Football
MIAC Coaches Poll: 1. Grosse Pte. Woods University-Liggett (3): 57; 2. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (2): 52; 3. Sterling Heights Parkway (1): 51; 4. Southfield Christian: 40; 5. Westland Lutheran: 39; 6. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: 31
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (0-5, 0-9)
Strength: Offense
Top players: WR/DB Seth WIlliams, WR Cam Cotter, WR Ryder Patterson, DE AJ Hawkins, DE Elijah Kennedy, OL Josh Morgan
Outlook: The Lancers return their offensive backfield and two top receiving targets in Cotter and Petterson. Despite their winless 2015, some coaches around the league see them as a talented sleeper. If the roster can stay healthy, Oakland Christian could improve in leaps and bounds on the heels of an aerially efficient offense and an increasingly experienced roster.
Grosse Pte. Woods University Liggett (4-1, 6-4)
Strength: Defense
Top players: QB Connor McCarron, DE Charles Caine, DE Sam Durno, OL Desmond Darby, MLB Brady MCarron
Outlook: Liggett should continue to feature a dependable offense, with senior QB Connor McCarron managing an attack that’s impressively balanced between ground and air, and returns several starters from its defensive line. The Knights came away with a split in two games last season against Sterling Hts. Parkway, and a solid defensive effort could help them to a regular-season win against the division rival and a first-place finish.
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (6-4, 3-2)
Strength: Defense
Top players: RB/LB Danny Macks, K/QB/WR Michael Justice, OT/DT Evan Bowlds, QB/LB Zach Alkire, OL/DL Henry Dodson, WR Paul Rosa
Outlook: The Crusaders line up similarly to last season, but with a year’s more experience nearly across the board. A versatile offense will feature both Justice and Alkire at quarterback, depending on formation. Add a defense anchored by Macks, among the league’s best linebackers, and expectations are decidedly higher than last year. After featuring underclassman-heavy rosters for the last two seasons, this year’s team is stacked with juniors.
Southfield Christian (3-6, 2-3)
Strength: Offense
Top players: DE/WR C.J. Robeson, WR David Robinson, WR/LB Ricky Brown
Outlook: On a team strapped for depth, Southfield Christian needs to stay healthy to compete with the top half of the MIAC standings. “Numbers are down,” according to head coach Larry Weiss, who will use a healthy chunk of his roster on both sides of the ball. Skill positions and efficiency on the offensive side, however, should prove a strength.
Sterling Hts. Parkway (7-4, 5-0)
Strength: Offense.
Top players: QB Jacob Bambrick, OL Alex Challangoe, WR Jackson Allen, WR Dominic Delicata, LB Maurice Hutchinson, S Julian Davis.
Outlook: Joe Beck begins his first season at the helm, but is lucky the Eagles are returning their starting quarterback and two top targets at wide receiver. The offense should be fully productive, but the defense is a question mark after losing eight starters to graduation. Nonetheless, Sterling Hts. Parkway remains the MIAC frontrunner.
Westland Lutheran (3-6, 1-4)
Strength: Offense
Top players: QB Luke Smith, RB DJ Nykiel, S Andy Saith, OL/DL Jeremy Orem, OL/DL Nick Glinn
Outlook: The Warriors return nine starters on each side of the ball, and a new partnership with Plymouth Christian has given head coach Paul Guse a new set of bodies to work with, expanding the roster to 29 and helping with depth. Keys to the season include plugging up a porous run defense, getting Nykiel the ball in space and staying healthy.
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Key independents
Pontiac Notre Dame (8-3)
Strength: Defense, Special Teams
Top players: PK Bryce Bringer, OL Kyle Sassack, LB/RB Luke Adams, DB Zach Atkins, WR Josh Johnson, DE Dominic Famularo, DL John Paul Terzano
Outlook: After being suspended from the Detroit Catholic League over a scheduling controversy, Notre Dame will look for success as an independent. Four starters on the offensive line are returning, meaning Notre Dame signal-callers will have time to throw if a less experienced receiving corps finds space downfield. Placekicker Bryce Baringer is a weapon on field goals, too, with a long of 46 yards last year.
Birmingham Detroit Country Day (11-2)
Strength: Defense
Top players: LB Kolin Demens, DL Cole Bearden, DL Chris Wells, DL Tim Jackson, LB Adam Sakih, S/KR Chris Bergen, QB/S Steve Mann, WR Roy McCree, WR/DB LaNard Graham, C Will Humenny, RB Nick Neibauer
Outlook: Country Day returns the bulk of its starters on defense. An impressive defensive line will front Sakih and Demens, the younger brother of former U-M star and NFL linebacker Kenny Demens, at the linebacker spots. There are weapons at the receiver spots, too, balancing between Neibauer’s ground attack against Mann’s air game and making a repeat 11-2 season, or better, more than possible.
Harper Woods (5-4)
Strength: Defense
Top players: QB/CB Keshawn King, RB/CB Deshawn Mitchell, S/WR Qortez Scott, OL Christopher Gaffrey, LB Dayvon Collins, FB/DE Kelvin Jones, OL Robert Gay
Outlook: With 20 seniors, Harper Woods is one of the region’s more experienced teams. Most of key players see action on both sides of the ball, but there’s experience and depth in the secondary and enough experience to build on a promising 5-4 effort in 2015.