The high school football season begins preseason practices on Monday, Aug. 11., so Hometown Life sportswriter Brandon Folsom is here to break down the Kensington Lakes Activities Association.
Let’s take a brief look at all 16 teams in one of the toughest leagues in Michigan:
EAST
Belleville
2024 record: 10-2, 7-0
Season opener: vs. Clarkston, 4 p.m. Aug. 28 (Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State)
Offensive starters back: 1
Defensive starters back: 2
Key returners: WR Charles Britton, WR/DB David Jackson Jr., DL Shaun Reid, RB Trenton Foley and QB Kendall Franklin.
Challenge ahead: LABU. That’s “Life After Bryce Underwood,” arguably one of the greatest QBs in the history of Michigan high school football, who is now playing for the Michigan Wolverines.
Coach Calvin Norman’s comment: “We have a young team, so what we want to do this year is trust the process. It’s fortunate our young players have been playing together for a long time, so that’s the positive side of it. We just hope they can continue on doing what we’ve been doing. They’ve been working hard (over the summer), so we’re excited right now.”
Folsom’s take: QB Kendall Franklin has Grand Canyon-sized shoes to fill, but the junior already has an impressive resume with six offers, including Indiana, Colorado State and four Mid-American Conference schools. As the Tigers deal with LABU, their fans must be patient. Replacing Underwood might mean only winning seven or eight regular-season games instead of all nine.
Livonia Churchill
2024 record: 3-6, 1-6
Season opener: at Canton, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 6
Defensive starters back: 6
Key returners: WR/DB Dalvon Wideman, QB Ali Taleb, WR/DB Braylon Hall, OL/DL Peyton Gout, OL/DL Max Schwesing, OL/DL Isaac Groth, WR/LB Sage Adams and WR/DB Ethan Mezigian.
Challenge ahead: Winning games as a rebuilding program in one of the toughest divisions in the state.
Coach Allen Feigel’s comment: “We had a little bit of a recalibration of our program. … I’m really happy with where we’re at right now. We have a togetherness that we haven’t had since probably 2021. I’m excited about that. We have tremendous team chemistry.”
Folsom’s take: “Someone poisoned the water hole,” as my son’s favorite cowboy once said, but it’s not any of the 30 or so players the Chargers are returning. They’ve endured a “total reset” this offseason, weeding out some bad attitudes and lazy players that have tarnished their brand. They might only win a handful of games, but they will hit you in the mouth every snap. And that’s the recalibration Feigel is excited about.
Dearborn
2024 record: 6-5, 4-3
Season opener: at Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 4
Defensive starters back: 4
Key returners: QB Scott Szalkowski, RB/OLB Nayef Awada, OLB Ali Badaoui, WR/DB Noah Mortada and SB/SS Ahmad Sayed.
Challenge ahead: Replacing a well-respected coach like Alex Grignon. Everyone loved him, including my colleague, Drew Kochanny, at the Petoskey News-Review.
Coach Matt Giarmo’s comment: “(What drew me to this job was), No. 1, Dearborn has a lot of tradition as a football program. It’s a Division 1 program. We want to play on the big stage against the best teams the KLAA has to offer. I think it’s a great spot to be. We’re in a great district with two other high schools, and I just look forward to building a great program.”
Folsom’s take: With a resume like Grignon’s, it was always going to be hard for Dearborn to keep him, even with him being a former Pioneer. He’s coached in college. Now, he’s coaching at LEAD Prep Academy in Brighton, a finishing school for local talent trying to become Division I recruits. My favorite modern-ish era college player, Denard Robinson, is his running backs coach. That alone was worth the move north for the Grignon family, in my opinion. Excelsior, Alex. You’ll be missed.
Dearborn Fordson
2024 record: 5-5, 5-2
Season opener: at West Bloomfield, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 5
Defensive starters back: 5
Key returners: QB Firas Awadalla, FB/LB Ali Alziyadi, WR/DB Husayn Abdulsater, FB/DL Raymond Snow Jr., OL/DL Hadi Dabaja, OL/DL Mohamed Rihan, OL/DL Murtadha Allabbah and WR/DB Tyrone Reaves Jr.
Challenge ahead: Replacing a legend like former coach Fouad (Walker) Zaban, who made winning 8-10 games a season look routine.
Coach Mohamed Chaytou’s comment: “I graduated there in 2007, and I’ve been coaching there since 2008. It’s exciting. The tradition’s great. I’m just trying to build on what we’ve built. It’s a privilege to be part of that program. There’s a lot of history. We’re just going to do what we did in the 90s, and in the 2000s, and into the 2010s with Walker and see what we can do.”
