Meet the 2015 All-County Football Team
All-County First Team
Offense
Noah Marshall
SCHOOL: Hartland
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Quarterback
ACHIEVEMENTS: A three-year varsity starter, Marshall excelled in his final year under center for the Eagles, who secured their third KLAA West championship and third trip to the playoffs in four seasons under Brian Savage. Marshall was the key cog in that success on offense, totaling 1,691 yards — 960 passing yards, 731 rushing yards — while throwing 15 touchdowns and running in another six, this despite missing significant chunks of games late in the season due to injury. His dual-threat ability changed the dynamic of Hartland’s offense, and he was one of the county’s best players who got consideration for Offensive Player of the Year.
COACH’S TAKE: “Noah was a three-year starter for us at quarterback and he was a very good runner as a QB,” Hartland coach Brian Savage said.
Joey Clifford
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Running Back
ACHIEVEMENTS: The senior running back’s worst game this season was 96 yards. His “worst” game of the year, and he came within 4 yards of hitting triple digits. That’s how good Clifford was. He ran for a mind-blowing total of 1,659 yards this season with an equally insane 24 touchdowns. That’s an averaging of 150.8 yards and 2.2 touchdowns per game. Yeah, head coach Brian Lemons loved having Clifford on his side.
COACH’S TAKE: “Our offense is a run-oriented offense that utilizes that quite a bit,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “It kinda circles around having a quality running back in the backfield, and Joey’s an above-average running back with lots of skill, running and receiving. There’s a lot of things we could use that he possessed, so I was pretty excited.”
Rory Poszywak
SCHOOL: Pinckney
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Running Back
ACHIEVEMENTS: Poszywak was key on both sides of the ball for the Pirates this season, and really could have made the First Team as both a running back and linebacker if the latter hadn’t been so stacked with talent. On offense, he had only 92 carries, but certainly made the most of them, accumulating 583 rushing yards to go with six touchdowns. He was especially key on the offensive side down the stretch, helping Pinckney recover from an 0-5 start to go 4-5 and end the year on a four-game winning streak. Defensively, he made 67 tackles — 3.5 of which were for losses — with a sack and three fumble recoveries.
COACH’S TAKE: “He was the captain and leader of our defense,” Pinckney coach Jakob Gailitis said. “Rory did anything and everything asked of him. He’s the definition of a team player. He’s looking to continue his playing career at the (Division III) level.
Trevor Wetzel
SCHOOL: Howell
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Wide Receiver
ACHIEVEMENTS: Wetzel, by far, was the county’s best wideout in 2015, averaging 66.2 yards per game and 25 yards per catch en route to leading the Highlanders to a 5-4 record and first playoff appearance in three seasons. And his season could have been even better had he not missed some time due to injury. He concluded the year with 662 receiving yards and seven touchdowns — both the most of any county receiver — on only 22 receptions, and earned his way into the conversation for Offensive Player of the Year.
COACH’S TAKE: “Trevor was our most skilled player,” Howell coach Aaron Metz said, “and was a big-play threat, averaging over 25 yards a catch.”
Zach Behnke
SCHOOL: Hartland
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Wide Receiver
ACHIEVEMENTS: Behnke was one of Hartland’s most versatile weapons this season, playing a stellar wide receiver and kick returners, and even lining up to take direct snaps on occasion for the Eagles. As a receiver, he had 21 catches for 428 yards — 42.8 yards per game and 20.4 yards per catch — while grabbing five touchdowns. He also recorded 230 yards off of kick returns.
COACH’S TAKE: “He averaged 29 yards on kick returns and also had a touchdown on a kickoff return,” Hartland coach Brian Savage said. “Teams began kicking away from him later in the season.”
Brendan Dewey
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Offensive Line
ACHIEVEMENTS: Like Brendan Klaus, Dewey was pivotal to the Bulldogs run-heavy attack on offense. He differs in that he did it from the center spot. The 6-foot, 250-pound senior was part of the area’s best offensive line, which allowed only eight quarterback sacks on the year and created weekly holes for the county’s best rushing attack.
COACH’S TAKE: “Brendan Dewey was our center and probably most underrated lineman that we had,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “Big body and did a great job at handling all the calls up front.”
Brendan Klaus
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Offensive Line
ACHIEVEMENTS: Of course, Joey Clifford couldn’t have rushed for nearly, 1,700 yards without the help of him dominant offensive line, which was anchored by Klaus, its three-year varsity starter. Klaus helped pave holes week in and week out against some of the state’s best defenses, and was a key reason why the Bulldogs rushed for 2,386 yards on the season and 216.9 yards per game. The Bulldogs tackle was also a big part of why senior quarterback Grant Dunatchik was sacked only five times in nine games.
