By Staff
EAST LANSING – The Mid-Michigan Touchdown Club, a chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, will present the 2007 Michigan Great 8 Prep Football Awards at a banquet at the Kellogg Center on Wednesday, Nov. 28.
The state's top high school quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive lineman, defensive lineman, linebacker, defensive back and special teams performer will be saluted as the best of the best. The coaches of Michigan's eight state championship teams will also recognized.
Eight individuals, representing eight geographic regions, will be nominated for each of the eight position awards. Eight prep writers and broadcasters will make the nominations and pick the winners, with input from coaches.
Each nominee will be introduced and saluted before the position winners are announced. The Great 8 Awards will be presented four nights after the last of Michigan's eight prep championship games at Ford Field in Detroit.
The guest speaker at this year's event is Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio.
Tickets for the 6 p.m. banquet are $35 each – $25 for members of Mid-Michigan Touchdown Club – and include free parking. For ticket information, contact Mid-Michigan Touchdown Club President John Lewandowski at (517) 664-2995.
The Mid-Michigan Touchdown Club also sponsors the Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award each April and the Michigan College Coaches Kickoff Luncheon in August. The Daugherty Award, given for outstanding contributions to amateur football, is housed in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.
Great 8 nominees by position
Top QUARTERBACK: Region 1 – Nick Freeman, Gaylord; Region 2 – Kirk Deering, Grand Rapids West Catholic; Region 3 – William Arnold, Mount Pleasant; Region 4 – Dan VanDreumel, DeWitt; Region 5 – Jared Cowan, Davison; Region 6 – Rick Powell, Warren Cousino; Region 7 – Anthony Mifsud, Dearborn; Region 8 – Tyler Burke, Comstock.
Top RUNNING BACK: Region 1 – Casey Hares, Ishpeming; Region 2 – Joe Glendening, East Grand Rapids; Region 3 – Joe Bitterman, Chesaning; Region 4 – Isaac Harper, East Lansing; Region 5 – Mark Ingram, Flint Southwestern Academy; Region 6 – Jonas Gray, Birmingham Detroit Country Day; Region 7 – Darrin Williams, Detroit King; Region 8 – Larry Caper II, Battle Creek Central.
Top RECEIVER: Region 1 – Robert Phillips, Gaylord; Region 2 – Jake Mulder, Grand Rapids South Christian; Region 3 – Isaac Zimmer, Reese; Region 4 – Jason Fleet, DeWitt; Region 5 – Chad Pougnet, Linden; Region 6 – Rodney Hush, Macomb Dakota; Region 7 – Fred Smith, Detroit Southeastern; Region 8 – Nate White, Comstock.
Top OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: Region 1 – Rocko Khoury, Traverse City West; Region 2 – Matt Forward, Zeeland West; Region 3 – Jordan Rahme, Fulton, Region 4 – Austin Holtz, Holt; Region 5 – Zac Hueter, North Branch; Region 6 – Ethan Ruhland, Lake Orion; Region 7 – Willie Campbell, Detroit Cass Tech; Region 8 – Sean Hooey, Hillsdale.
Top DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: Region 1 – Cody Woods, Memoninee; Region 2 – Zach Stevenson, Grandville; Region 3 – Andrew Grillo, Midland; Region 4 – Matt Armstrong, Lansing Sexton; Region 5 – Joe Borowicz, Flushing; Region 6 – Mike Martin, Novi Detroit Catholic Central; Region 7 – Nick Perry, Detroit King; Region 8 – Darryll Stinson, Jackson.
Top LINEBACKER: Region 1 – Matt Eisenzoph, Menominee; Region 2 – Grant Caserta, Holland West Ottawa; Region 3 – Ryan Palmer, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic; Region 4 – Mitch Zajac, Holt; Region 5 – Lawrence Clark, Flint Southwestern Academy; Region 6 – Kenny Demens, Birmingham Detroit Country Day; Region 7 – Omar Sharp, Taylor Truman; Region 8 – Evan Hagen, Jackson Lumen Christi.
Top DEFENSIVE BACK: Region 1 – Zac Dreffs, Elk Rapids; Region 2 – Damion Horton, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills; Region 3 – Trenton Robinson, Bay City Central; Region 4 – Lavelle Walker, Lansing Everett; Region 5 – Tyler Moreland, Flint Powers; Region 6 – Bruce Horner. Farmington Hills Harrison; Region 7 – Bobacar Cissoko, Detroit Cass Tech; Region 8 – Dan Hocker, Richland Gull Lake.
Top SPECIALIST: Region 1 – Will Conklin, T.C. West; Region 2 – Torsten Boss, Lowell; Region 3 – Alex Faust, Midland Dow; Region 4 – Craig Heger, Howell; Region 5 – Mike Machala, Grand Blanc; Region 6 – Kevin Muma, Troy; Region 7 – Jonathon Dandridge, Highland Park; Region 8 – Doug Raak, South Haven.