Speaker 1: We're going to be on in Lansing starting next week.
Speaker 1: WVFNAM joining there. And a guy who has visited that
Speaker 1: station and those airwaves a number of times, has been
Speaker 1: doing it for a long time, Mick McCabe. Nobody's been
Speaker 1: better at his job fifty four years with a Detroit
Speaker 1: Free Press. At one point he retired, that lasted ten
Speaker 1: months and now I'm not sure there's any website that
Speaker 1: gets as much clicks as Mick McCabe and the stuff
Speaker 1: that he writes on a regular basis about Michigan high
Speaker 1: school football and basketball as well. And he joins us
Speaker 1: here on exus and Bros. Make hope you have a
Speaker 1: good weekend. How are you today?
Speaker 2: Just lovely? How are you?
Speaker 3: I'm doing fine, fantastic.
Speaker 1: Thanks. You've come out with your top ten high school
Speaker 1: football teams that I want to get to in a moment.
Speaker 3: But first, with all your.
Speaker 1: Years of experience fifty four years, you see what has
Speaker 1: happened in high school football and high school sports in general.
Speaker 1: Where do you think it's at today? Do you like
Speaker 1: the positioning that it's at or are you concerned? And
Speaker 1: if so, what would that be?
Speaker 2: Well, my concern is the transfer portal, which we don't have.
Speaker 2: But kids are trying to transfer all over the place,
Speaker 2: and it's a lot of the problems stem from these coaches,
Speaker 2: not the high school coaches, but they're personal trainers who say, man,
Speaker 2: they're just not using you right, and you got to
Speaker 2: find a place that they're going to showcase you and
Speaker 2: things like that, and that's where we end up with
Speaker 2: kids transferring all over the place and really not working
Speaker 2: out for the best. And they just kill the high
Speaker 2: school coaches who don't know anything because they don't know
Speaker 2: how good you are. And they feed all this stuff
Speaker 2: to the parents who want to believe that their kid
Speaker 2: is so special they're going to be one of the
Speaker 2: two percent to get the scholarship. Of that two percent,
Speaker 2: over half of it aren't even full scholarships. And there's
Speaker 2: so much more academic money available athletic money available, but
Speaker 2: these parents just think athletics is a way to go
Speaker 2: to college.
Speaker 1: One of the things that concerns me, not just necessarily
Speaker 1: at the high school level, but more at the collegiate level.
Speaker 1: And because you've been in this business for such a
Speaker 1: long time, you could speak to this. My fear is
Speaker 1: with all the nil money Mick that what's going to
Speaker 1: happen is you're going to see a lot of other
Speaker 1: sports outside of football and basketball loose scholarships, the let's
Speaker 1: call them the Olympic sports that don't bring in a
Speaker 1: lot of money. Because you've got teams like USC and
Speaker 1: UCLA and Oregon and Washington now in the Big Ten
Speaker 1: and travel costs so much.
Speaker 3: Are we in danger of venturing into.
Speaker 1: A society where we're basically two sports and everything else
Speaker 1: is club sports?
Speaker 2: Do you think, well, I think what's going to happen.
Speaker 2: Our schools are going to just start dropping sports, just
Speaker 2: eliminating them all together, and which would be like what
Speaker 2: you're saying, you know, turn them in the club sports
Speaker 2: without scholarships. You know, they're they're basing everything on TV
Speaker 2: money and how much money all this stuff is going
Speaker 2: to bring into the department. And I just think, like
Speaker 2: the Big Ten, adding the teams they've added is just
Speaker 2: a recipe for disaster. I think that they should have
Speaker 2: the Big Ten, should have a football conference where they
Speaker 2: do have those teams for the West Coast, but then basketball, baseball, softball,
Speaker 2: I mean in Michigan or Michigan State, they're going to
Speaker 2: send somebody out to Southern their softball team out the
Speaker 2: Southern Calf for a weekend. How expensive is that going
Speaker 2: to be? And you know, I think they should just
Speaker 2: have a football only conference and then keep the Big
Speaker 2: Ten the way it is.
Speaker 1: One hundred percent agree with that mc mcab But the
Speaker 1: free press joining has fallen on Twitter at make McCabe
Speaker 1: one your top ten high school programs in the state
Speaker 1: of Michigan. How did you come to believe that this
Speaker 1: is the way to go Where you've got number one Belleville,
Speaker 1: and Dakota is at number three and Muskige getting number four.
Speaker 1: Our audience spans the entire state. Give us the top ten,
Speaker 1: and how you came to the conclusion that these are
Speaker 1: the best teams?
