Football - News Football - News
News | Roster | Schedules--Results | Archives
2/2/07-Football
Best of the Midwest
By Mark Snyder/ The Detroit Free Press
1. Martez Wilson
DE, 6-4, 230, Chicago Simeon
Led Simeon to a 7-5 record. U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Made 145 tackles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 11 sacks. Also had 10 touchdown receptions on offense. Coach Jesse Chick: "He is truly a team player. He is always helping others on the team. Despite all his success, he hasn't forgotten where he has come from." College choice: Illinois.
2. Ben Martin
LB, 6-5, 225, Cincinnati La Salle
Led Lancers to 5-5 record, making 110 tackles, 55 solo, 55 assists, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks. U.S. Army All-America. Gatorade Ohio player of the year. Coach Tom Grippa: "His athleticism, his speed and great effort are what makes him a highly sought after recruit. He's a real consistent, steady kid. When he was a defensive end, they ran away from him so we moved him around as an outside and inside linebacker." College choice: Tennessee.
3. Josh Brent
DT, 6-3, 310, Bloomington (Ill.) Central Catholic
Led Central Catholic to 9-2 record, with eight sacks and 90 tackles. Coach Bobby Moews: He moves so well for somebody that size. His overall quickness and speed at 310 pounds is amazing. The interesting thing is he's only played football for three years and he's still learning the game." College choice: Illinois.
4. Ronald Johnson
CB/WR, 6-0, 177, Muskegon
Led Big Reds to 14-0 record and Division 2 state championship. Finished with 347 yards rushing on 30 carries for four TDs, and 26 receptions for 663 yards and seven TDs. He also returned 11 punts for 218 yards and seven kickoffs for 180 yards. Coach Tony Annese: "He was a kind of kid that made a lot of big plays for us on both sides of the ball. He's the kind of kid who has a lot of talent, and his heart matches his talent. I think that's what sets him apart from a lot of other kids." College choice: USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, Michigan State.
5. Brandon Saine
RB, 6-1, 216, Piqua (Ohio)
Led Indians to 13-2 record and Division II state championship. Rushed for more than 1,900 yards and 28 touchdowns. Can clean lift 335 pounds and squat 465 pounds. Coach Bill Nees: "He's a carbon copy of Herschel Walker as a big, power runner. He was only 175 pounds when he came (here) but is a weight room fanatic and, in course of two years, benches well over 300 pounds. Occasionally, he'll run people over, and on occasions, he'll run past people." College choice: Ohio State.
6. Joseph Barksdale
DT, 6-6, 323, Detroit Cass Tech
Led Technicians to 7-4 record, making 59 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss, five sacks and an interception for a touchdown. He also bench-presses more than 400 pounds, squats 600 pounds and has a 3.5 grade-point average. Coach Thomas Wilcher: "He has a hard working, enthusiastic attitude in the weight room. He's a great motivator to the team. He had a lot of team spirit. He was our main anchor on the defensive line." College choice: Louisiana State.
7. Josh Oglesby
OT, 6-7, 315, Milwaukee St. Francis
Injured knee in fourth game and did not return. U.S. Army All-America. Coach Doug Sarver: "He has the prototype size, with long arms and quick feet. Right now, he's kind of young but has potential. He's moved on from the injury and realized he has to get ready for the next level. He lived off his strength and size in high school." College choice: Wisconsin.
8. Eugene Clifford
S, 6-4, 205, Cincinnati Colerain
Led Cardinals to 13-1 record and the second round of the playoffs. U.S. Army All-America. Gatorade defensive player of year in Ohio. Had four interceptions, returned one for a touchdown, rushed eight times for 31 yards and one touchdown, caught 11 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns, returned nine kickoffs for 165 yards and returned 25 punts for 327 yards. Football program director Dan Bolden: "He's got a good combination, good hands, good speed, not afraid to hit. He likes contract. He's got what coaches call good football sense. He's knows how to play the game and get to the ball. He was a star from the beginning. He was playing as a sophomore on our state championship team. He's got the package." College choice: Ohio State.
