West Oakland County football preview

OAKLAND COUNTY — As summer workouts come to a close, the high schools in western Oakland County are ready for another exciting football season. Here are previews for all teams in the C & G Newspapers coverage area in western Oakland County.

 

Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice
Last season’s record: 5-6.
League: Catholic League Central Division.
First game: vs. Roseville High (at Lawrence Technological University), 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

While earning its seventh-straight playoff appearance, Brother Rice failed to tally a winning season for the first time since 2015.

Brother Rice caught fire when it mattered most, winning a district title before falling in regionals.

Looking to be more consistent on both sides of the ball, senior quarterback Blake Marrogy will lead the Warriors offensive unit alongside junior running back Vegas Seay, while senior linebacker Alex Birach will lead the defensive unit.

Brother Rice will have an early test against Roseville before opening up divisional play.

 

Birmingham Groves
Last season’s record: 9-4.
League: Oakland Activities Association White Division.
First game: at North Farmington High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Making a run all the way to the state semifinals, there’s plenty of eyes and expectations on Groves entering the 2023 season.

Junior quarterback Cayden Hardy will command an offensive unit that averaged just over 34 points per game in the playoffs alongside all-region offensive lineman Avery Gach, junior running back Mario Campoy-LoVasco and junior wide receiver Nick Hardy.

All-region honorees Chris Little (Jr./CB) and Braden Hall (Sr./DL) headline a stout defensive unit with senior cornerback Zach Rogers and senior linebacker Bryce Lattimore.

Groves will have early tests in West Bloomfield (week two) and Southfield A&T (week four).

 

Birmingham Seaholm
Last season’s record: 8-3.
League: Oakland Activities Association Blue Division.
First game: vs. Bloomfield Hills High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

It was an exhausting night for any team that had to play Seaholm in 2022 due to Seaholm’s imposing run game, and the team’s 8-3 record reflected that.

Returning the bulk of its starters, Seaholm is poised for another successful year behind three-year starter and senior quarterback Colton Kinnie.

Kinnie has primarily been more of a running quarterback due to Seaholm’s ground attack, but coach Jim DeWald said he expects the offense to have a little bit of a different look this year.

“He can throw the ball as good as anyone in our league,” DeWald said. “He’s a really, really good quarterback, and accurate. We need to throw the ball more and we have to be able to do it, and I think you’ll see that a little bit more this year. I say that and I want to commit to that because he is a weapon. You get teams that don’t even respect our receivers, so we need to throw that ball.”

Seniors Granden Kinnie and Sean Emerson will lead the running back room while senior Kyle Robbins and senior Jack Lewis headline the receiving core.

Kinnie and Emerson will be running behind an experienced offensive line with seniors Blake Baldner, Luke Johnson and Luke Thurswell anchoring the trenches.

Junior Penn Roberts will play a vital role at the linebacker position alongside senior Brock Hartwig.

Junior Wesley Billings returns to handle the kicking duties.

 

Bloomfield Hills
Last season’s record: 3-6.
League: Oakland Activities Association White Division.
First game: at Birmingham Seaholm High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

After dropping its first four games, Bloomfield Hills regrouped to finish 3-2 in its final five games. It didn’t propel the team to the playoffs, but Bloomfield Hills is feeling confident entering the 2023 season because of it.

“We were a young team last year … and we had a couple hiccups here and there, but they always played hard,” Bloomfield Hills coach Dan Loria said. “They kept getting better, and it couldn’t have ended any better winning the last two games.”

Senior running back Jace Reed will lead the offensive unit alongside senior wide receiver Gavin Cote, while senior Jonah Jacob, senior Brayden Brodsky and senior Jack Holton will anchor the offensive line.

Senior Nick Guettler (LB) and senior Christopher Edwards (DB) will lead the Black Hawks defensive unit.

 

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Last season’s record: 2-7.
League: Catholic League Intersectional 1.
First game: vs. Livonia Clarenceville High, 5 p.m. Aug. 24.

After making the playoffs from 2014 to 2020, Cranbrook Kingswood has struggled to find its footing throughout the past three seasons with only five wins.

Cranbrook Kingswood will look to see improvements on both sides of the ball after allowing 30 or more points in seven games and scoring 17 or more in only four games.

The team will have a tough opener against Livonia Clarenceville, who bested Cranbrook Kingswood 54-17 last year.

 

Detroit Catholic Central
Last season’s record: 8-3.
League: Catholic League Central Division.
First game: vs. Dearborn High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Earning two district titles in the last three seasons, Detroit Catholic Central has been playing impressive football en route to earning three straight seasons of eight or more wins.

Catholic Central survived an extraordinarily hard schedule in 2022, only losing to Clinton Township Chippewa Valley and Warren De La Salle.

The Catholic Central offense will look to continue its offensive success behind junior tight end Duane Johnson and junior running back Jaden Pydyn after averaging just over 26 points per game in 2022.

 

Detroit Country Day
Last season’s record: 8-4.
League: Independent.
First game: vs. Detroit Mumford High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Following a run all the way to the state semifinals, Country Day graduated a ton of talent that left voids all over, but it still has a strong core ready to make another run.

The offensive unit will be led by junior quarterback Chase Dawkins. Senior linebacker Aiden Bergin will anchor the Yellowjackets defensive unit.

Offensive and defensive continuity will be a key area of improvement for Country Day this season. Country Day was 8-0 when allowing 20 or fewer points while 1-4 when scoring 21 or fewer points.

 

Farmington
Last season’s record: 6-4.
League: Oakland Activities Association White Division.

