senior linemen Jakob Bobbitt, Kyle DeMaria, Ken Delargey, Nick Mighion and Matt Balkema, along with junior Jacob Page, will literally pave the way for the Patriots’ offense.

“How the offensive line goes is how well we’ll go offensively,” coach Mike Powell said. “They’re all leaders. It’s a pretty well-rounded group with all of them.”

           
Defense

Key player: Ryan Plodzik, senior, linebacker.

Plodzik takes over where Jarred Kwiatkowski left off after 2006 and Pat McDonald in 2007.

“He’s our quarterback on the defense,” Powell said of Plodzik. “He’s one of our captains. We’re doing things with him, so he knows he can be a leader out there.”

Special teams

Key player: Nico Sierra, junior, returner.

In his first full season with the varsity, Sierra looks to do his part to spur the Cousino offense by returning kicks and punts.

“He’s a very elusive runner with a lot of speed,” Powell said. “He’s very shifty back there.”

Coach’s outlook 

The Patriots have set a standard over the past four seasons that few teams in the state can match.

With four league titles, four playoff appearances, two district titles and one regional crown, it’s the goal of the 2008 squad to live up to that standard and further it.

“I’m very optimistic,” Powell said. “It’s a brand-new year, and we have kids that need to step up and fill some voids from last year.

“They learned from the kids that were with them last year, and they learned that every year there will be high expectations.”

Warren Fitzgerald

League: MAC Silver

Last season: 5-4

Offense

Key player: Larry Masters, junior, quarterback.

With only three returning starters on the offensive side of the ball, Fitzgerald coach Jason Byers knows there will be some growing pains, especially in the early part of the season.

With that said, Byers quickly named Masters, a first-year starter under center, as his key guy.

“He’s playing the most important position, so he has to be solid,” Byers said of Masters. “We are young, but we will have a lot of talent on that side of the ball.”

Defense

Key players: Senior linebackers Nick Ancona and C.J. Carrol, and junior linebacker Austin Gray.

While the Spartans will field an offense with a few returning starters, the defense is loaded with them. Nine starters in all return to the defensive unit, including the linebacking trio of Ancona, Carrol and Gray, a group that has started together for three years.

“It’s pretty simple,” Byers said. “While our offense learns the game and finds itself, the defense is going to have to keep us in some games. Led by those three guys, it’s something the group is capable of doing.”

Special teams

Key player: Jacob Young, senior, kicker.

In his first three years of high school, Young was a fixture on the soccer field. Now, however, he assumes the role of the Spartans’ kicker and creates a huge advantage.

“He could be the best kicker we’ve ever had here,” Byers said. “We’ve lost some tight games in the past, and that could change this year thanks to his leg.”

Coach’s outlook

A year ago, Fitzgerald wrapped up the season with a 5-4 record and barely missed out on the postseason.

“Last year, we were team 257,” Byers said of the playoffs, in which 256 teams qualify. “We have very high expectations this season. I expect to see us in the hunt for a league title and in the playoffs.”

Warren Woods Tower

League: MAC Gold

Last season: 7-3, lost in Division 3 pre-district

Offense

Key player: Jeff Weeks, senior, running back.

Tower coach Dan Eberhardt admitted to being slightly excited about the offense he will trot out onto the field this season. 

“We have the type of personnel that can really make some big plays,” Eberhardt said. “If we can protect the football and establish our running game, we’ll be tough to stop.”

Weeks, who missed most of last season with an injury, is back for his third year as a starter and will carry much of the load on offense.

“Jeff will be key for us,” Eberhardt said. “He’s going to see the ball a lot.”

Defense

Key player: Kyle Guzowski, senior, tackle.

While he called his offense “explosive,” Eberhardt referred to his defense as, “a young group without much experience.”

The defense begins the year with only two returning starters.

“We’re going to rely on Kyle a lot,” Eberhardt said of his senior lineman. “He’s started for three years, and that experience is something other guys look up to. … The defense has to improve every week. If that happens, we’ll be fine.”

Special teams

Key player:  Mike Upina, junior, return man.

Consistency is something Eberhardt said he has and will stress all season when it comes to special teams.

“Special teams was one of our strong points last year. It kept us in a lot of games,” he added. “We expect the same this year.”

Upina should help with that consistency. According to Eberhardt, he’s a great athlete with a ton of speed who can turn the field in Tower’s favor at any time.