9. Dionte Allen
DB, 6-0, 175, Orchard Lake St. Mary's
Led Eaglets to 8-3 record and state playoffs, with 34 solo tackles and two interceptions. Made 24 catches for 344 yards and one TD on offense. Twelve career interceptions. Averaged 29.5 yards on kickoff returns. Four-year starter in football. Only junior captain in 20 years. 3.1 GPA. He had nine interceptions and more than 100 tackles over three seasons. Coach George Porritt: "He's got great speed. He's got a great hitch and makes a great corner. His closing speed makes him a great cover guy." College choice: Florida State.
10. Jerimy Finch
FS, 6-2, 212, Indianapolis Warren Central
Made 55 solo tackles, 22 assists, two interceptions and had eight pass breakups in 2006. Made 18 career interceptions, six punt returns for touchdowns, scored seven defensive touchdowns. Three-year starter, first player in Indiana history to win four consecutive state championships. Coach Steve Tutsie: "He's very physical, defends the run as well as the pass. We played a 4-2-5 defense like Virginia Tech and a free safety's got to do all that stuff. He was also the punter, punted 42 times in his career for a 40 yard average." College choice: Indiana, Michigan.
11. John Clay
RB, 6-2, 225, Racine (Wis.) Washington Park
Rushed 122 times for 1,488 yards and for an 8.2 yard average. Scored 14 rushing touchdowns. U.S. Army All-America. Coach Dennis Thompson: "He has great overall speed and size, great agility, good quickness, lateral movement and is strong hitting the holes. Some of the lateral movements for a guy his size were amazing. He was a more consistent player and as the game went on, he got better." College choice: Wisconsin.
12. Bryan Bulaga
OL, 6-6, 315, Woodstock (Ill.) Marian Central Catholic
Led team to Class 5A state championship game. Had 24 sacks as a defensive end. Coach Ed Brucker: "He's such a great athlete for his size and has great feet. Only one time did he get beat at left tackle and he protected our quarterback constantly. He also dominated as a defensive end. He would shut down the other team." College choice: Iowa.
13. Dale Martin
RB, 5-11, 195, Bolingbrook (Ill.)
Rushed for 1,570 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Coach John Ivlow: "He was a playmaker especially at the high school level, where he had a chance to score every time he touched the ball. He's very fast and very shifty but still had good enough size. What's going to make him special in college is his hands. He's the best receiver we've had here in the past five years and we probably didn't throw to him enough." College choice: Louisville.
14. Robert Hughes
RB, 5-11, 226, Chicago Hubbard
Led Hubbard to 11-4 record, rushing for 1,771 yards and 15 TDs. Also caught 19 passes for 303 yards and seven touchdowns. Four-year varsity starter. U.S. Army All-America. Coach Elton Harris: "He's a tough guy with inside running. We didn't get him the ball on outside pitches or sweeps. The best part of his game is his hands are amazing. We'd line him up and throw him the ball." College choice: Notre Dame.
15. Keith Nichol
QB, 6-2, 195, Lowell
Finished with 33-3 career record. In 2006, rushed 133 times for 1,055 yards and 19 touchdowns. Completed 117 of 195 passes for 2,233 yards and 32 touchdowns. State of Michigan Gatorade player of the year. Coach Noel Dean: "He's a special player. At Lowell, the QB position is very important. He's a great student, he's a great athlete and a kid of great character." College choice: Oklahoma.
16. Taurian Washington
WR, 6-2, 185, Orchard Lake St. Mary's
Made 24 catches for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Sporting News All-America. Transferred from Detroit DePorres after sophomore year. Basketball captain. Coach George Porritt: "He's the right size for a college receiver and has real good speed. As a blocker, he's very unselfish. He's got that explosiveness to him but is more of a consistent player. Going to Ohio State, he's more like the (Anthony) Gonzalez kid." College choice: Ohio State.
17. Artis Chambers
S/QB, 6-2, 195, Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Snider
Made 37 tackles. Eight career interceptions. Rushed 98 times for 735 yards, 11 TDs. Completed 62 of 128 passes for 705 yards and four TDs. Three-year starter at safety, also played quarterback. First time in school's recent history a player was at QB and defense in the same year. Bloomington Top 33. Coach Russ Isaacs: "He had wonderful athleticism even as a sophomore. It was a tough decision to give up basketball and track. He's a top-notch competitor. The play that made us realize how tough he is was when we were playing in a semifinal game his sophomore year and he goes on kickoff and makes classic tackle and lifts ballcarrier off the ground. He's the real deal." College choice: Michigan.
