Bigger doesn't always mean better.
That's especially the case with two of Michigan's top high school football prospects, including one who has already committed to Michigan State University.
The Spartan-to-be is Nick Hill, a 5-foot-7, 185-pound running back from Chelsea, who last year rushed for more than 2,300 yards in 11 games. His exceptional quickness and vision, plus his ability to make defenders miss, almost gives him Barry Sanders-like qualities to his high school coach, Brad Bush.
Jason Fracassa of Sterling Heights Stevenson, a 5-9, 170-pound quarterback, entered the season with 390 career completions for 6,189 career yards and 53 touchdowns, and is closing in on the state's career record of 7,464. He's uncommitted right now.
Hill has gotten Chelsea off to a 3-0 start.
"He's played pretty well," Bush said. "The last two games, the nature of the game and the score, he only played a half. He had 160 yards in the first half of the game and 102 in the other game. He didn't play in the second half of either game. So statistically, you can take that for whatever it's worth."
But in upcoming games against formidable opponents like Adrian, Hill is likely to be called upon in a major way.
"I think he's an improved football player," Bush said. "I have no idea if his statistics will bear that out. One of our big goals was to take some of that pressure off of Nick. He certainly is a great player. I'm trying not to give him the ball 35 times a game. It's not that he can't do it.
"We're more effective if he doesn't have to carry the load all the time. Frankly, last year, he carried his share of the load, that's for sure. In 12 games, he had 2,300 yards and 26 touchdowns. Against three teams we played on the road and that would make the playoffs, and we won all three and he had over 300 yards in all three games. He's always been a guy that's played big in big games. I'm sure that will continue."
Bush has especially been impressed with Hill's ability to have "tremendous vision and balance. He's not Barry Sanders, I wouldn't like to make that comparison. But that's who he kind of reminds me of. He's built low to the ground. He's a guy that has tremendous balance and vision. He's a very competitive kid. At big moments, he does a great job."
Hill decided on picking Michigan State over the summer.
"They've recruited him for quite awhile. But he made his decision before July 4," Bush said.
As Fracassa nears the state record, he's 47-of-62 for 801 yards and 11 touchdowns in three games, putting him less than 600 yards shy of a new mark in Michigan.
"He's gotten more comfortable with our offense," said Sterling Heights Stevenson coach Rick Bye, "and more important is his control on the field. We let him check pretty much whenever he wants to. He can go no-huddle. He has a lot of control out there. The receivers and running backs he has have been together for a couple of years, too."
Bye said Fracassa's strong and accurate arm contributes heavily to his effectiveness as a quarterback.
"He's a great decision-maker," Bye said. "We have built into our passing game routes to beat the blitz. Our running backs don't block much on passes. They go out for passes. He knows pretty much where they are. Consequently, our running backs do catch a number of passes."
Fracassa also has been getting looks by college baseball coaches.
Top 10 teams in Michigan
1. Rockford, 3-0. The Rams are favored to win the title of arguably the state's toughest conference, the O-K Red, and then go after its fourth state title in the past six seasons.
2. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 3-0. Fracassa is living up to his preseason billing as the state's top QB.
3. Macomb Dakota, 3-0. Dakota, despite having four linemen close to 300 pounds each, failed in its bid for three straight Division I titles last year, but hopes to start a new streak this season.
4. Warren DeLaSalle, 3-0. DeLaSalle is a power in the Detroit Catholic League and also in the state.
5. Birmingham Brother Rice, 3-0. The Warriors, under legendary 75-year-old coach Al Fracassa, hope to win their first state crown in four seasons.
6. Farmington Hills Harrison, 3-0. Under 40-year coach John Herrington, Harrison is looking to be a state contender again.
7. Muskegon, 2-1. The Big Red might have been the state's best team last season and figures on bouncing back from an early-season loss.
8. Lowell, 3-0. Next season, Lowell opens with Rockford. Right now, no one seems capable of beating the Red Arrows.
9. Ann Arbor Pioneer 3-0. The school is located across the street from the University of Michigan Stadium. But Pioneer is pointing at Ford Field and the state finals in November.
10. East Grand Rapids 3-0. The Pioneers have won three straight Division III titles, and look unstoppable in their bid for a four-peat.
