Written Friday March 13th at 3:15 PM
These are the shortcomings for current, about to be former members, and future members of the OAA.
This will be updated with the most recent information.
Ferndale University: The Eagles had a very interesting year for new coach Anton Bradford. They won four games but at times they had some close losses. Ferndale University shocked Detroit Old Redford Academy 56-47 in the first round but they couldn't overcome Hazel Park falling 65-47 in the district semifinals. They lose Dontrell Milton and Kody Pippen. The Eagles have Dannion Young coming back. Program strength will be something to watch. Ferndale University should be a very interesting program to watch with a ton of questions heading into next season.
Waterford Kettering: The Captains had a very interesting year in their first season in the OAA. They had a new coach in Will Campbell that has done a very good job turning things around despite falling 72-58 to a very good Lake Orion program in the first round for the second straight season. Campbell has done a great job finding an identity to hang their hat on heading into the future. They lose Jordan Jarrell and Haidyn Bigelow which will be big losses. Waterford Kettering has Katim Jallow and Gustas Garbenis coming back. Jallow has shown signs of becoming that next great player. Program strength looks to be solid for the Captains heading into next season. Scoring will be something to watch with Waterford Kettering heading into next season.
Berkley: The Bears were a pretty young team that took a lot of lumps and had gone through a coaching transition period this season. Berkley shocked Seaholm 44-41 in the first round before falling 71-33 to Bloomfield Hills in the district semifinals. They lose Kameron Patterson and Ben Sanborn. The Bears have the Sermo brothers (Drew and Sam), Ries Tuttle, Henry Herron, Isiah Dangle, Owen Rickard, Logan Fishman, Anthony Gatewood, Asa Somers, Paul Cascade, Landon Lutz, among others coming back for Coach James McCulloh. Program strength is something to watch heading into next season. Berkley should be much better in McCulloh's second year with the program.
Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a bit of a resurgence this season. They shared the Gold in their first year under new Coach Josh Lyle. Lyle has brought back a culture of winning and program building to Southfield. The Warriors fell 55-53 to Groves in the first round which could be a learning lesson heading into next season. They lose Byron Webb, Marques Winston, Nolen Thompson, Cameron Cook, DeAndre Owens, and Donovan Morris. Southfield Arts and Tech has Antonio Thomas, Blake Woodward, Bryan Atemkeng, Elijah Reed, Kam Dickerson, Jonah Ramsey, Kendall Woods, and Raylen Fair coming back. Program strength looks solid for Lyle. The Warriors should be a team to watch heading into next season.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers were an up and down team but they did share the Gold this season. Harper Woods fell 51-35 to Detroit Edwin Denby Tech in the district semifinals. The Pioneers had several Canadian transfers come into the program. It will be very interesting to see if Coach TaJuan Porter follows this route again which could be possible. Program strength is a concern and this will be an area to watch. Harper Woods will be a program to watch heading into next season.
Oak Park: The Knights had a resurgence sharing the Gold with a strong defense to which they had a stretch where they kept opponents under 30 points but they had a tough 62-45 loss to Detroit Mumford in the first round. Oak Park was known for their defense as mentioned which will be the key going forward for Coach Durand Sheppard. Program strength is a big concern and something to watch with Sheppard going forward. Oak Park will be very interesting to watch to say the least.
Royal Oak: The Ravens changed their whole mindset after going 0-10 in the Blue before the start of the postseason. They won three games in five days over Warren Mott (73-47 in the first round), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood (49-44 in the district semifinals), and Troy (50-43 in the district finals) earning their first district crown in school history. Royal Oak fell ito Macomb L'Anse Creuse North 66-57 in a hard fought regional semifinals. They lose Pontez Bates, Sam Zeller, Jackson Bofferding, Liam Dalton, and Taylor Vance. The Ravens have CJ Hairston, Andrew Fritz, Brandon Tracy, Ethan Couzens, Caiden Scott, and Shane Glander coming back but they will have a new coach as Aaron Smith has stepped down coaching the program. Program strength will be something to watch especially after the regional semifinal run the program had this season. Having Hairston back is a big deal. Royal Oak should be a very interesting team to watch this offseason.
