2007 Advertiser Football Dream Team
In case anyone was wondering who actually wrote this....here it is, with full credit given to the author.
By Andrew Selich
Sports Writer
TUSCOLA COUNTY - Football is a simple game. Two teams made up of eleven players line up against each other across the line of scrimmage and take turns fighting for yardage. The team with the ability to move the ball the farthest the most times and scores the most points within the time frame allowed wins the game.
Period.
As complex as the game may appear to be at certain times, it all begins with eleven players and one team. With that in mind, the 2007 Tuscola County Advertiser's Dream Team is a collection of the top eleven football players from in and around the Tuscola County area for the past football season.
One team....eleven guys. A throwback to another era, when eleven players took the field and played the whole game on both sides of the ball. No third-down specialists; no nickel-back defensive players.
Just eleven guys led by one coach.
After leading Frankenmuth to an 8-1 regular season record and the school's first outright Tri-Valley East championship since 1997; the sports staff at the Advertiser has chosen the Eagles' John Blankenship as the 2007 Coach of the Year.
Blankenship, who has a 197-72-4 overall coaching record in over 30 years as a high school football coach; just finished his second season in his second tenure as the head man in Frankenmuth. Blankenship ended this season by getting his 88th career win at Frankenmuth, which moves him into a first-place tie in school history with Bud Tompkins, who was the head coach at the school from 1966-79.
Leading the Dream Team is 2007 Advertiser Player of the Year, Millington's Dustin Griesing.
Perhaps no single player in the Tuscola County area meant as much to his team than did Griesing in the 2007 season. Griesing led the Cardinals to a 9-2 (8-1 regular season) record, and along the way was named First-Team All-Conference in the Tri-Valley East as both a quarterback and a defensive back.
"(Dustin's) a real good quarterback," Millington coach Tim Furno said earlier in the year. "He's a smart kid who just doesn't get rattled when the pressure is on.
"He rarely makes the wrong decision when he has the ball."
Griesing ended the year completing 95-of-160 passes for 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns with just five interceptions. Griesing also added 631 yards rushing on 109 carries for another 12 touchdowns on the ground. In all, Griesing accounted for 2,250 yards, tops in the Tuscola County area.
As a defensive back, Griesing was second in the area with four interceptions and was third on his team in tackles.
Joining Griesing on the 2007 Advertiser Dream Team are Reese's Isaac Zimmer and fellow Rocket, Will Tack; Marlette's Austin Comment; Unionville-Sebewaing's Lance VanHoost; Kingston's Raydar Williams; Frankenmuth's Ryan Keith and Nathan Cormier; North Branch's Zac Hueter; Millington's Richard Osborn and Caro's Corey Robinson.
The 9-0 Reese Rockets were an easy selection as Advertiser Team of the Year, especially after repeating as Greater Thumb West champions. With players like Zimmer and Tack, it's easy to see why the Rockets were so successful this season.
Zimmer led his team with 28 receptions for 413 yards and eight touchdowns and finished the year with 1,091 all-purpose yards and 12 scores.
Zimmer also had 50 tackles and led the area with five interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Zimmer also had a 60-yard fumble return for a score for the Greater Thumb West champion Rockets.
"Isaac is a game-breaker," Reese coach Bob Saylor said. "He might take a risk here and there. He challenges every chance he can get.
"He is a great player."
Zimmer was a First-Team selection in the GTW on both offense and defense for each of the last two years.
Tack, a First-Team GTW pick on defense and a Second Team All-Conference running back this season, led the Rockets with 15 touchdowns this season. The junior running back rushed for 524 yards on 83 carries while also recording 71 tackles and one sack as a linebacker.
No player in the area accounted for more points this season than did Marlette's Comment. Comment accounted for 30 touchdowns and 2,172 yards in leading the Red Raiders to a 6-4 record and the school's second-ever playoff appearance.
Comment completed 58-of-109 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, which is a school-record. Comment also rushed for 1,020 yards on 117 carries and 15 touchdowns. The three-year starter also returned one kickoff for a touchdown and was a starter in the defensive backfield for coach Dennis Lester.