18. Nate Oliver
S, 6-0, 210, Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward
Made 64 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Coach John Gibbons: "He's a big strong guy. He plays very physical. We used him a lot as a run stopper and he was a great open-field tackler and a good running back, too. He played strong safety and was a strong side linebacker. He's a good athlete." College choice: Ohio State.
19. Jordan Bernstine
S/RB/P/PR/KR, 5-10, 200, Des Moines (Iowa) Lincoln
Made 91 tackles, 52 unassisted, six for loss with five INTs and two fumble recoveries. Returned 14 punts for a 39.3 average, had 81 carries for 807 yards and 10 TDs, one reception for 61 yards and one TD, threw one pass for 35 yards and a touchdown and returned 13 kickoffs for 575 yards (44.2 yd average, one TD). Three-year starter. Coach Tom Mihalovich: "He was the MVP of the Nike combine in June, has a 41-inch vertical, runs a 4.38 40-yard dash and is the strongest kid pound-for-pound on our team. You can't outwork him, and he was not satisfied what he was born with. You can see that difference." College choice: Iowa.
20. Martell Webb
WR, 6-5, 215, Pontiac Northern
Made 31 catches for 862 yards and 12 TDs. Had 11 punt returns for 301 yards and, on defense, made 24 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 11 assists. Coach Keith Stephens: "I don't know the receiver situation at Michigan. But you better believe they'll get him on the field somewhere. He's a quality kid. I was surprised at some of the things he did when I came in. He's kind of a big play type kid. We called his number a lot." College choice: Michigan.
21. Jermale Hines
LB/QB, 6-2, 195, Cleveland Glenville
Made 74 tackles, 47 solo, nine tackles for loss with seven sacks and one INT in only six games as a linebacker. On offense, he has 118 rushing attempts for 950 yards and 16 TDs. He completed 59 of 102 passes for 920 yards and 13 TDs. Coach Ted Ginn: "He's one of those same type of players we normally have that is going to have an impact on the next level. He's a big hitter. He came right in with that and I just think that he's going to be one of those big-time guys." College choice: Ohio State.
22. Ryan VanBergen
DE, 6-5, 260, Whitehall
Made 77 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss, and four sacks. As a tight end, he had 19 receptions for 258 yards and three TDs. Coach Andy Malbouef: "He was very dominant physically. He stepped up his play this year. Opponents had to account for him on both sides of the ball." College choice: Michigan.
23. David Gilreath
WR, 5-10, 170, Robbinsdale (Minn.) Armstrong
Made 48 catches for 585 yards and five TDs. Carried the ball 41 times for 357 yards and two TDs. Returned 13 punts for 185 yards and 16 kickoffs for 358 yards and one TD. Coach Derek Fisher: "He's very fast and definitely can run. He went to the Iowa combine camp and ran a 4.3 40-yard dash. He runs nice routes, has good hands and good quickness. You need to get him one-on-one because he's at his best in the open field." College choice: Wisconsin.
24. Broderick Binns
LB, 6-3, 240, St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham
Made 68 tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. Was basketball captain as a junior. Coach Mike Scanlan: "It's his quickness. He's got these long arms and gets his hands on you and you're helpless. He can also go by you with his speed and is quick off the edge." College choice: Iowa.
25. Darren Evans
RB, 6-1, 212, Indianapolis Warren Central
In 2006, had 299 carries for 2,800 yards and 62 TDs, fourth highest in national history. For his career he rushed for 7,144 yards, 118 TDs on 709 carries. Mr. Football in Indiana. Rushed for 2,000 yards three times. Coach Steve Tutsie: "He works exceptionally hard and will be a great running back at Virginia tech. He's physical and fast and he had 47 runs over 50 yards. Everybody lined up to stop him." College choice: Virginia Tech.
Copyright 2007, St. Mary's Preparatory, Orchard Lake, Michigan. All rights reserved.
No logos, photographs, or graphics on the site may be reproduced without written permission.