Troy: The Colts had an up and down season which seen great moments like Coach Gary Fralick's 500th career coaching win along with some very tough losses. Troy beat arch rival Troy Athens 51-47 in a hard fought district semifinals but fell 50-43 to Royal Oak in a hard fought district finals. They lose Cameron Adams, Jed Chen, Will De Armit, and Patrick Johnson. The Colts have Hayden Oriol, Grant Wilkins, Destin Parker, and Blake Kuiper coming back for Fralick. Program strength looks solid for Fralick. Troy could be a very interesting team to watch next season.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks had an up and down year this season which ended in a tough 51-47 loss to arch rival Troy in the district semifinals. Troy Athens could be a very interesting team to watch. They lose Cainan Hanbury, Enir Fjolla, Donnie Payne, Maddex Snipes, and Nathan Johnson. The Red Hawks have Alan Spahic, Alex Yono, Cole Cosgrove, Jalen Jones, James DeSantis, Kobe Coleman, Juilio Putrus, Vinny Gentilla, and Xander Ketterman coming back for Coach Mitchell Vercellino. Program strength looks to be solid. Troy Athens should be back in the mix to make some noise next season.
Bloomfield Hills: The Black Hawks had a great season winning the Blue behind a ton of proven experience. Bloomfield Hills had a strong 71-33 win over Berkley in the district semifinals but had a very tough start which led to a tough 67-56 loss to Birmingham Brother Rice in the district finals. They lose Da'Ron Mason, Brendan Bies, Brady Klein, Ryan Hunt, and Meyer Saperstein. The Black Hawks have Carter Canfield, Carter Hartfield, Mason Hitchcock, among others coming back for Coach Brian Canfield. Program strength will be something to watch but they have experience. Bloomfield Hills should be a team to watch with a lot of questions this offseason.
Pontiac: The Phoenix are coming off a very strong season which they were second in the Blue behind Bloomfield Hills and knocked off Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 62-55 in the district semifinals. The season ended in a heartbreaking 57-55 double overtime loss to Goodrich in the district finals. The loss to the Martians could be a learning point for what is still a very young program that is more than capable of showing greatness in the future. Pontiac has Caden Covington, JJ Claudio, Nasir Harris, Tim Ewing, JaKobe Hickman, G'aimir Lyles, among others coming back next season. Coach Dion Harris did a great job in his first season, the key will be long term and building program strength for the Phoenix going forward. Pontiac looks to be trending up heading into next season.
Seaholm: The Maples were a really hard team to figure out this season. Seaholm had a shocking 44-41 loss to Berkley in the first round. They lose Drew Heckman, Bryan Pohl, William Fedor, and Patrick Hughes. The Maples have several returners in Everett Wertz, Brody Feldmaier, Aiden Pero, Hudson Schossau, Jack Barlage, James Liebler, Liam Kerr, and John Hoffey coming back for Coach Spenser Adams. Seaholm has a ton of length which helps but there are a ton of questions Adams needs to address. Program strength looks to be solid. The Maples are more than capable of making a jump and will be a team to watch next season.
Oxford: The Wildcats had a tale of two seasons. Oxford finished 0-10 in the White but managed to play their best basketball in the postseason. The Wildcats pull off their third district crown in 70 years with a gigantic 45-43 upset of Grand Blanc in the district semifinals along with a 56-52 win over Davison in the district finals earning their first district crown since 2019 however they fell 46-43 to Adams in a hard fought regional semifinals. They lose Carter Jacobsen, Brennan Elling, and Cade Lindamood. The Wildcats have Brody Casper, Ezra Flores, Greyson Boyle, Easton Kogelmann, Jaxen Tackaberry, Brayden Mattis, and Brady Hasselbring coming back for Coach Joe Fedorinchik. Program strength looks solid for Fedorinchik. Oxford have a strong case with the postseason push to stay in the White. The Wildcats should be a very interesting program to watch next season.
Stoney Creek: The Cougars seen a ton of growth and excitement in what was a rebounding season for the program. Stoney Creek looked much more happier under first year Coach Marko Tomich and he just related with them much better. The Cougars got some big wins like Adams 59-56 on the road and winning 82-40 over Romeo in the first round. Stoney Creek hung tough with Birmingham Brother Rice, Rochester, Lake Orion, Waterford Mott, and Adams. The Cougars fell 36-29 to Adams in the district semifinals. They lose Charlie Felton, Jack Fredenburg, Joey Miller, KJ Schuster, and Quentin Rangi. The Cougars have Anthony Arlinghaus, Ernie Backos, Issac Papis, and Brosie Telegadas, among others coming back for Tomich. Program strength looks solid. Tomich has this program heading in the right direction.
