Belleville prospects talk quest for a 'three-peat' and 'Spartan Dawg Con'
Belleville High School has quickly become a powerhouse program in the state of Michigan.
On the heels of back-to-back Michigan High School Athletic Association Division I state championships in 2021 and 2022, the Belleville football program has one goal in mind in 2023: make it a "three-peat." While the season hasn't officially started yet, the Tigers' pursuit of a third-straight title is already well underway this summer.
The team recently competed at the fifth annual SoundMind SoundBody High School Seven-on-Seven Showcase at Wayne State University in Detroit. The Tigers were in attendance on the first day of the two-day event, which was on Wednesday July, 12.
Spartans Illustrated spoke to Belleville head coach Calvin Norman and several of the team's players during the seven-on-seven event to learn more about the program, how the Tigers plan to reach their goals and find out who is attending Michigan State's "Spartan Dawg Con" weekend on July 28 and July 29.
Belleville named Norman as the program's head coach in early May. He became the Tigers' third head coach since the beginning of the 2022 season, following the departures of former head coach Jermain Crowell (who was fired in November 2022 for violating the MHSAA's undue influence rule) and DeJuan Rogers (who took a job as defensive backs coach at Tiffin University).
This is not Norman's first time leading a program, however. He was the head coach of Cody High School (Detroit) from 2008 through 2018. This is now his fifth year overall at Belleville, after joining the school in 2019 as an assistant coach.
"It feels great, it's a coach's dream, to be honest with you," Norman said about being named Belleville's head coach. "With all the players, with all the talent — I've been coaching for 33 years and I've been the head coach for 18, and so I've been around a long time — this is the best (team) I've seen, in the position that I'm in. So, I'm enjoying the moment right now."
Norman has tremendous respect for Crowell.
"Coach Caldwell put a great program together," Norman noted. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. The players, the coaching staff (are here) because of Caldwell."
While Belleville will once again be one of the most talented teams in the entire state, Norman knows how difficult it is to win three state championships in a row, and he needs his team focused and ready to do whatever it takes to reach that milestone.
"We need to work," Norman said when asked about winning a third-straight title. "We need to understand that we've got to play at an elite level because everybody's gunning for us. And so we gotta make sure that that's our motivation and that we keep (continuously) working to get better. We can't ever be satisfied. We can't be satisfied that we won two (championships) back-to-back. That's not enough. We gotta keep on working."
Of course, having 2025 five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood leading the team makes Belleville's quest for another state title much easier. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound signal-caller is not only the top-ranked player in the state of Michigan for his class, but he is also one of the most coveted prospects in the entire country.
Underwood currently ranks as the No. 1 pro-style quarterback, No. 1 player in Michigan and No. 3 overall player nationally in the 2025 class.
In addition to his talents on the field, Underwood is also a team leader.
"He brings everything to the team," Norman said about Underwood. "I like to say about him, all the time, that he checks all the boxes — good attitude, good ball player, good work ethic, you name it, he checks that box. He gets good grades, he's a good student, he checks the box. He's great."
For Underwood, he understands that every opponent is hoping to take Belleville down. He agrees with Norman that the team will have to work incredibly hard to reach its ultimate goal.
"For sure, we always have a target on our back," Underwood said about Belleville. "Just keeping a great energy throughout everything I do, having a great attitude and being a leader to my guys — those are the main things I gotta do (for my team to have success)."
As for his performance at Wednesday's seven-on-seven event, Underwood was happy with how it turned out. Once he got into a rhythm, he was locked in and there was essentially no stopping him.
"I did pretty good," Underwood said about his performance at the seven-on-seven event. "I enjoyed it for sure. It was a pretty good time."
Norman was not too worried about how his team looked during the seven-on-seven matchups. This was more about development, staying healthy, building chemistry, getting in practice reps and improving.
"I tell the kids all the time, we don't care about seven-on-seven, it's nothing but a practice," Norman said. "I just wanna see team tempo. Let's get better. I don't care if (the opponents) score 100 times, that's not the point. The point is, let's work on Belleville's game and let's get better. Let's be injury free, let's do what we do and let's go home. At the end of the day, nobody has won anything. You've still got a season to work on, so just come out here and just practice."
