Written Thursday August 18th at 6:00 PM
Here is the division preview for the Red. The Preview Show will be updated on the blog as well.
Podcast With Coach Corless
https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-08-08-22
Preview Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnuq833fPp4
ONTV News Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSgbd7Wfj2I&t=27s
DIVISION OUTLOOK: This division has multiple storylines and almost everyone playing really tough schedules. West Bloomfield looks to have a bounce back year after falling to Adams in the regional finals last season. The Lakers are loaded with proven talent on both sides of the football. Adams comes from the White after making the Division One State Finals last season. The Highlanders bring a veteran team along with the veer offense. Clarkston has a new coach with a veteran team coming back. Lake Orion is looking for a bounce back season. The Dragons have a new but familiar coach coming back and they have a veteran team coming back. Stoney Creek has to replace a few proven players. The Cougars have the rushing attack and proven line. They have questions at wide receiver and in the defensive secondary. Oxford will be very young but they will always be in the mix. This should be a very interesting division to watch this season.
DREAM SCHEDULE: Clarkston. The Wolves have a new coach along with a proven experienced program this season. Clarkston has Davison, Lapeer, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Oak Park for their non-league which two are on the road, one is at a neutral site. It looks very manageable for Clarkston standards. They have West Bloomfield, Adams, and Lake Orion on the road while Oxford and Stoney Creek come to Clarkston. Sure they have six games on the road which is not ideal but the schedule looks very manageable as mentioned.
NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Lake Orion. The Dragons have had a history under returning Coach Chris Bell with playing really tough schedules. This season the schedule is brutal. Lake Orion has Utica Eisenhower, Oxford, Stoney Creek, West Bloomfield, and North Farmington on the road. They have Clarkston, Saline, Oak Park, and Adams coming to Dragon Country. This should be very interesting to see how the Dragons navigate this schedule.
TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: Oxford. This program has went through a lot. This could be one of the toughest roads I have seen. The schedule is brutal with Romeo, Clarkston, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, and Chippewa Valley on the road while Stoney Creek, Lake Orion, Groves, and Adams come to the blue turf. If the Wildcats can get five wins with this schedule like they did last season then they have earned it.
TOP FIVE GAMES:
West Bloomfield at Adams: The Lakers two losses last season came to the Highlanders including one where they blew a 13-0 lead in the regional finals while the other loss was in “the Swamp” in week one.
Clarkston at West Bloomfield: Why are these teams playing in “the Swamp” for a second straight season???
Lake Orion at Oxford: The Dragons allowed 51 points to the Wildcats last season which is the most points Lake Orion has ever allowed in the rivalry. It is the most points the Dragons ever allowed in a non-overtime format.
Clarkston at Adams: This is a make or break game for the Wolves. Clarkston lost in 2019 to the Highlanders which caused the Wolves to miss the playoffs.
Harper Woods at West Bloomfield: Welcome to the OAA Pioneers, first ever OAA game is against a powerhouse in “the Swamp.”
ADAMS HIGHLANDERS
LAST SEASON RECORD: 13-1, 5-0 White. Lost 55-33 to Belleville in Division One State Finals
POINTS SCORED: 458 (32.7 ppg), 146 White (29.2 ppg)
POINTS ALLOWED: 212 (15.1 ppg), 44 White (8.8 ppg)
STRENGTHS: Skill Players.
WEAKNESS: Depth.
OFFENSE: Veer
DEFENSE: Multiple
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 9th vs Clarkston
PLAYER TO WATCH: Brady Prieskorn- Tight End
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-2, 3-2 Red
STORYLINE: Can the Highlanders repeat last year’s success but this time in the Red???
It was a very successful year for the Highlanders which saw some similarities from their 2002 Division Two State Championship team. They won 13 games, won the White, and made the Division One State Finals. Adams brings the veer offense and proven skill players into the Red this season. The Highlanders have made the postseason six straight years. They will look to see if they can make it seven straight years. If Coach Tony Patritto can address the depth problems then they could be right back at Ford Field again.