COACH’S TAKE: “He was our top lineman,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “Literally, the leader of our offensive line. We could count on him to open up gaps for us when we really needed it."
Dan Collins
SCHOOL: Howell
CLASS: Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS: The Highlanders had one of the area’s best offenses, led by a stellar wide receiver in Trevor Wetzel and a fearsome offensive line that opened holes for a rushing attack that eclipsed 1,700 yards and produced 15 touchdowns. Collins, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior, led that offensive line from the tackle position. He was pivotal to the Highlanders, who averaged their most points per game (23.4) in five years.
COACH’S TAKE: “Dan was our strongest player and great team leader,” Howell coach Aaron Metz said. “Dan was the guy up front that really changed the line of scrimmage for us.”
Hayden Huttala
SCHOOL: Hartland
CLASS: Junior
POSITION: Offensive Line
ACHIEVEMENTS: In his second year as a varsity starter, Huttala made huge strides. And that’s saying something because the Eagles junior was already pretty impressive as a sophomore. The 6-foot-1, 233-pound right tackle paved holes for junior running back Jack Slavin and quarterback Noah Marshall to run through, while also providing Marshall the time he needed to find his receivers. He’ll return next season to a team that’s coming off two straight KLAA West co-championships.
COACH’S TAKE: “Our most dependable and consistent blocker,” Hartland coach Brian Savage said. “(He) plays at a very intense level, finishing blocks on every play.”
Nate Houghteling
SCHOOL: Pinckney
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Offensive Line
ACHIEVEMENTS: Over his three seasons on varsity, Houghteling made 29 starts. He never missed a game for the Pirates and that’s an impressive feat considering he’s been a two-way player, doubling as an offensive and defensive tackle. On offense, he helped paved the way for running backs Rory Poszywak and Tyler Diehr, as well as dual-threat quarterback Austin Staebler, who all eclipsed 400 yards on less than 100 carries. Defensively, he made 32 total tackles, one for a loss and one sack.
COACH’S TAKE: “Nate never missed a game or even a practice,” Pinckney coach Jakob Gailitis said. “Tough, throwback player who always gave maximum effort in everything he does. Not the biggest player, but had great fundamentals and discipline.”
Bailey Edwards
SCHOOL: Fowlerville
CLASS: Junior
POSITION: Kicker
ACHIEVEMENTS: Edwards, simply put, was a dual-sport star for the Gladiators. He was called the heart and soul of the Gladiators soccer team by Fowlerville coach Doug Jarvis, and he was the hero in what was one of Fowlerville’s biggest wins of the decade. His 44-yard game-winner as time expired to defeat Williamston was one of the most thrilling moments of the season in Livingston County. He was 4-for-5 on field goals on the season — all of which came from 30 yards or longer — and he went a perfect 23-for-23 on extra points. His coaches were confident in calling on him at any time.
COACH’S TAKE: “(Edwards was a) junior (that went) 100 percent on extra points, 23-for-23,” Fowlerville coach Bret Shrader said. “(He was) 4-for-5 on field goals, all 30 yards or longer. (His) long was a 44-yard game-winner (against Williamston).”
Defense
Aedan Eisenhart
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Defensive Line
ACHIEVEMENTS: Eisehart was simply phenomenal for the Bulldogs playing out of the defensive end spot this season. Although he played in only seven games, he tallied 23 tackles — 16 solo and seven assisted — while compiling three sacks, seven tackles for a loss, two interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. He was all over the field making plays for a Brighton defense that was by far the KLAA West’s best, giving up the division’s lowest total points (170) despite playing at least one extra game than its other league foes.
COACH’S TAKE: “One of our standouts defensively,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “He made a lot of big plays and anchored our defensive front four.”
Andy Maschke
SCHOOL: Hartland
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Defensive Line
ACHIEVEMENTS: One could perhaps argue that Maschke doesn’t belong as a first-teamer because he only played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury. But his impact in those six games cannot be understated. He was one of the county’s best defensive linemen, tallying 19 solo tackles, nine assisted tackled, five sacks, a fumble recovery and scored a defensive touchdown. Maschke graduates as a three-year varsity starter and four-year letter winner.
COACH’S TAKE: “Andy was the most dominating defensive lineman I have seen in several years,” Hartland coach Brian Savage said. “Most games, teams double-teamed Andy … and he still had an outstanding season that ended in six games with an unfortunate injury.”
