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King quarterback receives offer from CMU, hoops coach Rickman leaves East English, to take over at Ferndale
On the gridiron
The top field general in the PSL, Detroit King junior quarterback Dequan Finn, committed to Central Michigan last week. Finn (6-2, 185 pounds) took the Crusaders to a Division 2 state title as a sophomore back in 2016. Last fall, he led King to a PSL title and a D2 semifinal appearance. CMU has had a busy month harvesting the Metro Detroit area for recruits – Finn’s commitment chases pledges from Clinton Township Chippewa Valley junior receiver David Ellis, defensive end Max Saylor from Birmingham Brother Rice and Warren De La Salle junior center Danny Motowski. The Chips went 8-5 in 2018, losing in the Idaho Potato Bowl to Wyoming.
Before Finn lands in Mt. Pleasant for his college ball, he’ll have a new target to play pitch-and-catch with: Earlier in the year, All-PSL wide receiver Lemuel Neely-Watley transferred to King. Considered a 3-star college recruit, Neely-Watley will be entering his junior year in the fall and played the past two seasons at Detroit East English Village. As a sophomore, he caught 53 passes for 775 yards and 11 touchdowns. He can defend against the pass from a cornerback slot, snaring seven picks from the defensive backfield in 2017.
From the world of hoops
Ready to try his hand on the bench in the suburbs, highly-respected Juan Rickman has resigned as the boys basketball coach at East English and accepted the same position at Ferndale. Rickman led East English to its’ first and only PSL championship in 2016. This past winter, his club served eventual repeat Class A state champion Clarkston (ranked as high as No. 4 nationally) its only defeat of the campaign in a holiday showcase hosted by North Farmington. Watch for Rickman’s new backcourt of Ferndale juniors Deondre Bonaparte and Keelan Lucas to have big senior years under his tutelage.
Detroit Cass Tech junior cager Kalil Whitehead, an intriguing wing prospect just beginning to scratch the surface on his potential, recently corralled his first Division I college scholarship offer from MAC champion Buffalo. The 6-5 Whitehead was offered a scholarship by Division II national champion Ferris State late last year. He plays his AAU ball with the Michigan Mustangs.