Coach’s outlook

It may be cliché, but Eberhardt said the only focus for his team at this point is the first game on the schedule, a 7 p.m. tilt at Roseville High Aug. 28.

“Regardless of the year or the week, our focus is on the game that week,” Eberhardt said. “We take things one week at a time.”

Warren Mott

League: MAC White

Last season: 6-4, lost in Division 1 pre-district

Offense

Key player: Ben Filimon, junior, quarterback.

With Filimon making the change from running back — where he led Mott in rushing last year with 1,138 yards — to quarterback, at least he’ll have a strong supporting cast.

The Marauders sport one of the deepest receiving groups in the area, led by juniors C.J. Olaniyan, Martez Kelly and Torico Searcy.

“All those guys played varsity last year as sophomores,” coach Tom Milanov said. “Switching from running back to quarterback is big. He has to read coverages, run the offense and lead things, like calling blocking schemes.”

Defense

Key players: The defensive backfield.

With all that talent at receiver also playing defense, opposing quarterbacks could learn to fear the Marauders’ defensive backfield.

“They’re all pretty valuable,” Milanov said of a secondary led by Searcy and Kelly. “That core of guys is very valuable.”

Special teams

Key player: Stefan Terleckyj, junior, kicker.

Terleckyj, who is also a soccer captain at Mott and plays club soccer for Vardar, will be handling the kicking duties for the second straight year.

“He’s a good ballplayer,” Milanov said. “He’s got a great mindset and mentality about things and really works hard.”

Coach’s outlook

Moving from the MAC Blue, where Mott won a title in 2006, to the White represents a new host of challenges — namely unseating three-time defending champ and rival Warren Cousino.

“We’re going to be very competitive,” Milanov said. “Our guys are very excited about the White. It’s where we need to be to take that next step in the program.

“We need to have intense focus until the end of practice every day and play each play that same way. If we do that, in the end, things will sort themselves out.”

Center Line High

League: MAC Silver

Last season: 4-5

Offense

Key player: Kyle Thompson, senior, tackle.

When asked about his key player on offense, Center Line coach Brett Davis had his pick on the offensive line.

“We return six offensive linemen that have starting experience; we’re really going to rely on that,” Davis said. “Kyle is a very solid player for us. But all these guys will bring a lot to the table.”

Defense

Key player: Cullen Redmon, senior, linebacker.

Experience will highlight the offensive attack, and youth will do likewise on defense. Center Line returns just four starters to the defensive unit, led by Redmon, who moves from defensive end to linebacker.

“We’re going to need him to be a leader and play very well,” Davis said. “The key for the rest of the guys is to get the system as quickly as possible. We have athletes who will hit, they just need to learn what they’re  supposed to be doing.”

Special teams

Key player: Brett Ogden, junior, kicker.

Davis said special teams have been put on the back burner for the first part of camp.

“We’re still learning who is going to help us there,” he said. “Whoever is there, though, is going to have to know their responsibilities and understand how important that facet of the game really is. Without good special teams, you won’t win.”

Coach’s outlook

Making the playoffs was one of the first things Davis talked about when asked about the upcoming season.

“I really think we could be in the hunt for a playoff spot,” he added. “We’re going to need some things to go our way. We’re going to have to stay healthy. But if we do that, we’re going to have our chances.”

Warren Conner Creek West

League:  Independent

Last season: 1-8

Offense

Key player: Paris Parker, junior, right tackle.

With the Eagles running a wishbone offense, Parker’s 6-foot-2-inch, 280-pound frame and his toughness are some of coach Harold Penn’s top commodities.

           
Defense

Key player: Antonio Peace, senior, linebacker.

Peace combines with Parker, who also plays defensive tackle, to give the Eagles’ defense teeth and experience up the middle.

Special teams

Key player:  Shawn Davis, senior, utility.

Davis does whatever Penn asks him to, and that makes him one of the team’s most valuable players.

“He’s one of those guys who if I said I need linebacker, safety or running back, he’ll do it. If I needed someone to sell popcorn, he’ll do that, too.”

Coach’s outlook

With limited numbers on his roster in his first year with the Eagles, Penn hopes to instill a new level of pride within the program.

“We’re hoping to build some camaraderie,” Penn said. “I’m looking to make it mean something to these guys. We’re having a hard time getting guys out, so we’re looking to build some pride and spirit, and win a few games doing that.”