Best Returners & Biggest Shoes to Fill in the Catholic League

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whenever I take a look at the Catholic League, I'm in awe by the amount of talent showcased. This time around is no different, as all four teams in the catholic central league have prominat D1 recruits leaving, and some major rising stars returning. With so many of these teams, I could have chooses countless players for the Best Returner or Shoes to Fill category. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>De La Salle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - [player_tooltip player_id='80952' first='Ryan' last='Ross'] (IOL)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - [player_tooltip player_id='186875' first='Brady' last='Drogosh'] (QB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everyone's said it, but De La Salle has emerged as the #1 high school football program in Michigan. Of course, the departure of [player_tooltip player_id='186875' first='Brady' last='Drogosh'] is a huge loss. The Cincinatti commit was the face of this team, and losing a player like that is something few programs can move forward from without some major steps back. Though I could have listed hakld a dozen players for best returner. Sure, there were a good amount of great seniors set to graduate, but [player_tooltip player_id='80952' first='Ryan' last='Ross'] and others return for the redoubtable State-Championship favorite. In terms of Ryan specifically, I think he's a Division 1 prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Brother Rice</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - Blake Marrogy (QB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - [player_tooltip player_id='186866' first='Nolan' last='Ray'] (RB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I grew up hating Brother Rice, as they were the state powerhouse that simply couldn't lose. As I got older, I've grown to respect them more and more. Last season, this was a very inconsistent team. In my opinion, they were still the #2 team in Division 3 (lost to DET MLK) so you could say they had an unlucky playoff draw. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anyways, [player_tooltip player_id='186866' first='Nolan' last='Ray'] had consistently been one of the best backs in Michigan and he could be a beast at Maryland. His departure will hurt the offense, and although they might have some good young talent to put in the RB position, I haven't been overly impressed. Thoguh in terms of Marrogy, he had an up-and-down season at QB. If I were to guess, he'd be the QB once again this fall, but there's a chance he isn't. Either way, Blake will be a huge part of this team as he's able to play any skill position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - [player_tooltip player_id='247643' first='Beau' last='Jackson'] (QB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - [player_tooltip player_id='30334' first='Brayden' last='Courser'] (LB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>it's a new era for CC football, with a ton of senior departures plus a new head coach. With [player_tooltip player_id='30334' first='Brayden' last='Courser'] and a ton of other key defensive piees heading out, it's going to be interesting to see how the defense returns in the fall. Thankfully, they have a stud up-and-comer QB in [player_tooltip player_id='247643' first='Beau' last='Jackson'], and a head coach that will allow him to meet his potential. I'm very interested to see how CC relaods.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>St. Mary's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - [player_tooltip player_id='284003' first='AJ' last='Marks'] (DB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - [player_tooltip player_id='429670' first='Ryan' last='Mooney'] (WR) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>OLSM finished last in the league last year with an insane schedule. They had a good amountof senior talent, headlined by Harvard signee [player_tooltip player_id='429670' first='Ryan' last='Mooney'], though they don't have the amount of talent leaving as the other programs in this league. Luckily, OLSM has a ton of young talent, of course headlined by [player_tooltip player_id='284003' first='AJ' last='Marks'], who is easily a top 5 player in the class of 2026. I'm excited to see where this program goes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->