As students flee, Detroit football teams lose ground

Tom Markowski and Vincent Goodwill / The Detroit News

Detroit --Two years ago, the Detroit Public School League basked in the glory of Detroit King's state football championship. It was the first in the proud history of the league, which has produced many college and NFL players.

Much has changed since then -- for the worse.

Schools are having trouble fielding teams because of a lack of players, many of whom are switching to charter or suburban schools with open enrollment. Some of the leagues' top coaches left for the suburbs, and due to a lack of funding, some teams are struggling for even the basic necessities, such as helmets.

For 19 years, Mike Marshall was one of the city's top coaches, leading Henry Ford to three PSL titles. A frustrated Marshall resigned after last season.

"Nineteen was enough," Marshall said. "When you have to take the uniforms back home to wash, line my own fields ... this is the worst I've seen it (the PSL). They don't cut the grass. You can't practice on the field because the grass is too long.

"Late in my career, I never had anyone come tell me I was doing a good job. There's a general lack of support. We didn't have one staff member come to see our games. We'd turn on the water to begin practice in August, and we'd have to let it run for four days to get the rust out. And last year, we had gang problems. A player would live on one street and couldn't walk to school on another.

"It's hopeless."

Marshall isn't the only top coach to leave. Since King's championship season, long-standing coaches such as Mansfield Dinkins at Detroit Chadsey and Drake Wilkins at Detroit Denby have left for head coaching jobs at suburban schools.

Detroit Osborn coach Robert Hunt, a quarterback for Detroit Central in 1984, remains loyal and committed to the PSL.

"All of our best talent is leaving the city," Hunt said. "I'm a PSL product. I've never seen it like this before. Inkster didn't care about athletics until (Greg) Carter got there as coach. Melvindale, Inkster, Sterling Heights, Warren and Madison Heights are taking our kids. I lost my starting tight end to Chandler Park Academy a week before school began. He was practicing with us and then he was gone. I'm disappointed that our kids are leaving. It burns me."

Dwindling numbers

The major problem facing the 19 football programs within the PSL, coaches contend, is the flight of student/athletes from Detroit to nearby suburban schools of choice, private or charter schools.

Schools such as Chandler Park Academy in Harper Woods, Ecorse, Inkster, Madison Heights Madison, Melvindale, Oak Park, River Rouge, Roseville, Southfield and Southgate Anderson are filled with players who have left PSL programs.

The lack of numbers has forced Detroit Southwestern to cancel its varsity season. Detroit Finney, with only 18 players, is among schools struggling to field a team.

"I know the schools have budget problems, but if you really put money behind sports, and not let kids head to Highland Park and Orchard Lake, then you'd have better programs," Detroit Cody coach Calvin Norman said. "We were really affected by the school shootings (last year at Henry Ford).

"It's either the uncertainty with DPS, or parents feel the quality of education is better elsewhere."

Finney's problems started last spring when rumors suggested the school would close. It didn't, but students were asked to move into McNair Middle School a mile away from Finney, so the high school building could be rebuilt and re-open for the 2011-12 school year.

Coach Tony Elliot left for Dearborn Heights Robichaud after eight years at Finney, and Steve Hawkins took over.

Because of transfers, Hawkins has only 18 players. There aren't enough players to field a junior varsity team.

"Whether we would have enough players for our opener was a concern," he said. "It was like, are we going to have enough to get through?"

So far, Finney has played all four games, going 0-4 and being outscored, 140-20.

Practices with fewer than the minimum of 22 needed for a full scrimmage present their own challenges, and there are other obstacles to overcome. Three days before Finney's scheduled game against Denby on Sept. 4, Hawkins was forced to have two practices in the McNair gym.

"Our practice field at Finney is a mile away," Hawkins said. "We have to get bused there. The bus didn't show up Tuesday and Wednesday. I was told DPS (Detroit Public Schools) switched bus services and there was some confusion. That Thursday was the only day we could practice in pads."

Lacking necessities

At least Finney has pads for everyone.

Because of a lack of funds, some PSL varsity teams share equipment with junior varsity, including helmets and pads. Others don't have enough equipment, forcing players to watch practice from the sidelines.

Locker room facilities for many schools are shabby. There are no athletic trainers nor any medical services provided for practices, only for games.

And experienced coaches are underpaid and leave the PSL, thus hurting the quality of coaching.

Each school receives $6,000 to fund its varsity and junior varsity programs, each year. This doesn't include coach's salaries.

In the PSL a varsity coach earns an extra $4,100 and the junior varsity coach, $2,300. The pay at suburban school districts is more. At Taylor Kennedy and Taylor Truman, for instance, the varsity football coaches are paid between $5,500 and $5,800, Taylor athletic director Loren Ristovski said.

Lafayette Evans, the former director of athletics for the DPS, said the money teams receive hasn't changed in 20 years. But costs for equipment have risen considerably. A helmet that cost $40 now costs $150. In an informal survey, PSL coaches said they replace 10-12 helmets each year.

Suburban coaches don't have a budget per se.

Macomb Dakota athletic director Mike Fusco has an athletic budget. If Dakota coach Mike Giannone places a request for new helmets and/or shoulder pads, the request is reviewed.

"I am able to provide for the basic needs," Fusco said. "The requests that come in are analyzed and it is determined what money is needed. We also have a booster club that provides funding. And, third, we have fundraisers. Some programs have higher needs than others."

Two years ago, Detroit Douglass coach Andre Harlan had 61 players in his program. This season he has 45, including 23 on varsity. He'd like more players, but he needs more helmets.

"I have 25 helmets," Harlan said. "I have to give varsity equipment to JV players so they can play games. I don't think it's healthy to share helmets. It seems like no one cares. You have to have money to buy necessities. That stuff doesn't last forever. (Some) practice pants are torn up. It's unsafe. For me, safety comes first."

Harlan isn't alone. Coach Bob Lynch at Detroit Mumford said his players are forced to share helmets, too.

The same goes for players at Douglass.

On Mondays, varsity quarterback Vic Davidson gives his equipment to junior varsity player Ronald Gordon, just so Gordon can suit up for the JV games.

The teams share everything, turning their cramped locker room into a makeshift flea market.

"Who has extra hip pads?"

"Who has medium pants?"

"I can't wear large."

Ron Miller is a 16-year-old sophomore on the junior varsity who sometimes plays on varsity. Nothing he wears he can call his own. It's community property.

"It's my helmet, but I share it," he said. "Hip pads? I share it all. Shoulder pads? You name it, we share it. Look at our footballs. We only have two."

Douglass junior varsity coach Peter Brown, a 2001 Murray-Wright graduate, said that's just the way it is in the PSL.

"This has been like this forever," he said. "It's a way of life."

Players dwindling

The number of players participating in football in the Detroit Public School League at the varsity level between 2007-09:

Note: Information from Detroit Central, Detroit Cooley and Detroit Renaissance was unavailable.

tom.markowski@detnews.com 313-223-4633 vgoodwill@detnews.com