"Austin is a very explosive player," Lester said. "He is by far the most dangerous offensive player that has come through Marlette in a long time."
Comment was named First Team offense in the Greater Thumb East as a quarterback while also garnering Second Team honors as a defensive back.
USA's VanHoost not only led the Tuscola County area in rushing yards in the regular season but also carried the Patriots back into the playoffs after a one-year absence.
VanHoost gained 1,143 yards rushing and went for 10 touchdowns on 202 attempts and was named a First Team running back in the Greater Thumb West. Also a downfield threat, VanHoost caught 12 passes for 178 yards and another score.
"Lance has been a trememdous leader for us for the last two years," VanSumeren said. "He's been a starter on defense for the last three seasons, and even started on our State Finalist team in 2005.
"This year, he became our workhorse on both sides of the ball."
On defense, VanHoost led the Patriots with 85 tackles and grabbed two interceptions as the 6-0 senior was also named First Team in the GTW as a linebacker.
The only other player to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in the regular season was Kingston's Williams.
Williams, who led the area in points scored with 130, finished the year with 1,016 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on 119 carries. Williams, who was named as a First Team running back in the North Central Thumb League this season; added 110 yards receiving on just seven catches and another score. During a three-game stretch during the season, Williams rushed for more than 200-yards in every game, helping the Cardinals finish the year with a 4-5 record.
Frankenmuth's Keith and Cormier are two of the main reason why the Eagles won the Tri-Valley East title this season.
Keith accounted for 1,455 yards in 2007, rushing for 780 on 127 carries while also adding 318 yards receiving on 24 receptions. Keith scored 12 touchdowns, had 100 yards on punt returns, 257 on kick off returns and even kicked the game-winning field goal for the Eagles in a win over Birch Run.
"Ryan was pretty steady for us all year," Blankenship said. "He was one of our leaders out there and he can really make a difference for us when we needed to make a big play."
On defense, Keith registered 41 tackles, had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Along the way, Keith was named First Team All-Conference in the TVE for both offense and defense.
The Eagles' leading tackler a year ago, Cormier made his mark on both sides of the ball this season for the Tri-Valley East champs.
Cormier rushed for 744 yards on 107 carries, finding the endzone eight times during the regular season. Cormier also averaged 32.2 yards a punt as the team's punter, including putting 11 punts inside the opposing team's 20 yard line.
On defense, Cormier recorded 62 tackles, had two interceptions and recorded 10 tackles for a loss. He was named First Team All-TVE as a fullback and was named Second Team All-Conference as a linebacker for the 2007 season.
North Branch's Zac Hueter (6-8, 280) was named First Team All-Conference in the Tri-Valley East as a defensive lineman this season for the second straight year, but this year the big man was also named First Team on the offensive side of the ball as well.
"Zac's obvious strength is his size," North Branch interim head coach Pat Forster said before the season. "But Zac combines that size with quickness and speed.
"His time in 40-yard dash is right around 4.9-5.0."
Hueter is being recruited by several Big Ten schools, including Michigan and he has already received a scholarship offer from Central Michigan Unversity.
No linebacker in the Tuscola County area has been as good over the last two years as Millington's Richard Osborn.
Osborn has recorded more than 100 tackles over each of the last two season's, and was named First Team All Conference in the Tri-Valley on defense this year for the second straight year.
Osborn was third in the area in tackles a year ago with 103 and led the Tuscola County area this season with 118 stops for coach Tim Furno's defense. Osborn was also the main catalyst behind a Cardinal defense that allowed just 154 points in the regular season.
Caro's Robinson was the bright spot on a Tigers team which won just one game this season. Robinson led his team in tackles with 95, an impressive number considering he plays the defensive line.
"We used Corey everywhere this year," Caro coach Al Boydston said. "Corey is impossible to block with one guy. He's quick, agile, field smart and a sure tackler."
Robinson was named First Team All-Conference in the TVE on both sides of the ball this season, finishing with 2.5 sacks, six tackles for losses and blocked four extra point attempts this season.
That is the Dream Team. One team...eleven guys. The best of the best for the 2007 season.