OUTLOOK: Adams had a really special year last season. The Highlanders have 11 returning starters coming back. Adams has a ton of proven skill players with their veer offense. “This is a great group of kids, they learned a lot from last year’s team. We have a lot of talent coming back” said Patritto. They have Parker Picot at quarterback coming back. Picot had a monster postseason including throwing four passing touchdowns in the Division One State Semifinals against Grand Blanc last season. “Parker is one of the top five quarterbacks in the State” Patritto added. Patritto should have a proven rushing attack with Jake Sukkar, Jacob Spinks, Tanner Buck, and Brenson Watters coming back. Picot has proven pass catchers in Brady Prieskorn at tight end along with Damarcus Rouse, John Thomas, Aaliyan Hassan, Thomas Blaine, and Drew Heppner coming back at wide receiver. The offensive and defensive lines could be tested despite having a ton of proven experience. Adams has Hassan Murray, Andre Creson, Liam Beattie, Julian Righter, Peter Boyd, Rico Hart, and Kenny Davis coming back. The back end should be solid. The Highlanders have Rocco Orsini, Matteo Humbert, and Tait Picot coming back at linebacker. “Parker’s brother Tait is a tackle machine” Patritto mentioned. Adams has DJ Greer, both Picot brothers, Nick Paterra, and Heppner in the defensive secondary. They have Colin Timko handling the kicking duties. The Highlanders should be very good again this season. “We have big shoes to fill, we know our schedule is incredibly vigorous though we are going to work really hard and try to compete and start with a good game against St. Marys” Patritto added.
WHY 7-2: The Highlanders have a ton of proven experience coming back. Many media pundits have projected that Adams could be one of the favorites to get back to Ford Field this season. The Red is a tough animal for anyone to get by and they have a really tough schedule looming. “Traditionally, it’s (Red) the best conference there is and we have mad respect for those schools. They are much bigger than us and they are very well coached and we know we have to be at our best. We got a taste of playing two teams from the Red but playing every week it’s going to be that much harder” Patritto concluded. The Highlanders have Clarkston, Orchard Lake St. Marys, West Bloomfield, Stoney Creek, and Harper Woods coming to Rochester. Adams has Sterling Heights Stevenson, Lake Orion, Oxford, and Rochester on the road. If they can get this shored up then a trip back to Ford Field looks very possible.
WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS
LAST SEASON RECORD: 10-2, 5-0 Red. Lost 14-13 to Adams in Regional Final
POINTS SCORED: 389 (32.4 ppg), 183 Red (36.6 ppg)
POINTS ALLOWED: 241 (20 ppg), 116 Red (23.2 ppg)
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.
WEAKNESS: Discipline.
OFFENSE: Run-Pass Option
DEFENSE: 3-3-5
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 23rd at Adams
PLAYER TO WATCH: Kenny Jones-Running Back/Wildcat Quarterback
PROJECTED RECORD: 9-0, 5-0 Red
STORYLINE: Can the Lakers put it all together without self-inflicted wounds???
It was a failed year for the Lakers last season. They beat everyone but Adams where they lost twice to them. West Bloomfield is more than capable of getting back to Ford Field and having a Division One State title run in 2020 but for Coach Tyrice Grice and his program discipline is the key. “Discipline is going to be the number one priority going into camp. Last year we had way too many penalties going into the season and that prevented us from going all the way” said Grice. If the Lakers want to get back to Ford Field discipline is the thing they need to clean up. “If we can shore this up then no one will stop us” Grice added.
OUTLOOK: The Lakers look to get back on track after falling to Adams in the regional finals last season. They have 16 starters coming back. “Last year we had to replace 17 starters, there was some development issues that we needed to work on and so we give it time, we were young, this season we return 16 returning starters so we got a lot of experience” said Grice. West Bloomfield has a very proven quarterback in Requan Nance coming back. Grice has a very talented rushing attack with Kenny Jones coming back at running back. Jones will most likely be playing the Dillan Tatum/Donovan Edwards role in their wildcat package. Jaiden Allos could see some carries giving Jones a break at times as well. Nance has proven pass catchers in Semaj Morgan, DeAndre Hill, and Deonte Pippen at wide receiver coming back. The offensive and defensive lines should be solid this season. They have Amir Herring, Brandon Davis-Swan, and Zander Davis coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The back end should be solid and very talented. They have Kari Jackson, Reginald Hayes, Brody Pikur, Montell Johnson, Robert Harris, and Josh Tate coming back at linebacker. The Lakers have Adrian Epps, Bryce Rowe, Lorenzo Williams, Jamir Benjamin, and Pippen coming back in the defensive secondary. West Bloomfield has Justin Ward and Ryan Krauthamer handling the kicking duties. There really isn’t any weaknesses surrounding the Lakers but discipline is the key to determining their season. “We’re going to have some referees come out and tell them what they can and not what to do, the coaches will also have flags. We’re going to address this as a coaching staff and as a team and if we can reduce our penalties, we are going to be unstoppable” Grice concluded.
WHY 9-0: If the Lakers can keep their discipline in check then great things should happen this season. West Bloomfield has Harper Woods, Clarkston, Oxford, Lake Orion, and Utica Eisenhower coming to “the Swamp.” They have Sterling Heights Stevenson at Wayne State to kick off the season. The Lakers have Southfield Arts and Tech, Stoney Creek, and Adams on the road. Things look great on paper for Grice but keeping in control is the key going forward.
