"Mike Weber is the best RB I've ever coached against," Chippewa Valley coach Scott Merchant shared with MLive. The Panthers earned the No. His favorite writing assignments have included the Summer Olympics in Australia and Greece, the Archdiocese of Baltimore's response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and Feet for Francis, a 2015 walking pilgrimage from the Baltimore Basilica to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis. Edwards was drafted No. St. Frances's supporters said the virtual banishment was thinly-veiled racismthe academy is a historically Black school in a conference largely full of white kids in Baltimore's suburbs. / CBS Baltimore. Were a 190-year-old high school.. The Baltimore metropolitan area has never seen a high school, in the same school year, ranked No. St. Frances Academy steamrolled the A Conference and became an important stop for major college recruiters. Has verified size and with plus length. The D Zone Football News Michigan High School Football State Champions listed since 1894. The grandson of legendary Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa, Jason made quite a name for himself at quarterback at Stevenson. The fact that it is occurring at a school with 172 students, on a campus that has no football facility and the Maryland State Penitentiary as a neighbor, makes it all the more compelling. When thinking of all the great football players, it is very difficult to even begin to make a definitive list of who are the greatest. In his final two years of high school, he totaled 224 tackles, two fumbles, blocked eight punts and 21 interceptions. After being a semifinalist for both the Jim Thorpe Award (top NCAA defensive back) and the Chuck Bednarik Award (top NCAA defender, Lewis was selected 92nd overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2017 NFL Draft. 2 team in the nation entering the game according to the high school sports site MaxPreps, hosted No. ERNEST SHAZOR, Detroit Martin Luther King. Productive player who is disruptive in middle of defense. Although the train blared its horn and railroad lights were flashing red, the gates did not come down in time to completely block Patterson from driving through and being fatally struck. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com), 11. Graham is now a Philadelphia legend ever since he strip-sacked New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII, giving the Eagles their first championship. It happened just after 9am at the railroad crossing on Maple Road West near Camp Meade Road. 17 ranking by USA Today. Frances Academy is the oldest continually operating predominantly black Catholic high school in the country. Boys basketball put the school on the athletic map, as William Wells, an art teacher and Madison Square Recreation Center leader, led the Panthers to their first BCL title in 1991. JOE DeLAMIELLEURE, Center Line St. Clement. 2021: Had 11.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss at Rock Creek Christian. This content is imported from youTube. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. I got here in 1984, Sister John Francis said. Her son doesn't play on the football team. Rajeir Jones was voted the BCL Defensive Player of the Year. Coleman told MLive earlier in the fall. (Mike Mulholland | mmulholl@mlive), 25. The team won the MIAA championship before the season even started since all those opponents had to forfeit their games, but scheduled intrasquad scrimmages, opponents from as far away as Canada, and road trips to the South for the players' benefit. Coleman gave Herrington a highlight tape and Herrington humored him and sent him to see assistant coach Bob Sutter. Because this doesn't go away. He began his journalism career with the Capital-Gazette Newspapers in Anne Arundel County, and spent more than 25 years as a sports writer for The Sun in Baltimore. After last season, Loyola Blakefield announced that its football program was withdrawing temporarily from the A Conference. Faith plays a huge component in us being able to do what we do. I believe people, if you get them alone and are able to talk to them, we're a country full of compassionate and good people on every side. (Wes Stafford | Bay City Times Photo). Iowa running back Fred Russell keeps an eye on his defender during 1st quarter action. Productive player who is disruptive in middle of defense. Nobody's getting a paycheck, nobody's brand is destroyed by a poor play. Corley finished his senior season with 59 receptions for 1,403 yards and 16 touchdowns. A star St. Frances Academy football player was killed Wednesday after a Light Rail train hit his car as it crossed the tracks in Linthicum. ALEX MALZONE, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice. Prayer for the Beatification of Mother Mary Lange, Mother Mary of Good Counsel Pastoral Counseling Center. Here is MLive's list of the top 25 football players of all time from the Metro Detroit area. He once rushed for 344 yards in a game his senior year and finished the season with 2,010 yards and 36 touchdowns on 208 carries (9.66 yards per carry). A great two-way player, Kelly is the best running back to come out of Oak Park high school possibly the best overall of all time. But, with high school football charging onSt. Eyabi Anoma accepted a scholarship to play for national champion Alabama; Peace Addo with Duke; Jaelyn Duncan with the University of Maryland; and Randy Fields with West Virginia University. DONNIE CORLEY, Detroit Martin Luther King. The defensive linemen went on to play for Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers and, eventually, the Detroit Lions. Quite simply, he was a defender's worst nightmare. We can up the laboratory. We can hire six new teachers. In the 1993 Rose Bowl win over Washington to cap a 9-0-3 season for Michigan, Wheatley famously rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns as he earned the game's MVP award. He was also named to the NFL's 1970s All-Decade team. The student population is still predominantly African-American. JOHN MILLER, Farmington Hills Harrison. