Columbus City League Preview: Marion Franklin Red Devils
Everybody says “you’re just a football school,” and yes ‘everybody’ is correct (sorry I’m biased) but with an amazing player on this team and a really good coach who can also chef up a slab of ribs and play jazz…
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Continue ReadingEverybody says “you’re just a football school,” and yes ‘everybody’ is correct (sorry I’m biased) but with an amazing player on this team and a really good coach who can also chef up a slab of ribs and play jazz music, the Red Devils can make things very interesting in the seemingly wide open Columbus City League south division.
Dorsin Butler, who averaged over 16 points per game, will be returning for his senior campaign along with five others who will graduate in 2021.
Butler is a guard who could gain a couple of pounds to help him withstand the fouls that he draws. His ability to draw fouls on defenders comes from his ability to create shots off the dribble where he rises up pretty high with his long arms to shoot over them. Butler is a consistent shooter when you leave him open and is a sniper off catch-and-shoot opportunities. The senior has hopefully improved his on-ball defense in the offseason, his feet were not the quickest but he was usually in the right place and his long arms can help create disruptions for the offense.
The next most consistent returning player for the Red Devils is Marchel Brooks who played in 11 games and scored closed to 8 points per game. The taller-than-he-looks prospect is very efficient with his play and is extremely under-mentioned when it comes to his defensive skill. He is versatile, being able to guard multiple positions on the basketball court.
Brooks twin brother Marcheo Brooks will rejoin the senior laden team this season and look to increase his scoring output. Scoring close to 9 points per game, Brooks has shown that he can hit shots when needed alongside Butler. As is the case with many brothers one is the scorer, one is the defender. Marcheo looks to get more buckets this season and be the consistent second scorer the Red Devils need to compete in the Columbus City League south division.
Both brother’s are good rebounders for their size and have the requisite athleticism to do more than just upset some teams looking for an easy win.
Matt Ward, Gabe Saunders and Kalidou Sow round out the rest of the seniors for Marion Franklin. Looking to fill their roles on the team each of them will have a different impact on the team.
Ward, specifically, will be someone who may surprise people with how well he could play in his senior campaign. In his final regular-season game (he only played in 12 games) he scored 14 impressive points against the Columbus City League runner-ups Linden-McKinley and showed glimpses of being able to consistently score inside the paint, something this Red Devil team will need with Butler’s capability to shoot from range.
Marion Franklin has not been to a Columbus City League championship game since 2010, this team is one of the more experienced teams in the south division and they should use that to their advantage. Add in a city league star and you have a chance to get back to the championship game.