Team Preview: Belleville

<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Overview</strong></span> Any team in the state would be horrified to see Belleville on their schedule. Averaging 53.7PPG and 12.3PAPG in 2020, yeah, they’re pretty good. Belleville is an absolute powerhouse, hosting 5 of our top 20 2022 athletes in the state in #3 [player_tooltip player_id="160570" first="Myles" last="Rowser"], #4 [player_tooltip player_id="30130" first="Christian" last="Rapley"], #12 [player_tooltip player_id="30160" first="Jeremiah" last="Caldwell"], and #18 DB Deshawn Lee. Belleville easily (think about it, EASILY) advanced to the 2020 DI Semifinals before losing to West Bloomfield 35-34 in a thrilling 2OT game. Needless to say, anything short of their first state championship is going to be viewed as a disappointing season. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2021 Schedule/Games to watch </span></strong> August 27 @ Plymouth September 2 vs Dearborn September 10 @ Churchill <strong>September 17 vs Stevenson </strong> Stevenson very nearly pulled off the upset last season, losing narrowly to Belleville 29-26. It was a thriller, with Belleville trailing deep into the 4th quarter before huge performances by [player_tooltip player_id="30130" first="Christian" last="Rapley"] and [player_tooltip player_id="29536" first="Damon" last="Payne"] propelled them to victory. Was last year a fluke, or does Stevenson have Belleville figured out? <strong>September 24 @ Fordson </strong> Fordson has comparable star-power with the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="30132" first="Antonio" last="Gates Jr"], among others. Belleville thrashed Fordson last season, but knowing how deep that football culture is over at Fordson, I expect them to compete with Belleville this season. If anything, this will be a great game to watch some big-time recruits. October 1 @ Wayne Memorial October 8 vs Glenn October 15 @ Franklin <strong>Playoffs</strong> Belleville is a must-watch playoff team. With the sheer starpower and dominance against Michigan’s best talent, the playoffs are just better when Belleville is playing. Belleville is state championship or bust, and there’s few teams that truly stand in their way. A possible West Bloomfield rematch is incredibly intriguing, as are possible matchups vs Davison, Canton, and Rockford. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Players to Watch </strong></span> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11685704/Myles-Rowser">[player_tooltip player_id="160570" first="Myles" last="Rowser"]</a>, S - One of the best safety prospects in the country, Rowser is looking to make even more of a name for himself this upcoming season. Rowser is the definition of an elite high-school athlete. He’s very smart, able to read offenses/quarterbacks on a completely different level than your average safety. Rowser is quick. Whether that’s being a speeding bullet to a running back, or in pursuit of a pass, Rowser shows elite high school talent at his position and he’s going to put on a show this fall. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14672901/Aaron-Alexander">[player_tooltip player_id="93771" first="Aaron" last="Alexander"]</a>, OLB/RB - A University of Michigan Commit, Alexander is the definition of all gas no breaks. On offense he’s a freight train, sprinting at a very high speed downfield. He has exceptional speed and ability to outrun defenders. On the Defensive side, Alexander is a great blitzer and run stuffer consistently getting into the backfield before opposing linemen even know what happened. With blazing speed and exceptional IQ, Alexander is going to have a incredible 2021 and beyond at Michigan. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10662390/Jakobe-Watkins">[player_tooltip player_id="30157" first="Ja’Kobe" last="Watkins"]</a>, G/T - Watkins is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to an offensive lineman. He can lineup on the inside and outside and do an exceptional job, showing great ability to pass protect against good defenders and consistently make vital blocks in the run game. Watkins is committed to Southeast Missouri State where he’ll surely continue to polish his skills. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">X-Factor: Just win a ring</span></strong> Let’s be clear. Belleville has very few weaknesses. With elite star-power and coaching, Belleville is undoubtably going to have another incredible season. But the true question is getting their first ever D1 state championship. They have some great competition with West Bloomfield, among others, but I’d have them as the favorite to win the elusive state title.