Gold Football Preview.

Written Friday August 12th at 2:30 PM

Here is the preview with the Gold this season.

The Podcast with Coach Corless

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-08-08-22

The Gold Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEVdo1vDyRQ

DIVISION OUTLOOK: This is a very interesting and balanced division. This is the first time the OAA is going four divisions since 2003 when Bloomfield Hills Lahser won the division. There really isn’t that team that is coming down from the Blue to be in this division. Berkley has to replace several key skill players but they have the rushing attack and lines up front. Avondale should be in the mix but they will have a new quarterback along with other skill players especially on defense. If the Yellow Jackets can put things together then this could be a scary team. Royal Oak has proven experience coming back along with a very talented running back but they have a new coach which makes things really interesting. Ferndale is in need of a bounce back year after really struggling last season. Pontiac is a team on the rise and could surprise some people this season. This should be a very competitive division this season.

DREAM SCHEDULE: Pontiac. It has been really tough historically for the Phoenix but things have seem be heading upwards. They have a new field, uniforms, and a new beginning. Pontiac has Garden City, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, and Mount Clemens which seems to be very winnable. The Phoenix have a difficult schedule but there are some winnable games should give Coach Ken Wade’s program heading in the right direction.

NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Avondale. The Yellow Jackets schedule looks very tricky but winnable. Avondale opens and closes the season with trips to Warren (Warren Cousino-week one, and Warren Fitzgerald-week nine.) They should be winnable games but schedule really starts with week two when they play Holly at Dick Bye Field. The Bronchos won 23-0 last season and has a new coach in former Berkley and Troy Athens coach Billy Keenest. The Yellow Jackets also have Berkley, North Farmington, and Royal Oak at Dick Bye Field as well. They head to Ferndale and have a trip to the Maple Forest as well. It won’t be an easy stretch of games for Coach Corey Bell that’s for sure.

TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: Royal Oak. The Ravens have a ton of proven experience but they have a new coach and a new system to adapt too. The schedule it is absolutely brutal. Royal Oak has Holly, Troy Athens, Berkley, Avondale, and Madison Heights Lamphere on the road. They have Troy and Ferndale coming to Royal Oak. This schedule has trouble written all over it.

 

TOP FIVE GAMES:

Berkley at Avondale: The Bears beat the Yellow Jackets 34-19 last season. This could be the Gold title game.

Grand Rapids West Catholic at Ferndale: First meeting between the Eagles and the Panthers. Grand Rapids West Catholic has made the playoffs 18 of the last 19 years.

Holly at Avondale: The Bronchos shut out Avondale 23-0 last season. Holly has a new coaching staff led by former Troy Athens and Berkley Coach Billy Keenest. This will be a big test for the Yellow Jackets.

Ferndale at Royal Oak: The Ravens earned a shocking 35-28 upset of Ferndale last season. Think the Eagles haven’t forgotten that game???

Royal Oak at Berkley: The Battle of Woodward is always fun. There is a lot riding on this game. The Bears have won the last two meetings over the Ravens.

 

BERKLEY BEARS

LAST SEASON RECORD: 7-3, 6-2 Blue. Lost 19-13 in OT to Waterford Mott in First Round

POINTS SCORED: 241 (24.1 ppg), 192 Blue (24 ppg)

POINTS ALLOWED: 138 (13.8 ppg), 86 Blue (10.7 ppg)

STRENGTHS: Proven Linemen, Linebackers, Rushing Attack.

WEAKNESS: Passing Attack, Defensive Secondary, Depth.

OFFENSE: Power

DEFENSE: 5-2

GAME OF THE YEAR: October 7^th vs Seaholm

PLAYER TO WATCH: Max Walstad-Quarterback

PROJECTED RECORD: 8-1, 3-1 Gold

 

STORYLINE: Will the Bears maintain their consistency of success???

Berkley has had a very strong two years under Coach Sean Shields. They are 12-6 in that span which included two postseason appearances. The Bears have had great classes in the past and the program is on the rise. Berkley was very competitive even in their losses to Troy and Bloomfield Hills last season. They picked up a monster win at Livonia Clarenceville when they were unbeaten. The Bears lost a ton of talent from last season. They are a rising program and expectations are high heading into the season.