First game: vs. Detroit Henry Ford High, 7 p.m. Aug. 25.
 

Back on the right track after back-to-back down years, Farmington returns a core of talent that should only improve this season.

Farmington is moving up to the OAA-White division, but it’s ready for the challenge behind senior corner Michael Woods Jr., senior defensive end Sammy Ramsey, senior defensive end Christian Jackson and senior defensive lineman Cooper Williams.

Offensively, senior running back Cameron Pettaway and senior wide receiver Owen Matteson will anchor the offensive production.

Farmington’s four losses in 2022 all came within 13 or fewer points, and coach Jason Albrecht said he expects his guys to finish those games off this year.

“With experience, I think they can make those checks and whatnot whether they’re in the huddle on offense or defense,” Albrecht said. “I think our kids have worked hard to the point where hopefully it’ll benefit us in the games this year.”

 

North Farmington
Last season’s record: 2-7.
League: Oakland Activities Association Blue Division.
First game: vs. Birmingham Groves High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Returning the majority of its starters on both sides of the ball from last year, North Farmington is hoping another year of experience translates to the field.

Senior quarterback Ryan Shelby will return to command the offense with senior Robert Bridges and junior Tranier Alexander at the wideout spots.

North Farmington coach Jonathan Herstein said Shelby has looked impressive this offseason.

“He’s got a really strong arm and he’s accurate,” Herstein said. “Those are two major things, and his knowledge of the game. He’s a very bright kid who has good knowledge of the game. He’s got his confidence back after coming off the injury from last year, and it seems like he’s confident in his abilities and what he’s supposed to do.”

Senior PJ Gardner will handle the bulk of the carries this season while junior Duke Blanch (RB/DB), junior Brendon Rice (DE) and junior Trey Thomas (DB) anchor a Raiders defensive unit that looks to improve on its 30 points per game allowed in 2022.

 

Novi
Last season’s record: 5-5.
League: Kensington Lakes Activities Association West Division.
First game: vs. Sterling Heights Stevenson High, Aug. 25.

Tallying back-to-back 5-5 seasons, Novi is looking to get over the hill and earn a winning record for the first time since 2016.

Last season showed a lot of promise, especially in division play where the Wildcats went 5-2, but the team’s expectations are much higher than that.

“We’re going to continue to set the bar high,” Novi coach Jim Sparks said. “When you set high expectations, you run the risk of disappointing each time you run onto the field. We refuse to lower the bar to protect ourselves from that. I know the kids are eager to get another shot.”

Senior quarterback Caleb Walker will command the offensive unit again alongside key skill guys in senior Lance Gailliard Jr. (RB), senior Andrew Kummer (WR) and senior Boden Fernsler (WR).

 

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Last season’s record: 5-6.
League: Catholic League Central Division.
First game: vs. Rochester Adams High, 7 p.m. Aug. 25.

A 1-4 start wasn’t part of St. Mary’s plan last season, but the team caught fire in order to win a district title.

St. Mary’s will have a tough season opener again against Rochester Adams before opening up divisional play and then ending the season against Macomb Dakota.

It’s a gauntlet of a schedule for St. Mary’s to earn its fifth straight playoff appearance, but the team has the returning talent to do so.

 

Walled Lake Central
Last season’s record: 3-6.
League: Lakes Valley.
First game: at Berkley High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

Not only did Central snap its three-year winless streak, but it even picked up a couple of extra wins for a respectable 3-6 record.

Central will attempt to build off that momentum as its offensive and defensive units look to improve in 2023.

 

Walled Lake Northern
Last season’s record: 0-9.
League: Lakes Valley.
First game: at South Lyon High, 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

After picking up four wins in 2021, Northern took a massive step backward as it went winless last season.

Offensive production will be a key area of improvement for Northern, which failed to score more than 21 points throughout the season.

 

Walled Lake Western
Last season’s record: 9-2.
League: Lakes Valley.
First game: vs. Waterford Mott (at Wayne State University), 4 p.m. Aug. 24.

Extending its playoff appearance streak to 13, Western was firing on all cylinders last season as it averaged 40 points per game offensively.

If the defense can play at a more consistent level this season, Western will be a threat entering the state playoffs.

 

West Bloomfield
Last season’s record: 8-2.
League: Oakland Activities Association Red.
First game: at Clinton Township Chippewa Valley High (at Wayne State University), 7 p.m. Aug. 24.

After a dominating season earned West Bloomfield its ninth straight playoff appearance, a loss to Cass Tech in pre-districts ended an incredible season — an incredible season that seemingly felt unacceptable, and it’s fueling West Bloomfield to rewrite the wrongs of last year in 2023.

“A lot of the seniors brought it up a lot,” coach Zach Hilbers said. “If you look back at the whole season, yeah, it’s a successful year. You lost two games to two really good teams, but when it ends that way where it’s tied at halftime and it spirals out of control, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. They’re really focused on not letting that happen again.”

Senior quarterback Reqez Nance leads the offensive group after tallying 3,088 total yards and 30 touchdowns last season.

Defensively, it’s a unit full of talent led by two all-state honorees in senior defensive end Brandon Davis-Swain, who tallied 18 sacks last year, and UCLA commit and senior corner Jamir Benjamin. The defensive unit is also anchored by Penn State commit and senior linebacker Kari Jackson, Rutgers commit and senior linebacker Montele Johnson, and Central Michigan commit and senior corner Bryce Rowe.

West Bloomfield will face a gauntlet of a schedule this year, but it has the talent to match up with any team in the state.