A few thoughts on the 2013 Birmingham Seaholm football team, following Thursday's 24-0 opening-night throttling of Ann Arbor Pioneer:

As unlikely as it may seem the Maples DOWN&DIRTY 'D' could be better this year than it was last year when the squad captured an OAA Blue crown.

This unit is SCARY good!!!.......AGAIN!!

They're "The Wonderwall Defense," cause this group likes the classic Oasis tune from the 90s and take the form of a BRICKWALL every time they hit the field.

Lineman Karl "The MAPLE MANCHILD" Marback and Nick "The Human Landslide" Lanfear are bruising forces up front.

The linebacker corps of Chris Hill, Brendan Sullivan and Dominic "The Serpent" Sierpien aka THE NEW OC TIM RIGGINS (pass some of those gorgeous flowing locks over here buddy!) is as tough as they come.

Oh, and then there's that secondary. Can you say MAD NICE?.....These are bad, bad men on the gridiron.

Maples DB ROLL CALL;

SS Dylan "The K-Bomb" Kanaan

FS Andrew "The Assassin" Barton

CB Aaron "Slick WILLY" Ware

CB Jack "The JAMMER" Mentag

They might not look like much at first glance, but make no mistake about it, the safety tandem of Kanaan and Barton is one of the hardest-hitting duos in the state……YEAH I SAID IT!!!           

From now on, I'm calling these fellas the KNOCKOUT NASTYS……no explanation needed!!

Coach DeWald realizes how lucky he is to have the pair.

"Those two quarterback our defense so well and it's a tribute to their work ethic; they simply live in the film room and love to study the game and it pays off on the field," he said.

On offense, senior signal-caller Brandon Altman, in his first action as a starter, improved as the game progressed. By the second half, the Maples 'O' was rocking and rolling and Altman looked like an old pro.

Wide receivers and slotbacks like Ware, Mentag, Kerry Mott and Nick Vestevich each made big-plays on the night.

"This was a total team win, everyone did their jobs the way they were supposed to," he said. "We put in the time in the offseason and that effort showed tonight.

 

Top 25 – OC Prep Football 2013

Players

1 Malik McDowell (Southfield SR DE) - 2 MUCH NASTY 2 HANDLE

2 Lawrence Marshall (Southfield SR DE) - Sir Lawrence is LEGEN...wait for it....DARY!

3 Maurice Ways (Birmingham DCD SR WR) - Mo knows football....'NUFF SAID!!    

4 (tie) Richie Wilson (Birmingham DCD SR RB) - Just SOSO CASH MONEY on the gridiron should sleep in a bank vault

4 (tie) Tyler Wiegers (Birmingham DCD SR QB) - This kid is so cool in the pocket picking apart opposing defenses when he goes to sleep sheep count him!!

5 David Beedle (Clarkston SR DL) - Resides at the corner of AWESOME and AMAZING and takes no prisoners for those anywhere coming within his vicinity with the ball in their hands

6 Jalen Watts-Jackson (OL St. Mary's SR CB-WR) - SWAGGER LEVEL has already reached THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND TRILLION and his senior season hasn't even started yet!!

7 Matt Sokol (RH Adams SR QB-TE) - STRAIGHT SICKNESS....someone bust out the THERAFLU

8 Dylan Roney (Novi Detroit CC SR DE-RB-TE) - You can't stop this SHAMROCK SIR GRIND-A-LOT, you can only hope to contain him....and even that's pretty darn difficult!!!

9 (tie) Timmy Cason (Clarkston SR CB-WR) - Best way to describe this kid's game....SUPERBAD!!

9 (tie) Ian Eriksen (Clarkston SR RB) - About to go all IAN ERIKSEN again rushing the rock for TEAM K-RICH in C-Town!!!

