Offense
TRENT ISON | Gibraltar Carlson: While his teammate in the backfield Izaiah Wright often stole the headlines, quarterback Trent Ison displayed a “balance of production while commanding the offense” for Carlson and head coach Jason Gendron. In his only year as the starter for the Marauders, the senior and all-Downriver League honoree Ison collected 27 total touchdowns and nearly 1,700 yards from scrimmage.
AJ HAWKINS | Trenton: The engineer behind the run-heavy Trenton offense was first-year starting quarterback AJ Hawkins. The likely top returning quarterback in the DRL come 2026, Hawkins this past season for the Trojans finished with just shy of 2,000 scrimmage yards, almost two-thirds of which came on the ground. The junior received all-conference recognition at season’s end.
BEN SCULLY | Flat Rock: After a strong performance the year prior, Flat Rock’s Ben Scully virtually matched his 2024 campaign with another sterling effort this past fall. A second-team all-News-Herald honor for the second straight season, Scully ended his final season with the Rams having logged over 1,100 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns out of the backfield. The senior and all-region recipient was a steady force on defense as well with 65 tackles and five forced fumbles.
ASHTON ROBINSON | Riverview: Elevated to the team’s new primary ball carrier out of the backfield, Ashton Robinson regularly showcased his “explosive” skill set for Riverview throughout the season. An all-Huron League and all-region honoree, Robinson finished with just over 1,000 yards rushing at just under 10 yards per carry. The senior was also a starting defensive back for the Pirates, picking up 21 tackles.
ZARON OLIVER | Lincoln Park: History was made at Lincoln Park this past season as they qualified for the state playoffs in a full season for the first time in 10 years. A big reason for the Railsplitters’ surge was a breakout performance from high school rookie Zaron Oliver at the wideout position. The freshman finished with team-high marks in both receiving yards (736) and touchdowns (11), and have seven interceptions as a starting defensive back.
TYLER LENNON | Brownstown Woodhaven: Elsewhere in the Downriver League, the go-to pass-catching option for Woodhaven and its budding star quarterback Preston Scheffler was a “high-energy” veteran in Tyler Lennon. An all-conference performer for the Warriors, Lennon by season’s end compiled well over 600 all-purpose yards, most of which came as a receiver, along with a half dozen touchdowns.
DOMINIC CUCINELLA | Grosse Ile: Arguably the best two-way impact tight end in the Downriver area came in the form of Dominic Cucinella over at Grosse Ile. Regarded for being a “force on defense” by head coach John Bodner, Cucinella was also a reliable pass-catching option for the Red Devils. The senior, in addition to his 46 tackles at the linebacker position, finished with 40 grabs for 400 yards and two touchdowns.
ANTHONY EMELUE | Riverview Gabriel Richard: Even with the individual efforts of all-state athlete Derek Lesko, the team at Gabriel Richard does not return to the state playoffs without the work out in by Anthony Emelue in the trenches. An all-Catholic and all-region honoree, Emelue was praised for being a “great downfield blocker and double team blocker” by Pioneers head coach John Sobush.
BRIAN CRAWFORD | Romulus Summit Academy North: With breaking in a new touted but young quarterback, Summit Academy regularly leaned on a veteran presence in Brian Crawford to block and create holes up front. Crawford, who has also been a fixture on the defensive line during his time with the Dragons, was named to both the all-Charter Conference and all-region teams at season’s end.
LUKE HEFFINGER | Trenton: After missing a majority of the 2024 season due to an injury, Luke Heffinger returned in a big way, helping Trenton reach the playoffs for a 12th consecutive season. Heffinger, who also lined up on the defensive line as an edge rusher for the Trojans, received all-Downriver League recognition in his final year of high school football.
DONAVEN STONE | Wyandotte Roosevelt: Sticking with standout two-way linemen in the Downriver League, Donaven Stone was that and then some for Roosevelt. Dubbed “our best offensive lineman” by head coach Jakob Zanski, Stone earned all-DRL status for his “very consistent” efforts on both sides. The senior also regularly disrupted plays on defense with 10 of his 35 tackles being for a loss of yards.
BRANDON POTTER | New Boston Huron: Arguably no player has provided more value to the Huron program over the past few seasons than Brandon Potter has. Described as a “steady tough blocker” by head coach Tom Hoover, the big 6-foot-1, 250-pound Potter found himself playing all over the offensive line for the Chiefs during his career. The senior and three-year starter was named all-Huron League at season’s end.
Defense
NATE STALLWORTH | River Rouge: Despite the team’s season-long struggles in terms of wins and losses, River Rouge’s Nate Stallworth again showed why he has been one of the Downriver area’s top defensive backs in recent years. A second-team all-area honoree in 2024 as well, Stallworth now has 24 pass break-ups and four interceptions over the past two seasons after logging 10 PBUs and two more picks this past season.