By Andrew Selich
Sports Writer
TUSCOLA COUNTY - Football is a simple game. Two teams made up of eleven players line up against each other across the line of scrimmage and take turns fighting for yardage. The team with the ability to move the ball the farthest the most times and scores the most points within the time frame allowed wins the game.
Period.
As complex as the game may appear to be at certain times, it all begins with eleven players and one team. With that in mind, the 2007 Tuscola County Advertiser's Dream Team is a collection of the top eleven football players from in and around the Tuscola County area for the past football season.
One team....eleven guys. A throwback to another era, when eleven players took the field and played the whole game on both sides of the ball. No third-down specialists; no nickel-back defensive players.
Just eleven guys led by one coach.
After leading Frankenmuth to an 8-1 regular season record and the school's first outright Tri-Valley East championship since 1997; the sports staff at the Advertiser has chosen the Eagles' John Blankenship as the 2007 Coach of the Year.
Blankenship, who has a 197-72-4 overall coaching record in over 30 years as a high school football coach; just finished his second season in his second tenure as the head man in Frankenmuth. Blankenship ended this season by getting his 88th career win at Frankenmuth, which moves him into a first-place tie in school history with Bud Tompkins, who was the head coach at the school from 1966-79.
Leading the Dream Team is 2007 Advertiser Player of the Year, Millington's Dustin Griesing.
Perhaps no single player in the Tuscola County area meant as much to his team than did Griesing in the 2007 season. Griesing led the Cardinals to a 9-2 (8-1 regular season) record, and along the way was named First-Team All-Conference in the Tri-Valley East as both a quarterback and a defensive back.
"(Dustin's) a real good quarterback," Millington coach Tim Furno said earlier in the year. "He's a smart kid who just doesn't get rattled when the pressure is on.
"He rarely makes the wrong decision when he has the ball."
Griesing ended the year completing 95-of-160 passes for 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns with just five interceptions. Griesing also added 631 yards rushing on 109 carries for another 12 touchdowns on the ground. In all, Griesing accounted for 2,250 yards, tops in the Tuscola County area.
As a defensive back, Griesing was second in the area with four interceptions and was third on his team in tackles.
Joining Griesing on the 2007 Advertiser Dream Team are Reese's Isaac Zimmer and fellow Rocket, Will Tack; Marlette's Austin Comment; Unionville-Sebewaing's Lance VanHoost; Kingston's Raydar Williams; Frankenmuth's Ryan Keith and Nathan Cormier; North Branch's Zac Hueter; Millington's Richard Osborn and Caro's Corey Robinson.
The 9-0 Reese Rockets were an easy selection as Advertiser Team of the Year, especially after repeating as Greater Thumb West champions. With players like Zimmer and Tack, it's easy to see why the Rockets were so successful this season.
Zimmer led his team with 28 receptions for 413 yards and eight touchdowns and finished the year with 1,091 all-purpose yards and 12 scores.
Zimmer also had 50 tackles and led the area with five interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Zimmer also had a 60-yard fumble return for a score for the Greater Thumb West champion Rockets.
"Isaac is a game-breaker," Reese coach Bob Saylor said. "He might take a risk here and there. He challenges every chance he can get.
"He is a great player."
Zimmer was a First-Team selection in the GTW on both offense and defense for each of the last two years.
Tack, a First-Team GTW pick on defense and a Second Team All-Conference running back this season, led the Rockets with 15 touchdowns this season. The junior running back rushed for 524 yards on 83 carries while also recording 71 tackles and one sack as a linebacker.
No player in the area accounted for more points this season than did Marlette's Comment. Comment accounted for 30 touchdowns and 2,172 yards in leading the Red Raiders to a 6-4 record and the school's second-ever playoff appearance.
Comment completed 58-of-109 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, which is a school-record. Comment also rushed for 1,020 yards on 117 carries and 15 touchdowns. The three-year starter also returned one kickoff for a touchdown and was a starter in the defensive backfield for coach Dennis Lester.
"Austin is a very explosive player," Lester said. "He is by far the most dangerous offensive player that has come through Marlette in a long time."