10 Alex Malzone (Birmingham Brother Rice JR QB) - The future is now THE PRESENT, all Burney can say is WATCH OUT!!!

11 Johnny Kelley (Oak Park JR CB-RB)

12 Lorenzo Collins (FH Harrison SR RB-LB)

13 Nick Matich (Clarkston SR DL)

14 Sean Scullen (Stoney Creek SR ATH)

15 (tie) Jalen Brady (Southfield SR QB)

15 (tie Tyson Smith (OL St. Mary's JR DB-QB)

16 (tie) Kyle Bambard (WL Western SR QB-K)

16 (tie) Alex Joss (WL Western SR OL)

17 Curtis Brunson (Farmington SR S-WR)

18 Lucas Bezerra (Troy Athens SR TE)

19 Brian Walker-Shon Powell (Birmingham Brother Rice SR RB)

20 Nate Brisson-Fast (Ferndale SR DE-TE)

21 Jason Alessi-Chris Carter (Birmingham Brother Rice SR DB)

22 Josh Holloman (AH Avondale JR RB)

23 Chukes Okorafor (Southfield SR OL )

24 (tie) Chauncey Bridges (North Farmington SR ATH)

24 (tie) Ross Williams (Birmingham Groves SR RB)

25 (tie) Brandon Keen (WOLL SR OL)

25 (tie) Juan Johnson (MH Madison JR RB)

Top 10

Teams

1 Clarkston

2 Birmingham Brother Rice

3 Southfield

4 Novi Detroit CC

5 Lake Orion

6 (tie) Oak Park

6 (tie) WL Western

7 Birmingham DCD

8 Stoney Creek

9 OL St. Mary's

10 Farmington

Power Point – OC Football in The MAC

Players

1 Juan Johnson (MH Madison JR RB-DB) – Has a chance at becoming one the state's premiere playmakers this fall; He's THAT good…….pure electricity whenever this kid is toting the rock!!

2 Marquian Johnson (Clawson SR WR) – Top-tier wide receiver prospect in the state with a tremendous upside at the college level…..practically unstoppable in the red zone, just starting to scratch the surface of his massive potential

3 Ty Sparks (Clawson SR QB) – One of the most deadly and accurate quarterbacks in the OC…..DYNAMITE in the pocket, excellent touch on his throws

4 Kyle Baldwin (MH Madison SR TE-DL) – Classic "sleeper" with all the tools to cause havoc on both sides of the football and make a favorable impression on college recruiters in his senior year with TEAM WILKINS

5 Jaylin Gholson (MH Madison JR WR) – Big-play wide receiver, homerun threat...I really think this guy can be GREAT.....he def showed flashes last year as a sophomore stud stretching the field

6 Dabioyon Jones (MH Madison JR DE) – Rough, Rugged and Raw on the defensive line, blazing off the edge and demolishing everything in his path…..racked up 10 sacks last season as a Super Soph

7 Trevor Guilmette (MH Lamhere JR SB) – Elusive, multi-skilled talent that has to be accounted for on every snap the Rams take this fall

8 Matt Crews (MH Madison JR QB) – Cross-town transfer that is ready to carry on the recent tradition of standout signal-callers at Madison (Tony Lowry, William Bradley, Nick Wallace, etc…)

9 Dan Gettel (MH Lamphere SR C/NG) – His style of play on the gridiron is all guts, grit, blood, sweat and tears

10 Austin Frederick (MH Lamphere JR QB) – Potential "Game-breaker" coming in under center for TEAM CHARRON

Teams

1 MH Madison

2 Clawson

3 MH Lamphere

POWER POINT – Catholic League Football

Players

1 Jalen Watts-Jackson (OL St. Mary's SR CB-WR-KR) – He's THE NOTORIOUS JWJ…..NUFF SAID!!

2 Alex Malzone (Birmingham Brother Rice JR QB) – As elite a talent at the field general spot as the OC has ever seen……YEAH, I SAID IT!!!