Folsom’s take: Zaban only missed the playoffs once in the 18 years he coached the Tractors, even knocking off state power Cass Tech that one time with Antonio Gates Jr. He won 135 games, averaging 7.5 wins per season. Replacing him is a tall order for Chaytou, but the longtime assistant should be just the guy for the job. He was one of their star players almost 20 years ago and has been with the program long enough to know what a winning team on Ford Road means to fans.
Livonia Franklin
2024 record: 6-5, 5-2
Season opener: at Berkley, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 4
Defensive starters back: 6
Key returners: LB Brenden Bache, DL Chris Chaput, OL/DL Ben Grayson, DB Jake Kotrych, LB Aiden Kirby, QB Bryce Napier, TE Jeff Little and SL/DB Ian Snyder.
Challenge ahead: Replacing eight All-KLAA players, including QB Derek Hetu (Adrian) and RB Owen Pittenger (Lawrence Tech).
Coach Chris Kelbert’s comment: “(I’m happy with our up-and-comers’) work ethic, that’s the one thing they control more than we do, coming in and putting in the work. We’ve got a lot of guys who didn’t have a lot of varsity experience that are going to be put into the mix. Whether they can adjust and handle it, how quickly they can adjust and handle it, will be the big factor.”
Folsom’s take: I don’t think replacing Pittenger, who totaled 1,867 yards and 25 TDs en route to earning HTL’s Offensive Player of the Year honor last season, is the biggest challenge for Franklin. No, it’s replacing Hetu, who was a solid, steady QB with a great arm. I’m eager to see how well senior Bryce Napier plays in Kelbert’s offense because I already know Pittenger’s replacements, Daylen Neal and Jake Kotrych, should have no trouble rushing for TDs.
Westland John Glenn
2024 record: 3-6, 3-4
Season opener: at River Rouge, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 6
Defensive starters back: 3
Key returners: QB/RB/DB Michael Gray, QB Julian McLeod-Sessom, OG/NG Max Czarnik and OT/DE Jeremiah McKinney.
Challenge ahead: Continuing to dominate in the run game. Up from the JV, Raymond Watson Jones Jr. should help them have another speedy back in their offense.
Coach Milton Jones’ comment: “We had a great summer. We had over 85% attendance over all 15 practices. The kids there missed maybe one day or two at the most. … So I’m just happy and excited about the commitment, the kids being there and buying into the process.”
Folsom’s take: Jones said, “You won’t see (offensive linemen Max Czarnik and Jeremiah McKinney) in the paper, but when Ramond gets his name in the paper, it’s because of these guys.” Well, here you go, Coach, here’s some love for them right now. If they’re as good blockers as Bryar Inman, who is now playing at Michigan Tech, Watson Jones Jr. should have a huge season.
Livonia Stevenson
2024 record: 5-5, 3-4
Season opener: at North Farmington, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 5
Defensive starters back: 3
Key returners: RB/SS Tasso Kotsogiannis, WR/OLB Michael Haverland, WR/FS Quinn Nolan, OL/DL Cole Welch, WR/DB Luke Beri and OL/DL Charlie Van Eeuwen.
Challenge ahead: Replacing two-year starting QB Nathan Patterson (Madonna) and other veterans like TE Blake Zoro (Northwood), OL Jayden Jones (Alma) and LB Trevor Bennett.
Coach Randy Micallef’s comment: “We’ll be breaking in a new quarterback (Caden Eberhardt), which is huge in our league because there are no off weeks, for sure, and a couple of offensive linemen and defensive linemen. Winning the trenches is important, and getting those guys up to speed will be key.”
Folsom’s take: Tasso Kotsogiannis rushed for 1,215 yards and nine TDs as a junior. When I saw him working the ticket table at a summer basketball showcase, he looked bigger and stronger, so the weight room has paid off. I expect the tailback to be in the running for HTL’s Player of the Year.
Wayne Memorial
2024 record: 0-9, 0-7
Season opener: at Romulus, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 7
Defensive starters back: 10
Key returners: QB Davion Wilson, WR Keshaun Evans-Sullivan, WR/DE Antoine Howze, LB Ian Ramirez and OL Jaydan Saylor.
Challenge ahead: The Zebras are on their third head coach in as many years, still needing to establish a culture of accountability.
Coach Eric Pettway’s comment: “Some of the things we’ve been asking them to do, as far as working out, as far as running, those are things they weren’t used to. Even some of the challenges we’ve set forth in the classroom, (like) removing cell phones from the classroom. That’s one of the first things I did when I got into the building, was take their phones and send them off to class just so they can focus because it’s that level of focus that you need inside of football games as well.”
Folsom’s take: The seniors have won only one game on varsity, including enduring two winless seasons. In fact, the program has gone 0-9 in seven of the past 10 seasons. They’re not going to turn it around in one offseason, especially in a division like the East with state power Belleville, but they can establish a culture that helps them take the first step in becoming a winning team.
