Michigan high school football: 2023 Free Press All-West team
The following are the Detroit Free Press All-West first, second and honorable mention teams for the 2023 Michigan high school football season.
First team
Offense
WR Kevin Simes
School: Belleville
Vitals: Senior, 5 feet 9, 175 pounds.
Stats: Led the Division 1 runner-up Tigers in receiving with 57 catches for 1,080 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The buzz: The Ferris State commit and All-KLAA selection was the Tigers’ go-to receiver, making numerous key catches throughout the season. Instead of being half-man, half-amazing, his coaches referred to him as half-man, full-amazing with his penchant for going for yards after the catch.
OL Tyler Dodd
School: Woodhaven
Vitals: Senior, 5-11, 240.
Stats: Powerful, explosive, fast and tough, Dodd played both ways where he was a dominant force on the offensive line while also starting at linebacker where he registered 84 total tackles.
The buzz: Proved to be the Warriors’ best player who rarely left the field and played hard on every play. Carries a 4.0 grade-point average and is undecided about his college commitment.
OL Jake Nagy
School: Gibraltar Carlson.
Vitals: Senior, 6-2, 212.
Stats: Helped the Marauders to a school record 424 total points while leading an offensive line that helped produce 3,047 yards rushing and 1,167 yards passing with a combined 55 TDs.
The buzz: Earned the team’s Best Lineman Award as Carlson captured the Downriver League championship and its first district title in school history. Nagy led the Marauders to their best single season offensive outputs in school history. He is undecided about his college choice.
OL Josh Williams
School: Dearborn Fordson
Vitals: Senior, 6-3, 270.
Stats: Never missed a snap while playing offensive guard, tackle and fullback. He was also the team's top point-getter with 40 solo tackles and 32 assists. He racked up 18 tackles for loss, including five sacks, while also recording 10 QB hurries and two fumble recoveries.
The buzz: The Grand Valley State commit was a man among boys on defensive, where teams stayed away from him. The coachable Williams was unanimously voted team captain for his leadership skills on and off the field.
OL Idrys Cotton
School: Plymouth
Vitals: Senior, 6-4½, 285.
Stats: Recorded 36 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack in 113 passing attempts. He blocked for a team that produced 2,000 rushing yards and 1,000 yards passing.
The buzz: Very athletic for his size, the Northwestern commit earned back-to-back All-KLAA and All-Region honors as a junior and senior. A three-sport athlete, Cotton also plays basketball and was a state placer in track in the shot put.
OL Graham Gilmartin
School: Northville
Vitals: Senior, 6-1, 240.
Stats: Known as a blocker and run stopper, Gilmartin also threw a touchdown pass this season for the 10-2 Mustangs, who won the KLAA East Division title and a D1 district championship.
The buzz: Gilmartin moved to guard this season and his offseason work ethic paid dividends as he was able to down block using his athleticism to pull and block second-level defenders. He recorded a strip sack against Novi Detroit Catholic Central in the district final, one of the top plays in school history.
WR Nick Marsh (captain)
School: River Rouge
Vitals: Senior, 6-3, 207.
Stats: Wound up with 41 receptions for 718 yards and eight TDs, while also carrying the ball 46 times for 412 yards and six TDs. Added 314 yards in kick returns with a touchdown and also threw a TD pass.
MORE FROM McCABE: River Rouge receiver Nick Marsh a star on and off field: 'I haven’t met a better person.'
The buzz: Marsh has committed to Michigan State and is expected to enroll there in January. Ranked by 247sports.com as the No. 3 player in the state and 19th-ranked receiver nationally, Marsh is categorized as phenomenal kid who meant a great deal to the program not only as a person, but also the type of attitude, energy, work ethic and leadership skills that he brought day in and day out.
QB Bryce Underwood
School: Belleville
Vitals: Junior, 6-4, 215.
Stats: Completed 179 of 276 passes (65%) for 3,329 yards and 41 TDs with only three interceptions. Also ran for 199 yards on 30 carries and seven TDs.
