Written Thursday December 30th at 10:00 PM
These are my thoughts on each team heading into 2022.
Boys
Ferndale: The Eagles have played a really tough schedule. When looking at the record it’s very deceiving. They are a really good team with Treyvon Lewis, Jason Drake, Trenton Ruth, Chris Williams, etc. Coach Juan Rickman has a loaded team ready to make a strong postseason run in Division Two yet again. Those tough games will help them as the season goes on.
Clarkston: The Wolves had a long layoff but picked up a huge win to end 2021. Keegan Waslik, Nate Steinman, and Desman Stephens are going to be key for Coach Tim Waslik and Clarkston going forward heading into the New Year.
North Farmington: It was a very odd two games for the Raiders. North Farmington lost their first game off COVID-19 protocol to Williamston but bounced back to beat Detroit Loyola. Ryan Hurst has been the key for Coach Todd Negoshian. Hurst will be needed in a big way for the Raiders going forward.
Adams: The Highlanders have made a ton of strides but they have lost two straight both of them were at Ferndale. Whenever they aren’t at Ferndale they are fine. Justice Mims, Gunner Walters, Jon Usury, and Brady Prieskorn are going to be key parts for Coach Jaret Thomas. Adams will be fine heading into the New Year.
Oak Park: The Knights had been rolling until they played Saginaw Arthur Hill where they lost by 14 points in the Motor City Roundball Classic. Oak Park has a lot of young talent with Ashton Henderson, Bwada Miller, and Derald Blackmon. I wouldn’t press the panic button on Coach Durand Sheppard’s program. They will be fine heading into the New Year.
West Bloomfield: The Lakers have been up and down lately. West Bloomfield is 2-4 on the season and has lost a tough one to Grosse Pointe South. Coach Arnette Jordan has done well despite the record. Mitchell Seay will be key for the Lakers heading into the New Year.
Farmington: The Falcons could be in some trouble after losing two straight games after a really slow start. Coach Derrick McDowell needs to fix this program in a big way especially being in the Red. Farmington needs to really address some things going forward heading into the New Year.
Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks were red hot to start in December but they have lost two straight games all be it to very good teams. Bloomfield Hills will be fine going forward especially with the play of Noah Adamcyzk and Derrick Lee. Coach Phil Kurajian’s team will be fine heading into the New Year.
Lake Orion: It has been a tough Holiday break for the Dragons which saw a coaching change. The Dragons have been struggling lately which is a concern. Hopefully the New Year will turn things around for Lake Orion. Coaching changes usually work out pretty well, could it happen here???
Troy: The Colts have been an interesting team. They have had a 500 month of December. Troy has a lot to prove heading into the New Year. They do have wins over Troy Athens and Macomb Dakota which are huge for their confidence.
Groves: The Falcons had to miss the North Farmington Extravaganza because they were on COVID-19 protocols. Groves has been up and down which they really need to get off that funk if Coach Benny White’s program wants to take the next step. If the Falcons want to take the next step they need to overcome their 500 funk which they are more than capable off.
Stoney Creek: The Cougars have played around 500 as of late. Stoney Creek has found a scorer in Evan Taras. Taras will need to be a huge part of the Cougars for Coach Steve Norgrove. Stoney Creek has always been a hard working team and I expect that from them heading into the New Year.
Rochester: The Falcons are red hot heading into the New Year. Matt Stone has been playing very well for Coach Nick Evola. They also have a supporting cast as well. Rochester is the favorite in the Blue because of their experience. They will need to rely on that experience heading into the New Year.
Berkley: The Bears have been rolling especially the play of Tamir Runkevich and Ben Maurice. They have been huge for Coach Joe Sermo. If Berkley can keep improving and getting better then there is no reason why they wouldn’t contend in the Blue and do even more heading into the New Year.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks have had an up and down December but they blew an eight point lead in a tough loss to Port Huron Northern. Troy Athens will need Christian Jemmoaa, Jordan Sebaugh, and Jonah Botardo especially in the Blue for Coach Dave Scott and also into the New Year as well.
Oxford: The Wildcats have really been playing really well despite everything that they and the school has endured. Bryce Essman has been outstanding but I’m curious to see what Mitchell Vivano, Alec Brown, and Logan Rozanski does bring a supporting cast for Coach Steve Laidlaw. Oxford is in a very good spot heading into the New Year.
Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors have lost four straight games which is a major concern heading into 2022. Southfield Arts and Tech is a very young team this season. There will be some lumps for them. However there is no excuse for Coach Dareylle Buchanan’s program to be in this situation. It will be very interesting to see what the Warriors respond heading into the New Year.
