Southfield-Lathrup head football coach Stephon Thompson believes his Chargers squad will wind up surprising people this season.

"We're going to jump up and bite some teams this year that aren't expecting it, I'll tell you that right now," he remarked after a recent practice. "I think we're ready to make some noise."

Thompson, kicking off his twelfth year on the sidelines leading the Chargers, is looking to take Southfield-Lathrup into the postseason for the first time since 2007. Lathrup fell on some hard times last year, finishing with a disappointing 2-7 record.

Chances for a successful campaign in 2011 appear bright – Thompson returns 14 starters and as usual with Thompson-led teams, his roster contains some future college studs.

Highlighting the Chargers' on-field assault will be Jamal Lyles, a do-everything playmaker that is ranked as one of the top ten players in the state and is already committed to MSU. Lyles will be the team's starting quarterback on offense and starting outside linebacker, the position he will play next year up in East Lansing, on defense. He is the heart and the soul of the squad and his leadership ability is magnetic on both sides of the ball.

Collin Parks and Billy Moore are two players Thompson expects big things from this season as well. Parks, a potential game-changer in the backfield, will be the Chargers' top rushing threat and Moore, a sticky-handed speedster on the end, their No. 1 receiver.

Ben Holloway is slotted in at swingback and is another player the Lathrup coaching staff is high on. Tight end Ryan Scott, tailback Anthony Johnson and No. 2 receiver Maurice Hardrick all stand to play an integral role in the team's offensive game plan.

The team's offensive line will be led by David Veasley and Christopher Davis, a big and agile tackle with a 3.9 GPA that is being recruited by the Ivy League.

Veasley also helps to head the Chargers defensive line, alongside De Andre Artis and Kenny Wesley, the team's primary pass rushers.

Besides Lyles, a sideline-to-sideline specialist patrolling the outside, Lathrup's linebacking unit will consist of DeQuan Cooper in the middle and Ryan Scott holding down the inside.

The Chargers' secondary will be headlined by defensive backs Eric Singletary, Durrell Johnson and Mario Jackson.

On special teams, Thompson and his Lathrup gridiron gang should have a leg up on the competition with the services of Jose Castro, a lead-footed kicker that can routinely boot field goals of over 30 yards.

During his numerous decades coaching high school football in the state of Michigan, Thompson has sent dozens of players onto the college level, with nine of his former players logging time in the NFL. Prior to coming to Lathrup in 1999, he was the coach at Detroit Pershing, where he built a PSL power out of the Doughboys and produced future pros like Larry Foote and Maurice Williams.

The longtime coach appreciates all the time and effort his current team at Lathrup has been putting in as of late.

"This group is a hungry one," he said. "They've showed a lot of discipline and hard work this offseason and I can already see it paying off. We're a little undersized on the line, but we're very fast and we're very strong across the board. I have a good feeling about this team."

Lathrup is hoping to play spoiler in the OAA White and throw a wrench into the league title aspirations of frontrunners Farmington Hills Harrison and Southfield.

Thompson and the Chargers open the season against Pontiac, another team that hopes to play the role of darkhorse in the OAA in 2011.