Underwood, who is tentatively targeting an early-January commitment date, says he has not recently had a lot of communication with Michigan State. He is also unsure about his plans for the end of the month. With events like Michigan State's "Spartan Dawg Con," Michigan's "Barbecue at the Big House" and just about every other program hosting a big recruiting gathering in the final weekend in July when the dead period briefly lifts, Underwood has not yet decided which campus he will be visiting then.
With the 2023 season quickly approaching, and practices starting next month, Underwood is working on becoming a better leader and building a true connection with his teammates.
"Just working with my guys outside of practice and during practice," Underwood said when asked what wants to improve on this summer. "I also want to build a better bond with my guys. You will also see (new aspects of my game on the field) during my playing time (this fall)."
Similarly to Underwood, 2024 four-star linebacker and Michigan commit Jeremiah Beasley is also a key leader for the Tigers.
"Jeremiah's the same way (as Underwood)," Norman said about Beasley. "He checks all the boxes. He comes from a good family home, same as Underwood. Things that you look for, that you dream about in a kid, they bring to the table. So (Beasley and Underwood) both are on the same level as far as being great kids and great student-athletes, and the work ethic is incredible."
Beasley, who decided to commit to Michigan over Michigan State, Missouri and other finalists, is looking to do whatever he needs to do for Belleville to add another state championship trophy to its collection.
"Just working with my teammates," Beasley told Spartans Illustrated in June about what he wants to improve on this summer. "Building a better team (is the goal). We're kind of young, so developing them for the hard times and the season's ups and downs. Just getting better as a team. We're trying to three-peat. It takes a lot for a team to do that, but we're trying to do that."
While Michigan State missed out on Beasley, and doesn't appear to be as active with Underwood as the Spartans once were, MSU has a strong relationship with Belleville and will continue to recruit the Tigers.
A couple of players who don't yet have offers, but are in constant communication with MSU and could get offers soon, include 2025 three-star linebacker Andre Thomas Jr. and 2025 three-star wide receiver Antwon Thomas. Both players told Spartans Illustrated they plan to go to "Spartan Dawg Con."
Norman mentioned that he has a couple of seniors he hopes Michigan State will give a look to as well, but that overall, he has a good relationship with MSU that he is looking to grow further for his program.
Norman also told a funny anecdote about a past experience with Michigan State coaches during former head coach Mark Dantonio's tenure, after Norman moved from Cody High School to Belleville High School.
"Oh, it's great," Norman said about his relationship with MSU. "I've never had a problem with Michigan State. I know the coaches. I like to tell this funny story all the time. No disrespect to the coaches or anything like that, but when I was at Cody (High School), I would talk to the Michigan State coaches (under former head coach Mark Dantonio) all the time. They knew who I was and we would chop it up.
“And then one day when I left and came to Belleville and I had on this orange, I'm sitting there talking to the coaches at Michigan State for like 30 minutes, and they did not know who I was. I said, 'Coach, y'all don't know who I am?' They said, 'Yeah, you look familiar.' I said, 'Coach, I was the head coach at Cody. Y'all ain't never gave me this much attention at Cody. Now I'm at Belleville and getting all kinds of attention.' But it was fun."
As for Andre Thomas Jr., while he is waiting on the Michigan State offer, he already has offers from Pittsburgh, Maryland, Central Michigan and Toledo. These are the schools he is currently hearing from the most.
Andre Thomas and his coaches recently spoke to Michigan State defensive graduate assistant and former Spartan linebacker Antjuan Simmons, and he got the invite for "Spartan Dawg Con."
"I'm planning to go to Spartan Dawg Con," Andre Thomas said. "(Coach Simmons) told me it was alumni coming back (to Michigan State) and I can build relationships with them."
A 6-foot, 205-pound linebacker, Andre Thomas prides himself on his ability to make plays for the defense.