Comment was named First Team offense in the Greater Thumb East as a quarterback while also garnering Second Team honors as a defensive back.
USA's VanHoost not only led the Tuscola County area in rushing yards in the regular season but also carried the Patriots back into the playoffs after a one-year absence.
VanHoost gained 1,143 yards rushing and went for 10 touchdowns on 202 attempts and was named a First Team running back in the Greater Thumb West. Also a downfield threat, VanHoost caught 12 passes for 178 yards and another score.
"Lance has been a trememdous leader for us for the last two years," VanSumeren said. "He's been a starter on defense for the last three seasons, and even started on our State Finalist team in 2005.
"This year, he became our workhorse on both sides of the ball."
On defense, VanHoost led the Patriots with 85 tackles and grabbed two interceptions as the 6-0 senior was also named First Team in the GTW as a linebacker.
The only other player to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in the regular season was Kingston's Williams.
Williams, who led the area in points scored with 130, finished the year with 1,016 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on 119 carries. Williams, who was named as a First Team running back in the North Central Thumb League this season; added 110 yards receiving on just seven catches and another score. During a three-game stretch during the season, Williams rushed for more than 200-yards in every game, helping the Cardinals finish the year with a 4-5 record.
Frankenmuth's Keith and Cormier are two of the main reason why the Eagles won the Tri-Valley East title this season.
Keith accounted for 1,455 yards in 2007, rushing for 780 on 127 carries while also adding 318 yards receiving on 24 receptions. Keith scored 12 touchdowns, had 100 yards on punt returns, 257 on kick off returns and even kicked the game-winning field goal for the Eagles in a win over Birch Run.
"Ryan was pretty steady for us all year," Blankenship said. "He was one of our leaders out there and he can really make a difference for us when we needed to make a big play."
On defense, Keith registered 41 tackles, had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Along the way, Keith was named First Team All-Conference in the TVE for both offense and defense.
The Eagles' leading tackler a year ago, Cormier made his mark on both sides of the ball this season for the Tri-Valley East champs.
Cormier rushed for 744 yards on 107 carries, finding the endzone eight times during the regular season. Cormier also averaged 32.2 yards a punt as the team's punter, including putting 11 punts inside the opposing team's 20 yard line.
On defense, Cormier recorded 62 tackles, had two interceptions and recorded 10 tackles for a loss. He was named First Team All-TVE as a fullback and was named Second Team All-Conference as a linebacker for the 2007 season.
North Branch's Zac Hueter (6-8, 280) was named First Team All-Conference in the Tri-Valley East as a defensive lineman this season for the second straight year, but this year the big man was also named First Team on the offensive side of the ball as well.
"Zac's obvious strength is his size," North Branch interim head coach Pat Forster said before the season. "But Zac combines that size with quickness and speed.
"His time in 40-yard dash is right around 4.9-5.0."
Hueter is being recruited by several Big Ten schools, including Michigan and he has already received a scholarship offer from Central Michigan Unversity.
No linebacker in the Tuscola County area has been as good over the last two years as Millington's Richard Osborn.
Osborn has recorded more than 100 tackles over each of the last two season's, and was named First Team All Conference in the Tri-Valley on defense this year for the second straight year.
Osborn was third in the area in tackles a year ago with 103 and led the Tuscola County area this season with 118 stops for coach Tim Furno's defense. Osborn was also the main catalyst behind a Cardinal defense that allowed just 154 points in the regular season.
Caro's Robinson was the bright spot on a Tigers team which won just one game this season. Robinson led his team in tackles with 95, an impressive number considering he plays the defensive line.
"We used Corey everywhere this year," Caro coach Al Boydston said. "Corey is impossible to block with one guy. He's quick, agile, field smart and a sure tackler."
Robinson was named First Team All-Conference in the TVE on both sides of the ball this season, finishing with 2.5 sacks, six tackles for losses and blocked four extra point attempts this season.
That is the Dream Team. One team...eleven guys. The best of the best for the 2007 season.
Comments
I saw the online edition had your byline. Maybe there's a double standard?