Wes Smith
SCHOOL: Pinckney
CLASS: Junior
POSITION: Defensive Line
ACHIEVEMENTS: Smith was a special, special player coming off the edge for the Pirates defense this season. He notched 58 tackles in his junior campaign — including 9.5 tackles for a loss — and 8.5 sacks, the most of any player in the county. He was a feared pass rusher and Pinckney coach Jakob Gailitis will be thrilled to have his defensive end back for one more season in 2016.
COACH’S TAKE: “Wes is an extremely physical and explosive player,” Pinckney coach Jakob Gailitis said. “He has a nonstop motor in pass rush or in pursuit (and) he never takes a play off.”
Aaron Laird
SCHOOL: Hartland
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Linebacker
ACHIEVEMENTS: Laird was the Hartland defense’s heart and soul. The undersized, 5-foot-6 inside linebacker had an impressive season captaining the Eagles defensive unit, notching 48 solo tackles, 67 assisted tackles and seven sacks to go along with one fumble recovery. What he lacked in height he made up for in every other facet of the game, using his speed, strength and elusiveness to get off blocks and stuff oncoming runners up the middle. He graduates as a three-year varsity starter and was right there in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.
COACH’S TAKE: “Aaron was part of a solid inside linebacking crew who stopped the run inside,” Hartland coach Brian Savage said. “Pound for pound, Aaron was our strongest player and maybe one of the strongest players in our league. His time in the weight room translated into speed and strength that allowed Aaron to play at a very high level, physically dominating players each week.”
Alex Vydick
SCHOOL: Hartland
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Linebacker
ACHIEVEMENTS: The combo of Laird and Vydick made it nearly impossible for teams to establish its running game between the tackles. Both were three-year varsity starters, well-experienced in stuffing the run, and Vydick was versatile enough to cover receivers as well. The Eagles’ leading tackler, Vydick recorded 60 solo tackles, 83 assisted tackles, one sack and an interception. Like Laird, he was heavily considered for Defensive Player of the Year.
COACH’S TAKE: “Alex was the other inside linebacker that made it very difficult for teams to run inside,” Hartland coach Brian Savage said. “Both he and Aaron caused most teams to go outside, trying to avoid our linebackers. Alex was also a three-year starter, who not only defended the run for us, but at times he was asked to cover receivers in our coverages. Very smart football player who was a coach on the field.”
Colin Close
SCHOOL: Pinckney
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Linebacker
ACHIEVEMENTS: It could have gone either way with Close or Rory Poszywak, who were both talented linebackers for the Pirates squad this season. But with Poszywak also being an outstanding runner, the decision was made easy. Close missed a game, yet still led the Pirates with 78 tackles — an average of 9.8 per game. He did this coming off a lost junior year in which he was sidelined with a knee injury. Twenty-five of those tackles were solo, 53 of them were assisted stops and 4.5 were for a loss.
COACH’S TAKE: “Smart and athletic,” Pinckney coach Jakob Gailitis said of Close. “He missed one game and was still our leading tackler. He’s an extremely coachable kid, who didn’t play as a junior due to knee injury, but worked hard to be ready for a big senior year.”
Mike Redlinger
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Linebacker
ACHIEVEMENTS: What a linebacking corps it was in Livingston County this year. And it was led by Redlinger, who was voted as the team;s defensive MVP for the KLAA West’s best defense and then was named Defensive Player of the Year, Entering the Grand Ledge game, the Bulldogs had given up a measly 12.2 points per game, and even after yielding 45 points to the Comets the mark of 15.5 was impressive. The do-it-all All-League senior made a team-high 45 stops — 39 solo, six assisted — with a sack, eight tackles for a loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.
COACH’S TAKE: “We gave Mike the defensive side of the ball,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “Our whole defense, none of those guys were spotlight type of guys. Every single one of them was out there for each other and Mike was kinda the ringleader of that. It was about the team first. All of those things were coming out of Mike’s mouth and it doesn’t surprise me he had a great season.”
Alfred Moll
SCHOOL: Howell
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Defensive Back
ACHIEVEMENTS: Moll quickly turned himself in the Highlanders’ top cornerback this year and earned the right to be matched up with any opponent’s best wide receiver on a weekly basis. He wound up with 21 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He also pitched in 326 total yards on offense — both as a runner and receiver — with three touchdowns. His versatility was key in the Highlanders going 5-4 and making the playoffs.
COACH’S TAKE: “Alfred developed into our best defensive back this season,” Howell coach Aaron Metz said. “We counted on Alfred to defend our opponent’s best receiver.”
