Season Recap: De La Salle Pilots
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De La Salle had an absolutely dominant run. They were the heavy preseason favorites to win the Division 2 State Championship, and they surpassed those expectations. They couldn’t be touched, as they outscored playoff opponents 227-49. The Pilots scored more…
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Continue ReadingDe La Salle had an absolutely dominant run. They were the heavy preseason favorites to win the Division 2 State Championship, and they surpassed those expectations. They couldn’t be touched, as they outscored playoff opponents 227-49. The Pilots scored more points in the State Championship game (52) than they gave up the entire postseason (49). I could go on and on about how incredible this team performed, but that may take a few hours of writing. This season recap will first recap the season, highlight a few players who made a big difference and touch on the future of this program.
2022 Season
41-13 W vs. Renaissance
49-16 W vs. Muskegon
55-13 W vs. UofD Jesuit
43-42 L vs. Brother Rice
56-14 W vs. St. Mary’s Prep
28-0 W vs. DET Catholic Central
48-4 W vs. Ponitz (OH)
19-18 W vs. River Rouge
49-14 W vs. UofD Jesuit (Catholic Championship)
40-0 W vs. Grosse Pointe South (Pre-District)
37-7 W vs. Roseville (Districts)
55-7 W vs. L’Anse Creuse (Regional)
43-15 W vs. Groves (Semifinals)
52-13 W vs. Forest Hills Central (State Championship)
All-Star Players
QB | Brady Drogosh Brady Drogosh 6'5" | 205 lbs | QB De La Salle | 2023 State MI | 2023
Brady is the most important cog in this team. I’m not sure what I can say that hasn’t been said already, but generally, Brady is one of the best QBs in Michigan. The confidence and ease he plays with is something I only see with Elite QBs, while his actual mechanics and stats are better than almost everyone. Without a doubt, Brady will be sorely missed, but I’m confident De La Salle will be just fine (more on this in a moment).
DE | Mason Muragin Mason Muragin 6'4" | 245 lbs | DL De La Salle | 2023 State MI | 2023
Muragin is a top 3 defensive lineman in Michigan, and he has an extremely high ceiling if he keeps up his hard work. I’ve always loved how quick he is off the ball and how he can dominate with speed. His motor is high, career outlook is fantastic, and I firmly believe he’ll have an amazing career at Illinois!
DB | Jamari Allen Jamari Allen 6'1" | 160 lbs | ATH De La Salle | 2023 State MI | 2023
Allen was a very nice surprise for De La Salle this season, earning All-State honors with several publications. The Central Michigan commit was lights-out against every offense The Pilots faced, and he’ll be a tough one to replace.
LB | James McDonald | 2023
The Detroit Free Press and Yahoo call James McDonald De La Salle’s “unsung hero,” and I’d have to agree. He may not be an all-star D1 recruit like some others on this team, but he’s a solid linebacker who produced 125 tackles, which is an amount that’s hard to fathom. I’m confident he’d be a good DIII player, but he’d be a dominant collegiate Rugby player.
Future Stars?
QB | Sante Gasperoni | 2025
I assume that Sante will be taking over as full-time QB next season. He’s got the physicals at 6’3″, 200lbs, and was highly impressive in the offseason. Below, I’ll repeat what I had to say about him when I saw him perform last summer.
“There was a good amount of buzz about Sante Gasperoni yesterday. The 6’3″ Freshman QB tested well, and it’s obvious he has great chemistry with his receivers and Cincinnati Commit Brady Drogosh Brady Drogosh 6'5" | 205 lbs | QB De La Salle | 2023 State MI . After watching his Freshman Highlights, I’m highly confident that the southpaw will seamlessly take the reigns during his Junior season and dominate. During events like these, he’s already on the radars of Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, GVSU, Ferris, and many other schools that were in attendance. The Football, Basketball, and Baseball star has an insanely bright athletic future ahead of him. Oh yeah, Sante also has a 3.78 GPA.”
SB | Eric Christoff Eric Christoff 5'7" | 145 lbs | ATH Avondale | 2024 State MI | 2024
I’m unsure if Eric will play a significant role next season, but I’m optimistic he’ll be able to make things happen. When I coached Eric at Avondale during his freshman season, he sported the most athletic talent out of the team, and his lifting numbers were great. Even this past summer, I thought he did well during drills. Eric understands he needs to have a sensational offseason, and if he makes the most out of his opportunity, he could be real good.
WR | Briheem Rabhi Briheem Rabhi 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR De La Salle | 2024 State MI | 2024
Rabhi was a young standout for Fraser not too long ago, but this season, expectedly, he was lower on the depth chart. I’m interested to see where his progression goes. Heading into his senior season, it’s not wild to think he might have a standout season next year.