Seaholm: The Maples are really struggling losing four straight since beating Royal Oak on opening night. Seaholm has been very young and has taken their lumps. It could be a very long season for the Maples if they can’t find any consistency on the offensive side of the court heading into the New Year.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers picked up their first win of the season by beating Farmington. Harper Woods has a lot of experience but the proven experience hasn’t seen OAA experience until playing Farmington. Juwan Porter has done a good job despite the tough schedule early. The Pioneers are a team to watch heading into the New Year.
Avondale: The Yellow Jackets picked up a huge win over Riverview at Carleton Airport and they are on a winning streak which helps heading into the New Year. Coach Pat Clancy has been working really hard to get Avondale in the right direction. Could this be the year that the Yellow Jackets take the next step???
Pontiac: The Phoenix haven’t played a game yet. It’s hard to evaluate them when they haven’t even played a game yet.
Royal Oak: The Ravens have been competitive despite their record. I like the play of Jessie Hoisington and Dylan Hoffman. They have been playing really well for Coach Aaron Smith. Royal Oak has proven they could be a player this season.
Ferndale University: The Eagles have been playing very well for Coach Josh Nicks since taking over the program. Ferndale University earned a program statement by beating Detroit Fredrick Douglass in the Detroit Public School League Holiday Classic. The Eagles could be a sleeper in the Gold if they can keep developing and improving each week. Got to like what Nicks is doing with the program. If he can get the numbers up then the program would be in even better shape.
Girls
West Bloomfield: The Lakers seem to be picking things up at the right time. West Bloomfield has been getting contributions from their star players in Summer Davis, Indya Davis, Myonna Hooper, and Sydney Hendrix. Coach Darrin McCallister is expected to get Kendall Hendrix back from injury really soon. West Bloomfield still has some questions when it comes to size and depth besides the five mentioned above. If the Lakers can find some depth play then it will only help them heading into the New Year.
Clarkston: The Wolves are your perfect Batman and Robin team. Maddy Skourpski has been playing lights out for Clarkston and has averaged over 25 points per game. They need more from Izzy Hadley and Ava Hernandez if they want to make a run in the Red. Coach Aaron Goodnough has them heading in the right direction heading into the New Year. The Wolves need someone to step up and help Skourpski and if they do then they are a much different team.
Stoney Creek: The Cougars have had an outstanding start which included wins over Lake Orion and Rochester but they have had some really tough losses to two very good teams in Westfield Prep and Macomb L’Anse Creuse North where nothing went right in that game. Mia Carson, Ella Demetreal, Emily Flynn, Sydney LaPrarie, Sarah LaPrarie, and company have done a really good job for Coach Kellen James. Stoney Creek is a wildcard in the Red. They are stout defensively and strong offensively. There is a lot to like with the Cougars heading into the New Year.
Troy: The Colts really miss Alyssa Matuza in a big way. Matuza provided a stabilizing force at the point guard spot. Troy has Charlotte Sobotka and Kendal Zeiter but they can do only so much. They need others to step up like Mia Valiotis and Regan Zeiter. There is still time for Coach Julius Porter to turn this around but the challenge being in the Red will make things that much harder and more challenging. They are already behind the eight ball a little bit falling to Troy Athens when it comes to the postseason. There is time to turn things around as mentioned for the Colts heading into the New Year between now and March.
Groves: The Falcons are going to be a good as Kaitlyn Sanders takes them. When Sanders plays well Groves usually wins and when she doesn’t they struggle. Destiny McCurdy and Cira Racco have to also play big parts for Coach Alison Hidey if they want to make some noise in the Red. Sanders has to be the go to player night in and night out for the Falcons to win games.
Royal Oak: The Ravens have had a really rough start. Royal Oak has the defense to be very competitive but they have to find the offense. Coach Brian Sopota is very young this season so it will take them some time to develop the offensive side of the basketball. The Ravens should be able to hold their own but they have got to find some offense heading into the New Year to be successful.
Southfield Arts and Tech: I got to give props to the Warriors filling in for Farmington at the Northville Holiday Classic. Southfield Arts and Tech is a very weird team. They blow out bad teams but when they play good teams they get blown out. The Red is a different animal and Coach Shaquita Coltrane knows that. The Warriors need to figure out their issues against good teams because everyone in the Red is a good team heading into the New Year.
