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8/25/2008-Football
Catholic League Preview - Central Division
The Detroit Free-Press
Coaches Poll: 1. Warren De La Salle, 57; 2. Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 55; 3. Birmingham Brother Rice, 48; 4. Novi Detroit Catholic Central, 43. 5. Dearborn Divine Child, 34; 6. U-D Jesuit, 33.
Birmingham Brother Rice
2007 record: 4-1, 8-3.
Strength: Defense.
Top players: SS Shamari Benton; OT Zach Cherocci; OT Jareth Glanda; RB Dan Henneghan; LB Shaquilla Marshall; DE Pete Plaskey; sophomore S Jimmy Pickens; junior WR Kevonte Martin.
Outlook: Rice will play non-league opponents Oak Park, Muskegon and Penn High near South Bend, Ind. (3,000 students) before hitting the always tough Catholic League schedule. “Our defense will have to play their tails off,” said coach Al Fracassa.
Divine Child
2007 record: 1-4, 3-6.
Team strength: Depth.
Top players: Junior QB Marty Mitchell; OT Anthony Vella; DT Shea Marentette; DE Devin Kachinosky; C Sean Heiss; TE Sean Frank (6-4, 220); junior RB/LB Adam Forster, NG Rudy Fiscelli; LB Zack DeBiasi; RB Jason Popiel.
Outlook: Multiple two and three-year starters return to try lifting the program back up. “We've not had great success in the last few years, but these kids are looking forward to bringing back the great Divine Child tradition,” said coach Jack Masserang.
Novi Detroit Catholic Central
2007 record: 3-2, 10-3.
Team strength: Defense.
Top players: WR/DB Steve Harding; WR/DB Kam Leiter, OT/DT Nick Landry; OT/DT Khaled Mheisen; junior TB/DB Anthony Capatina; FB/DT Niko Palazetti.
Outlook: DCC reached the state semifinals last year before losing to Macomb Dakota, but only three return on offense; one on defense. “Championships are won with defense and that's what we're stressing number one,” said veteran coach Tom Mack. “We are relatively inexperienced compared to the past but we should have more overall speed this year to hopefully make us a better football team.
Orchard Lake St. Mary's
2007 record: 4-1, 11-2.
Team strength: Defense.
Top players: FB/LB Justin Semmes; WR/DE Dion Sims (6-6, 235); WR/CB Suave Lavallis; OT/DE Gabe Sharette (6-6, 230); FB/LB Pierce Niemic; WR Tayler Peruski; RB Sam Fioroni; junior QB Robert Bolden.
Outlook: St. Mary ended last season with a five-overtime loss in the state finals to East Grand Rapids. The Eaglets start this season at EGR's home field. “We need to play really good defense early this season to let the offensive line get their feet under them and grow up quick,” said coach George Porritt.
Detroit U-D Jesuit
2007 record: 0-5, 0-9
Team strength: Offensive speed.
Top players: OL/DL Justin Abney (6-4, 265); RB/DB Michael Joyner Hill; RB/LB Jamal Butler; OL/DL Jeff Baker; OL/DL William Lamping; WR/DB Mike Wenderski (6-5, 215); junior OL/LB Keith Jones.
Outlook: With low numbers of players in the program the team will have to play together as a unit. “We should be successful due to experience coming back,” said coach Paul Windham. “There's some speed on offense and some tough kids on defense. The defense will have to do well for us to win.”
Warren De La Salle
2007 record: 3-3, 6-4.
Team strength: Experienced defense.
Top players: DB Jim Martinez; DB John Martinez; FB/LB Chet Privett; OL/ Jordan King (6-3, 275); S/RB Alex Pierse; junior DL Steve O'Shell (6-1, 255) and junior DL Matt Privett (5-11, 265), OL Brad Neaton.
Outlook: More starters return on offense and defense (16 total) than ever in last seven years. Coach Paul Verska said: “We have to stay healthy, which everyone says, but if you look back at our state championship in 2006, we had the same core of guys playing at the end of the year that we started the season with.”
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