WEST
Brighton
2024 record: 8-3, 5-2
Season opener: vs. Dexter, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 7
Defensive starters back: 7
Key returners: DL Jack Carlson, OL Thomas Storm, WR Brayden Platt, TE Brady Shelton, RB Jayden Ciponaer, DE Dylan Edgeworth, DL Mason Grove, DB Jaeden Byrd and DB CJ Sageman Jr.
Challenge ahead: Taking advantage of the talent they return, especially the 14 starters coming back. The Bulldogs have the pieces in place to even win the KLAA outright.
Coach Brian Lemons’ comment: “That’s the best part of this league, every week you go into it and there’s a battle waiting for you. It keeps your kids sharp, keeps them ready to go, so when we go into practice, it helps you get ready for a big night.”
Folsom’s take: Howell is predicted to repeat as division champions, but my pick is Brighton, which has one of my favorite players in the league: TE Brady Shelton. The Eastern Michigan commit is as old school as they come, just throw the ball to him in the flats and watch him lower his shoulder and punish would-be tacklers as he turns a 3-yard pass into a big gain like Rob Gronkowski used to do with the New England Patriots.
Canton
2024 record: 2-7, 0-7
Season opener: vs. Livonia Churchill, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 4
Defensive starters back: 4
Key returners: OL/DL Colin Wetmore, RB/DB Elliott Patten, RB/DB Nick Dimitroff, OL/DL Zion Malone and WR/DB Jamari Storie.
Challenge ahead: The Cobras graduated all five of their All-KLAA selections from a year ago, so finding the star players who can dig them out of the basement will be key.
Coach Eric Newton: “It’s my second year in the program, so I’m just trying to rebuild what Canton used to be. I think this year we had a great summer. All the kids are buying into what we’re trying to do. They seem to be where their feet are at when they’re at workouts, not distracted by anything. So, I’m really pleased with the work they’ve put in.”
Folsom’s take: The Cobras have been trying to find their footing since coach Andy Lafata left for Lake Orion after the 2022 season. Newton was thrust into a challenging position last season, trying to return the culture to the level it has always been over the past 20 or 30 years. He seems like the guy for the job, and his consistency in the program should only help them continue to improve.
Hartland
2024 record: 3-6, 3-4
Season opener: at Oxford, 7 p.m. Aug. 29
Offensive starters back: 8
Defensive starters back: 5
Key returners: WR/LB Jack Lansing, WR/DB Parker Sundman, OL/DL William Tobin, OL/DL Riley Foldenauer, OL/DL Brett Karwowski Jr., QB/DB Michael Elliot and WR/DB Carter Smith.
Challenge ahead: The Eagles are on their third coach in four years. After going 3-6 in each of the past two seasons, they must get back to winning games and making the playoffs.
Coach Aaron Metz’s comment: “We’re fortunate in Livingston County. Our fans show up. We know they’ll show up and fill the stadium. It’s key in this league, and getting back in this league for myself, you want to win the county. When you win the county, that helps you have great success in the playoffs.”
Folsom’s take: Playing in Livingston County will show you where you’re at. Brighton has been a consistent winner and is always in the running to win the West each season. Howell has taken steps to become a formidable opponent, even winning the league outright last season. But Hartland has taken a step back since losing coach Brian Savage after the 2022 season. The Eagles have work to do to become a playoff team again.
Howell
2024 record: 11-1, 7-0
Season opener: at Traverse City West, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 6
Defensive starters back: 6
Key returners: QB Preston Barb, TE/DE Jackson Pahl, RB/DB Drew Lynn, OL/DL Brayden Smith, TE/DE Brody Stack, OL/DL Mason Schumaker, OL Nathan Rogowski, WR/LB Gavigan Walraven, RB/DB/K Wilson Zimlich, RB/LB Bryce Kish, RB/DB Christian Green and TE/DL Frank Kanka.
Challenge ahead: Not to live in the past after upsetting Belleville in the 2024 KLAA championship game.
Coach Brian Lewis’ comment: “It’s (winning the league) led to a great offseason. The guys understand the work that goes into when you get to the end of the season and what it takes. That was big for us, to see the finish line, in a program really that has not been that deep to see the finish line. For our kids to see that and take that into our offseason, that’s (what’s set us up for) a good, hard-working offseason.”
Folsom’s take: No one outside of the Howell city limits expected the Highlanders to upset state power Belleville and the No. 1-ranked player in the state, Bryce Underwood. But they did it last season, with a lineup of talented players of their own, including lineman Bobby Kanka, who is now Underwood’s teammate at Michigan. Now, everyone wants to see how Howell will respond after 2024’s magical season.