Lake Orion: The Dragons are in a very nice spot heading into the New Year. They are 5-1 with three wins coming against Red teams and have played a really tough non league schedule. They have been playing really good basketball and should be a huge factor in the White. There could be some rust which is expected after a long break but Coach Bob Brydges team has a ton of depth and proven playmakers that are hungry and ready for more as we head into the New Year.
Oxford: The Wildcats played their first two games since the tragedy before going on Christmas break. Miranda Wynemkio has played outstanding for Coach Rachel Bryer. They also have a nice blend of youth and experience despite the majority of their program being underclassmen. Oxford should be a player in the White heading into the New Year.
Rochester: The Falcons despite their record have been playing really good basketball. They have been in every game this season which should get them better in the long term. Alice Mac, Natalie Rayce, Abbey Pleasant, and company have been outstanding for Rochester. Coach Bill Thurston should have a ton of confidence heading into the New Year. The Falcons are a sleeper to watch in the White.
North Farmington: The Raiders have been a very interesting team despite playing a heavy Lakes Valley schedule. North Farmington has lost two straight games which is a concern for Coach Jeff Simpson. Sela Lefler and Penelope Creary have played very well for the Raiders but they need more besides those two if they want to make some noise heading into the New Year.
Adams: It has been a very interesting start for the Highlanders in what was going to be transition period. Madison Kessman and Abby Drahnak have been their best players for Coach Joe Malburg but they need more from Aniyah Howard. Adams is going through a transition as mentioned which takes some time. The Highlanders have been very competitive heading into the New Year.
Berkley: The Bears have been making some strides so far. Ashley Loon has played very well for new Coach Cody Feltner but the play of Nolan Maleve and Jillian Gomes will be the key for Berkley moving forward. The Bears have played a tough non-conference schedule which included Grosse Pointe North and Troy. Berkley should be a team to watch heading into the New Year.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks have been very inconsistent in 2021. They beat Troy and South Lyon but lost to Clawson and Seaholm. Coach Stacie Klumpp needs to address the inconsistencies of her team if Troy Athens want to be a player in the White heading into the New Year.
Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks have been a very interesting team to figure out. Bloomfield Hills has blown out the teams they were supposed to beat (Adrian, Dearborn Heights Robichaud) and lost to the teams that were a bit better than them (Sterling Heights Stevenson and Troy.) Ashley Forner has played very well and have gotten contributions from others as well. Coach Kristen Massey has the Blackhawks heading in the right direction. It will be very interesting to see how Bloomfield Hills does heading into the New Year.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers were tested against Farmington after three blowout wins. Harper Woods has a ton of experience but there are still some questions that faces Coach Paul Allen and his program. The Pioneers are the early favorite in the Blue but they still have to go to Seaholm and Farmington which are going to be very tough games for them. Harper Woods should be well tested heading into the New Year.
Seaholm: I’ve been very impressed with the Maples despite their only loss to arch rival Groves I really like what Coach Chris Manchester has done with this program. Shay Manchester is a proven star and they have a really good supporting cast. Seaholm should be a player in the Blue. The Maples are on an upward trend into the New Year.
Farmington: The Falcons have been up and down but they were forced to pull out of the Northville Holiday Classic because of COVID-19 protocol. Autumn Bartlett has played very well for Coach Laura Guzman but I’ve been really impressed with Brie Burns. Burns has been the key for Farmington and should continue to be for Guzman and to take the pressure off Bartlett. I expect the Falcons to be a player in the Blue heading into the New Year.
Ferndale University: The Eagles are 2-0 on the season but both wins were against really bad teams and they blew them out. Ferndale University needs to test themselves and that could happen heading in the New Year.
Oak Park: The offense has been the biggest problem for new coach Chantelle Corson and the Knights. Oak Park has not been able to score over 25 points this season which is a concern heading into the New Year. The Knights have the defense to win games it’s just they need to find the offense and if they do then look out.
Avondale: The Yellow Jackets have been my most disappointing team thus far. Avondale has two proven players in Savannah Schmidt and Reigan Lawrence but they have lost five straight games and most of them by blowout. Coach Roy Christmon needs to think of something if the Yellow Jackets want to turn things around.
Ferndale: It was going to be very hard for Coach Al Kattola this season putting together a new program. The Eagles are taking a ton of lumps. If Kattola can keep the spirits up with Ferndale then I’m pretty sure they can turn it around heading into the New Year but it’s going to take some time.
Pontiac: The Phoenix put a statement against Ferndale putting up 78 points but they had to forfeit their last two games which is a concern. Coach Rawle Marshall has done a great job with the program but Pontiac needs to play if they want to contend for a league title going forward.
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