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Bettis rushed for 13,664 yards in the NFL with 91 touchdowns. Nobody gets fired if a team doesn't do well. (There were no free public schools for children of color in Baltimore until 1866.) Any scholar-athlete who does not adhere to our code of conduct or standards is subject to disciplinary action. St. Frances is 8-0 and ranked No. The play, shown above, even earned the No. The Cost Of Winning: Official Trailer | HBO, 'The Last of Us' is 2023's First Great TV Show, 85+ Years of Award-Winning Journalism, Every Day, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Richmond has distressed neighborhoods. [9], St. Frances' football program has become the subject of controversy within Maryland in the late 2010s. 1 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays. (Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com), 1. 2 in the country by MaxPreps, a high school sports media website, and Florida's IMG is 8-1 and ranked No. Of course, Wheatley went on to become an icon at the University of Michigan, finishing fifth all-time in the school's record books for career rushing yardage (4,178). Its mentally challenging, Toles said, of his full schedule. In less than a decade, the Panthers have gone from not having a football program to one that last season rolled through the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, traveled out of state to beat other high-powered teams and finished ranked No. 443-524-3150 Jalon Jones dad said it best, Deacon Turner said. It's been really hard sociallyand when I say social, I mean their living circumstances. It goes in and then before you know itit's one kid, it's five kids, it's 15 kids, it's a hundred kids, and then that's how you change a place. He went on to play for the Michigan State Spartans, where he passed for 6,524 yards with 42 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his career, while also rushing for 1,512 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2016, Poggi left Gilman after winning 13 A Conference titles in 19 seasons. "Class ended and I threw the tape in," Herrington said. Arch Manning lost his student ID twice, USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school basketball rankings, week of Jan. 16, 2023, Texas HS football coach on leave after extremely intense workout hospitalized students, Check out the exclusive lineup of FOCO's Buffalo Bills Bighead Bobbleheads, Jackson Arnold named Gatorade National Football Player of the Year, Trentyn Flowers: 5-star small forward shares his list of top 5 schools, Colorado among schools Aaron Butler considering after decommitting from USC, The top 25 girls basketball recruits in the class of 2023, 25 of the greatest high school basketball players of all time, Friday Night Notes: Florida's Jaden Rashada drama, Justin Scott's top 8 schools and more, USA TODAY High School Sports Top 100: 2023 Recruiting Rankings, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Miller had 4,493 total rushing yards, which is second all time in the program's record books, with 72 rushing touchdowns. Then we had to pay teams to come to us. Baltimore, MD 21202. Has a sub 4.9 40 and sub 1.8 10-yard during St. Frances pro day. Nobody gets cut or traded. The coaches coach because they love it. He is currently playing for Texas Southern, a school that competes in the NCAA Division I-FCS. ESQ: Is there anything you wish I had asked you? The fickle nature of fans, who booed the Wolverines at halftime last week, has changed the college sports landscape during the years, and not for the better. Anoma transferred in as a junior from Randallstown High. I mean, it's significant. Kelly finished his senior season with 1,321 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 124 carries (10.65 yards per carry). [8] The community center was originally named after her and her husband, but his name was removed after the revelation of multiple sexual offenses. Sometimes gets moved at point of attack when trying to anchor. One of the most athletic receivers the state has ever seen, Peoples-Jones dominated opponents with his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame in high school. (LON HORWEDEL/The Ann Arbor News), 16. A car and Light Rail train collided Wednesday in Linthicum leaving a teenage football player dead. Lee moved on to Drexel, and last season Myles began putting into place what might be his best team. Birmingham Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone (12) runs up the field during their game against UD Jesuit at Ferndale High School in Ferndale Friday, October 17, 2014. He was named the Michigan High School Football Player of the Year for his efforts. LINTHICUM, Md. Has a sub 4.9 40 and sub 1.8 10-yard during St. Frances pro day. Because for $300,000, think about what we can do. In his four playoff games as a senior, Weber rushed for 890 yards and 13 touchdowns. Now, most of his private-school opponents say they won't play St. Frances, and . 