The buzz: Ranked in the junior class by 247sports.com as No. 1 QB and top player overall nationally, Underwood made his mark as a freshman and sophomore leading the Tigers to back-to-back state titles and a 38-game winning streak. His understanding of the game makes him a coach on the field.
RB Izaiah Wright
School: Gibraltar Carlson
Vitals: Sophomore, 5-10, 196.
Stats: In 12 games, Wright rushed for 1,965 yards on 267 carries and 29 TDs. Also caught 12 passes for 144 yards and a pair of TDs. Scored a total of 188 points.
The buzz: Offered by Miami (Ohio), the speedy Wright had a breakout season for the 10-2 Marauders and Downriver League champs showing the ability to break away and finish runs. The team captain is also president of his sophomore class.
RB Brian Booms
School: Flat Rock
Vitals: Senior, 5-11, 180.
Stats: Led the Rams with 1,713 yards rushing on 239 carries and 32 TDs. He also had 26 catches for 320 yards and a pair of TDs. Also passed for one TD and helped score seven two-point conversions. As a defensive back, Booms finished with 117 tackles with a sack and two blocked punts.
The buzz: The first-team All-Huron League and All-Region pick prove to be Mr. Everything for the 9-4 Rams, who reached the D5 state semifinals. He set career and single season marks for rushing yards. A ball hawking safety who loved to come up and hit, Booms also finished his career with school-record 303 tackles, while also setting single season and career records for rushing yards.
RB Damon Powers
School: Westland Glenn
Vitals: Senior, 5-11, 205.
Stats: The two-way standout rushed for 1,016 yards on 122 carries and 13 TDs, while also catching seven passes for 174 yards and four TDs. He led the team with 112 points, including seven two-point conversions. Defensively, Powers racked up 77 tackles, including nine for loss.
The buzz: The Saginaw Valley State commit was a four-year varsity player who displayed a passion for the game and took pride in paying attention to detail. He was an explosive playmaker the past two years and helped the Rockets to only their second playoff berth since 2014.
K/P Nolan Zajac
School: Carleton Airport
Vitals: Senior, 6-2, 180.
Stats: Converted 53 of 56 PATs; 6 for 6 fields (with a long of 40 yards). Caught 17 passes for 291 yards and five TDs. Made 45 tackles (including two sacks, one tackle for loss); three pass breakups, one interception and a fumble recovery.
The buzz: Zajac booted three field goals in a district final win vs. Dearborn Divine Child to go along with important kicks against Riverview and Carlson. Played inside and outside linebacker, wide receiver and was the backup QB. Will play college baseball as a catcher.
Defense
DL Gavin Bolley
School: Allen Park
Vitals: Senior, 6-3, 215.
Stats: Allowed just one sack and had 20 pancake blocks while anchoring the offensive line as the Jaguars rushed for 1,811 yards and 33 TDs, while passing for 1,270 yards and 16 TDs. Defensively, finished with 22 total tackles, including six for loss with five sacks and a fumble recovery.
The buzz: Extremely coachable, Bolley played wherever he was needed, flourishing in his new position on offense as he turned in a consistent performance. Defensively, he took on double teams that allowed the linebackers to run clean and make plays. Will play baseball at Henry Ford College.
DL Davair McCrimon
School: Melvindale
Vitals: Junior, 6-6, 220.
Stats: Led the Cardinals defense with a total of 59 tackles, including eight sacks. Also added three fumble recoveries, knocked down five passes and had a pick-six.
The buzz: Opposing teams continually ran away from McCrimon, who was the team leader on offensive line, where he also made adjustments on the fly. He was a quiet leader, but well respected by his teammates and coaches as a result of his dedication and hard work.
DL Jermaine Gumbs
School: Westland Glenn
Vitals: Junior, 6-2, 240.
Stats: Finished with 24 unassisted tackles, including five for loss and one sack. Also played tight end where he had two catches for 26 yards and a touchdown.
