GVFootball.com

RB Zach Breen - Rockford High School (Rockford, MI)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Breen (3rd from left) signing his LOI to Grand Valley

It’s usually unforeseen that one college football team will pick up 3 different All-State running backs in one year. Grand Valley did it this year like it was no problem at all. James Berezik (Warren DeLaSalle), Greg Gay (Macomb Dakota) and Breen were all named All-State RB’s in the state of Michigan this year, and all 3 played their final collegiate games at Ford Field, competing for a state championship.

Although Breen already had a couple.

Zach capped off a career at Rockford HS that most kids dream of when they start playing high school football.

During his freshman year, Breen played on Rockford’s junior varsity team, running for 1100 yards and 25 touchdowns, and earned a spot on the varsity squad for the playoffs.

Then his sophomore year came, and Breen started showing the Rams what he would give them for the next couple years. Zach had 89 carries for 641 yards and 8 TD’s (a 7.2 ypc avg.) en route to a Division 1 state championship over Sterling Heights Stevenson. He also earned honorable mention all-area, as well as being named an all-stater for track.

Junior year seemed even easier. 129 carries for 1266 yards and 23 TD’s (a 7.1 ypc avg.) to go with 430 yards receiving and 4 TD’s on 22 catches led Rockford to their second consecutive state championship, this time over Canton. Hmm. I know a college football team that seems to be making a habit out of back-to-back championships as well…

Breen’s efforts in 2005 earned him 1st team all conference, 1st team all area, and honorable mention all-state, to go along with being the team MVP and MVP of the state championship game. Oh, and another all-state award in track again.

Then the awards really started flowing in after his spectacular senior season. 186 carries for 1404 yards and 19 TD’s (a 7.5 ypc avg.), 13 catches for 168 yards and 1 TD, and 12 kickoff returns for 388 yards (a 32.3 yards per return average) and 1 TD. And while the Rams didn’t rack up a 3rd straight state title, they were runners-up, capping off a spectacular run. The accolades for this season just need to be listed:

1st Team All-Conference RB (Ottawa-Kent Red)
1st Team Detroit Free Press All-State
1st Team AP All-State
1st Team Detroit News All-State
1st Team North All-Area Advance Team
Grand Rapids Press All-Area Dream Team
Team Captain
Team Offensive MVP
3-year Varsity Award

Oh, and to cap it all off…right now he’s aiming at studying dentistry at Grand Valley.

When asking how Zach’s Grand Valley visit compared to his other schools:

“GVSU just seemed to be the perfect fit because the players seemed to love playing there and the coaches seem dedicated to the players.”

He also had visits at Wayne State and Central Michigan.

And just to go along with our trend of this year’s recruits citing Grand Valley’s academics as a point of interest, Breen also had this to say when asked about his thoughts when it comes to Grand Valley:

“I can’t wait to get out there and play with the best in the nation. Also, I think it’s a great place to get a great education in all fields of study.”

With a 3.85 GPA, I don’t think Zach will have any problem succeeding both on and off the field.

Welcome to Allendale, Zach!

Zach Breen numbers:
Height: 5′10″
Weight: 192 lbs.
Max Bench: 300 lbs.
40-Time: 4.58 Seconds
GPA: 3.85
ACT: 25

LB Blair Hollis - Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS (Eastpointe, MI)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Our 2nd day in a row highlighting a player who comes from the storied Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School…and another player who, to the benefit of all of us Laker fans, fell to GVSU from what should have been Division I.

As MichiganPrep.com’s Josh Helmholdt stated:

“It can be a blessing or a burden to be on one of the top high school football teams in the entire country. For outside linebacker prospect Blair Hollis of Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary’s, it is a blessing in a number of ways. Four of his teammates hold BCS Conference offers heading into the summer and the 5-11, 230-pound Hollis is a good bet to be the fifth sooner rather than later.”

Hollis joins teammate Ricky Thomas from OLSM, and both were forces on a defense that carried the Eaglets to an 8-3 record, and Hollis also was a viable option in the rushing game for Orchard Lake as he frequently got the goal-line carries to pound the ball into the endzone.

Hollis came to OLSM from Detroit St. Martin DePorres where he played as a freshman on a defense that went to the state finals but eventually lost to Unionville-Sebewaing and fellow GVSU Laker Lance Travis. Unfortunately, that was DePorres’ last season as the school was shut down. However, Hollis made the best of it and turned out to be one of the most productive players on one of the best high school teams in the country.

