Sound Off - Day 1

A report from Day 1 of the annual Sound Body and Sound Mind prep football camp at Southfield High School

I was out at SB/SM today and caught up with some local gridiron studs from Birmingham Brother Rice and Oak Park.

Here's the breakdown:

Brother Rice

Incoming junior running back Brian Walker looked AWESOME. Shedding about 15 pounds of baby fat, Walker looked sleek and powerful on the field and appears ready to set the field on fire come late August.

Entering SB/SM this week, news broke that star Warriors incoming senior tailback De'Shun Brown has left school, so now the entire Rice backfield belongs to Walker, who Burney knows is more than up for the task to carry the load for the squad's rushing game. CAN U SAY BREAKOUT CAMPAIGN for my homeboy B-WIZARD in 2012?

New Warriors wide outs Isaac Turner and Corey Lacarnaria were showing off their stuff too, giving future opponents worries that the Orange and Black will be ready, willing and quite able to toss the pigskin down field this fall, in contrast to last season's run-centered approach.

Returning Rice QB Cheyne Lacarnaria (Corey's big bro), who was under center last year as a junior when the Warriors won a state championship, was sharp in drills as well, displaying that the perennial state powers' offense will still be in top form and in good hands when the season kicks off in less than three months.

All-State LB and MSU-committ Jonny Reshke was KILLING IT all over the field all day long, but that's really status quo with this MEGA MONSTER MLB, so I questioned even if I needed to report it.....I love to dole out the props to all my Warriors homeboys, so I did!!!

Oak Park

Knights split end Brandon Harding was one of the runaway stars of Day 1 of this event, which attracted elite players from all across the country. Harding is a playmaking specialist who has opened a lot of eyes this postseason and has a good chance at landing a college scholarship before he graduates next spring. He made a few splashes last fall, but expect some MONDO WAVES on the horizon for Harding this year.

The OP cornerback tandem of Mike Cleveland and Johnny Kelly was turning heads in afternoon drills being conducted by the Ohio State coaching staff and making a serious case for themselves as possibly the best lockdown DB tandem in the OAA White entering the 2012 campaign.

Word is from head coach Greg Carter that high-profile transfer Mario Morris (Detroit Community) and incumbent Nate Simms are set to have an epic battle for the Knights starting field general slot this summer. Even if Morris loses out on the job, he was still a star tailback in the PSL last season at Community, after earning all-league honors at QB as a sophomore with Detroit Douglas, and would fit in nicely flanking Simms in the backfield besides Malik Washington. Along with Cleveland (East Detroit), Morris will headline another fresh crop of standout transfers for TEAM CARTER and the Oak Park gridiron gang.