OUTLOOK: The Bears have eight starters coming back mostly on the offensive side of the football. They have a quarterback competition looming between Sunny Kadlitz and Max Walstad. Shields mentioned that it will be an actual quarterback competition. Shields mentioned that Walstad has the early lead in the competition. “Right now Walstad leads the hunt but we’re going to see when we put the pads on and see who is going to wind up being the quarterback this year” said Shields. The rushing attack should be the strength of the Bears. They have Savod Daniels coming back at running back. Berkley also had Miron Dover that could give Daniels a break at times. They have Grant Clark at wide receiver and Nolan Wesner coming back at tight end. The offensive and defensive lines should be solid. Berkley has David Rolands, John Passon, and Issac Dawkins coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The Bears defense needs to replace nine starters from last season. The linebackers should be solid with John Coleman, Elden Pickens, Walstad, and Bryan Dover coming back. The defensive secondary is a concern for Shields even though he is very high on Alex Papadelous and Arthur Wall. Wall will see some time at wide receiver as well. Their special teams look very strong with Hunter Robinson handling the kicking duties.

WHY 8-1: The Bears have a very manageable schedule with most of their tough games being at Hurley Field. They have Ferndale, Avondale, and Groves on the road which are very interesting. Berkley has St. Clair Shores Lakeview, Milan, Royal Oak, Pontiac, Seaholm, and Troy Athens coming to Hurley Field. The Bears should be in the mix with this schedule. “Our goal is to win the league, we have never won a league title. If we don’t then it will be a big disappointment in the program” Shields concluded. I think they can go the distance with this schedule but Berkley is more than capable of having a deep postseason run.

Berkley Podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-070622

AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS

LAST SEASON RECORD: 4-6, 4-4 Blue. Lost 58-0 to Birmingham Brother Rice in First Round

POINTS SCORED: 187 (18.7 ppg), 187 Blue (23.3 ppg)

POINTS ALLOWED: 253 (25.3 ppg), 172 Blue (21.5 ppg)

STRENGTHS: Rushing Attack, Linebackers, Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Quarterback, Defensive Secondary.

OFFENSE: Spread

DEFENSE: 4-3

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 2^nd vs Holly

PLAYER TO WATCH: Tyler Herzog-Quarterback

PROJECTED RECORD: 7-2, 4-0 Gold

 

STORYLINE: Can the Yellow Jackets put it together???

When I talked to my co-host Ian Locke about Avondale from last season, he was shocked with how the Yellow Jackets made the postseason. Being in Division Three really helped the Yellow Jackets despite winning four games and being below 500. They were blown out by Birmingham Brother Rice in the first round last season. “It put a little bad taste in our mouth, happy to make the postseason but we were whipped by Brother Rice to end the season on a bad note and it has a lot of motivation to come back. They got something to work for” said Avondale coach Corey Bell. Avondale is 11-15 in the last three years which is something that Bell needs to address if the Yellow Jackets want to make it back to the postseason.

OUTLOOK: Avondale has a ton of athleticism and a lot of expectations coming into the season. They are more than capable of getting back to the postseason. They have 16 starters coming back. The Yellow Jackets will go with Tyler Herzog at quarterback. Herzog's older brother Jake Herzog was the starting quarterback last season. Herzog will have proven wide receivers in Justin Sykes and Cooper Voeffray coming back. The rushing attack should be solid. They have Terry Daniel coming back at running back. The offensive and defensive lines should be solid. Avondale has Knicolas Friend, DeShawn Robinson, Denzel White, Reefe Henderson, Cameron Washington, and Dhruv Thakur coming back. The back end is where they had the most issues last season. The Yellow Jackets have Myles Moore, Joey Wall, Sykes, coming back at linebacker. They have Alfonsino Merritt, Calvin Cade, and Mason Moore coming back in the defensive secondary. Hunter Petras should handle the kicking duties for the Yellow Jackets. There are some question marks when it comes to program strength. Bell needs to address some things before the season starts. “Our model this year is our game our way, we’ll play anyone anywhere, anytime” Bell concluded.

WHY 7-2: The Yellow Jackets have a very interesting schedule. They open and close the season in Warren. Avondale has Warren Cousino in week one and Warren Fitzgerald in week nine. They have Holly, Berkley, North Farmington, and Royal Oak coming to Dick Bye Field. Avondale besides the two games in Warren has Seaholm, Ferndale, and Pontiac on the road. The schedule looks very manageable if things go right for Bell. They should be a postseason team.