With that, we’re glad to have yet another Division I caliber prospect here at Grand Valley. Welcome to Allendale, Blair!

Some Blair numbers, courtesy of rivals.com:

Height: 6′1″
Weight: 221 lbs.
40-Yard Dash: 4.83 Seconds
Bench Reps: 30
Vertical: 27 Inches
Shuttle: 4.5 Seconds

There was a press conference to announce a special game that will be part of the 2007 football season today. On September 29th, the GVSU Lakers will take on the Warriors of Wayne State University in a 7 PM kickoff at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park. Although the field has been used for collegiate baseball and concerts, this will mark the first ever collegiate football game to be played at the field. Proceeds from the event are going to help Grand Rapids Public Schools. We should be able to hold between 11,000 and 11,500 fans at the stadium. This will definitely be a special mark in Laker history that you won’t want to miss.

Official Press Release

Ticket Info:
Ticket prices will be $15 for the public and GVSU students will be $3 (student section). Tickets for the general public will go on sale next week while student tickets will go on sale the week of September 3rd.

Seating Chart:

Recent Numbers versus WSU (at home):
2005 - 10,972 (Family Day)
2003 - 10,059 (Family Day)
2001 - 3,766 (Kids Club Day)

Recent Numbers on near date (at home):
9/21/2006 vs. MTU - 10,209
10/1/2005 vs. WSU - 10, 972
9/18/2004 vs. Hillsdale - 9,578
9/20/2003 vs. WSU - 10, 059
9/28/2002 vs. Hillsdale - 10,031
9/29/2001 vs. NMU - 7,606

It should be a fun event for all in attendance! I can’t wait!

GO LAKERS!

DB Oji Cathey - Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS / University of Louisville / Oakland C.C. (Farmington Hills, MI)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Unfortunately, we don’t have much on Oji since he’s kind of a special story as far as his football career goes.

The last known stats that could be found for Oji Cathey were all the way back in 2001 when he was 2nd on OLSM’s powerhouse football team for both rushing and receiving. Oji ran the ball 177 times for 1119 yards and 8 touchdowns (6.3 yards per carry) and also caught 12 passes for 255 yards and 4 touchdowns, trailing future Michigan starting defensive back Morgan Trent in the receiving categories. Oji was a junior that year when he helped lead his team to a 12-2 record and a runner-up finish in Division 4. He won the state championship his freshman and sophomore years when the Eaglets of OLSM went 13-1 and 12-2, respectively, taking home the crown in Division 4 over Grand Rapids South Christian and Coopersville. All of this occurring obviously before Orchard Lake St. Mary’s started playing up to Division 1.

Oji went to Louisville to start his collegiate career playing football, and after a year there, came home to spend the next couple years at Oakland Community College.

Cathey now joins the Lakers as a seasoned 23 year old who has been out of football for a couple years, but no doubt you can expect him to be ready to go when the season rolls around.

Welcome to Allendale, Oji!

Height: 5′10″
Weight: 172 lbs.

2007 Grand Valley State Pro Day
By: Kyle Schwerin

Today, some of the best athletes to ever grace the campus of Grand Valley State were showing off their skills for the guys at the next level. QB Cullen Finnerty, WR Eric Fowler, DE Derrick Jones, DB Buster Larkins, RB Astin Martin, FB Mike McFadden, and WR Terry Mitchell were all showcased in the Fieldhouse Arena in front of NFL scouts from all across the country. The teams represented at the pro day included: Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, and Carolina Panthers.

Along with the Grand Valley crew, a couple members of fellow GLIAC schools SVSU, Ferris, and Northwood were also there. Most notably, DB Joe DiGiorgio and DT Damion DeRosia from SVSU, LB Mike Klobucher from Ferris, and the workout warrior of the day as far as defensive players were concerned, LB Charleston Hughes from Northwood.

The day started with everyone getting measured for their heights and weights.

Cullen Finnerty came in at an impressive NFL size, measuring just under 6′2″ and 223 pounds, up from his season-listed weight of 210.

Eric Fowler was checked under his 6′3″ school-listed height, measuring the same as Finnerty at just under 6′2″, and also was bulked up from his listed 198 pounds, up to 210.

Derrick Jones looked the most impressive of any of the players at the workout, although he also measured in under his listed height. Jones was listed at 6′5″ but was measured at just barely under 6′4″, and 284 pounds. Not much more than his 278, but considering that he will be moving to defensive end or possibly linebacker at the next level, and the look of his physique since the end of the season, you can bet that he lost some unnecessary weight and put on muscle.

