Checking in on 4 of the Most Improved Teams this Season
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There have been a lot of vastly improved teams this season. The four I’m mentioning in this article are no mistake; these are teams that, in my eyes, have improved the most, and these are all teams who have legitimate…
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Continue ReadingThere have been a lot of vastly improved teams this season. The four I’m mentioning in this article are no mistake; these are teams that, in my eyes, have improved the most, and these are all teams who have legitimate chances to go deep in this year’s playoffs. All of these teams have game-changing players, great coaching staffs, and undoubtedly a fanbase that’s ready to cheer until the bitter end. Now, let’s explore four of the most improved teams this season!
Seaholm | 2021: 1-8, 5th OAA White | 2022: 7-1, 1st OAA Blue
Seaholm is considered to be the most improved team in 2022, and it’s hard to dispute. The Maples went 1-8 last season behind an extremely young team. Furthermore, Seaholm faced a grueling schedule last season, being outmatched by teams like Clarkston, Byron Center, Rochester Adams, and Stoney Creek. This season, although the Maples have played an inferior schedule to last season, they’ve DOMINATED the OAA Blue in all but one game. Different outlets seems to have vastly differing opinions on how good Seaholm is, but I see them as having a state semifinal ceiling.
Key Players: Granden Kinnie Granden Kinnie 6'1" | 220 lbs | RB Seaholm | 2024 State MI , Colton Kinnie Colton Kinnie 6'2" | 225 lbs | QB Seaholm | 2024 State MI , Kyle Robbins Kyle Robbins 6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH Seaholm | 2024 State MI , Sean Emerson Sean Emerson 5'8" | 180 lbs | ATH Seaholm | 2024 State MI , Every offensive lineman, John Jokisch John Jokisch 6'4" | 235 lbs | DL Seaholm | 2023 State MI
Midland | 2021: 2-7, 5th in Saginaw Red | 2022: 7-1, 2nd in Saginaw Blue
What a big turnaround against many of the game 2021 opponents. The Chemics are 7-1, with great wins against teams like Cadillac, TC Central, TC West, and Marquette. Even more impressively is the margin some of these games are won. 35-0 vs. TC West,and 28-6 vs. Marquette. During their tougher games, they find a way to win like their 27-21 win vs Cadillac and their 21-17 win over TC Central. This is one of the top teams in Division 2, and I see them as having semifinal potential.
Key Players: Isaiah Henderson, Colin Coffey, Seth Tirey, Max Stoecker, Zach Buschlen
Brighton | 2021: 4-5, 5th in KLAA West | 2022: 8-0, 1st in KLAA West
The Bullgods are atop the KLAA West, facing Belleville this Friday. Brighton was a middle-of-the-road team last season, with their main problem being unable to win close games, but this year, that’s no problem. They have a close 9-7 win vs. Hartland, 17-14 vs. Northville, and 21-6 vs. Howell. Other than that, they’ve blown everyone else out of the water. Considering the strength of Division 1, every game moving forward is going to be a massive test, but standing at 8-0, they have the confidence to beat anyone.
Key Players: Carson Shrader, Colin McKernan Colin McKernan 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Brighton | 2023 State MI , Reed Blake-Thomas Reed Blake-Thomas 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Brighton | 2025 State MI , Andrew Stewart Andrew Stewart 6'2" | 180 lbs | ATH Brighton | 2023 MI
Southfield A&T | 2021: 2-6, 6th in OAA Red | 2022: 6-2, 1st in OAA White
Don’t be fooled by A&T moving to the OAA White; they’ve played just as hard of a schedule this season. The Warriors kicked off the season with likely the best game of this season; a 58-16 Overtime win against Cass Tech. They followed that with a crushing loss to Clarkston, then they won five straight, easily handling all OAA White competition. Last week, they suffered a 42-21 loss to West Bloomfield, a team they may meet again in the playoffs. Overall, this is a team with extreme talent that has D1 State Championship potential.
Key Players: Isaiah Marshall Isaiah Marshall 6'0" | 210 lbs | QB Southfield A&T | 2024 State MI , Josiah Williams, Aaron Bradley Aaron Bradley 6'6" | 275 lbs | OL Southfield A&T | 2023 State MI , Tashi Braceful Tashi Braceful 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Southfield A&T | 2024 State MI , Parker Kennedy III Parker Kennedy III 6'3" | 190 lbs | ATH Southfield A&T | 2024 MI