 

ROYAL OAK RAVENS

LAST SEASON RECORD: 2-7, 2-6 Blue. Didn’t make Postseason

POINTS SCORED: 128 (14.2 ppg), 115 Blue (14.3 ppg)

POINTS ALLOWED: 302 (33.5 ppg), 248 Blue (31 ppg)

STRENGTHS: Quarterback, Rushing Attack, Proven Linemen.

WEAKNESS: Depth, Wide Receivers, Balance, Defense.

OFFENSE: Power-Spread

DEFENSE: 4-3

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 1^st vs Farmington

PLAYER TO WATCH: Elly Finch-Offensive/Defensive Lineman

PROJECTED RECORD: 2-7, 2-2 Gold

 

STORYLINE: How will the Ravens adjust to new coach Dusytin Truitt’s system???

 It has been a really challenging for a program that has made the postseason three times in the last 16 years. They are 10-24 since 2016. The Ravens made a coaching change this offseason with Dusytin Truitt taking over the program. What helps is that Truitt is a middle school teacher in the district and knows the players really well. Truitt has had a strong offseason thus far and there is some optimism. “We’re getting our feet wet, with changing the culture and building this program up. The kids have been excited and the numbers have been up” said Truitt on the podcast. It will be very interesting to see what happens with Royal Oak this season.

OUTLOOK: The Ravens have a lot of proven talent which helps a new coach bringing in a new system. They have seven starters coming back. “I’m excited about the numbers, excited to get the pads on” said Truitt. Royal Oak has Hudson Siddle coming back at quarterback. Siddle had his moments of good, bad, and ugly last season. “Hudson has been working really hard this offseason, he is learning the new system and has gotten stronger as well” added Truitt. The rushing attack should be the strength with Mehki Jenkins at running back coming back. Jenkins could run the wildcat in Truitt’s offense. The Ravens could have a one-two punch with Nathan Benton at running back coming back as well. The offensive and defensive lines are very proven. Royal Oak has Elly Finch, Evan Towery, Carsen Troub, and Aiden Tesch coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. “We’re really excited about the four of them up front” Truitt added. Siddle will have some proven pass catchers in Steven Johnson, Colton DeShea, Ben Menshineak, and AJ Garcia coming back at wide receiver. “We’re going to play to our strengths offensively with Mehki and Hudson” added Truitt. The back end had a very challenging last season but Truitt is really excited for the defense. Truitt mentioned on the podcast that he is putting some of the principles from the Coach John Becktel coaching tree at Farmington. The Ravens have Johnson, Michael Herman, Elijah Lyons, TJ Antonio, and Garcia coming back at linebacker. They have Caleb Jacobs, Logan Permaloff, Jenkins, Mason Hawk, and Owen Louwers coming back in the defensive secondary. They will need to figure things out on the defensive side of the football this season.

WHY 2-7: There is a ton of excitement with Royal Oak with Truitt taking over the program. Changing the culture takes time to do but can this team surprise some people??? sure. The Ravens have Holly, Troy Athens, Berkley, Avondale, and Madison Heights Lamphere on the road. They have Farmington, Troy, and Ferndale coming to Royal Oak. “Our expectation is to go out there, ready to compete and see how things go” Truitt concluded. The Ravens are a sleeper to watch in this division.

Royal Oak Podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-08-01-22

FERNDALE EAGLES

LAST SEASON RECORD: 1-8, 1-7 Blue. Didn’t make Postseason

POINTS SCORED: 88 (9.7 ppg), 82 Blue (10.2 ppg)

POINTS ALLOWED: 267 (29.7 ppg), 220 Blue (27.5 ppg)

STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength, Linemen, Wide Receivers, Secondary.

OFFENSE: Power

DEFENSE: 3-5

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 1^st vs Grand Rapids West Catholic

PLAYER TO WATCH: Darnell Bates-Quarterback

PROJECTED RECORD: 3-6, 1-3 Gold

 

STORYLINE: Can the Eagles overcome a very challenging schedule???

It has been a very challenging three years for Coach Eric Royal’s program. The Eagles were 22-8 from 2016 until 2018 but they are 9-16 since 2019. Royal has a really tough schedule looming which should help on a postseason standpoint but personal wise is the question mark for the Eagles despite having 16 starters coming back this season.