Northville
2024 record: 6-4, 5-2
Season opener: vs. Lake Orion, 7 p.m. Aug 28 (Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State)
Offensive starters back: 7
Defensive starters back: 5
Key returners: QB/DB Cooper Derkach, RB Max DeFore, DB Austin McGarrow, DL Trae Hutchinson, OL Anthony Testani and OL/DL Nolan Toomey.
Challenge ahead: Maintaining the standard — the Mustangs have made the playoffs twice under their current coaching regime, including upsetting Detroit Catholic Central to win a district championship.
Coach Brent Luplow’s comment: “We think we’re the best we’ve been in the three years I’ve been here in the secondary. I think we have some really good depth there and some athletes who are fired up and ready to go.”
Folsom’s take: Safety Drew Rankin is now playing at Wayne State, yet the Mustangs claim they’ve upgraded their defensive backs. That’s impressive, especially when you consider that joining the position group is one of my favorite quarterbacks, Cooper Derkach.
Novi
2024 record: 5-5, 5-2
Season opener: vs. Traverse City Central, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 3
Defensive starters back: 5
Key returners: LB Reece Pippin, OL/DL Aaron Stewart, LB Colin Edwards, RB Anthony Madafferi, OL/DL Jaxon McCarty, DB Emilio Acosta Casas, WR Cooper Koceski and DB Ty Anderson.
Challenge ahead: Novi lost three All-KLAA defenders, but replacing the offensive playmakers will be even tougher. Gone are QB Jonathan Aurilia, WR Jaden Vondrasek, OL Gavin Przbyla, WR Christian Gillings and RB Logan Ellison.
Coach Jim Sparks’ comment: “We have quite a few guys coming back on defense, which, for us, the last couple of years we’ve been turning the defense over, so it’s nice to have that as a starting point.”
Folsom’s take: If the Wildcats don’t have the best linebacker tandem in the league, they’re not far behind first place. Reece Pippin totaled 122 tackles and was named HTL’s Defensive Player of the Year. You can fact-check those stats, too — Novi’s stat keeper, Willy Mena, does the Lions’ home games on Sundays. And Colin Edwards is good enough to be considered a dark-horse for the DPOY honor this season.
Plymouth
2024 record: 3-6, 2-5
Season opener: at Monroe, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 3
Defensive starters back: 5
Key returners: TE/LB Max Hornbacher, WR/DB Saamir Sain, RB/DB Kaiden Moore, WR/DB Joel Dewberry, RB/DB Ethan Sober, OL/DL Hayden Schultz and OL/DL Brady Lorenzetti.
Challenge ahead: Replacing the “name brand” talent, like all seven of their All-KLAA selections from 2024, including speedy dual-threat QB Logan Pheiffer (Davenport).
Coach Greg Souldourian’s comments: “We did a lot of team bonding throughout the summer. We graduated a huge senior class, so we knew that we were going to have a lot of upcoming seniors who didn’t play last year because of that senior class, but (we have been) preparing them for the fray.”
Folsom’s take: Almost every season, the Wildcats graduate one guy who is a freak athlete. Expect Max Hornbacher to be the next one. As a junior, he totaled 55 tackles (46 solo, six for loss) and one sack, and those numbers should only improve. Do you want to talk about someone who took advantage of the offseason? That’s Hornbacher, who was no stranger to college camps and the weight room.
Salem
2024 record: 2-7, 1-6
Season opener: vs. Utica Ford, 7 p.m. Aug. 28
Offensive starters back: 7
Defensive starters back: 7
Key returners: QB Luke Creighton, WR/LB Landon Garrett II, WR/DL Nye Turner, TE/DL Drew Eisenbeis, DB Kyle Candito and WR/DB Caleb Chinyadza.
Challenge ahead: Replacing running back Aidan Moore, who signed with Northwood after totaling 4,120 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career.
Assistant Chris Scheffer’s comment: “It’s nice to have so many returners come back — guys who have been in the system, know the ropes and can show that to our underclassmen coming up. So, we’re really excited about the culture our senior class has brought. … Seven of them have been five-quarter kids since they were sophomores, so they’ve been around to all the venues, they know what the standard is, what the expectation is, so we’re hoping to take that experience and get the ball rolling.”
Folsom’s take: The knock on QB Luke Creighton, the son of Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton, has been his size, or lack thereof. The senior has gained 15 pounds since November, so problem solved. If that makes him half as tough as his older sister, Kate, the star college soccer player, watch out! He should be hard to take down in the pocket.
2025 KLAA Preseason Coaches Poll
The votes are in! Here’s how the coaches expect the final league standings to shake out this fall:
EAST
WEST
CHAMPION
Howell
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on his new X.com account at @folsomwrites.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: 2025 KLAA football season preview: Everything you need to know
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
