Best Returners & Biggest Shoes to Fill in the MAC Red

One of the best leagues in the State, the MAC Red holds Elite talent among Elite competition. Last season was a rollercoaster, seeing Romeo take the MAC Red Crown with their suffocating defense. At the same time, Stevenson shocked the world, advancing to the State Semifinals, and our #1 C/O 2022 player [player_tooltip player_id= "30129" first= "William" last= "Johnson"] balled out for Grosse Pointe South. This offseason marks a goodbye to some fantastic athletes but an excellent opportunity for those working in silence. Here are the best returners and biggest shoes to fill for every MAC Red team! <strong>Romeo</strong> <strong>Best Returner:</strong> MLB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13223423">[player_tooltip player_id="275079" first="Anthony" last="Lomakoski"]</a> <strong>Biggest Shoes:</strong> SS <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/8314221">Caleb Youngblood</a> Romeo had some DOGS this past season (pun intended). Caleb Youngblood was an electric playmaker at the safety position who was a sure leader on defense. At the same time, other defensive leaders such as <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11199523">Joey Kostrubiec</a> and <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/1825678">[player_tooltip player_id= "30282" first= "Doug" last= "Malcolm"]</a> will also be greatly missed. That being said, these losses on defense make Lomakowki even more of an asset. He's a big linebacker who can bench 300lbs at 17 years old, having already dominated a very tough schedule last season. Romeo loses a lot on paper, but in practice, they should be able to reload quite well. <strong>Stevenson</strong> <strong>Best Returner:</strong> DB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12586870">Keion Singletary</a> <strong>Biggest Shoes:</strong> QB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11394347">[player_tooltip player_id="93652" first="Biagio" last="Madonna"]</a> "Playoff B" will be sorely missed in 2022. It was a special season for Stevenson because although they didn't win the MAC Red, they advanced all way to the State Semifinals, where they put up a great fight against Belleville. [player_tooltip player_id="93652" first="Biagio" last="Madonna"] was a key part of that run, and <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14466507">[player_tooltip player_id="248809" first="Evan" last="Watson"]</a> looks to be the next man up. Keion Singetary headlines a great secondary group for Stevenson, which will be an obvious strength of this team. It seems that he's been putting in good offseason work, and I can't wait to see the payoff. <strong>Dakota</strong> <strong>Best Returner:</strong> QB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13279180">Ethan Hamby</a> <strong>Biggest Shoes:</strong> RB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11455013">[player_tooltip player_id="30193" first="Caiden" last="Sloan"]</a> After a difficult start to 2021, Dakota stormed back and won 5 of their final 6 contests. Sloan played a major role in the team's success, rushing for a school-record 1941 yards. Though 2023 QB Ethan Hamby has had some impressive performances this offseason, he seems locked in for his best season yet. This is a team that will again be full of seniors, and they'll have a chance to go far. <strong>Chippewa Valley</strong> <strong>Best Returner:</strong> ATH <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14519794">Shamar Heard</a> <strong>Biggest Shoes:</strong> QB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9710270">[player_tooltip player_id="30238" first="Ryan" last="Schuster"]</a> A team full of insane talent, Chippewa Valley looks to dominate in 2022. All in all, it was a good year for the Big Reds having gone 7-4 with big wins against Catholic Central and Troy, with a few extremely close losses to Stevenson. [player_tooltip player_id="30238" first="Ryan" last="Schuster"] was a great signal-caller, though oddly enough the biggest shoes to fill may be the easiest shoes to fill as Ryan’s brother [player_tooltip player_id="248811" first="Andrew" last="Schuster"] looks to take the reigns. As for Shamar Heard, we all know the athlete he is, and broadly how much of an X-factor he is while on the field. <strong>Grosse Pointe South</strong> <strong>Best Returner:</strong> RB <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11721343/Egan-Sullivan">Egan Sullivan</a> <strong>Biggest Shoes:</strong> DB [player_tooltip player_id="30129" first="William" last="Johnson"] These are the biggest shoes to fill in the entire state, as [player_tooltip player_id="30129" first="William" last="Johnson"], our #1 ranked 2022 player, is now a Wolverine. It goes without saying, Grosse Pointe South will really miss Will Johnson. All in all, it didn't seem like this team could get it going, especially with league play. Egan Sullivan, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13221252">[player_tooltip player_id= "248818" first= "CJ" last= "Schervish"]</a>, and others will now lead this team, and I'm curious to see what comes of it. Speaking on Sullivan, he's a great back who earned all-region honors last season, and he'll be carrying an extra load in 2022. <strong>Eisenhower </strong> <strong>Best Returner:</strong> QB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15067725">[player_tooltip player_id="206516" first="Preston" last="Crum"]</a> <strong>Biggest Shoes:</strong> WR/DB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11388991">[player_tooltip player_id="80526" first="Ethan" last="Barker"]</a> Not a phenomenal year for Eisenhower, but they have some good returning talent to bounce back with. [player_tooltip player_id= "80526" first= "Ethan" last= "Barker"] was a great receiver with over 700 yards and 40 catches, and he will be missed. Crum is a great QB who I have been thoroughly impressed with, the question is if he can put together a great season.