OUTLOOK: Ferndale is going to need a lot more production with the majority of their team coming back. “Last year was a wake up call for us” said Royal after last season's 1-8 year. The offensive and defensive lines have been Royal's strength during the Eagles run from 2016 until 2018. The Eagles have Quintin Sands, Lavar Croxton, Darrell Kern, and Donye Carson-Edwards coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The skill players should be much improved. They have Darnell Bates coming back at quarterback. Ferndale has Cordae McAllister coming back at wide receiver. They have Jabari McCune coming back at running back. The back end of should be very interesting. The Eagles have Jacoby Young, Andrew Mills and McCune coming back at linebacker. They have Daniel Young and Gary Maxwell coming back in the defensive secondary. “We took our lumps last year, we’re hoping it pays off this year, we have eight one way players and several two way players” Royal mentioned. It should be very interesting to see what Ferndale has this season.

WHY 3-6: The Eagles have a very tough schedule. They have St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, Macomb L’Anse Creuse, and Grand Rapids West Catholic with the latter two on the road. Ferndale has Grand Rapids West Catholic, Berkley, Avondale, and Farmington coming to Ferndale. They have Macomb L’Anse Creuse, St. Clair Shores Lakeshore, Pontiac, Troy, and Royal Oak on the road. “I just want to compete, to get back to where we are accustom too. We have the athletes to do so” Royal concluded. The Eagles could overachieve which is possible but program strength in the sub varsities worries me with this program.

 

PONTIAC PHOENIX

LAST SEASON RECORD: 0-9, 0-8 Blue. Didn’t make Postseason.

POINTS SCORED: 88 (9.7 ppg), 48 Blue (6 ppg)

POINTS ALLOWED: 329 (36.5 ppg), 261 Blue (32.6 ppg)

STRENGTHS: Rushing Attack, Quarterback.

WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength, Linemen.

OFFENSE: Spread

DEFENSE: Multiple

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 2^nd vs Mount Clemens

PLAYER TO WATCH: Davieon Hall-Running back

PROJECTED RECORD: 2-7, 0-4 Gold

 

STORYLINE: Will the Phoenix win multiple games this season???

The Phoenix have had coaching changes left and right and it hasn't been stable. It’s been a big reason why they are 5-82 since 2012. Things started to change under Coach Ken Wade despite the win-loss record. Pontiac opened a brand new stadium on campus last season. They played Farmington and Berkley at the new stadium. The Phoenix used to play their games at Wisner Stadium which is three miles from campus. They have had a full offseason together to create workouts and build the program. There is a vision and a direction for the Phoenix. Wade has mentioned that he wants to build the “Purple Wall” around the city of Pontiac. He might be just doing that with the program he is envisioning.

OUTLOOK: The Phoenix have made a ton of changes coaching wise and the roster has improved. The record hasn’t been the greatest but they have been improving. “Everything has been moving at the right direction, we’re excited. We’ve had our numbers up and the players are buying in. It’s a lot better we’ve had a full offseason as a program, we’re very excited. We got some new coaches who are younger and fresher, fresh out of the college game, who played for me. We’re excited about the direction that we are moving in, we’ve had crisper offseason programs with all of the things, the new uniforms, the kids are excited. Now is the time to turn all that hard work in the offseason and turn it to some success on the field so we can continue to grow as a program” said Wade. They have eight starters coming back for Wade. Pontiac has Daiveon Hall coming back at running back. Hall scored five touchdowns in their 68-40 loss to Stockbridge last season. The 40 points was the most the Phoenix scored in a game since beating West Bloomfield 66-40 in October of 2011. Hall is an impact player for opponents who play the Phoenix. Pontiac has Kayne Donaldson coming back at quarterback. Donaldson should have Daymeion Logan, Charles White, and Debon Johnson coming back at wide receiver. Logan and Johnson will also see time in the defensive secondary. The offensive and defensive lines are question marks despite having Keanu Humphrey and TaQwon Ringgold coming back. There is talent in Pontiac but depth is a major concern and program strength as well.

WHY 2-7: The Phoenix have a very tough schedule despite having one of the easiest schedules in the Gold but historically this is a tough schedule. They have Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Garden City, Troy Athens, Mount Clemens, Ferndale, and Avondale coming to Pontiac. The Phoenix have, Berkley, Royal Oak, and Farmington on the road. “We’re excited with the realignment of the OAA Gold, we got to schedule three games, we know against Bishop Foley we are going to be tested. They were in the Catholic League and in the Prep Bowl. We added Garden City and Mount Clemens. We should be in every game this year. We will break through this season. Pontiac has the athleticism to be very competitive. Very soon the program will start winning games. “We will break through and break this losing streak. We expect to be competing for the Gold, our non league is winnable. We will be a consistent team battling for a playoff spot” Wade concluded.