Buster Larkins was one of the few guys who actually was measured at less than his playing weight. He was measured at just under 5′11″ and 185 pounds, 5 under his listed weight.

Astin Martin came in 2 inches below his 5′9″ listed height, and at 183 pounds. He looked very small, but showed an impressive amount of muscle, evident by his numbers in the bench press.

Mike McFadden, who was first being moved from defensive end to linebacker, and is now slated to play fullback at the next level, came in at 5′10″, severely under his 6′1″ listed height. He also was at 246 pounds compared to his 255 that is listed, but that seems right for the position move.

Terry Mitchell was also under his listed height. 6′2″ on the Lakers website turned in to 6′0.5″ at the pro day, and he also weighed in at 206 pounds.

As the workouts actually started, with the vertical jumps not turning out anything too eye-popping, the attention turned towards the bench presses and that’s probably where the highlight of the day was.

First up was Cullen Finnerty (left) who ended up leading the entire field with an impressive 25 reps of the 225-lb bar, resulting in some great reactions from the scouts in attendance and putting Cullen as the #1 QB in the nation for bench reps measured this individual workout season so far. This out-dueled Derrick Jones’ 24, Mike McFadden’s 21, and also the 330+ pound Damion DeRosia from Saginaw Valley. Astin Martin, although small in stature, put up a great number at 16 reps, followed by Eric Fowler with 14 and Buster Larkins at 7. Terry Mitchell did not lift.

Next up was the 40-yard dash, where Cullen once again impressed (pictured below). Each player ran on the indoor track of the Fieldhouse arena, considered a very fast surface. Cullen ran times of 4.62 and 4.65. These numbers actually place Cullen as the #3 fastest QB of the ones who have been measured at the NFL Combine or other Pro Days. He sits behind Boise State’s Jared Zabransky and Washington’s Isaiah Stanback.

Eric Fowler also impressed scouts in the 40-yard dash, recording times of 4.53 followed by a 4.43 that drew reactions from the crowd.

Derrick Jones showed great speed for a man of his size, recording consistent times of 4.75 and 4.72 which places him in the top 15 in the country of defensive ends who have been timed so far.

Buster Larkins had times of 4.59 and 4.51, Astin Martin ran in 4.57 and 4.66, and Mike McFadden also recorded a 4.73 but pulled up at the end with an apparent quadricep injury. He would not participate in any more workout drills, but did catch passes out of the backfield from Finnerty later in the workouts, albeit while nursing his right leg.

Terry Mitchell (right) was the center of attention during the 40-yard dash though. The former all-state track performer from Port Hurton, MI recorded blistering times of 4.35 and 4.41, by far the tops of the workout.

Next, the players showed off their skills in the short shuttle, 3-cone drill, and long shuttle. The basketball arena floor proved to be mildly treacherous with multiple players losing their footing and attempting the drills a couple different times to get a clean reading on their abilities. Joe DiGiorgio from Saginaw Valley showed some great acceleration in all of these drills, impressing the most of the notable players from the attending schools. Derrick Jones showed solid initial burst and an impressive reach during the short shuttle, and each player showed great hustle when finishing out the drills, making sure they were at full-speed all the way through the finish line. Astin Martin (left) was most impressive of the Grand Valley players in the 3-cone drill which measures a player’s agility and ability to change direction. Terry Mitchell’s straight-line speed also equated to good balance and agility in the 3-cone drill as he also recorded a decent time.

After the measurable workouts were done, Cullen Finnerty had the spotlight as he exhibited his arm while throwing passes to Eric Fowler (right), Terry Mitchell, Astin Martin, and Mike McFadden. Finnerty looked very impressive on all of the short routes, and every receiver exhibited great hands. As they moved to deeper routes, Finnerty showed a small tendency to throw behind his receiver on routes around 15 to 20 yards, but still showed great velocity. Due to the workout being inside, deeper routes weren’t able to be thrown because of the low ceiling. Cullen will be showing off his deep arm strength when he attends the Central Michigan Pro Day on Thursday. Cullen also showed some very impressive velocity and accuracy while rolling to his right and left, but his receivers let him down when they dropped a couple passes that were perfectly on-target.

During Finnerty’s throwing workout, Eric Fowler and Terry Mitchell showed great cuts and aggressiveness to move upfield after the catch, along with Astin. McFadden, while laboring due to his injury prior in the day, looked somewhat slow in his routes and cuts, no doubt due to his leg, but still motored through and exhibited some good hands for a player who hasn’t been in the backfield or catching passes since high school.