Speaker 2: Well, Belleville, they've got so many kids back from last
Speaker 2: year's team that was upset in the D one state
Speaker 2: championship game by Southfield A and T. And Isaiah Marshall,
Speaker 2: who was just fabulous. He's a freshman, a freshman quarterback
Speaker 2: at Kansas now. And then they picked up Eli Dotson
Speaker 2: from you know, a transfer from you d Jeshua who's
Speaker 2: really good, who's committed to Pittsburgh. They've got a couple
Speaker 2: of kids going to Miami. I'm Miami, Ohio. And of
Speaker 2: course the number one thing is Bryce Underwood, who was
Speaker 2: allegedly the number one quarterback in the country, you know,
Speaker 2: by twenty four to seven Sports and Rivals and those people.
Speaker 2: I don't know how you know, anybody can say this
Speaker 2: is the best quarterback in the country, you know, because
Speaker 2: it's a big, big country. But he's really talented, I
Speaker 2: mean really talented, and he's got enough pieces around him.
Speaker 2: I think they're the best team in the state. And
Speaker 2: Dakota this is the best team they've had in ten years,
Speaker 2: and they won a couple of state championships, so they
Speaker 2: know what it's like. And I think that they got
Speaker 2: a lot of beef upfront, and they got eight starters
Speaker 2: back on defense, and you know, their offensive line is
Speaker 2: really good, you know. And then Muskegan, you know, they've
Speaker 2: they've done everything at that school except repeat as state champs.
Speaker 2: And they've got enough kids coming back from last year's
Speaker 2: state championship which upset the LaSalle I think they're going
Speaker 2: to be talented again. Cast Tech at number four, they're
Speaker 2: they've got a lot of kids back Ninas turner starters
Speaker 2: on defense, and and they play, you know, usually really
Speaker 2: good defense and uh, you know the lot. One of
Speaker 2: the problems, one of the question marks is they've got
Speaker 2: a couple of kids, uh going at it for quarterback,
Speaker 2: and one of them is only a freshman and we'll
Speaker 2: see how he can do. But Davison the number five,
Speaker 2: uh A J. Hill who's their tailback. He's committed to
Speaker 2: Farris and and Ben Nichols is a big time offensive
Speaker 2: tackle and uh they open up with del Sal that
Speaker 2: will be really one good game West Bloomfield at number six.
Speaker 2: They're talented again. They got they lost on the last
Speaker 2: play of the game last year to Southfield A and
Speaker 2: T in the semi finals. And uh Lisia Durham and
Speaker 2: Cameron Flowers are two outstanding receivers. If they get a
Speaker 2: good quarterback play, they're capable of the long run. And
Speaker 2: Delasal number seven the Sante Gasparoni had a really good
Speaker 2: junior year last year. And then you throw in Phoenix
Speaker 2: Glassner a receiver, and they've got Isaiah Jones who's a
Speaker 2: very good defensive back. And Damian King could be another
Speaker 2: he could be a game changer at a wide receiver spot.
Speaker 2: Byron Center's got a ton of people back, especially at
Speaker 2: the skill positions. Isaiah Lee is a wide receiver defensive
Speaker 2: back who's also an outstanding basketball player. Landon Tounggate was
Speaker 2: a very good quarterback last year and won't be again.
Speaker 2: And number ten, I've got Lake Orion and this is
Speaker 2: Chris Bell's twenty second season. They won state championship. They've
Speaker 2: got a lot of kids back on offense and defense actually,
Speaker 2: and their entire secondary is back. So they're going to
Speaker 2: be very very good this year in a tough conference
Speaker 2: of the Oyer Red. Yeah.
Speaker 1: And then you've got Rockford at number eleven, which is
Speaker 1: interesting too. I mean, there's an awful lot of depth
Speaker 1: in Michigan. How often are you talking to coach in
Speaker 1: order for you to come together with all this and
Speaker 1: all these names that you're constantly following. I mean, Donovan
Speaker 1: Peoples Jones is fighting for a spot. You covered him
Speaker 1: in high school. It's amazing the amount of people that
Speaker 1: you've covered. How many coaches are you talking to on
Speaker 1: a regular basis to determine the depth and the strength
Speaker 1: of these teams?