Jerad Dokey
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Defensive Back
ACHIEVEMENTS: Dokey was the Bulldogs’ most versatile player, excelling on both offense and defense for an 8-1 regular-season team that held opponents to just over 15 points per game. He starred on defense, recording 20 tackles — 14 of which were solo — two tackles for a loss and three interceptions. He also made 13 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns while pitching in 434 return yards as Brighton’s go-to kickoff and punt returner. Brighton had 73 guys on the team this season, Dokey was the only one to play two ways.
COACH’S TAKE: “Best athlete on the team,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “Only guy to share time on both sides of the ball.”
Nick Semke
SCHOOL: Fowlerville
CLASS: Junior
POSITION: Defensive Back
ACHIEVEMENTS: It’s not often that a team calls on its quarterback to play defense. But when one can patrol the secondary as Semke can, it was a no-brainer for Fowlerville coach Bret Shrader to utilize his QB as a defensive back, also. Semke made 42 tackles on the season and picked off three passes. He also returned a fumble for a 50-yard score. On offense, he threw for 1,708 yards and rushed for another 568, totaling 19 touchdowns, including his defensive score. He epitomized a do-it-all player for the Gladiators.
COACH’S TAKE: “As a junior he threw for 1,078 yards (and) nine touchdowns. Rushed for 568 yards and nine touchdowns,” Fowlerville coach Bret Shrader said. “(He had) 42 tackles (and) three interceptions. (He also) caused and returned a fumble for a 50-yard TD.”
Tyler Reinhart
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Defensive Back
ACHIEVEMENTS: Brighton coach described Reinhart in four words: “Our best cover guy.” The overall numbers aren’t necessarily mind-blowing, he recorded 17 tackles, one for a loss and four interceptions. But considering he did this in only eight games, it was an impressive season for the Brighton senior. Of course, he was another crucial piece for the KLAA West’s top defense this year.
COACH’S TAKE: “Tyler Reinhart was part of a talented group of guys in our secondary,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “He had a standout senior year and became one of our better cover guys.”
Micah Charlick
SCHOOL: Brighton
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Punter
ACHIEVEMENTS: Charlick split punting duties with offensive lineman Austin Hessling, and the two were extremely close in terms of stats. Considering Hessling was also an excellent offensive lineman — earning Second Team honors — Charlick gets the nod. He punted 10 times for 731 total yards at a average of 38.5 yards per game and pinned opposing teams inside their 20-tad line on nine occasions.
COACH’S TAKE: “Great job coming in, first-year football player, and did a terrific job on kickoffs and really put our defense in a good position making teams travel the full field to try and score on us,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “As a punter, he specialized in the rugby punt and had great accuracy and an outstanding job.”
Second Team
Offense
QB: Brett Chaperon, Howell
RB: Jack Slavin, Hartland
RB: Joey Gossett, Howell
WR: Josh Nabozny, Fowlerville
WR: Rudy Ramirez, Brighton
OL: Austin Hessling, Brighton
OL: Bryce Bertl, Fowlerville
OL: Garrett Procknow, Fowlerville
OL: Jarrett Bohn, Pinckney
OL: Luke Tholen, Howell
K: Greg Kearns, Howell
Defense
DL: Eric Conquest, Brighton
DL: Nico Candela, Hartland
DL: Tanner Cowell, Hartland
LB: Avery Slade, Fowlerville
LB: Caleb Gordish, Howell
LB: Jack Aigner, Brighton
LB: Joe Senecal, Howell
DB: Adam Jolliff, Fowlerville
DB: Brett Borseth, Hartland
DB: Cameron Brigham, Fowlerville
DB: Jason Nystrom, Hartland
P: Brandon Wiese, Pinckney
Honorable Mention
BRIGHTON — Andrew Meyer, Austin Holm, Austin Kern, Bryce Salemo, Donnie Carruthers, Grant Dunatchik, Joel Halberg, Luke Helwing, Mike Hess, Nick Burger, Nick Crocker, Porter Groce.
FOWLERVILLE — Austin Cahoon, Trevor Brock, Reed Wilmot, Wyatt Thomas.
HARTLAND — Bryce Watson, Ethan Martin, Grant Prinzing, Jack Callaghan, Kyle Cavanaugh, Nathan Skene, RJ Bortle, Tommy Lappin, Tyler Bowen.
HOWELL — Adam Moussa, Alex Bosio, Logan Russo, Mitchell Susalla, Robert McQueen, Thomas Lassitter, Wil Manson.
PINCKNEY — Adam Sieler, Brandon Wiese, Joey Bachmeier, Kolton Pavlicek, Ryan Keough