3 Dylan Roney (Novi Detroit Catholic Central SR DE-TE-FB) – Just a game-changer in so many ways it's mind-numbing!!!

4 Alberto Sandoval-Sage Baltrusaitis (Birmingham Brother Rice SR DL-OL) – Emotional leaders of TEAM FRACASSA in the trenches and as hard-working, heady and relentless as any pair of linemen in the state….TAKE IT 2 THA BANK!!    

5 (tie) Brian Walker-Shon Powell (Birmingham Brother Rice SR RB) – Call these guys the "Thera-FLU Tandem" 'cause they bring straight SICKNESS to the Warriors backfield

5 (tie) Corey Lacanaria (Birmingham Brother Rice SR WR) – His big bro Cheyne was a quarterback and nicknamed "The Polynesian Pistol,"…. well Corey is the REAL DEAL HOLYFIELD catching the football for ORANGE&BLACK NATION, the most overall reliable wide out in the OC and I'm nicknaming….WAIT FOR IT….."The Polynesian Playmaker"!!!

6 Jeremaih Johnson (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep SR RB-LB) – Undervalued SUPERSTAR!!!!...That's a Fact!!!

7 Zach Bock (Novi Detroit Catholic Central SR SB-DB) – Slippery and fast with the rock in his hands…..has a knack for the big-play and is cool as the other side of the pillow in crunch time

8 Jason Alessi-Chris Carter (Birmingham Brother Rice SR DB) – Daunting defensive back duo for opponents in the CHSL to deal with for another year

9 Brandon Keen (Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes SR OL) – Behemoth-sized transfer from Lake Fenton, set to be a genuine FORCE OF NATURE at the point of attack for the LAKESHOW this fall!! 

10 (tie) Brendan Newvine (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep SR QB) – Plain and simple, as steady and smart as they come!!

10 (tie) Anthony Gunn (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep JR WR-DB) – My boy DOUBLE BARRELL is about to blow away the comp in 2013….

Teams

1 Brother Rice

2 Novi Detroit CC

3 OL St. Mary's

4 Pontiac NDP

POWER POINT – OAA Red Football         

Players

1 David Beedle (Clarkston SR DL) – "The Big Bug" is BIG HEADACHE for quarterbacks and running backs in the Red

2 Ian Eriksen (Clarkston SR RB) – Leading-rusher in the OC in 2012, could easily eclipse the 5,000-yard mark for two seasons this fall for what should be an eruptive force of a Wolves' offense.

3 Timmy Cason (Clarkston SR CB-WR) – PRIMETIME talent in every way!!! The Neon Deon of the OC!!!!

4 (tie) Lucas Bezerra (Troy Athens SR TE) – Fundamentally-sound tight end, who is a battering ram of a blocker and a tall, soft-handed target in the passing game that can beat linebackers deep or across the middle in traffic

4 (tie) Nick Matich (Clarkston SR DL) – "N" is for NIMBLE&NASTY in the Matich household aka Nick, eldest son on the defensive line for TEAM K-RICH

5 Sean Scullen (Stoney Creek SR ATH) – Might be the top overall player and most dangerous two-way standout in league……YEAH I SAID IT!!!!

6 Zach Arnold-Corey Ester-Chris Leigh (Lake Orion SR SB) – Terrific Trifecta that KILLS with its speed and versatility …..the most-skilled trio of slotbacks on the local high school gridiron

7 Caine Watlington (Clarkston SR ATH) – Could be the most unfairly-overlooked playmaker in Metro Detroit…….my man "Sugar" has a game that is as SWEET as candy!!!!

8 Cole Chewins (Clarkston JR TE-LB) – Climbing the college-recruiting charts with rapid relentlessness….in store for a major-league campaign on both sides of the pigskin

9 Adam Matich (Clarkston JR OL) – "A" is for ABSOLUTELY AWESOME in the Matich household aka Adam, youngest son on the offensive line for TEAM K-RICH

10 Shane Hynes (Clarkston SR K) – Best leg in the state!!!!

Teams

1 Clarkston

2 Lake Orion

3 Stoney Creek

4 Troy Athens

5 Rochester

POWER POINT – OAA Blue football

Players

1 Josh Holloman (AH Avondale JR RB) – Quickest player in the OC (close to 1,000 yards last year as a SUPER SOPH) that is ready for a GINORMOUS campaign rushing the rock and getting reacquainted with local end zones.

