Photo by Daniel Gretzner
Fordson varsity football players pay attention to the coaching staff instructions during a recent practice.
The prep football season is off to a winning start for Fordson this year. The Dearborn Class AA high school varsity grid team has the look and talent to be ranked within the top 20 squads within the entire state.
Head coach Walker Zaban wants his Tractors to continue strong gridiron play in the weeks to come. They beat Macomb Dakota 27-17 to open the 2012 season.
“Just how well we do this year, we don’t really know,” Zaban said during a break in recent practice drills. “Hopefully this team will improve and do better this year.”
He indicated that he is somewhat optimistic about how good his Tractors will be.
The Tractors had to keep up the mentality of “road warriors” when they traveled to meet Warren DeLaSalle Saturday. They faced a strong foe that plays in the Detroit Catholic League. A victory in this contest could put the Tractors on the road to a “cut above” gridiron year. The blue and gold has a tradition of fielding winning teams that went toe-to-toe with their competition.
Quarterback Kamel Faraj and running back Michael Berry are the key players who make the offense go. Faraj threw for 3 touchdowns against Dakota. Berry, can be explosive, taking the pigskin across goal lines on a consistent basis.
On Sept. 21, Fordson will host the Dearborn Pioneers, setting up a cross town early showdown in the Western Wayne Athletic Conference Blue Division. The defending champion Tractors will travel to Edsel Ford one week later to take on the Thunderbirds.