Speaker 2: A lot? Yeah, And you know, just to get to
Speaker 2: the twenty five, how many calls do they have to
Speaker 2: make to we're not that good, but these guys are
Speaker 2: that good. And yeah, you talk to a lot of people.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, the rolodex has got to be thick. And
Speaker 1: for sure for Mick mckab follo him on Twitter at
Speaker 1: Mick McCabe one, he had the Detroit free press over
Speaker 1: fifty four years doing it and nobody doing it as
Speaker 1: well as heat is joining this here on X's and bros.
Speaker 1: All right, so you look at this team, you look
Speaker 1: at where it's at. It begins on Thursday. There are
Speaker 1: certain Marque matches. We know that there's a different playoff
Speaker 1: system these days in Michigan football.
Speaker 3: Do you like the playoff system that is currently in
Speaker 3: place or did you like it when there was more
Speaker 3: of a select number of teams and there was a
Speaker 3: different requirement to get there.
Speaker 2: Well, it was the problem was that all coaches care
Speaker 2: about and still to this day, is getting a win.
Speaker 2: And now they've skewed the playoff points system. You know,
Speaker 2: I don't mind two hundred and fifty six teams because
Speaker 2: football is the only sport than not every I mean,
Speaker 2: you can be er in twenty in basketball and you're
Speaker 2: still in the state playoffs. So it's the only sport
Speaker 2: where you don't get an automatic chance to win a
Speaker 2: state championship. So two hundred and fifty six seems to
Speaker 2: work well. And now the playoff point average, so you
Speaker 2: get some points for a loss depending on you know,
Speaker 2: how good that team is. So you know, some schools
Speaker 2: are saying, you know, what the hell, you know, we'll
Speaker 2: give it a shot. We're going to test ourselves against
Speaker 2: the team that we think is, you know, better than us,
Speaker 2: and if we do well, you know, we want to win,
Speaker 2: of course, but if we don't, well it's not the
Speaker 2: end of the world. We're going to get We're going
Speaker 2: to get points. I remember in nineteen seventy five there
Speaker 2: were four teams in eight classes and that was the
Speaker 2: state playoffs. I mean, can you I mean I was
Speaker 2: at Trenton and they the final game of the year.
Speaker 2: I think they beat Riverview Some'm like sixty three to
Speaker 2: nothing and they were, by far, I thought, the number
Speaker 2: one team in the state and they just missed out
Speaker 2: because caml lou Centro beat somebody three to nothing and
Speaker 2: they're in the state playoffs instead of Trenting.
Speaker 1: You you get teams, you get players, you get coaches.
Speaker 1: I feel like they've been cheated. I remember it was
Speaker 1: about I would say twenty years ago. I did a
Speaker 1: special on the best athletes the state has ever produced,
Speaker 1: and you were one of my key resources, and you
Speaker 1: actually joined me on screen as well. Tell me who
Speaker 1: are some of the best athletes you've ever covered and
Speaker 1: why you think they are among the best you've ever covered.
Speaker 2: Tyrone Weeley is the best, the best, Yeah, no question.
Speaker 2: We all know. We played in the NFL and was
Speaker 2: great and they're still talking about him up in Kingsford,
Speaker 2: which they've beaten the state finals. Just an unbelievable running back,
Speaker 2: a tremendous linebacker. They even started the season with him
Speaker 2: at quarterback, which was crazy, but then they moved him
Speaker 2: right back to back where he belonged, and and he
Speaker 2: combined the size, the power and the speed that you
Speaker 2: know you haven't seen. And the speed comes in when
Speaker 2: he won almost want to state championship and track all
Speaker 2: by himself, you know, the long jump, the sprints, the hurdles.
Speaker 2: He was just amazing. And uh, and people don't don't
Speaker 2: even know he was a basketball player. I know a
Speaker 2: friend of mine who was the official and uh, he
Speaker 2: was under the basket as Tyrone came down on a
Speaker 2: fast break one foot and one step inside the free
Speaker 2: throw lane. He took off and dunked, and the officials
Speaker 2: said the whistle dropped right out of his mouth. You know,
Speaker 2: he was just terrific. And he's a wonderful kid too.
Speaker 2: And he's a head coach of Wayne State. People probably
Speaker 2: don't remember Jim Pattorte Saint Mary's. He led them to
Speaker 2: a big upset they won the state championship and uh
Speaker 2: at Orchard Lake. And then he went on and led
Speaker 2: them to the basketball state championship and this for the
Speaker 2: baseball state playoffs. He was he was a tremendous baseball player,
Speaker 2: and so he went to Michigan signed for football with
Speaker 2: the understanding he could play baseball, and then after a
Speaker 2: couple of years gave up football and concentrated I'm in
Speaker 2: baseball and made it to the major leagues.
