Troy

Troy Times: A look at local prep teams as gridiron season nears

» click to enlarge « Photo by Deb Jacques The Troy Athens defense causes a fumble in its scrimmage earlier this season. The Red Hawks lack depth, but the players they do have are “working their tails off,” according to coach Josh Heppner. Photo by Deb Jacques The Troy Athens defense causes a fumble in its scrimmage earlier this season. The Red Hawks lack depth, but the players they do have are “working their tails off,” according to coach Josh Heppner. Photo by Deb Jacques The Troy High offensive line has size and is hoping to push opponents around this season. 0 Photo by Deb Jacques The Troy High offensive line has size and is hoping to push opponents around this season.

It’s finally here.

High school football season has arrived. And to help you get familiar with all the local teams, we present our annual football preview, chock full of information to review right up until the first kickoff.

Check back in the paper and online throughout the season for more football coverage, including photos, game previews and recaps, team and player features, rankings and picks.

And don’t forget to follow along with us on Twitter and Facebook for live updates from select games.

Troy Athens Red Hawks

Last season’s record: 7-3

League: Oakland Activities Association Red Division

Returning starters: 11

Offensive keys:

Athens coach Josh Heppner admits he doesn’t have the biggest team in numbers or physical size, but there is plenty of speed to go around.

Jalen Thom anchors the offensive line at right tackle and is being counted on to open up some holes for running backs Lonnie Jaynes, Sam Haskell and Joe Shields.

“We’ve looked pretty good in our scrimmages. I think we’re coming together and doing what we need to do,” Heppner said.

Defensive keys:

Jaynes and Shields are pulling double duty at linebacker along with Ivan Kharcenko.

“Linebacker has been a bit of a question mark for us in the past, but the guys are making the right reads, getting into the right spots, and now they need to finish,” Heppner said. “For the most part, we’re doing OK.”

Coach’s outlook:

The Red Hawks made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2004. In order for this group to accomplish that feat, Heppner said it can’t afford any injuries.

“Our numbers are low, but at the same time, the guys that are here are the same guys that have been working their tails off for this season,” he said.

Troy High Colts

Last season’s record: 3-6

League: Oakland Activities Association Red Division

Returning starters: Seven

Offensive keys:

The Colts are big up front with Greg Webber, a four-year starter, and Tommy Richardson, a three-year starter, leading the way.

With those bruisers, coach Gary Griffith said he’ll emphasize the run, but won’t be afraid to pass with new quarterback Jay Darish.

“He’s a good athlete, but his strongest asset is that he’s a great passer,” Griffith said.

Justin Losey started at quarterback last season, but has moved to receiver so that Griffith can utilize him on defense and in the return game.

Defensive keys:

The defense returns just one starter in linebacker Davis Strobridge, leaving a lot of untested players on the field.

“We have potential, but potential means you haven’t done it yet,” Griffith said. “At this point in time, I’d say our offense is stronger than our defense, and you can attribute that to experience.”

Coach’s outlook:

Griffith said he won’t know what kind of team he has until the season gets into full swing, and he can see how is players react in game situations.

“In our division, realistically, Lake Orion and Clarkston have more coming back that we do,” he said. “I like to think that maybe we can beat the next best teams in the division.”

Auburn Hills Avondale Yellow Jackets

Last season’s record: 5-5

League: Oakland Activities Association Blue Division

Returning starters: 11

Offensive keys:

The Yellow Jackets’ offense has had little problem putting up points in recent seasons, averaging 26.4 points per game last year.

This year, it’s up to receivers Eric Stubbs and Treyvon Munson, along with running back Michael Johnson, to keep up the pace. Clark Clancy leads the offensive line at tackle.

Defensive keys:

Conversely, with its high-octane offense, Avondale has also struggled at times to keep opposing offenses off the field. Last season, it let up nearly 30 points a game,

Defensive tackles Mitch Williams and Paul Czartorski, along with linebacker Chris Bracewell, and defensive backs Dillon Brancheau and Jabbar Mims, hope to put an end to that trend.

Coach’s outlook:

Coach Steve Deutsch said the squad has great camaraderie, and the offensive and defensive lines are key to success.

Avondale is looking to make its fourth trip to the playoffs in five years.

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Fighting Irish

Last season’s record: 10-1

League: Catholic League, AA Division

Returning starters: Seven

Offensive keys:

Offensive depth was one of the Irish’s biggest strengths in 2011, and it more than paid off.

En route to winning 10 games, Prep poured in 409 total points, including 31 in a playoff loss to Marine City.

As 2012 gets under way, the offense may be the biggest question mark this fall.

“We’re going to be very young,” coach Kyle Zimmerman said. “We have to develop and learn a lot.”

One player back in the mix that should speed up that learning process is running back Jeremiah Johnson, who rushed for more than 400 yards last year despite not getting the ball all that often. Zimmerman, however, was quick top point out his nearly 8 yards-per-carry average.

“He’s going to have to carry us for a while,” Zimmerman said, adding that a decision on a starting quarterback had yet to be made.

“Whoever it is, we’re still going to throw the ball,” he said.

Defensive keys:

While last year’s offense was piling up the points, the defense was busy holding opponents to roughly 11 per game.

Matching that output may be tough considering the exodus of players due to graduation.

“We lost our entire secondary,” Zimmerman said. “At the same time, we have some very talented kids, but very inexperienced.”

Veterans along the front of the defense include Connor Cervone, Andrew Wodrich, Vinny Famlaro and Aidan Cullen. Those four will be instrumental in keeping Prep’s defense as strong as it was last year.

Coach’s outlook:

Despite just having seven kids back from a team that won 10 straight last year, including the Catholic League Prep Bowl, Zimmerman isn’t looking to take any steps backward.

“Our plan is to build on what we did,” he said. “As a team, we have a lot to defend, some big goals we’ve set for ourselves. We want to do all that again, and hopefully, take things a step further.”

Bishop Foley Ventures

Last season’s record: 4-5

League: Catholic League Intersectional Division

Returning starters: Six

Offensive keys:

The Ventures are looking to three-year senior starters Gabe O’Neil and Dominic Henry-Davis to help their offense roll in 2012.

Foley coach Tim Sagert considers O’Neil to be one of the top wide receivers in the league, and his play could account for a lot of the points scored by the Ventures.

A good running game can serve as an excellent source for keeping defenses honest, and Sagert will be relying on Henry-Davis to fill that role as the team’s fullback.

Defensive keys:
Henry-Davis is a two-way player, and his role as one of the team’s linebackers means he will also be asked to help shut down the running game of opponents.

Safety Nick Gwisdalla and cornerback Brendan McMahon are also expected to play a big role on defense.

Coach’s outlook:

Change is the order of the day for the Ventures. Along with a host of new players, Sagert has overhauled his coaching staff, bringing in five former players — Ryan Coughlin, Ian Coughlin, Chris Synagoga, Nick Harris and Juwan Shakespear — to help guide his team.

Sagert said he has been pleased with the atmosphere that has been created during practice sessions, in part as a result of the enthusiasm his coaching staff has brought to the practice field.

“I think I needed to put a little jolt in my program, so I brought back some kids that can bring me a little bit of excitement,” Sagert said of his assistant coaches. “The tempo of my practices and the workouts has been night and day from the last couple seasons. “Our weakness and our strengths are about the same. My weakness is I have a very young team — our numbers are a little down. But the strength would be that we’re a very enthusiastic young team.”