2 Nate Brisson-Fast (Ferndale SR DE-TE) – Spectacular specimen of an athlete and the definition of a SIR-GRIND-A-LOT in the weight room and on the field

3 (tie) Chauncey Bridges (North Farmington SR RB-DB) – Chauncey Billups was Mr. Big Shot, well the Raiders Do-it-all ace on both sides of the football will now forever been known as "Mr. Big-Play"!!! Expect a lot of them this fall for TEAM SCHULTZ

3 (tie) Ross Williams (Birmingham Groves SR RB) – Tantalizing playmaker and always a legit threat to take it to the HOUSE when you put the ball in his hands

4 Aaron Ware (Birmingham Seaholm SR WR-DB-KR) – Electrifying talent on the verge of GREATNESS for MAPLESNATION in 2013

5 Shaquan McGriff-Tyree Bell (Ferndale SR LB) – Think of a pair of prep Ray Lewis' and you have this athletic and grit-laced Brown&Gold tandem and leaders of what should be an incredibly formidable Eagles 'D' this year

6 Chris Hill (Birmingham Seaholm SR LB) – Hard-working, heady and hound-like in pursuit of opposing ball-carriers

7 Rashaun Campbell (Hazel Park SR RB) – Will be very hard to stop in the stat sheet this season…will chew up yardage on the ground like a runaway PACMAN!!

8 Dylan Kanaan (Birmingham Seaholm SR S) – The K-BOMB RETURNS!!!! 'NUFF SAID!!

9 Karl Marback (Birmingham Seaholm SR DL) – Tireless and tenacious pass-rush specialist

10 Mitch Williams-Paul Czartorski (AH Avondale SR DL-OL) – The 'Jackets HEART and SOUL in the trenches, in the huddle and in the locker room….THAT'S A FACT!!          

Teams

1 Avondale

2 Seaholm

3 Ferndale

4 North Farmington

5 Berkley

POWER POINT – OC football in the KLAA

Players

1 Kyle Bambard (Southfield SR QB-K) – Does extreme damage with his arm, his feet and his leg….. might be the most overall dangerous weapon in the state

2 Alex Joss (Walled Lake Western SR OL) – Joss is a true BOSS&HOSS in the trenches for TEAM Z, Ball State has got itself a genuine winner and workhorse in this Warriors TRUCKMASTER

3 Dalton Christie (Lakeland SR RB-LB) – Underrated gem toting the leather for TEAM MALTESE!!

4 (tie) Nick Krumm (Walled Lake Central JR QB-S) – I sense a DAZZLING campaign on the horizon for the Vikings junior signal-caller….TAKE IT 2 THA BANK!!

4 (tie) Zac Goor (Walled Lake Central JR RB) – Grittiest rusher in the OC….Yeah I SAID IT!!!

5 Wade Morris (South Lyon East SR WR) – Could be the No. 1 receiver in the whole league!!!

6 Aaron Chretien (Walled Lake Northern SR LB) – One of the premiere defensive players in the entire area…..STRAIGHT MENACE sideline-to-sideline!!

7 Dakota Kupp (Waterford Mott JR QB) – Fastest-rising field general in the area?

8 (tie) Danny Wallace (Milford SR RB-LB) – Built like a rock, hits like a rock, runs as hard as a rock, is as steady as a rock, NUFF SAID!!!

8 (tie) Jeff Baker (Novi SR RB) – Jet-quick and elusive presence in the Wildcats backfield

9 P.J. Kern (Walled Lake Northern SR RB) – The "K" in this young man's last name will stand for "KO" this fall…….watch those tacklers fall!!!

