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Tuesday, October 4 , 2005
Tom Markowski's Top 5: Defensive teams
By Tom Markowski / The Detroit News
Top stoppers
Birmingham Brother Rice: Defense is the reason Brother Rice is ranked No. 1. Linebackers Matt Pickens and Chris Colasanti are two of the best. And Mike Radlick at strong safety often plays like a fourth linebacker, or what Michigan State coach John L. Smith would call a bandit.
Midland: Coach Terry Wilczek used to be the defensive coordinator, and the emphasis is always on defense at Midland. The secondary could be the state's best with George Prokop, Michael Goodwin and Jim Parsons -- all started last season. Midland held Saginaw Heritage and Bay City Central, two of the better teams in the Saginaw Valley, to a combined total of eight points.
Rockford: Who knows, maybe the Rams have the best defense. Coach Ralph Munger rarely uses a player both ways. This helps create more depth at each position and less fatigue late in the game. Munger's system works, and he is skilled at finding the right player for every position.
Orchard Lake St. Mary's: Frank Janosz is an underrated defensive coordinator. The running backs, receivers and quarterbacks often draw most of the attention at St. Mary's. and little is left for the defense, but year after year this unit is one of the best. It has given up 44 points this season.
Bay City Western: Coach Jim Eurick doesn't get enough credit for what he's done with this program, which at one time was at the bottom of the Saginaw Valley. Western's strength is its defense, and with seven starters back from last season, there is a wealth of experience.
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