Lake Orion: The Dragons had a lot of bad luck with games that didn't go their way. Lake Orion was much better than their record indicated. The Dragons have been battle tested and it showed throughout the season. Lake Orion survived a three point barrage by Waterford Kettering winning 72-58 in the first round but took a very tough 71-48 loss to a very good Avondale program in the district semifinals. They lose five seniors in Nate Giacolone, Jackson Shoskey, Max Neering, Will Farmer, and Joey Duggan. The Dragons have Kaline Scott, Max Hinderer, Brecken Powers, Jackson Hall, Ricky Howles, Connor Hale, and Marcello Castillo coming back for Coach Jose Andredas. Program strength looks solid. Lake Orion will be back despite having scoring questions but this program has found multiple ways to be very competitive and perform to high standards.
Waterford Mott: The Corsairs had a strong first season back in the OAA winning 16 games while being competitive in the White but they could not handle Clarkston's guards in a 59-38 loss in the district semifinals. They lose seven seniors in Caleb Stephinson, Damari Stephens, Hazaiah Outen, Anderson Gray, J' Vaughn Jones, Jordan White, and Greg White. It's also possible they could lose Tori Robinson. Robinson is getting looks for football and could enroll early in college but if he comes back it will be a big addition. Waterford Mott has Jasiah Benton, Milan Bland, Greg White, and Keegan Talley coming back for Coach Jeff Jayson. Program strength is very concerning for Jayson and it will be something to watch. The Corsairs will be a very interesting to watch this offseason.
Adams: The Highlanders had a bounce back year looking at where they were coming into the season and with what happened to them in wake of two players transferring out of Adams before Christmas last season. Adams won their district with wins over Stoney Creek (36-29) in the district semifinals and Rochester (39-38) in the district finals behind a very strong defensive presence. They would make the regionals after a hard fought 46-43 regional semifinal win over Oxford but fell 53-36 to Avondale in the regional finals. They lose Nolan Farris, Zeke Wilson, Nathan Tocco, Josiah Fazecas, Hunter Durand, Daniel Terski, and Andrew Wozniak. The Highlanders have Brady Lindstrom, Cannon Flynn, Carson Mackowiak, Linus Thalman, Reed Stanton, and Sam Viscardi coming back for Coach Isiah Novak. Program strength looks solid for Novak. Having Flynn along with an emerging guard in Thalman will be huge for Adams and Novak. The Highlanders should be a very interesting program to watch this offseason and they could make some more noise heading into next season.
Rochester: It was a special ride for the Falcons that exceeded expectations. They won the White and went unbeaten going 22-0. Rochester won 60-49 over Utica in the district semifinals and things were going right for them until they got to the district finals. The Falcons controlled most of the game until very late where they took a heartbreaking 39-38 loss to arch rival Adams in the district finals. They lose eight seniors including Logan Pleasant, Anthony Chirco, Eli Michalski, and Luke Lower. The Falcons have Ben Bissett and Nate Tandy coming back for Coach Nick Evola. Program strength looks to be solid for Evola but there are questions long term. It's going to be very interesting to see how Rochester bounces back from this tough loss especially to one of their arch rivals. It will be very interesting to see what happens with the Falcons next season.
Groves: The Falcons had a transition year where they went 0-10 in the Red however they got some big wins which included winning over Detroit Western 71-52 and Southfield Arts and Tech 55-53 in the first round but they ran into Birmingham Brother Rice falling 72-52 in the district semifinals. They lose eight seniors including Beau Kennard, Jordan Thomas, and David Upshaw. Groves has David Jones coming back for Coach Marc West. Program strength is a concern and something to watch. The Falcons should be a very interesting team to watch next season depending if they are in the Red or in the White.
West Bloomfield: The Lakers have had a very interesting season which had defensive issues and some adversity issues. West Bloomfield lost Curtis Britton to an injury only to overcome that injury and win over Lakeland (67-42 in first round), Walled Lake Northern (49-44 in district semifinals), and Orchard Lake St. Marys (39-36 in the district finals) in the districts to get to the regional but they ran into a very good Avondale program falling 53-34 in the regional semifinals. They lose Britton, Terrance Love, Harold Haynes, Branislav Stojanovski, Roman Johnson, and Ryan Hood to graduation. The Lakers have Jamison Wester, Quentin Allen, Nasir Moore, Shon Akins, Jaydn Brown, Dorian Jackson, Shannon Rochon, and Eugene North coming back for Coach Arnette Jordan. Program strength will be something to watch with West Bloomfield. The Lakers will be a very interesting program to watch next season.
Farmington: The Falcons had a very interesting final year in the OAA before the leave for the Lakes Valley Conference this fall. Farmington won their second straight district crown knocking off Livonia Franklin (61-47 in the district semifinals) and Redford Thurston (56-53 in the district finals) but fell 48-38 to Warren Fitzgerald in the regional semifinals. They lose Anthony Bailey, Daniel Beard, Darrius Warren, Randy Rice, and Michael Eaton. Farmington has Colbi Kingston, Taiyvon Anderson, Myles Smith, Khalil Foster, Jaylen White, and Isaiah Ley coming back for Coach Byron Johnson. Program strength looks to be solid for Farmington as they leave the OAA for the Lakes Valley Conference this fall.