The last event of the day was placing the defensive players through their own drills. Derrick Jones (above) looked solid when the NFL scouts ran the players through some high-stepping drills and then ran him through his own defensive end drills. The workouts got strenuous towards the end, but Jones powered through and showed good reaction off the snap and a good motor around the edge. He was also run through some very tough change of direction drills where he showed great balance.

Overall it was a great workout for Grand Valley in general, as this was significantly more attended than it was thought. Grand Valley was expecting anywhere between 8-10 teams to show up, but instead had 12-14 teams being represented. The media coverage was definitely up from what Kircus and Anes got to experience, which was the last time that GVSU had it’s own Pro Day. The success the Laker football team is experiencing is no doubt getting them tons of national recognition, and it’s something that the school should be ready to experience for the next couple years with guys like Brandon Barnes, Brandon Carr, and Anthony Adams expecting to make noise at a pro day next season, and Dan Skuta not far behind.

Additional pictures:

Terry Mitchell participating in the short shuttle:

Buster Larkins (in some great shoes) in the short shuttle:

Cullen Finnerty in the short shuttle drill:

Derrick Jones, 40-yard dash:

Mike McFadden, bench press:

Today was the Pro Day here at GV and there were 7 guys on hand to show the scouts what GV is made of. Finnerty, Fowler, Jones, McFadden, Larkins, Martin, and Mitchell all participated in the tests. Scouts from 11 or 12 teams were there to see the guys. Kyle and I both attended. Kyle will have a full wrap-up and photos later today.

We will also get back to finishing up the 2007 Showcase now that Spring Break is done.

I took the week off last and boy was it nice and relaxing! Now back to work…

I have fallen a few days behind haven’t I?

I will catch up tomorrow hopefully. We only have a few guys left now.

SS Andrew Lorman - Cary-Grove High School (Cary, Illinois)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Lorman, as most players in this year’s class, once again is one of those super-athletes. Coach Martin emphasized how many players in this class could run and jump with the best of them. Andrew is a perfect example.

Along with being a thousand yard rusher at fullback, being a defensive back, and labeled as “the fastest player on the team” when it came to football…he also is one of the school’s best basketball and baseball players.

Lorman this year took a break from playing fullback, only rushing for 634 yards and 9 TD’s on 85 carries as opposed to over 1100 yards his junior year, but that was to focus on the position he will be listed at here at GV, defensive back. On defense, Lorman was a game-changing safety, racking up 62 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 interceptions. He helped his team continue being a powerhouse in Illinois state football. His team during his senior season went 11-1, the defense giving up no more than 7 points for each of the first 11 games, until falling in the state playoffs, 15-14. He also caught five passes on the year for 89 yards and two touchdowns on the year.

Lorman’s best game of the season rushing the ball came against Dundee-Crown where he ran the ball 13 times for 99 yards and 4 touchdowns en route to a 56-7 victory. On defense, he racked up 10 total tackles in a game against Jacobs, and 9 total tackles and a pick against South.

While he wasn’t included in the recruiting press conference video because he hadn’t signed his Letter of Intent at the time of the conference, you can bet that being labeled the fastest player on an 11-1 state powerhouse and racking up 62 tackles from a defensive back position means he was a pretty fast ballhawk, and we can’t wait to see what he can do at the next level. Welcome to Allendale, Andrew!

Height: 6′1″
Weight: 208 lbs.

LB Brandon Allen - Joliet (Central) Township (Joliet, Illinois)
By: Kyle Schwerin

One of the many linebackers brought in with this year’s class, Brandon Allen brings probably more athleticism than any other player brought in. However, that whole linebacker thing might be changing.

Chuck Martin at the recruiting press conference commented that Brandon will be looked at for defensive back, defensive end, linebacker, and also wide receiver. A guy with his size and speed (4.4’s) can be put nearly anywhere on the field and be effective.

The Joliet basketball star shows his proficiency on the court as well, holding multiple school records, most notably the most offensive rebounds in one game with 13.

When presenting the class, Chuck Martin had some great things to say about Brandon. He mentioned that Brandon has “Sky’s the limit potential because he’s very raw and has a lot to learn about the game of football.” Considering he’s already good enough to be on the defending National Championship team, and still has a lot to learn…that says a lot about his skills. The Southwest Suburban Blue Division All-Conference linebacker should grow into yet another great Laker.

With that, we’d like to make the ball hawking (current) linebacker feel at home…Welcome to Allendale, Brandon!

Height: 6′4″
Weight: 205 lbs.