10 Danny Hubbell (Waterford Kettering SR QB) – Really, really good under center!!

Teams

1 Walled Lake Western

2 Walled Lake Central

3 Walled Lake Northern

4 Lakeland

5 South Lyon

POWER POINT: OAA WHITE football breakdown

Players

1 Malik McDowell (Southfield SR DE) – Beast-mode is his middle name….NO. 1 player in the state on the defensive side of the ball for a reason!!

2 Lawrence Marshall (Southfield SR DE) – Pure playmaker and expert pass-rusher off the edge

3 (tie) Johnny Kelley (Oak Park JR CB-RB) – Game-changer in every way possible!!.....he's not nicknamed "The Machine Gun" for nothing

3 (tie) Matt Sokol (RH Adams SR QB-TE) – Could very easily end up walking away with league MVP honors come November and playoff-time for TEAM PATRITTO

4 Curtis Brunson (Farmington SR S/WR) – I've decided to nickname this kid "The COLBLODDED Cougar" 'cause he plays like a crazed animal on the gridiron, putting on a show, whether on 'O' or 'D' for the BLUE&WHITE

5 Lorenzo Collins (FH Harrison SR RB-LB) – Finally healthy after an injury-hindered junior year In 2012, my boy LC is ready for a spectacular senior campaign toting the rock….he'll be a workhorse and a homerun threat with few equals in the area

6 (tie) Jalen Brady (Southfield SR QB) – Top passing threat in what will be a very nice crop of field generals in the brutally-rigorous White WONDERLAND

6 (tie) Chukwuma "Chukes" Okorafor (Southfield SR OL) – Huge upside for this HOSSandBOSS, who is set to anchor the Bluejays O-Line this fall for a second straight year

7 Glacier Wallington (Oxford JR QB-DB) – The ICEMAN COMETH Year No. 3…'NUFF SAID!!       

8 Josh Craven (Farmington SR WR-S-LB) – Can do it all and do it all really, really well!!!

9 Ben Line (Oxford SR RB) – The last name tells you all you need to know about the style of running back this MACTRUCK of a pigskin-pilot is for TEAM ROWLEY!!

10 (tie) Spencer McCourt (Bloomfield Hills SR QB) – Might be the steadiest player in the league

10 (tie) Shaheed Bellamy-Ricardo Smith (Oak Park JR DL) – Sometime overshadowed, ALWAYS dangerous, dependable and frankly quite dazzling in the trenches

Teams

1 Southfield

2 Oak Park

3 Farmington

4 Oxford

5 (tie) FH Harrison

5 (tie) RH Adams

Names to watch out for this year on the football field at Birmingham Brother Rice:

Alex Malzone (QB) – One of the best prep quarterback prospects I've ever seen!!!!

Brian Walker & Shon Powell (RB) – Top 1-2 punch rushing the rock in the OC!!!

Corey Lacanaria, Demaris Woods, Josh Flye, Patrick Sparks & Grant Perry (WR) – Deepest receiving corps in the area!!!

Ty Kiafoulis (TE) – This baseball star could be on the verge of a bust-out campaign on the gridiron

Sage Baltrusaitius & Matt Phillips (OL) – Pair of workmanlike HOSSES set to anchor the Warriors line assault

Alberto Sandoval & Dominic Perkovic (DL) – Just a plain NASTY tandem in the trenches!! 

Shaun Jones & Jack Grisan (LB) – Under-the-radar duo ready to make mincemeat of the comp in the Catholic League

Chris Carter & Jason Alessi (DB) – Two of the toughest and most-skilled secondary studs in the state about to GO HAM for their senior season in FRACASSALAND!!!

Orange&Black Grid Sleepers:

Navin Abro, Joe Plaskey, Joe Lewandowski, Jack Dunaway, Josaiah Thomas, Charles Gleason