"I'm a linebacker that can move," Andre Thomas said. "Not many (players) move as good as me. I make plays in space. I'm a versatile linebacker who can play in coverage and stop the run."
In addition to linebacker, Andre Thomas plays wide receiver and tight end for Belleville. He used to play running back as well, but not as much anymore, he noted.
In 2023, Andre Thomas shares the same main goal as his teammate, a third-straight state title. He is looking to make some noise individually as well.
"Win another state championship as a team," Andre Thomas said when asked about his goals. "Personal goals, I'd like to make All-State and all those other accomplishments."
Andre Thomas grew up in Detroit, but knew fairly early on that Belleville was where he wanted to play his high school ball at.
"When I was in middle school, Belleville was in the semifinals (in the playoffs), and they were doing really good," Andre Thomas said about why he chose to play at Belleville. "Coach Crowell, he's a good coach. And some of my teammates who I played with in little league were going over there to (Belleville). It was a really good fit for me."
Overall, Andre Thomas really likes the Spartans and hopes that his relationship with MSU continues to develop.
"I've been liking Michigan State since I was a kid," Andre Thomas said. "I'm really interested in them. It's a good school."
It is quite possible that Andre Thomas leaves East Lansing with an offer in late July.
Meanwhile, Antwon Thomas recently transferred from Orchard Lake St. Mary's to Belleville. He is now enrolled at his new school and will play wide receiver and defensive back for the Tigers, with his main focus at receiver.
"I'm excited about my new school and the new experience I'm going to, which is Belleville High School," Antwon Thomas said. "With my new teammates, I'm ready to get to work and be an instant addition to the new team."
Wide receiver is also the position that Michigan State is recruiting him at. While he doesn't have the MSU offer just yet, Antwon Thomas is building a strong bond with wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins ("Coach Hawk").
After taking a spring visit to East Lansing in April, and returning for a camp in June, Antwon Thomas has enjoyed getting to know Hawkins.
"Coach Hawk, that's my guy," Antwon Thomas said. "I got invited to a spring practice, met (Coach Hawkins), we had a conversation. I told him about how my recruitment is going. Then he went to visit the school (at Orchard Lake St. Mary's). We talk about speed and stuff he wants to see out of me. As a smaller receiver, it's like 'speed, speed, speed.' We can't be slow in the game, we gotta make sure we're fast everywhere.
"He knows I work a lot, so he was telling me how I should treat my body. We have conversations outside of football about character and family and stuff. (MSU) builds a relationship with the player they recruited. That's what Coach Hawk does with me. He wants to build a relationship with me and I've got much respect for him."
While the Michigan State scholarship offer hasn't come just yet, Antwon Thomas has an offers count well into the double-digits. Programs such as Penn State, West Virginia, South Florida and many others have extended an offer to the speedy wideout.
Speaking of speed, that is what Antwon Thomas builds his game off of, among other aspects.
"I would describe my game as speed and aggressive hands," Antwon Thomas said. "And with how small I am, I'm 5-foot-10, I know how to slow down the game, too, get in and out of my breaks."
Norman noted that the addition of Antwon Thomas raises the ceiling even higher for Belleville.
"That depth comes in when he plays, offensively and defensively," Norman said about Antwon Thomas. "Once again, we play competition on that high level, so we welcomed him in (and he will help our team)."
Antwon Thomas is a fan of the Michigan State program and culture. He also talks to several of MSU's players, including redshirt freshman Antonio Gates Jr., who he has known for a long time.
"Their program is nice," Antwon Thomas said about MSU. "I've got a lot of guys who go there. Antonio Gates Jr., that's the main guy — everybody says I look like him, I don't know why. It was crazy, when I was first played with him — well, he was playing on the higher level and I played on the little league — everybody thought I was his little brother. (Gates) helped me a lot on how to impress Coach Hawk, too."
The next step for the Pontiac, Michigan native is to get to know his new teammates and work together with them, while also showing off what he can do individually.
"No matter what team I'm on, I'm gonna show out regardless," Antwon Thomas said. "I just want to build chemistry with my new teammates."