Rod Oden believes his teams have left far too much meat on the bone over the last two seasons.
Harper Woods football has been a consistent top-10 team in Michigan since winning the Division 4 state title in 2023 with a roster full of future Division 1 college players at all three levels on offense and defense. But the Pioneers fell to Goodrich in the 2024 state semifinals and were upset by Dearborn Divine Child in the 2025 regionals after spending the first three months of the season ranked as No. 1.
“Finish the mission,” said Oden, in his ninth year at Harper Woods, on the first day of practice on Monday, Aug. 10. “The last two years, we feel like we’ve been backsliding. To win it in ’23, lose in the semis in ’24, and then the regionals in ’25, that is going backwards. We want to get it back on track and finish the drill.”
There is no shying away from the expectations for the 2026 Harper Woods team. They have bona fide state championship aspirations with 36 returning players, including nine starters on both sides of the ball, multiple five-star recruits and, above all, a bitter taste about leaving an opportunity on the table with a 12-1 record in 2025.
It all starts with senior Dakota Guerrant, a five-star receiver verbally committed to Oregon. Guerrant hasn’t ramped up to full speed yet this summer as he recovers from a tweaked muscle in track season, but has a clear presence as a leading voice in practices, in the newly built weight room next to the field or in meetings. He will ramp up and be ready to go by the first game against Chelsea on Aug. 27, treating his senior camp like a 10-year NFL veteran.
Despite the returning experience, Harper Woods only has nine seniors on its roster, requiring Guerrant to be more of a vocal leader.
“I’m trying to win and go out with a bang,” Guerrant said. “I want to win Mr. Football and a state championship. And really leave the program off on a good note by getting the young guys ready so the program can be great.”
As a four-year varsity cornerstone, Guerrant is an unquestioned leader amongst his peers. He has continued to grow as a leader to the point where he is considered a “multiplier” to the coaching staff. Multiplier means Guerrant is personally training the Pioneers’ underclassmen at his position to make sure they are set up once he heads to Oregon.
“I’m not really a talker, but I am trying to do it more because I know they are going to listen,” Guerrant said. “I am trying to give them the best advice I can so they can be set up in future years.”
Guerrant is part of a deep stable of pass catchers that includes junior Deandre Bidden, another five-star, senior James Jefferson (Ferris State), junior A.J. Henley, a three-star recruit and a few young guys looking to crack the rotation. Mikhi Jones is back as the lead tailback behind an offensive line that has four returning starters, all juniors.
The only question on offense is the biggest one. Who will be playing quarterback?
That answer will be decided over the next few weeks. Sophomores Austin Mitchell, a transfer from U-D Jesuit, and Danari Patton, last year’s junior varsity starter, are competing for the opportunity to throw to “the best wide receiver room in the state,” according to Jefferson. Guerrant will also factor in as a wildcat quarterback, as he has over the last three seasons.
“They are handling it great,” Oden said of Mitchell and Patton. “The message to them is to compete and be competitors in everything. Not just the mechanical quarterback stuff, but compete in the film room, compete in the weight room, compete in the classroom. Iron sharpens iron. And whether you win the job or not, I think every day they are both getting a little bit better.”
Patton has experience in the system and has spent his summer training every day, starting with weightlifting at dawn and ending with throwing sessions with his new targets. Mitchell has been training with former Michigan and Inkster quarterback Devin Gardner and also throwing with his Harper Woods receivers.
Mitchell described his style of play as more of a pocket passer who can run if necessary. Patton described himself as a dual-threat, citing Michigan and former Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood as inspiration for his playstyle.
Both see the competition as a great opportunity and do not feel much pressure on their shoulders despite the winner receiving the football equivalent of the keys to a Ferrari.
“There is some pressure, but I’m not really thinking about it,” Mitchell said.
“In this competition, I’ve just got to keep my head in the right direction and I will get there,” Patten said.
Harper Woods players have positive reviews for both in the early stages of the competition, but are confident in the overall roster talent regardless of who is throwing the ball.
“No matter who is starting at quarterback, we are going to be straight,” Bidden said.
The biggest thing to fix, in the eyes of Oden and his players, was the complacency that reared its head during the playoffs. Harper Woods junior safety Jayden Evans said the regular season success, including wins over Division 1 top-10 teams Clarkston and Saline, had the players too confident about their competition in Division 4.
“When it came down to it, we didn’t keep our focus,” said Evans, a three-star recruit, at the OAA media days on Friday, Aug. 7.
The way to avoid letdowns, Oden said, was to get his players to treat every practice and game day like they are preparing for one of those top-10 matchups.
“You have to play your best when your best is needed,” Oden said. “That is the message we are sending to the team each and every day out here.”
If this group can maintain that level of focus, the talent is there for any outcome. The high-end talent is hard to match and they have plenty of experience sharing the field.
The postseason equation will be different, with the Pioneers moving back up to Division 3 after spending the last three seasons in D4. The district rounds will be tougher right away given the depth of D3 in the Detroit area, but the deeper rounds will require great play, regardless of division.
“Sometimes in Division 4, you end up with some lopsided games until regionals, and then you get punched in the mouth by Divine Child,” Oden said. “In Division 3, you got to play every week. Any team in the predistricts, districts or regionals is capable of beating you.”
The Pioneers aren’t too concerned about the playoffs at their first practice. The focus is inward, making sure they have a group capable of maintaining the same level of focus weekly and letting the chips fall where they may.
“Everybody should duck,” Bidden said. “We are not losing. We are not losing a game.”
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Harper Woods, loaded with college recruits, ready to ‘finish the mission’
Reporting by Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