The buzz: The talented two-way lineman and three-year starter plays with quick hands and feet on defense. He proved to be a consistent and physical blocker for whom the 7-3 Rockets’ schemed around in their Wing-T offense.
DL Ronald Jackson
School: Belleville
Vitals: Senior, 6-1, 270.
Stats: Posted a total of 65 tackles, including three sacks for a defense that allowed just 10 points per game and posted six shutouts.
The buzz: The Grand Valley State commit anchored both sides of the line where he started at center and on the defensive interior on a team that allowed only 141 points all season. He was also the team’s spiritual leader and displayed a maturity well beyond his years.
LB Reed Picotte
School: Allen Park
Vitals: Senior, 5-11, 190.
Stats: The linebacker made 73 tackles (57 solo) with seven sacks, four tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and three pass breakups. Also played fullback running for two TDs while adding a pair of TD catches.
The buzz: A two-year, two-way starter and team captain, Picotte had great instincts and worked hard every day to improve his skills. Finished with 20 tackles in the league championship game.
LB Miles Lueck
School: Livonia Churchill
Vitals: Senior, 5-10, 180.
Stats: The middle linebacker led the Chargers with 88.5 total tackles, including 14.5 for loss, six sacks and six quarterback hits.
The buzz: A two-year starter, Lueck also played fullback. A three-sport athlete who also wrestles and plays baseball, Lueck carries a 4.5 G.P.A. and plans to study medicine.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (captain)
School: Belleville
Vitals: Senior, 6-2, 220.
Stats: Posted 120 tackles, including 57 solos, to go along with five sacks. Averaged just over 10 yards per carry with 893 yards rushing on 86 attempts and 14 TDs.
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The buzz: The Michigan commit, ranked No. 6 senior in the state by 247sports.com, proved to be a great leader who excelled as a running back as well as a linebacker. As a running back he displayed great vision and a low center of gravity.
LB Evan Deak
School: Northville
Vitals: Senior, 6-0, 195.
Stats: In 12 games, Deak finished with 62 tackles, including 13 for loss and 6.5 sacks. He also added two interceptions and had a fumble recovery with a defensive TD.
The buzz: Rarely coming off the field, Deak also played running back, quarterback, outside linebacker, defensive end and was on special teams. He was considered a fierce competitor who could run for the tough yards or make a game-changing stop on defense. Scored the game-winning TD vs. CC in the district final.
DB Ian Adams
School: Riverview
Vitals: Junior, 5-10, 165.
Stats: Led the 9-2 Pirates in rushing with 1,536 yards on 102 carries and scored 20 TDs. Had 10 touchdown runs of 50 yards or more. As a cornerback, Adams recorded 36 tackles and had one interception.
The buzz: Adams excelled in every phase of the game, showing great acceleration in the open field and had a knack for making explosive play of at least 35 yards or more run in all 10 games. A two-year starter on defense, Adams always defended the opponents’ leading receiver.
DB Adrian Walker Jr.
School: Belleville
Vitals: Junior, 5-10, 185.
Stats: Played on both sides of the ball leading the secondary with five interceptions and a total of 49 tackles (including 24 solo). He also finished with 21 catches for 535 yards and six TDs.
The buzz: Walker has a high-level skill set with good cover skills. He was also a big-play wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner. Made a spectacular back-the-back highlight reel INT during the D1 title game vs. Southfield A&T.
DB Marcello Vitti
School: Dearborn Divine Child
Vitals: Sophomore, 6-0, 180.
Stats: He finished with 106 tackles, including 11 for loss to go along with two fumble recoveries. He also had 752 yards rushing on 120 carries and nine TDs. Also caught 14 passes for 241 yards and two TDs.
The buzz: Considered DC’s best defensive player since Aidan Hutchinson, Vitti is very instinctive on defense and is constantly around the ball. He plays with a relentless motor and rarely misses a tackle. Currently has 17 NCAA Division 1 offers, including six from the Big Ten.
