Togetherness has helped the River Rouge football team triumph after tragedy.
After suffering through an unthinkable event, the Panthers have rallied to record four straight victories heading into Friday night’s showdown with Harper Woods.
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“They have a great level of togetherness,” River Rouge coach Corey Parker said.
Just two weeks into the season, over Labor Day weekend, former River Rouge player Sean Giles Jr. drowned in Ely, Minnesota, where he was playing college football.
Parker said Giles “was a great spirit around the team,” and his death left an impact.
“The way the team rallied around his family, the way the team rallied around each other, it really showed me the type of togetherness they had in a very tough scenario they had no control over,” Parker said.
Parker believes that togetherness off the field has carried over for the Panthers on the field.
Since losing to Detroit Cass Tech 40-7 in the season-opener, River Rouge has won its next four games and not allowed a point. The Panthers have outscored their four opponents, 248-0.
Two college recruits, Daraun McKinney and Ruke Orhorhoro, lead River Rouge.
McKinney, who has committed to Northern Illinois, is a versatile player, lining up at running back on offense and cornerback on defense.
“He’s playing a lot of high-caliber football,” Parker said. “We ask a lot of him.”
Orhorhoro, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive end who is going to Clemson, anchors River Rouge’s defense.
“Why did Brent Venables (Clemson’s defensive coordinator) come all the way up to Michigan?” Parker said. “Because he’s a guy like Ruke. He’s big, athletic and a try-hard kid.”
Orhorhoro and Jaylen Henderson (6-5, 255) flank 5-foot-7 nose tackle Javier Wagoner.
“He’s an old-school defensive tackle,” Parker said of Wagoner. “He’s an unsung hero.”
Korey Dunson, Tyjuan Gervin and Cortez Thornton also figure in up front. In the secondary, the Panthers rely on David Carter and Kamal Hadden in addition to McKinney.
On offense, River Rouge uses two quarterbacks, Emanuel Ferguson and Mekhi Hunt.
Their top targets are wide receivers Chastin Cross and Chrysten Cochran, who has committed to North Dakota.
At running back, the Panthers can turn to McKinney, DeAndre Bulley and Caleef Jenkins.
On Friday, they’ll face a rejuvenated Harper Woods program under Rod Oden. With a 4-1 record, the Pioneers are off to their best start since 2015.
“We’re getting better each and every week,” said Oden, who is in his first year at Harper Woods after coaching at Detroit East English Village. “We’re still trending upward. I don’t think we’ve peaked yet.”
The Pioneers are averaging 46.6 points per game behind quarterback Corey Graham, who hasn’t turned the ball over at all this season.
“He’s playing exceptionally well,” Oden said. “He’s a coach on the field.”
Graham has a tall quartet of receivers, all of whom are over 6 feet tall: Elija Griffin, Curtis Jackson, Charles Lake and tight end Chris Robinson.
Running back Jordan Anderson, a Bowling Green recruit, “makes it go,” Oden said.
Morgan State commits Rachon Gulley and James Drain lead the offensive line.
On defense, Griffin, a Toledo recruit, stars at cornerback. Other top players on defense include middle linebacker T.J. Gunter, hybrid safety/linebacker Keambiroiro “Roro” Perdue and defensive end Deovion Brown.
Last year, River Rouge defeated Harper Woods 86-0. But this year, the two teams are battling for the top spot in the Michigan Metro Athletic Conference Blue Division.
“We expect it to be a hard-fought game,” Oden said. “They’ve been the gold standard for the Metro Conference. We’re expecting to learn a lot about ourselves.”
“We’ve got to play hard and play smart,” said Parker, whose River Rouge team has qualified for the playoffs the last eight seasons. “We have to contain them.”
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