MaxPreps 2015 Michigan preseason high school football Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Cass Tech football highlights vs. Saline
See one of Michigan's top programs in action last season.


1. King (Detroit)
Coach: Dale Harvel
2014 finish: 8-2
Team preview

With all of the in-bound transfers it received this offseason, it almost seems like King is a Detroit all-star team. On offense, receiver LaVert Hill (a Penn State commit) and running back Martell Pettaway (West Virginia commit) are two huge pickups for King. Defensively, Kalon Gervin and Malik Lewis will bolster the secondary. In high school football, the most talented team does not always win, so King will need to prove it on the field.

See the Top 11 teams with the most all-time Michigan state titles

2. St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake)
Coach: George Porritt
2014 finish: 13-2; Division 3 state champion
Team preview

St. Mary Prep downed Muskegon 7-0 to take home a Division 3 state title in 2014. It relied on its defense to carry the team to a title, and many key players from the unit are back in 2015. Tyler Cochran and Dwayne Chapman, each of whom notched interceptions against Muskegon, return along with star linebacker Josh Ross, a junior. On offense, St. Mary will look to pound the ball with a committee of running backs.

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3. Cass Tech (Detroit)
Coach: Thomas Wilcher
2014 finish: 12-1
Team preview

Cass Tech is a fixture in the discussion of the state's top teams. The team needs to replace standout Mike Weber, but it has options. Junior quarterback Rodney Hall looks like a bona fide Division I player at quarterback. Offensive linemen Michael Onwenu, a Michigan commit, and Demetric Vance, a future Michigan State Spartan, highlight Cass Tech's senior crop of recruits.

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4. Clarkston
Coach: Kurt Richardson
2014 finish: 15-0; Division 1 state champion
Team preview

Clarkston will be gunning for a three-peat after taking home Division 1 state titles in each of the last two seasons. Gone is quarterback D.J. Zezula, certainly a big loss. But Nolan Eriksen, who averaged nearly nine yards per carry, returns at running back and will shoulder more of the load on offense. It will be difficult to maintain its state-best 27-game winning streak, but Clarkston should be a threat for yet another title.

See last season's Michigan football computer rankings

5. De La Salle Collegiate (Warren)
Head coach: Paul Verska
2014 finish: 11-3; Division 2 state champion
Team preview

Last fall, De La Salle lost three consecutive games over a stretch that spanned September and October. It did not lose again. The team dominated Southfield and Mona Shores 31-7 and 44-8, respectively, in the semifinals and finals to become the Division 2 champion. The momentum should carry over into 2015. Allen Stritzinger, a junior who already claims offers from Michigan, Cincinnati and others, will be a fixture on the offense.