Best Returners and Biggest Shoes to Fill in the Catholic League

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Up and down, the Catholic League is the most talented league in all of Michigan. With elite schools from Michigan and Ohio, this league puts their teams to the ultimate test week in and week out. Today, we'll take a look at the best returners and biggest shoes to fill for the Michigan teams in the Catholic Central League. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">De La Salle</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - QB [player_tooltip player_id='899473' first='Sante' last='Gasperoni'] </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Returning your starting Quarterback is always a massive deal. Although I don't think Sante is a D1 prospect, he's a steady quarterback who manages the DLS offense extremely well. He grew into the role more and more as the season went on, and I thought he played comfortably in the State Championship game. He makes the reads, gets the ball off as quickly as he can, and is an accurate quarterback. He's also able to make plays out of structure with his legs- which provides a whole new element that opposing defenses need to gameplan against. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - G/T [player_tooltip player_id='80952' first='Ryan' last='Ross']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensive line is probably the most unsung position group in all of high school football. Losing [player_tooltip player_id='80952' first='Ryan' last='Ross'] is a gigantic blow to this offensive line. Ryan was as steady as they come, and was an extremely experienced player who worked on his craft year-round. Knowing Ryan's consistent work ethic, I think he has a phenomenal shot at playing great ball at Ferris State. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Detroit Catholic Central</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - ATH Jaden Pyden</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The guy who won team MVP this past season, Pyden will once again be a crucial part of this team. Above all else, he's a high-effort and smart football player. His athleticism won't jump out at you, but his IQ, effort, and fundamentals will. As an offensive player, he does a great job at breaking tackles, running upfield, and making good decisions. He played quite a bit of QB and showed a lot of great stuff in the run game. Defensively, he's a smart safety who is more than willing to hit and make plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - QB [player_tooltip player_id='247643' first='Beau' last='Jackson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beau's transfer to West Bloomfield is going to be interesting. From CC's point of view, losing a Division 1 Quarterback prospect has got to hurt. He offered a great blend of athleticism and throw prowess that will be missed. For Beau, I think he'll have an incredible senior season at West Bloomfield. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OLSM</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - ATH [player_tooltip player_id='899556' first='Bryson' last='Williams']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bryson is coming off of a breakout season and is only going to continue to improve. His explosive athleticism and good IQ makes for a sure-fire Division 1 prospect on both sides of the ball, but especially as a defensive back. I shouldn't have to sell anyone on Bryson. Just know he's one of the best players in the Catholic League hands-down. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - TE [player_tooltip player_id='566981' first='Jack' last='Janda']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jack has transferred to Catholic Central, which is a huge loss for St. Mary's. He's a B1G 10 prospect, no doubt about it. His size at 6'5" 225 is great, and you have to love Jack being a dominant dual-sport athlete. I am really looking forward to seeing what Jack is able to do at CC, and I think he has an opportunity to be super well-rounded in that offensive system. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brother Rice</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner - QB [player_tooltip player_id='566978' first='Brady' last='Thomas']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brother Rice is undoubtedly in a rebuilding phase, and [player_tooltip player_id='566978' first='Brady' last='Thomas'] is going to be a huge part of the foreseeable future. I love the way the ball comes out of his hands. At the Legacy RISE showcase, he won QB MVP honors. He's displayed insanely good accuracy, touch, and understanding of a defense during that camp. If he can perform the same on Friday nights as he did in a 7on7 setting, he's going to raise this Brother Rice team to new heights. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shoes to Fill - T [player_tooltip player_id='1124921' first='Joey' last='Pietrosante']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Losing Joey is going to be massive for this team. As they are rebuilding, I'm not sure what the offensive line currently looks like. Joey was a pure anchor at 6'5" 265 and replacing him will be next to impossible. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->