RYAN LAWYER | Allen Park: Another local defensive back making a return to the all-area team is Ryan Lawyer, who in 2024 was named to the third team. An all-DRL and all-region honoree, Lawyer in his senior season with the Jags finished with 34 tackles, six pass break-ups, one forced fumble, one interception, and one touchdown. He also dabbled as a pass-catcher on offense with 16 receiving yards.
ISIAH DAVISTON | Southgate Anderson: Despite being limited to five games, Anderson’s Isiah Daviston proved why he was one of the bigger playmakers in the secondary this past fall. An all-DRL and all-region honoree, Daviston broke up nearly a dozen passes while coming down with an interception six times. The senior, who also played wideout for the Titans, also had four forced fumbles and a pair of touchdowns.
EDDIE HUGHES III | Allen Park Cabrini: A smaller but experienced group of players was the difference in Cabrini making a historic run to the state semifinals this past season. One of those steady veterans was Eddie Hughes, who manned one of the spots in the secondary. Hughes, who also was one of many weapons for a high-scoring Monarchs offense, was named all-region after logging 25 tackles, two picks, and 11 pass -break-ups.
DAVID KNEZOVICH | Flat Rock: One of the more aggressive linebackers in the local area, David Knezovich was “outstanding at filling holes and making plays at the line of scrimmage” according to Flat Rock head coach Brandon Reaume. An all-Huron League and all-region recipient, Knezovich in his senior season tallied 80 tackles, five sacks of opposing quarterbacks, and a pair of interceptions.
CHRISTOPHER BUDZIAK | Grosse Ile: After debuting on defense for the first time in his high school career in 2024, Grosse Ile’s Chris Budziak doubled down and reaffirmed why he is one of the better linebackers in the Huron League. Budziak, who Coach Bodner labeled as a “big contributor on special teams” as well, finished with well over 100 tackles to go along with three forced fumbles.
ANDREW PRIDEMORE | Brownstown Woodhaven: One would be hard-pressed to find many more game and play-wrecking linebackers locally than Woodhaven’s Andrew Pridemore. Described as a “punishing hitter” by head coach Dave Mifsud, Pridemore saw 17 of his 86 tackles happen behind the line of scrimmage, including five sacks. The senior for the Warriors, who also saw time as a fullback on offense, also returned a fumble for a touchdown and had two blocks on special teams.
CHRIS SZCZECHOWSKI | Trenton: Arguably the best 1-2 punch at the second level of the defense locally was housed over at Trenton with Chris Szczechowski alongside first-team all-News-Herald honoree Brock Culpepper. There’s no question that the Trojans have their replacement for the senior Culpepper come the 2026 season. The junior Szczechowski compiled 109 total tackles and returned one interception for a score.
ETHAN GURIEL | Gibraltar Carlson: The success that Carlson garnered in 2025 started and ended in the trenches and Ethan Guriel was one of many staples of that. An all-Downriver League and all-region honoree, Guriel turned in a “highly disruptive season” for the Marauders and Coach Gendron. The senior saw more than half of his 25 tackles be for a loss of yards, while also sacking opposing quarterbacks three times.
BRAEDYN EVANS | Riverview: A true veteran in every sense of the word, Braedyn Evans finishes his career at Riverview having earned all-News-Herald recognition each of the last two seasons. A four-year starter over his career, Evans finished with 37 tackles as a defensive lineman, a handful of those being for a loss of yards. The senior and all-region recipient also started seven games on the offensive line for the Bucs.
IVAN CARTER | Romulus Summit Academy North: Another reliable performer in the trenches, Ivan Carter helped anchor the defensive line of a Summit team that reached the state playoffs for a seventh straight year, and eight wins for the third time in four years. An all-Charter Conference and all-region standout, Carter in his senior year with the Dragons logged 34 tackles and three sacks.
Special Teams / Athletes
DEAN MANTHEI | Gibraltar Carlson: One of the more sure-footed kickers in the local region, Dean Manthei finishes his Carlson career with all-area honors in back-to-back seasons. In addition to averaging over 40 yards with three touchbacks on kickoffs, Manthei converted on all but two of his 67 point-after tries and was a perfect 3-for-3 in field goal attempts.
TERRELL CRAWFORD II | Melvindale: Albeit a rough season for the collective team, Melvindale can say they possessed one of the more dynamic do-everything athletes this past fall in Terrell Crawford. An all-WWAC performer, Crawford filled up the stat sheet in every way possible for the Cardinals in 2025. The junior logged an impressive 2,241 all-purpose yards, over 1,700 of which came passing and rushing. He finished with 13 offensive touchdowns as well as 22 tackles on defense.
TEEGAN NAGY | Gibraltar Carlson: When it comes to versatility, Teegan Nagy was a player than Carlson’s Gendron can “trust to make game-changing plays” on a weekly basis. An all-conference and all-region honoree, Nagy saw 25 of his 51 tackles happen behind the line of scrimmage as a linebacker for the Marauders. The senior also had over 600 return yards on special teams, and logged a pair of rushing scores on offense.
