Top 10 teams entering the season

Mick McCabe
| Special to the Detroit Free Press

These are the Free Press’ preseason top 10 Michigan high school football teams for the 2024 MHSAA season. We previously revealed the teams ranked 11-25.

All players are seniors unless otherwise noted; 2023 records are in parentheses.

Top 10 Michigan High School Football Teams in 2024

10. Lake Orion (10-1)

Key players: K/P Will Hoffman; QB TR Hill; Slot Jackie Vasquez; OT Brennan Ellison; OG Landon Morris; DL Jacob Escobido; LB Payton McIntyre; DBs Trey Pochmara, Austin Cahn and AJ Leitz.

State Playoff Record: 26-23.

Coach: Chris Bell, 22^{North Dakota} season as head coach at Lake Orion (163-66).

The rumor: The Dragons will have a good balance on both sides of the line. The defense returns all of the players from the secondary who were standouts last season. On offense, Hill is a difference-maker, as he can throw for 1,000 yards and rush for 1,000. Vasquez will be used to catch the ball as well as run, and Eliason and Morris will create holes for him and Hill.

9. Byron Center (10-2)

Top Players: WR/DB Isaac Lee; QB Landon Tungate; CORDOR/LB Luke Laska; junior OT Jackson Bovia; DB Landon Conrad.

State Playoff Record: 14-20.

Coach: Marc Cisco, 16^He season as head coach at Bryon Center (103-49).

The rumor: There is a wealth of talent at the skill positions. Lee, also a standout basketball player, turned to football this summer and has been impressive. Tungate had passing performances of 387 yards against Caledonia and 330 yards against Forest Hills Central. Laska is a reliable running back who gains big yards in tough games. Conrad is gaining ground as the anchor of the secondary. Much will depend on the development of the lines, led by Bovia.

8. DeWitt (7-3)

Top Players: Slot/DB Abram Larner (Grand Valley); QB Elliott Larner (Michigan Tech); Junior RB Trav Moore; Junior DB/WR Jadon Bender (Central Michigan); TE/DE junior Jacob Schorfhaar; Junior manager Will Kawika Solomon; FB/DE Gavin Dusseau.

State Playoff Record: 67-29.

Coach: Rob Zimmerman, 26^He season as head coach at DeWitt (260-54).

The rumor: The Panthers are going to be young and start 16 or 17 freshmen, but seven of them started as sophomores. This team also has great athleticism. The Larner twins will be a nice passing combination. Moore scored 16 touchdowns in the final five games last year. Schorfhaar will be in his third season as a starter, Solomon (6-3, 315) is a first-class player. Dusseau plays fullback like a hammer.

7. Warren De La Salle (11-3)

Top Players: QB Sante Gasperoni; junior WR Damion King; OT Jacob Hoffman (Cornell); LB Dalton Drogosh; FROM Jacob Tur; DB Isaiah Jones; WR Phoenix Glassnor (Toledo basketball).

State Playoff Record: 53-15.

Coach: Dan Rohn, fifth season as head coach of De La Salle (44-9).

The rumor: The Pilots, who have played in six of the last seven Division 2 championship games, may have the toughest first five games in the state: Davison, King, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Toledo CC and Detroit CC. Gasperoni threw for more than 2,000 yards and ran for another 1,000. He has become a more efficient passer. King is a special receiver while Glassnor is a special athlete. Drogosh’s speed makes him a game-changer on defense. Tur and Jones are three-year defensive starters.

6. West Bloomfield (10-3)

Top Players: WR Elisha Durham; WR Kameren Flowers; LB/WR Jaiden Allos; Junior OG/DE Jeremiah Benson; junior OT/NG Travis Robertson; OT Jay Gardenhire.

State Playoff Record: 21-11.

Coach: Zach Hilbers, second season as head coach at West Bloomfield (10-3).

The rumor: The Lakers should be in the thick of the Division 1 state title race. The offense will revolve around two top receivers: Jurham, who caught 41 passes for 1,124 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Flowers, who had 1,066 yards and caught 14 touchdowns and rushed for more than 200 yards. There are some stout linemen in Benson (6-4, 270), Robertson (6-6, 280) and Gardenhire (6-8, 350), who should light up the running game.

5. Davison (12-1)

Top Players: TB AJ Hill Jr. (Ferris State); O.T. Ben Nichols; Junior QB Jaxson Dosh; WR/DB Wesley Hughes.

State Playoff Record: 31-20.

Coach: Jake Weingartz, seventh season as head coach at Davison (56-13).

