A talented and hard-working senior class helped build the Flint Elite football from the ground up, improving from no wins their freshman season to an 8-2 record and conference championship as seniors.
Now, four of those seniors will once again be a part of building a new program as they signed letters of intent to play for LEAD Preparatory Academy in Brighton at a signing ceremony at New Standard Academy on March 27.
LEAD Academy launched its junior college football program in 2024. The team plays out of Legacy Center in Brighton and has a partnership with Washtenaw Community College, so athletes work toward associate’s degrees while competing at the JUCO football level and preserving athletic eligibility to potentially play at four-year colleges after LEAD. The LEAD program has an experienced coaching staff that includes former University of Michigan star Denard Robinson.
A fifth Flint Elite athlete, Eddie Allen, signed a letter of intent to run track for Cleary University, a private business university in Livingston County that competes at the NAIA level.
During the ceremony, which included the student body, parents and families, coaches, and school faculty and staff, athletic director Omar Dasuqi praised the senior class for their patience and resilience and the important role their leadership has played in building a strong foundation for the still new Flint Elite sports programs.
“They have been here since day one, building this program on their backs, on their legs, and on their minds,” Dasuqi said. “If it wasn’t for this special group of seniors and their families putting in the work, believing in it, staying dedicated, and making sacrifices, we would not be the Flint Elite Warriors that we are today. This group of seniors, they remember the days of having losing records, people doubting them, not believing in them. Now we are beating them, and most importantly, we are winning championships.”
Dei’on Wright
Dei’on Wright, Flint Elite’s starting quarterback, finished the season with more than 2,000 passing yards and threw for 27 touchdowns with just two interceptions while earning All-Genesee Area Conference and All-Region First Team honors. He was all-conference second team as a junior. In addition to being excited for the opportunity in front of him and his teammates
“I’m happy to just be letting the younger younger guys under us know that it doesn’t stop, whatever level football you want to go play at the next level, chase it,” Wright said. “Don’t stop, don’t be content when people doubt you, keep pushing.”
In addition to looking forward to continuing to play with three of his high school teammates, he also mentioned a familiarity with the Legacy facility as a reason LEAD Academy felt like a good fit.
“It’s close to home,” Wright said. “When I started here at Flint Elite, we were going down to Legacy tournaments and they liked us. We got to know a few of the coaches from going there throughout the summers. I feel like it’s just like home here. It would be a great transition for us and we just gotta be ready to work.”
Patrick Isaacs
Patrick Isaacs was a two-time All-GAC First Team selection, called getting to continue playing football something he “always dreamed of since I was a little kid.”
Isaacs, like many on the Flint Elite roster, brings intriguing athleticism and positional versatility to LEAD Academy. He was a standout at linebacker and running back for Flint Elite, finishing his senior season with 117 tackles and two sacks on defense and 56 rushes for 562 and four touchdowns on offense. But beyond his statistical production, Isaacs also pointed to being vocal on the field as a strength.
“I’m good at just flipping that switch on the field,” he said. “I have good leadership and I just like pushing my teammates.”
Like his teammates, he’s excited to continue playing with players he’s become close with during their high school careers.
“I really consider these guys to be like my family over the past four years,” Isaacs said. “We do so much stuff, we do trips together,we hang out with each other outside of school, so they’re really like my brothers.”
DiGion Perkins
DiGion Perkins, a two-time All-GAC First Team selection at defensive back, was also a productive wide receiver for Flint Elite. He had his most success at defensive back, but hopes to have the chance to play both positions at the next level. Regardless of position, there’s one asset he has at either spot: speed.
“I’m trying to contribute to my college team with catching, speed, being able to accelerate, decelerate, route running, anything they need,” Perkins said.
Perkins is excited to continue playing with some of his high school teammates, and proud of the season they put together. He said he could tell early on it would be a big year for them.
“My favorite memory of our senior year was the first game against Erie Mason in the Gridiron Classic,” Perkins said. “It just really showed us that we could play together and have good chemistry with each other.”
Razach Spillers
For Razach Spillers, who was All-State Second Team, All-GAC First Team, and made the Flint Dream Team Second Team as a safety, the fit at LEAD Academy starts with the coaching staff.
“I like interactive coaches, and their coaches are really interactive,” Spillers said. “They’ve been around us for a while. And then I also get to be there with my teammates. We got a real good support system with us, so I feel like we’re just going to thrive.”
In addition to having a lot of great team memories from both the football and basketball seasons, Spillers also has an impressive individual achievement: he’s the first football player in school history to receive All-State honors. Now, he’s just looking forward to pushing himself and seeing how far football can take him.
“I never expected something like this,” Spillers said. “It’s stuff I dreamed of when I was little. Now that I got the opportunity to play college ball, I’m just gonna do what I gotta do so I can go somewhere with this.”
Eddie Allen
A big draw to track and field as a sport for Eddie Allen is simple: it forces individuals to be self-reliant.
“I love how you don’t have to really rely on others,” Allen said. “It’s really a solo sport, where you have to push yourself.”
Allen qualified for regionals in back-to-back years at Flint Elite, and competes in the 400 and 800 meter events, as well as a relay event. At Cleary, he saw an opportunity to join a promising program that is trying to build something strong.
“I really love how their program is rising,” Allen said. “And I love that they asked me to be a part of it.”
He also sees the program as an opportunity to continue to push himself toward his dreams as a runner.
“I always dreamed of it (running in college) since I’ve been running track,” Allen said. “Now that it happened, it feels so surreal. It’s an unbelievable dream come true.”
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