Keys to a Detroit victory this weekend
West Bloomfield will rely on its stout defense for what the Lakers are hoping will be another long playoff run.
The Lakers (5-1) enter the postseason on a streak of three straight shutout victories. The high-powered defensive unit has spun four shutouts on the year and is loaded with playmakers and depth.
“Our defense is dialed in right now,” West Bloomfield head coach Ron Bellamy said. “Tyrice Grice ( Detroit Pershing/ Western Michigan) is our coordinator and the kids love playing for him and executing his schemes. He gets the most out of our talent on that side of the ball. These guys are flying to the ball.”
Senior linebacker Jordan Hoskins is the heart and soul of the Lakers defense, averaging 10 tackles per game. Kentucky- commit Maxwell Hairston might be the best lockdown cover cornerback in Metro Detroit and is agile, hard-hitting. Air Force- commit Gavin Hardeman fuels the backend of the unit from his safety spot.
On the line, the likes of Jaden Green, Chris Johnson, Niles King, Caleb Kelly, Ossian Harris and fabulous freshman Brandon Davis-Swain are swarming and making their presence felt in the opposing backfield on a regular basis. Green, King and Harris are the run pluggers and aggressive tone- setters at the point of attack. Johnson, Kelly and Davis-Swain bring the pain on the pass rush.
Kelly arrived in Metro Detroit in the summer after playing the last three years of high school ball in the Chicago area. DavisSwain was offered by the University of Michigan last week.
Complimenting the high- energy Hoskins in the Lakers’ linebacker troop is senior Travis Reece and “ninth-grade nasty” Kari Jackson, already dubbed a 4-star recruit. Reece is having his most productive year on the football field following a change in primary sports from basketball to football.
Fast-improving junior Kyle Johnson plays a viper-style hybrid position, shifting between linebacker and safety and 2022 Blue- Chip running back prospect Dillon Tatum holds things down at the cornerback spot opposite Hairston, who teammates call “Greedy.” Hairston and Tatum are also major cogs in the Lakers offense. Tatum joins forces with All-American
senior running back Donovan Edwards to give West Bloomfield the top tailback tandem in the state. In his first year on the offensive side of the ball, Hairston has become the team’s bigplay receiver.
Bellamy knows how integral his defensive unit is to success in the playoffs (the Lakers have won three District titles in a row and went on a trip to the Division 1 state championship game in 2017).
“For us to meet our goals as a team, we must be sound fundamentally on defense, maximizing our speed, strength and athleticism and let that side of the ball dictate the style and tempo of the game,” he said.
Bellamy’s club has outscored opponents 110- 0 the past three weeks. The last point given up by the Lakers was on October 2 in the team’s only loss of the season at Clarkston, a 24-21
overtime thrill ride broadcast on television across the state by Fox Sports Detroit.
West Bloomfield beat Oak Park 39- 0 in Week 1. The Lakers have posted shutouts in four of their six games in 2020.
Quote of the week
“We play with tenacity and heart and that can be a really dangerous combination when you get rolling downhill and start to catch momentum,” Novi Detroit Catholic Central sophomore linebacker Braydon Courser after his Shamrocks won its first CHSL crown in four years last Saturday (45-14 over Detroit Loyola) at The Elm.
Tweets of the week (Fab Frosh edition)
“Playoff time, baby,” – Southfield A& T freshman quarterback Isaiah “Zeke” Marshall,” commenting in the playoff brackets being announced
“One percent bigger, better, stronger each day,” West Bloomfield freshman offensive lineman Ryan Ross following his Lakers 28- 0 blanking of Lake Orion in Week 6.