Because the blog started with the Huron League and we cover all eight Huron League teams we will be picking our All League Teams and Players of the Year again.
We will pick an Offensive Player of the Year, a Defensive Player of the Year and an Overall Player of the Year. We will then pick 12 offensive players, 12 defensive players, a kicker and a punter for our All-League teams. Our Players of the Year will not be included in these All League teams.
This was once again a great year for high school football in the Huron League. There were so many good and great players. The Huron League Player of the Year is a title given to who we at the blog feel is the best All-Around football player in the Huron League. They don’t just excel on one side of the ball, but both sides of the ball. Their teams win and they have a profound effect on why their teams win. This year was the hardest since we started doing this on the blog. With that said, we have and must go with Co-Players of the Year because both of these kids are deserving.
Grosse Ile junior Johnny Blanzy and Milan junior Tristen Hines have been chosen as the Co-Players of the Year in the Huron League.
Blanzy is a 6-1, 210 LB/OL that recorded 148 tackles on the season for the Huron League Champion Red Devils. Blanzy literally dominated from his defensive position every game as he averaged more than 14 tackles per game. For his varsity career, Blanzy has 279 tackles in 19 games. Blanzy was a force on the offensive line for a team that produced over 4,000 yards of total offense.
Click Here —> Johnny Blanzy Highlights
Hines burst onto the Huron League scene as a freshman and has a stellar career thus far on both sides of the ball. The 5-11, 170 lb player rushed for 702 yards and 10 TD’s and also caught 54 passes for 974 yards and 11 TD’s. On defense, Hines recorded 88 tackles which led the Big Reds and also added 3 interceptions giving him 11 for his career.
Click Here —> Tristen Hines Highlights
Others Considered for the award were: Bryce Bondy (Airport), Sam Cousino (SMCC) and Kyle Naif (Riverview)
Hines and Neff never went head to head or covered each other on either side of the ball, so that comment makes no sense. I would say Neff could play in the Mac. His lack of straight line speed might prevent that, but if I’m a team like Eastern or Central, that’s a kid you take a chance on. He’s a special football player.
Milan Fan
9:29 is spot on. Size, speed, quickness, and an understanding of how to play the game.
Think about this Milan. Tristen Hines and Hunter Neff went head to head on the same field. Neff dominated that game. No one is saying Neff is div 1.
Black beard gets it. I'm just an area football fan who likes to see the local teams do well. Dads or whoever will say my kid has an offer or is getting looked at etc. Truthfully I'd like to see the best Huron league kids go D-2 or D-3 so I can go watch them on a Saturday and see how they have progressed .
Here are two examples from my previous post that I hope will make people realize the division – 1 expectations you are growing out there for these Huron Legue kids that are most certainly great football players.
Jared Smith from Pewamo-Westphala broke the all time state rushing record while winning a state title running for 3,250 yds and something like 50 Td's. And absolute beast and will go down in history. Reminds me a lot of Nick Humphries from Jefferson in regard to running style. Obviously a way better program, but a comparison for the Huron League. He's playing at Northern Michigan currently.
Nolan Fugate from Grand Rapids Catholic Central last year ran for 3,094 yds on his way to a state title, dream team kid etc. Ran for 50 something td's etc. offers from Wayne State, Northwood, SVSU, a late offer as a preferred walk-on at U of M and committed to Davonport.
People don't understand that the D-1 kids from Bellville, Rouge, Cass, oak Park etc ( could name a ton of schools ) are not nearly as accomplished as these type of kids. Obviously there are a few exceptions, but these kids that have all these offers are not great HS football players. They have size, speed, and potential that college strength and conditioning coaches and position coaches will attempt to turn into absolute monsters.
There are usually 35-50 kids in the state of Michigan each year that go D-1. I'd say that at least 40 of those 50 have already been identified as D-1 kids. The rest will play so well or will be so well liked by a MAC school that they will get a late offer.
Hope this helps and temper your expectations so the kids you are rooting for are not disappointed and realize that playing any level of college football is a success.
Always like to hear your guys thoughts, Chris and SMCC guy lol
@ 9:29 – spot on! Ian Stewart is not being recruited because of his film at Carlson. I saw his junior year highlights and they are not all that impressive for his athleticism. He’s in the wrong position and his offers were all from camps. He does, however, look like a man amongst boys and his skill set is unmatched by anyone in this area. Simply put, if you cannot dunk a basketball by your freshman year in high school at any position, get good grades and have fun playing football. Your days in pads are numbered. Far less than 100 kids from Michigan will play D1 football next year anywhere across the country . After teams like King, Chippewa Valley, Muskegon, Cass Tech, Belleville, DeLaSalle, and Rouge are thoroughly depleted of their D1 athletes, there is not much room for offers. If you are going to camps not invited, you are financing the process aside from the camp T shirt. Just reality. Stay in School- Don’t do Drugs
If you’re not an offensive or defensive lineman, the only D-1 players will be the ones running below the 4.6 range and have size at your positions.
There is nothing wrong with playing football at the D-2 level or even the D-3 level. . Think about some of the great players in this league like Hoskins at Hillsdale, Blake Smolen from GI. I could name 20 more awesome HS football players. Those were two of the best players to ever play in this league. However, they weren’t on the level of the kid from monroe High who played at NC State and in the NFL.