3 overall in 2005 by the Cleveland Browns and spent time with the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in his eight-year NFL career that ended before the 2013 season. He played mostly on special teams his rookie season, including in the Super Bowl. The Panthers swept the Patriots and the Gaels, and lost only to Loyola Blakefield. His program was already established when St. Frances Academy finally built the aforementioned gym. And the only way they'll let you play football is if you're a private school. Its important for St. Frances Academy, and for us, said Myles, who doubles as the schools athletic director. For more high school stories, stats and videos, visit http://usatodayhss.com. We don't think any of that's true. "Baltimore school honors the Cosbys". Watch Baltimore (Md.) Volunteer Help the coach manage this team. 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He went to the University of Michigan as an associate head coach/special advisor to coach Jim Harbaugh, brother of John, the Ravens coach. Alert: ATTENTION: All scholars on the SFA football team should remain in virtual learning mode for this week. So we can't do that now because of the COVID rule. I was talking to another football coach for a different story and he said a lot of these young men have PTSD. All Rights Reserved. Being an active member of the Alumni Association allows you to stay connected to the school, faculty, and current students. Some St. Frances supporters believe the opponents' real motives are racial since there had been no complaints when predominantly white teams like Gilman had been similarly successful in earlier seasons. Harrison was 8-1 but didn't qualify for the playoffs his junior year. Everything else. In 2012, Camille Cosby, an alumna of a school in Washington run by the Oblates, and her husband Bill Cosby made a donation to assist St. Frances Academy in building a community center in East Baltimore. Instead, he was all about going straight through defenses in punishing fashion. In all games played scholars display proper respect for each other and their opponent. I believe that. Malzone was 24-1 as a full-time starter and part of Brother Rice's program record 33-game win streak, helping Fracassa end his coaching career with three-straight Division 2 state championships. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 4 national ranking. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. In the state championship wins, he had 89 receiving yards and a touchdown as a junior and 101 yards and a touchdown in his second showing. It's hurt the kids onforget the footballit's hurt on a very human visceral level. Plays with energy and effort. He had a promising start to his college career at Michigan State before getting dismissed from the team and getting charged with third-degree sexual assault of which he received three years probation. He went on to play for Michigan State and recorded 14 career interceptions as a safety. His ability to play both ways against brutal schedules that included, Farmington Hills Harrison and the brutal OAA teams, along with matchups against the likes of Cass Tech and St. Mary's, Kelly never backed down from a challenge. He went on to become a two-time consensus All-American selection for football at the University of Michigan, where he also earned varsity letters in basketball and track & field. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. All graduates of Saint Frances Academy are members of the Saint Frances Academy Alumni Association. He also caught four touchdown passes. You were probably wondering when we were going to take it way back. Athletic Background. A basketball player in her youth, Sister John Francis coached at St. Frances Academy, blogged about the sport and continues to keep the official scorebook at home games. Prayer for the Beatification of Mother Mary Lange. Detroit area all-time great Mill The Thrill Coleman talks about his nickname and his favorite memory of playing high school football at Farmington Hills Harrison in the late 1980s. BRAYLON EDWARDS, Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher. When Biff Poggi left Jim Harbaugh's Michigan coaching staff after just one season to become the head coach at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, he set out with one goal in mind turn the. Lamar Patterson, a junior, died Feb. 2 in a car crash, reportedly while driving to school. Because we've seen the violence and read about it. While providing a valuable service, they could not meet the demands of Baltimores growing free African-American population. But who are the best of the best? He scored touchdowns in five different ways as a senior by also recording a passing touchdown, an interception return for a touchdown, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and three kick returns brought back for a touchdown. He also scored three touchdowns on special teams while gaining 405 yards on kick returns and 337 on punt returns. The philosophy of the Saint Frances Academy athletic program continues the legacy of Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange through the demonstration of academic excellence, character building, self-discipline, teamwork, and charity. Leading a squad that doesn't flinch when it hears gunshots outside of practice, many of its players having lost more family and friends due to gun violence than you can count on your hand, St. Frances started winning games. Does that controversy speak to any kind of a larger problem in high school sports, even outside of football? They also have not ruled out the possibility of error on the part of the MTA train operator. 