The rumor: The Cardinals will have outstanding speed and plenty of strength to go with it. Hill is a four-year starter who will also play in the slot and on the outside in addition to his role as a ball carrier. Nichols (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) can dominate on both sides of the ball. Dosh was 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds last year and is now 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds; he is a threat running and passing. Hughes, who missed all but three games last season, is as solid a receiver as anyone.

4. Detroit Cass Tech (7-4)

Top Players: WR-QB-RB/junior DB Corey Sadler; Junior OT Khalief Canty; OF John Baker IV (Toledo); DB Derrick Jackson III (Kent State), K George Sanchez-Murillo; TE/DE junior Victor Polk; NT Logan Howell (Miami of Ohio), DB Cashus Shivers.

State Playoff Record: 47-22.

Coach: Marvin Rushing, fourth season as head coach of Cass (22-16).

The rumor: With nine defensive starters returning, scoring against the Technicians won’t be easy. Cass also has enough key players, like Sadler (the state’s top junior and a threat to score every time he touches the ball) to score a ton. There’s good size on the offensive line to protect whoever emerges at quarterback (Seth Sendry or freshman Donald Tabron II). Howell will help clog up the middle of the defense. The Technicians also have one of the state’s top kickers in Sanchez-Murillo.

3. Muskegon (12-2)

Top Players: OG N-Kye Wynn (Rutgers); OT Jim Harris (Virginia); OG Ernesto Botello; junior slot Marquise Hendricks; slot/DB Michael Piggee Jr.; QB James Young; QB/DB Lynn Wilson III; LBs Darekeo Speech; junior Adrian Ranken; DE Recarder Kitchen; DL Robert Mills; DB Mhakai Lenox-Brooks.

State Playoff Record: 77-25.

Coach: Shane Fairfield, 14^He season as head coach of Muskegon (145-25).

The rumor: The defending Division 2 state champions will attempt to accomplish something never before done in Muskegon: repeat as state champions. The Big Reds will be more than formidable up front. Wynn, Harris and Botello return as starters. Hendricks and Piggee are jets in the slot. Young has a big arm while Wilson is adept at running the option. Speech and Rankin will be three-year starters at LB and Kitchen and Mills return up front on defense. Lennox-Brooks will solidify the secondary.

2. Dakota of Macomb (8-3)

Top Players: LB/TE-RB-QB Brady Hamby (Ferris State); LB/TE Dimari Malone (Michigan State); OT Justin Bell (Michigan State); OF Tyler Torey; DB-LB Jacob Bajis; Dylan Beitelshees slot.

State Playoff Record: 43-22.

Coach: Greg Baur, ninth season as head coach of Dakota (61-26).

The rumor: Dakota returns eight starters on defense, including six of the seven up front. There are also three on the offensive line, led by Bell (6’8″, 305), who did an excellent job over the past year improving his strength. Hamby is a key to the defense and will line up everywhere offensively except on the interior line. Malone gives the Cougars another top-tier linebacker and Torey can also help at LB and in the secondary. Beitelshees will also play a variety of positions offensively.

1. Belleville (13-1)

Top Players: QB Bryce Underwood (LSU); WR/DB Antwon Thomas (Miami Ohio); RB/LB Malik Murrell; DB/WR Elijah Dotson (Pittsburgh); RB/LB Ray-Mond Smith Jr.; OG/DT Lamar Fairfax (Ohio); DB Marquis People Jr.; DBs/WRs Adrian Walker and Desmon Yharbrough (both from Miami of Ohio).

State Playoff Record: 27-16.

Coach: Calvin Norman, second season as head coach at Belleville (13-1).

The rumor: A 38-game winning streak, which included two Division 1 state championships, was snapped in last season’s Division 1 title game. The Tigers have Underwood, the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the country. They have a group of good receivers, including Walker, Yharbrough and Thomas. The X-factor for the Tigers could be the addition of Dotson, a transfer from UD Jesuit. Smith and Murrell will lead the running game, and Fairfax will be a stalwart on the line.

Mick McCabe is a former columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him @mickmccabe1Order his book, “Mick McCabe’s Golden Yearbook: 50 Great Years of Michigan’s Best High School Players, Teams & Memories,” now at McCabe.PictorialBook.com.

Breaking

ByS. Jacob

Top 10 Michigan High School Football Teams in 2024

10. Lake Orion (10-1)

9. Byron Center (10-2)

8. DeWitt (7-3)

7. Warren De La Salle (11-3)

6. West Bloomfield (10-3)

5. Davison (12-1)

4. Detroit Cass Tech (7-4)

3. Muskegon (12-2)

2. Dakota of Macomb (8-3)

1. Belleville (13-1)

By S. Jacob

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