You can’t just have size ether. Gunderson who played at Michigan from Milan didn’t get a full ride. He was a preferred walk on. Why…. Cus he didn’t move well. Furtively on the other hand. Same size as Gunderson, but could move and at 280 ran under a 5 flat 40.
People really don’t understand how good you have to be to play at he D-1 level. It’s not about being a great HS football player. It’s about size and speed and the combination of both. Or you would see kids like, Mitroka, Kanitiz, Hoover, Hartwick, Woolford, Barnes, Humphrey, Lindemin etc all play D-1. None of these kids even played division 2 football. Some at d-3 schools and Humphrey Preferred walk on.
I’m not saying no one in this league will play d-1 going forward after next season, but please temper you expectations. 90% or more of the D-1 football players that will come out Michigan next season already have offers. This is not a preferred walk on or saying you get mail from D-1 schools. If you’re not on the camp circuit, getting noticed is almost impossible. If you don’t have a D-1 offer as a junior, the chances of gettting one is very slim.
Teamsin the MAC for example are slow to give out offers to borderline kids as they are waiting to see which kids with power 5 offers fall through the cracks. Then the Division 2 schools in this state will hardly ever give out an offer until a kids senior year to see which kids fall through the cracks from the MAC schools in this state.
Hopefully this provides some insight. Every parent wants to believe that their kid is capable of being a D-1 football player, but you better have great size and run in the 4.5’s to do so. Or just be 6’6 280 and run a 4.9 like Furteny from Milan.
So much to say about Spiess. But I thought we were letting it go? I guess you can only troll one way on this fine forum…
Airport is playing Ida to open the 2019 season from what I was told
Hines from Milan named 2018 Ann Arbor Area Player of the Year!
With the downriver losing Melvindale to another league
they now have to fill open dates weeks 1-9.
Word on street is the opener for Monroe is Wyandotte.
Airport opens with Monroe again next year?
If so, please explain the logic.
Where do you guys get your stats from?
Scheduling job of the year..
Airport. Monroe Week 1.
I am still confused.
Play anyone, someone you can beat and you're in at 5-4. Now its going to be a rough and I mean rough couple of years
Congratulations to both of these boys!!! Ready to see what the next year brings for them! Going to be fun to watch especially Hines in action!! Go Big Reds
Rumor has it. Blanzy has been offered by Concordia.
Stop……Nobody cares about that guy. Let him do his thing elsewhere.
Spiess is the offensive Coordinator? I doubt that. He was a DC his entire career. His year at Huron as an OC was awful. Maybe it was his choice at QB or maybe he just wasn’t a good OC. Show me some independent proof that he is the OC down there.
Great choices, these 2 kids are great players and had great years. Injuries definitely took other players out of the running but that's football. Congrats Fellas.
@546 and @550 now that is funny. Congrats to Coach Spiess. Good luck tonight. You deserved better.
To 6:12 PM- Blanzy is only a junior and has been at the top of the state in tackles the last two seasons. He’s only getting better. Not sure how you can assess that “he’ll play D2 at best” when he’s been talking to D1 schools already.
Watch out for GI to continue rolling next season. They will be reloading, not rebuilding, next year. But I assume the Huron League will just have another ‘down year’ again…
Best wishes and Happy Holidays to our fellow HL families. Be safe
Hines will play D1…great choice, great kid
With Blanzy he'll play Div. 2 at best he was a heck of a player at the high school level but where did Cam Rogers go to school!! Wayne State is not a D1 school and he was a powerful high school player also!!
Tim Spiess offense has scored more in the playoffs this year than Huron did in 9 games
In case you Huron fans were wondering Tim Spiess is playing for a D4 regional title in Ohio. His " garbage offense has produced over 5000+ yds this year.. yes Brennan has over 1500 yds and several D1 offers.. Thank God Huron admin messed this up, he's in a much better place. You guys can livestream game Saturday night since basketball practice and wrestling is well under way…
@916
Blanzy,Cousino,Hines,Gardner,Bryant are all that caliber
You can’t tell me if Ian Stewart is a national recruit none of these are close, I’d put any of them up against him
Let the hate begin!
I will agree with the comment about Blanzy. He did look like a man against boys. It will be interesting to see how he progresses next year. It may be exciting on the island with his talent.
Hines was up there on my list but not as a co player of the year. My eye was on Naif but didn't think a defensive player would make it. Finally since a offense fills the stands I then would of gone with Thompson of GI since the islanders did so well this year winning the league.
Cant wait till next year but if your a true football player next year started the day after your last game of the season.
GOT TO WATCH A LOT OF HINES FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS –GREAT ATHLETE THAT CAN DO EVERY THING AT THE SKILLED POSITIONS AT HIGH LEVEL, ALSO A GREAT KID. I WAS TRULY IMPRESSED WITH BLANZY THE TWO GAMES THAT I SAW HIM – HE LOOKED LIKE A MAN PLAYING WITH BOYS. THE HURON LEAGUE IS GOING TO BE TRULY BLESSED TO HAVE THESE TWO GREAT ATHLETES BACK NEXT YEAR – UNLESS YOUR PLAYING AGAINST THEM. CONGRATULATION ON TWO GREAT CHOICES.
Who would that be? Big time D 1?
Cousino blog D POTY..SMH
I have a sneaky suspicion neither will win it next year
The Huron league will have 4-5 players looking at big time years and aD-1 scholarship somewhere
CONGRATS TO BOTH PLAYERS ON A GREAT SEASON AND THE CHANCE FOR BOTH PLAYERS TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR…