Revamped Offensive Line Could Make West Bloomfield a Force In OAA Red

Touchdowns didn’t come easy for West Bloomfield High School's varsity football team in head coach Ron Bellamy’s first season coaching last year.

The Lakers scored seven points or less four times and in six losses, averaged less than 10 points. 

West Bloomfield wasn’t lacking talent at the skill positions, with Phil Brown at quarterback and Aaron Curtis at wide receiver. Cortez Hardrick, who is currently being recruited by teams from the Mid-American Conference, was actually the team’s fourth-best receiver.

Why they couldn't score was simple — the Lakers' undersized offensive line couldn't protect those talented skill position players. Bellamy didn’t have a player on the offensive line over 185 pounds.

“(Phil) was surrounded by an offensive line that struggled a little bit,” Bellamy said. "I had a kids playing out of their natural position especially on the offensive line. I had a tight end playing tackle, battling kids double his size,” Bellamy said. “I wanted to be a power team last season, but it was tough.”

Defenses in the Oakland Activities Associations Red division expecting the same thing this year are in for a surprise. The offensive line will feature not one, but two 300-plus pound tackles. Senior transfers Kyle Croskey and Chauncey Briggs will cover the far right and left side of the offensive line, respectively.

Croskey is 6-foot-8 and 350 pounds while Briggs is just a tad smaller weighing in at 330 pounds on his 6-foot-6 frame. Briggs is an out-of-state transfer from Atlanta and both of them are seniors. 

Their presence completely changes the team’s offensive dynamic.

“Basically this year, it gives us good pass protection so we can throw and we can also run the ball more,” Hardrick said. “We can be more versatile and it will give people more opportunities and more chances to touch the ball.”

Zack Root, a returning starter on the offensive line at center, said the tackles should help give running backs like Terry Stuckey and C.J. Brathwaite a lot more confidence.

“It’s a good feeling to know you have a big line in front of you,” Root said.

Hardrick jokingly pointed out one possible negative to adding them on the line.

“We’ll have more time to throw time now,  but the quarterbacks will just have to be able to look over them (Croskey and Briggs),” Hardrick said, laughing. “They are big boys.”

Bellamy also has plans to work both players onto the defensive side of the ball at tackle.

The Lakers graduated nine starters on defense and having them in the middle of the defense could help ease the transition to a younger team. They won’t necessarily have instant impact, as Bellamy said they are inexperienced on defense despite their senior standing.

“They’re raw,” Bellamy said. “They are relatively new to football, but they are making the right adjustments. It’s just teach, teach, teach with them.”

They will get thrown into the fire pretty quickly. West Bloomfield opens the season with three of its first four games against playoff teams.

First up is Farmington High School on Aug. 26, then they welcome Clarkston High School on Sept. 2 and two weeks later host the defending state champions Lake Orion High School on Sept. 16. The Lakers' 56-14 loss to Lake Orion last year was its worst of the season.

“We haven’t been too successful against the two bigger programs in our division — Clarkston and Lake Orion — but we’re closing that gap,” Bellamy said. “With the continuity in our staff and the development of our players we’re going to continue to close the gap.” 

Bellamy has his kids expecting playoffs and nothing less.

“We lost three games by seven points or less last year,” Bellamy said. “We’re bigger up front than we were last year, our kids are overall better athletes than last year and this is the second year in the system. It’s going to be easier to shoot for the excellence we want to."