1 seed in the tournament, which concludes March 4 at Goucher College. Shoots gaps well playoff off the shoulder of center. Graham was one of the most decorated defensive players in state history, recording 307 tackles, 112 tackles for loss, 56 sacks, 16 fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles more and two interceptions during his high school career at linebacker. The kids are looking forward to that. Saint Frances Academy, with faith in Gods Providence, provides relevant educational programs that give all members a sense of their culture by helping students and members of our community, particularly the poor and the neglected, develop and live as respectful and responsible members of Gods family. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com), 24. They've picked it up. Cut to Poggi making his own schedule, shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars each season to travel the country to play the nation's best programs, even paying some of them to come to Baltimore. Lamar Patterson, 17, was in his junior year at the . Here are the other 25 greatest players lists from MLive regional sites: Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. St. Frances Academy Football St. Frances Academy Football OVERALL 9-1 0.90 Win % REGION - MIAA Freelance HOME2-1 AWAY7-0 NEUTRAL0-0 PF290 PA114 STREAK1L Contribute to the Team Complete the Schedule Add missing games to the schedule Complete the Roster Add missing athletes to the roster Add a Team Photo Give fans a look at the team Post a Video The Detroit-Metro list of 25 greatest football players of all time includes, clockwise from top left, Tyrone Wheatley, Devin Gardner, Ron Kramer, William Gholston and Mike Weber. 1 in the area. He went on to the coaching ranks at the high school, college and pro levels after his retirement as a player. Nobody knows anybody in high school football. Our scholars are respectful of all fans, officials, players, and coaches regardless of how they conduct themselves. Plays balanced and with body control. St. Frances Academy quarterback Jalon Jones looks to avoid Gilman School defenders during the MIAA championship game at Johns Hopkins Universitys Homewood Field in Baltimore Nov. 19. 10, with their only loss coming against the nation's. Stats certainly play a role, but so do national honors and, of course, winning. In fact, after all these years, the running back still stands out over most. When he graduated, Shaw was the first player to eclipse 100 career rushing touchdowns with 114. My husband is supposed to be paying, but he stopped. According to Deacon Turner, Poggi is funding scholarships for more than 40 football players at St. Frances Academy, where tuition is $9,150. Biff Poggi's St. Frances Academy Panthers won their league with a 13-0 record and notched a No. The quarterback was the state's first player to ever throw for more than 7,000 yards in a career and his 7,464 career passing yards was an MHSAA record that stood for 20 years before getting surpassed nine times in the last 10 years. Saint Frances Academy empowers urban youth with an ability to overcome obstacles in the face of hopelessness as they embrace opportunities to realize, develop, and share their potential within Gods earthly family. And so it's been really hard for our kids. In 1828, the same year Andrew Jackson unseated incumbent John Quincy Adams in the U.S. presidential election, the Oblate Sisters and Sulpician Father James Joubert opened a school in Baltimore to educate the children of slaves and former slaves. These kids, they're like our children and we're intimately involved in their lives. When youre in a school where everyone is a good athlete, no ones special, Myles said. BP: It really hurt us. Just as Deacon Turner is inspired by his high school experience, Myles is motivated by his days in the mid-1990s at Dunbar, when it was ending a run as the nations premier high school basketball program. St. Frances Academy is owned and operated by the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first sustainable Catholic sisterhood founded by women of African descent. ESQ: Its heartbreaking to see what these guys go throughlike Clowney saying one of his close friends died. A painting at the Oblate Sisters of Providence motherhouse in Baltimore depicts Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first Catholic order of African-American nuns. King also excelled at running back for Crockett and East English, rushing for over 1,000 yards in three-straight seasons. News Douglas McClain, Admissions Coordinator The toll taken on Baltimore City by illiteracy, addiction and incarceration was in mind when St. Frances Academy added football as an after-school diversion for boys in 2008. 2017 five-star Detroit Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones poses with Cass Tech Coach Thomas Wilcher after accepting the MLive Media Group's Michigan High Football Player of the Year at Cass Tech High School in Detroit on Tuesday Nov. 22, 2016. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. They're playing football in the state of Maryland. Tragedy struck in Baltimore on Wednesday, as St. Frances Academy football star Lamar Patterson was killed in a car accident while on his way to school. Of all the great players that have rolled out of Harrison over the years before it closed in the spring of 2019, Miller was the first one that really stood out. The schools assets include the charism of Mother Mary Lange, who helped found the 190-year-old school; a principal whose inspirations include his schoolboy days at a Catholic sports power in the Archdiocese of Washington; and, on the football side, a regional roster and the support of a man with experience building a dynasty.