FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Dakota ‘secret’ revealed in Week 1 victory

Jun 18, 2023

Dakota coaches knew three years ago a budding star receiver was in their football program.

The problem was, Trent Morin couldn’t out-run the injury bug.

Rotator cuff and labrum injuries sidelined Morin when he was in the 10th and 11th grades.

“I lost two years to arm injuries,” he said.

Now a 6-foot-6 senior, Morin validated his coaches’ optimism in the Cougars’ opener last week.

He caught three touchdown passes in his first game since the ninth grade as Dakota defeated Fordson 42-13.

“It’s great to see him come back to that form,” coach Greg Baur said. “He’s a weapon a lot of people didn’t know about, but they do now.”

Morin’s first two touchdown receptions came on passes from junior Jadon Ford, one on a 38-yard fade route and the other on a 46-yard post.

On the fade, Morin latched onto the ball at the three-yard line and tumbled into the end zone. On the post, he caught the ball at the 15 before completing the play.

“I’m glad to be back,” Morin said. “I worked so hard in the weight room and on the field to get out here. It feels great to be here and winning.”

Ford completed seven of 10 passes for 120 yards and the touchdowns to Morin before he injured his left collarbone.

Jack Naperkowski offered up Morin’s final TD reception with a 56-yard pass.

Baur said the Cougars “will be fine” while Ford heals.

“We have a good backup quarterback and a good offensive staff,” Baur said. “We’ll get through it.

“Last year, we had two quarterbacks go down in one week, and we managed to go through it for three weeks in the playoffs. We’ve been here before.”

Dakota went 9-0 in the regular season and won a district championship in 2022.

The Cougars play at Utica (1-0) on Thursday.

Preston Crum didn’t start, but he helped Eisenhower finish a season-opening victory.

The senior quarterback injured his left knee during camp and didn’t take the field until late in the second quarter against Oxford. He threw a pair of touchdown passes to Conner Temple to help the visiting Eagles win the non-league game 20-6.

“We had to get our groove,” Crum said. “It’s obviously the first game. There’s going to be mistakes, which we made. I just feel like right now with our senior leadership we’ve got the groove going. I think that picked us up and we got the job done tonight.”

Crum said he “wasn’t thinking about” the possibility of sitting out the entire game.

“I just wanted to see my team do well,” he said. “I just want to be a leader, have my team do what they can, and do what I can if I can.”

The Eagles play Ford (1-0) on Thursday.

Roseville defeated Brother Rice 41-0 in a Week 1 game Friday. It was the Warriors’ worst defeat since Traverse City Central beat Brother Rice 56-13 in Week 8 of the 2021 season.

Romeo and De La Salle Collegiate had long trips and close games in Week 1. The Pilots twice made the drive to Atwood Stadium in Flint. They started their non-league game against Davison on Thursday and finished Friday. Sawyer Glennie’s 24-yard touchdown pass to AJ Hill helped Davison complete a rally from a 14-0 deficit to a 31-26 victory. Romeo’s Kaden Burroughs passed for three touchdowns and ran for one, but the Bulldogs lost to 2022 state Division 1 runner-up Caledonia 35-28 at Michigan Stadium.

There’s a new coach and a new kind of start to the season at Memphis. The Yellowjackets defeated Genesee 41-0 on Friday, posting their first opening-game victory since 2018.

Four players rushed for 10 or more yards in coach Dan Pilgrim’s debut. Josh Blaszak, a junior, led the way with 12 carries for 275 yards and five touchdowns. Senior quarterback Josh Gazley had six carries for 46 yards; senior Caiden Borowski four for 43, and junior Jack Taylor two for 10 as Memphis rolled up 388 yards against a team moving back to 11-player football after competing in 8-player from 2018-22. Borowski caught a touchdown pass from Gazley. Ivan Padilla made four PAT kicks.

Memphis had eight sacks, including two apiece by Carter Long, Mason Tomasino and Austin Miller. The Jackets forced five fumbles and recovered four. Steven Kasten intercepted a pass.

Memphis, a member of the Greater Thumb Conference East, hosts Caro (0-1) in a non-league game Friday.

Macomb County’s only 8-player team has a new coach. Todd Wohlfeil took over at Merritt in June. “Our offseason program was abbreviated, but we have an exceptionally hard-working group of young men that are committed to continual growth as “brothers in arms.” They have embraced the challenges associated with establishing a new program identity/culture.

The Mustangs’ Week 1 home game against Burton Atherton was canceled “due to poor field conditions,” Wohlfeil said.

Zion Campbell, Jackson Dupuis and Kale Strauch are the Mustangs’ captains.

“Zion missed the majority of last season due to injury and has been on a mission to strengthen both his body and mind in preparation for this season,” Wohlfeil said. “Zion is due for a breakout senior year and I anticipate he will open the eyes of many college recruiters with his elite combination of size and speed.

“Jackson is definitely our vocal leader. He is tough as nails and the spark plug of our team. His intensity is infectious and the guys rally around him. I anticipate Jackson being an enforcer in all three phases of the game. He may have the best football IQ on team and has amazing instincts as a result.

“Kale has also spent the past year transforming his body and mind. He is the leader of our offensive and defensive lines. Kale likely won’t get much recognition from fans or media, but he does the dirty work in the trenches that is necessary to secure victory.”

“I am really excited to see how our season unfolds, but regardless of the results I am more excited to see each of the young men on this team grow and develop. Not only as football players, but more importantly as people. If we win every game but these young men don’t learn the skills needed to be great husbands, fathers and sons then I have done a huge disservice to them.”

Ann Arbor Richard at Mount Clemens, 4 p.m.

Armada at Yale

Center Line at Lamphere

Chippewa Valley at L’Anse Creuse

Clintondale at New Haven

Cousino at L’Anse Creuse North

Dakota at Utica

Eastpointe at Port Huron

Eisenhower at Ford

Fraser at Warren Woods-Tower

Grosse Pointe South at Anchor Bay

Lake Shore at Sterling Heights

Lutheran North at Carrollton

Madison at South Lake

Merritt at Ashley

Michigan Collegiate at Loyola

Parkway Christian at Cabrini

Port Huron Northern at Fitzgerald

Richmond at Croswell-Lexington

Romeo at Roseville

St. Clair at Lincoln

Stevenson at Lakeview

Warren-Mott at Grosse Pointe North

Caro at Memphis

De La Salle Collegiate at Muskegon

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