Country Day sizing up to be a D4 contender in 2021
With Brandon Mann returning to pilot the offense again and a multipronged running game remaining intact, Birmingham Detroit Country Day should be one of the top Division 4 football teams in the state next fall.
Country Day (9-2) won a state title last Friday night by bumping off Cadillac 13-0 in the state championship game at Ford Field to vanquish a five-game losing streak in the state finals and grab the program’s first crown in 21 seasons.
Mann (6-3, 200) does it all at the quarterback position, impressing scouts with his rocket arm and quick feet in the pocket. Bowling Green offered him a scholarship following the state championship game. He will be one of the top field generals in the state in 2021.
“Bringing Brandon back is a big piece of the puzzle,” longtime Country Day head coach Dan MacLean said. “Brandon is the kind of playmaker that doesn’t come around every day. The boxes are all checked, he’s a hard worker and a natural athlete.”
Winning a much-needed state championship under COVID-19 conditions only serves to strengthen Country Day’s resolve and drive for a repeat.
“We rode the wave (of uncertainty) all year, it was emotionally and physically taxing, but we came out the other end of it as champions,” MacLean said. “I think this title will actually make us hungrier. The program has a new gleam to it.”
MacLean’s Yellowjackets have a deep rushing attack set to return in 2021 to compliment Mann in the passing game, led by Parker Yearego, Gabe Winowich, Graham Doman, Luke Ammori and Luke Grove. Winowich made an impact as a freshman this past season, scoring the game-clinching touchdown on a 5-yard run Friday against Cadillac in the state finals.
“Our stable of running backs will be a position of strength for us,” MacLean said. “Those guys all run with toughness and intelligence.”
Country Day’s defense concluded the season with three shutouts in a row. Replacing the Yellowjackets experienced line play will be a difficult task.
“We’re losing a bunch three-year starters, one is going to the Big Ten (Northwestern-bound Caleb Tiernan), so it won’t be an easy thing to replicate what we were able to do up front,” MacLean said. “The seniors
on the line were true ironmen. We will miss them a lot.”
Linebackers Caleb Mathis-Miller and Jason Abro will be tasked with heading the unit going forward.
“Caleb and Jason are real thumpers, we’ll need to lean on them until we find our footing on that side of the ball,” MacLean said.