Coach Brent Luplow
School: Northville
The buzz: In his first season as head coach after spending the previous six years as an assistant at Brighton, Luplow guided the Mustangs to a 10-2 record — its best season since 2015 — along with the KLAA West Division crown and Division 1 district championship.
“I feel very fortunate to have a tremendous group of young men and coaches in our program that bought into a common goal,” Luplow said. “The collective effort and work ethic for the last 10 months was to accomplish goals that haven’t been done in a long time or ever at Northville. The players battled week-in and week-out to leave a lasting legacy in this community. I’m very proud of all involved with our program.”
Second team
Offense
WR: Drew Kelbert, Livonia Franklin
OL: Lamar Fairfax Jr., Belleville
OL: Bryar Inman, Glenn
OL: Elijah Triplet, Redford Union
OL: Garrett Timmerman, Riverview
OL: Julian Castillo, Franklin
WR: Daron Clay, Dearborn Heights Robichaud
QB: Graham Junge, Flat Rock
RB: Jaxon McCaig, Plymouth
RB: Jack Mills, Airport
RB: Nathan Pinkava, Riverview
K/P: Kaemon Tijerina, Redford Union
Defense
DL: Mike Beaudrie, Flat Rock
DL: Hussien Ajamai, Fordson
DL: Matthew Foor, Airport
DL: Jadien Mavins, Franklin
LB: Lamar Mallard, Romulus
LB: Teegan Nagy, Carlson
LB: Max Lockhart, Riverview
DB: Cullen Murphy, Northville
DB: Caleb Williams, Canton
DB: Micah Smith, New Boston Huron
DB: Jamel Belcher, Redford Union
Honorable mention
Receivers: Cam Johnson, Allen Park; Chase Cline, Wyandotte; Thomas Laskowski, Southgate; Colin Nowak, Airport; Rocco Breslin, Flat Rock; Brady Isaacson, Dearborn; Julian Johnson, Belleville; Colin Charles, Northville; Azarius Hayes, Plymouth Salem; Mylek Lee, Romulus; Ali Elkadra, Dearborn Heights Crestwood; Peyton Sitarski, Churchill;
Linemen: Andrew Dishneau, Trenton; Cooper Brown, Allen Park; Gavin Labadie, Riverview; Alex Gillum, Riverview; Richardo Wourman, Livonia Stevenson;
Quarterbacks: Braylon Orsette, Allen Park; Keegan Lewis, Trenton; Jackson Sage, Southgate; Cooper Nye, Airport; Evan Snead, Churchill; Sam Plencner, Plymouth; Isaac Pace, Northville; Maurice Smith, Robichaud; Torrence Searcy, Romulus; Ali Achkar, Crestwood; Caleb DiBrano, Riverview; Nick Sobush, Richard;
Running backs: Chase Barbosa, Southgate; Tyler Traub, Divine Child; Josh Rempert, Allen Park; Ar’Jon Thompson, Stevenson; Jon Jasionowski, Franklin; Colbey Reed, Belleville; Devon Pettus, Canton; Aidan Moore, Salem; Kevin Brooks, Crestwood; Ashton Rooney, Trenton; Eli Craig, Clarenceville; Antonio Sobush, Richard;
Linebackers: Logan Ferrell, Lincoln Park; Brennan Caldwell, New Boston Huron; Tyler Radley, Glenn; Nick Edmunds, Garden City; Ali Sobh, Fordson; Mahdi Sabbagh, Dearborn; Blake Zoro, Stevenson; Jaylon Johnson, Clarenceville;
Defensive backs: Caleb Kidd, Trenton; Javion Tillman, Lincoln Park; Aidan Nolan, Stevenson; Mendal Broadan, Franklin; Jaycob Pieprzyk, Riverview; Khalil Bandar, Fordson; Andrew Porter, Southgate;
Kickers/punters: Kyler Ostrowski, Carlson; Carson Shene, Allen Park; Luc Damiani, Plymouth.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high school football: 2023 Free Press All-West team