Speaker 1: Yeah, brother Tom, but yeah, I mean it's Jim. Jim
Speaker 1: Patark was a in case people don't remember, he was
Speaker 1: a quarterback there at Orchard Lake.
Speaker 3: Saint Mary's. An amazing player, right, give me a couple more.
Speaker 2: If you can't, let's see uh athletes. Well, Dan Marley, Uh,
Speaker 2: he was something at Traverse City Center, well just Travors
Speaker 2: City back then. Was a tremendous basketball player, of course,
Speaker 2: and he also played football early and then gave it
Speaker 2: up and he was There was a scout from Dallas
Speaker 2: Cowboys in at practice at football practice at Central Michigan
Speaker 2: and he's on the sidelines just screwing around and throwing
Speaker 2: the ball sixty seventy yards. Seriously, the guy scouts, who's that.
Speaker 2: He's a basketball player and he's also he was also
Speaker 2: a pitcher, very good, oh yeah, a very good high
Speaker 2: school pitcher. In fact, his junior year, they got beat
Speaker 2: by UCLA in the NCAA tournament Salt Lake City where
Speaker 2: they were Reggie Miller was on ul UCLA's team. Anyway
Speaker 2: they got he couldn't get a shot off because they
Speaker 2: were he was an inside player then. And the day
Speaker 2: they got back, after they had said we tournament, he
Speaker 2: went out for baseball and he says, you know this,
Speaker 2: this basketball might not work out. And then Charlie Coles
Speaker 2: over the next over the course of the spring and
Speaker 2: summer made him a perimeter player. People, people you know,
Speaker 2: just remember Dan is a really good three point player
Speaker 2: with Phoenix, but a three point shooter, but he was
Speaker 2: an inside player his first three years at Central Michigan.
Speaker 1: And I would say the other one and this I
Speaker 1: only remember this from when you and I had that
Speaker 1: conversation on TV. You had mentioned Andre Rising Yes, right, okay,
Speaker 1: because of and Rick Leach, all the two guys that
Speaker 1: stood up.
Speaker 2: Both troum Flint. Yeah, Ricky Leach was an option quarterback
Speaker 2: and uh, you know obviously played very know at Michigan
Speaker 2: in football, but he also was an outstanding basketball player
Speaker 2: averaged over twenty twenty points a game at Flint Southwestern
Speaker 2: and played like freshman ball when they had freshman basketball
Speaker 2: at Michigan. And then was was a terrific baseball player.
Speaker 2: That was his best sport. That's how he made it
Speaker 2: to the Major League. And then Andre Risen was an
Speaker 2: All stater in football, basketball and track and he made
Speaker 2: the All State team as a junior as a kicker.
Speaker 2: He's a really really good punter and oh yeah, and
Speaker 2: then you know he was somewhat a really good outstanding
Speaker 2: wide receiver and you know did that at Michigan State
Speaker 2: and with Atlanta Falcons and all that. But he was
Speaker 2: a really good basketball player and then he made All
Speaker 2: state and track too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he and Jeff Greer. I believe I could be
Speaker 1: wrong here, but this again based on our conversation.
Speaker 3: They were part of.
Speaker 1: That what is it mid to early to mid eighties
Speaker 1: crew that were number one, number two in the country
Speaker 1: and they only lost like three games their entire careers.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Glenn Rice also Gun Rice.
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, Rice, Yeah, that's right goo.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And Glenn Rice was you know, he deferred to
Speaker 2: Jeff Grayer as a junior and then he came on
Speaker 2: and had an unbelievable senior season and won the half
Speaker 2: Strand Mister Basketball Award.
Speaker 3: That's incredible stuff, man, You've seen it all.
Speaker 1: Great information, excellent work as always on the top twenty
Speaker 1: teams in the state. We only got to top ten,
Speaker 1: but top twenty teams in the state.
Speaker 2: Twenty five.
Speaker 3: Yeah, twenty five rather yeah, excuse me, twenty five.
Speaker 1: Mick McCabe fall him on Twitter at Mick McCabe one,
Speaker 1: and of course read his stuff on the Detroit Free
Speaker 1: Press every single week as he gets you ready for
Speaker 1: high school football and keeps you updated throughout what's going
Speaker 1: on in high school football and basketball all year round. Mick,
Speaker 1: Thanks as always, appreciate the friends Chip, thanks for the time,
Speaker 1: have a great week and enjoy Thursday.
Speaker 2: Okay, all right, you too. Thank you.