Sports

Photo courtesy of Mark D’Angelo The Roosevelt High School marching band backed up Kid Rock during his halftime performance at the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day game Thursday at Ford Field. Here, the band practices before the game. … [Read more...] about Strike up the band

The greater Dearborn area has seen a steady stream of head coaches and assistant coaches, both prep and college, coming from the area during the past few decades. Many of these coaches have made their mark on the local gridirons and elsewhere. Strong connections to Dearborn, from those who have taken their coaching talents to a more elevated level, have been part of both the high school and college scene. Focus on Sports will now take you on a coaching journey that recalls and remembers those coaches who have had an impact from … [Read more...] about Dearborn area coaching connections are up and down

Photo courtesy of G. Filipiak Wyandotte Roosevelt running back Kyle Matejko Jr. dashes forward with the pigskin to help the Bears win a Division 2 regional playoff game against Oak Park. “We are playing at a very high level of high school football and have a shot at going all the way in this year’s state playoffs.” Those were the words of Wyandotte Roosevelt head coach Ron Adams last week. Adams has his Bears (11-1) a step closer to a Division 2 state title. Providing that Roosevelt can win yet another game in the … [Read more...] about Bears’ gritty defense gets team to state semifinals

Photo by Daniel Gretzner Wyandotte Roosevelt placekicker Jacob Simpson boots a field goal during a recent practice. He adds scoring punch to the Bears varsity grid team. Regional state prep football playoff competition was in full force throughout Michigan last weekend. Wyandotte Roosevelt (10-1) hosted visiting Oak Park (9-2) on Oct. 9 with a Division 2 regional championship on the line. The Bears have been red hot most of this year and share the championship in the Downriver League. Head Coach Ron Adams is happy with his … [Read more...] about Roosevelt grid machine advances to regional state finals

Head coach Dave Mifsud has his Dearborn High School varsity football team peaking at the right time. The Pioneers (7-3) toppled Fordson (7-3) on Oct. 26. It was a tough loss for the rival Tractors, getting beat to the tune of 24-14 in a Division 1 district state playoff. The Pioneers, who previously had lost to Fordson during the regular season, displayed a much stronger offense the second time around. Starting quarterback Ollie Ajami has been leading the way and scoring through the air, passing for numerous touchdowns during the … [Read more...] about Pioneers topple Fordson, seek district grid title

Photo by Daniel Gretzner Nick Fulton is starting quarterback for Allen Park and is in charge of the Jags’ passing game. Downriver League teams are pitted against each other as the District State Playoff games begin. Allen Park (6-3) took on Taylor Truman (8-1) this past weekend in a game that could see the Jaguars come away with a victory. Head Coach Thomas Hoover feels his Jags could pull an upset or two within the next couple of weeks. During a practice session last week, Hoover talked about his team playing … [Read more...] about Will Allen Park go far in grid playoffs?

Photo by Daniel Gretzner Fordson varsity players take a break during a recent practice. The Tractors are champions of the Western Wayne Athletic Conference Blue Division. Regular season high school football games have now come and gone. Fordson has taken the lead among the local Dearborn and Downriver teams that qualify for the coming state district playoffs. A strong performance by the Tractor varsity puts them in line for an automatic playoff berth for the Western Wayne Athletic Conference Blue Division, champions of … [Read more...] about Fordson leads area preps into grid playoffs

Photo by Daniel Gretzner Wyandotte Roosevelt takes the field before a recent game. The Bears were 6-1 heading into last weekend’s game and were tied with Taylor Truman and Woodhaven for the Downriver League lead. With the regular season of local high school football coming to a close in the next week, a three-way tie has created a log jam in the rough and tumble Downriver League this fall. Wyandotte Roosevelt, Taylor Truman and Woodhaven all were even and tied for first place heading into action last week. Going into the … [Read more...] about Log jam for grid title in Downriver League

Photo by Daniel Gretzner George Kaltsas (left) and his oldest son, John, are promoting”The Duel Downriver” Friday at the Taylor Sportsplex. George Kaltsas of Hitman Entertainment, which owns a number of used car lots in the Downriver area, is the promoter for Friday’s professional boxing bouts scheduled at the Taylor Sportsplex. Bouts are set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Sportsplex is at 13333 Telegraph Road, near Northline. Kaltsas has spent most of his life within local communities like Melvindale, … [Read more...] about ‘The Duel Downriver’ at Sportsplex Friday

A few top local teams are making headway in their respective high school football league competition as the season gets past the halfway mark for 2012. Namely, Fordson and Wyandotte are again the front runners and both may very well repeat as champions in their respective leagues. Fordson knocked off Dearborn High School a few weeks ago. The Tractors, going into the Edsel Ford game, are on top in the Blue Division of the Western Wayne Athletic Conference. Fordson head coach Walker Zaban has his blue and gold varsity squad … [Read more...] about Fordson, Wyandotte gun for grid title repeats