North Farmington: The Raiders had a year of change which seen the ups and downs with a new coach in Coach Pete Matayla. North Farmington had to survive Livonia Stevenson 59-49 in the first round but fell 63-59 to Redford Thurston in the district semifinals. They lose Quran Creary and Brendyn Favors. The Raiders have have Troy Waldron, Connor Brown, Jeremiah Larkin, and Jayden Glinz coming back. Program strength will be something to watch for Matayla. It will be very interesting to watch as North Farmington leaves the OAA and heads to the Lakes Valley Conference this fall.
Ferndale: The Eagles play a very tough and demanding schedule which explains their record despite having a losing record the schedule as mentioned was very tough. Ferndale won their district pretty handily with blowout wins over Detroit Lincoln King Academy (65-34 in the district semifinals) and Hazel Park (95-61in the district finals) but they lost on a buzzer beater to Warren Lincoln 61-59 in the regional semifinals which was their second loss in three years to the Abes in the postseason. They lose Darelle Cochran, Julian Cardenas, Daniel Russell, and Isiah Pannel. The Eagles have Eden Vinyard, Toriano Adams, Tyler Ruth, Brandon Powell, Carter Williams, and Drakkar Ouwinga coming back for Coach Juan Rickman and that's not counting Vinyard's brother who had a special year on their junior varsity. Program strength is concerning for Rickman but they had three programs which helps. Ferndale will be a program to watch heading into next season but it is clear they need to figure out their Warren Lincoln problem.
Clarkston: The Wolves had a very interesting season which seen a lot of consistency as always under legendary Coach Dan Fife but the getting past the district and especially getting past Avondale has been a daunting task. Clarkston got past Waterford Mott 59-38 in the district semifinals but had a very tough 57-43 loss to Avondale in the district finals. It was their sixth loss in two years to the Yellow Jackets. They lose four seniors including Cole Charter and Hayden Burrow. The Wolves have Ace Walters, Max Harmon, Aiden Rose, Owen Poole, and Waylon Hunter coming back for Coach Tim Waslik. Program strength has been strong and will be key going forward. Clarkston should be in the mix in the Red next season.
Avondale: It was a special year for the Yellow Jackets which seen their first district in 11 years, their first regional since 2002, the Red, along with earning a trip to the Breslin Center in East Lansing at Michigan State. Avondale battled with Rockford but had a heartbreaking 38-35 loss in the Division One State Semifinals. They lose Braylin Grandberry, Jaidon Bourgeois, Javontae Anderson, JaKobe Lifford, Max Muhl, Noah Bonds, and Anthony Burton. The Yellow Jackets have Qualaeb Ross, DaKari Fields, Trindon DeVealt, and Makai Carroll coming back for Coach Aaron Fox. Program strength is very concerning and something to watch for Fox. The Yellow Jackets should be in the conversation in the Red but they will be a different team for sure next season.
Novi: The Wildcats had a very tough year this season winning seven games and falling 59-40 to arch rival Northville in the first round. Novi had a really experienced team two years ago so this was going to be a rebuilding year a litte bit. They lose Carter Thompson, Colin Edwards, Drelen Lillard, Eric Milt, Greyson Fielder, Matthew Floros, and Ryan Burr. Novi has Zayd Haque, Trent Jackson-McGowan, Naser Rushaidat, Ryan Logan, Jack Logan, Bladen White, Bailey Weathers, and Ben Snow coming back for Coach Chris Housey. Program strength looks to be solid for the Wildcats. Novi should be much improved as they will be in their final season in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association before coming to the OAA in two years.
Northville: The Mustangs had a very tough season winning seven games but beat Novi twice including a 59-40 win in the first round but they ran into Novi Detroit Catholic Central falling 70-37 in the district semifinals. They lose Andrew Payne, Brayden Burns, Brody Grezak, Cameron Brown, Kamden Brown, and Nate Imbuzeiro. Northville has Brady Taylor, Braylon Brown, Jason Goodlow, Marcus Brown, Nick Nathan, Ryan Christensen, and Sam Siddall coming back for Coach Sean Turner. Program strength looks solid for Turner. Turner had his first full season as varsity coach since taking over as the interim two years ago. It will take time for the Mustangs to learn Turner's system but he has been around the program which helps. Northville should be much improved heading into their final season in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association before heading into the OAA in two years.