CLARKSTON WOLVES
LAST SEASON RECORD: 8-2, 4-1 Red. Lost 38-28 to Oxford in First Round
POINTS SCORED: 365 (36.5 ppg), 187 Red (37.4 ppg)
POINTS ALLOWED: 220 (22 ppg), 113 Red (22.6 ppg)
STRENGTHS: Rushing Attack, Proven Linemen.
WEAKNESS: Defense.
OFFENSE: Pistol
DEFENSE: 3-4
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 16th at West Bloomfield
PLAYER TO WATCH: Mike Helm-Quarterback
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-2, 3-2 Red
STORYLINE: How will Justin Pintar do in his first year as Wolves head coach???
It was a really good season for the Wolves despite being upset in the first round by Oxford last season. There has been a changing of the guard this offseason at Clarkston. Coach Kurt Richardson retired from coaching the program after 27 years. The Wolves went with Justin Pintar as their new coach this offseason. Pintar was an assistant under Richardson and is a teacher in the Clarkston School District. He has a loaded team and proven program this season. There are some questions surrounding the Wolves especially on the defensive side of the football heading into the season.
OUTLOOK: The transition has gone really well this offseason. The Wolves should be one of the best offenses in the area. They have nine returning starters coming back. When Pintar took over the program this spring he went on the Duff Tyler Podcast and named Mike Hein as his starting quarterback. “Mike has been with us since his sophomore year so we have had a chance to see him for two plus years. He has been our backup quarterback but we know what he is capable of. This senior class has rallied behind him. Hein was a wide receiver last season. He has a great seven on seven. We feel really confident about him as a leader” said Pintar. Hein replaces Mike DePillo whom was a three year starter under Richardson. Clarkston has a solid rushing attack with Ethan Clark coming back at running back. Clark has really been a household name since being called up to Varsity during his sophomore season. The key for the Wolves has to be balance and not rely just on their rushing attack. Hein should have a ton of proven pass catchers in tight end Blake Kosin along with Kohl Jarvis, Cooper Collins, Nathan Hutchens, Ashton Covert, Luke Shrout, Frank Schuster, and Desman Stephens coming back at wide receiver. The offensive and defensive lines should be very talented this season. They have Cole Dellinger, Jacob Lenardson, Gauge Heikkinen, Owen Birch, Domenic Klebba, Jamael McKinney, and Daniel Redmond coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The back end needs to really improve with the last two postseasons where they ended up with losses in the district rounds. Pintar has Cavanaugh Diton, Dylan Hunter, Aaron King, Jake Gosger, Nick Waszczenko, and Dillion Hunter coming back at linebacker. Clarkston has Jake Meyers, Stephens, Jarvis, Mason King, and John Kaul coming back in the defensive secondary. “We struggled a little bit stopping the run so that will be key for us. If you can stop the run that will make teams more one dimensional. We want to stop the run and create more turnovers. Our scheme will look a little different then we have had. In the past. We have a new defensive coordinator and our defensive staff has changed quite a bit. There will be some new wrinkles and like I said hopefully we stop the run, generate turnovers, and get the ball to the offense” Pintar conclude. If Pintar can shore up the defense everything should take care of itself.
WHY 7-2: The Wolves schedule isn’t quite as daunting as in years past but there will be a ton of travel. They will be wearing their road white uniforms a lot this season. Clarkston has Davison at Michigan. They have Lapeer, Adams, West Bloomfield, Lake Orion, and Oak Park on the road. Pintar has Oxford, Stoney Creek, and Southfield Arts and Tech coming to Clarkston. The Wolves have the offensive firepower but the defense remains the mystery.
LAKE ORION DRAGONS
LAST SEASON RECORD: 3-6, 1-4 Red. Didn’t make Postseason
POINTS SCORED: 226 (25.1 ppg), 115 Red (23 ppg)
POINTS ALLOWED: 267 (29.6 ppg), 176 Red (35.2 ppg)
STRENGTHS: Rushing Attack, Proven Linemen.
WEAKNESS: Quarterback, Wide Receivers, Cohesiveness.
OFFENSE: Spread
DEFENSE: 4-2-5
GAME OF THE YEAR: August 26th at Utica Eisenhower
PLAYER TO WATCH: Dorian Hill- Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-2, 3-2 Red
STORYLINE: How will the Dragons be with the return of Chris Bell to the sidelines???
It was a very rough 2021 for the Dragons. Lake Orion really struggled on both sides of the football last season. The defense allowed over 50 points against their arch rivals Oxford and Clarkston and 40 points in two games. They had a ton of struggles on the offensive side of the football changing to a Wing T offense. The Dragons made a ton of changes this offseason with Chris Bell coming back to take over the program. Bell left coaching in 2017 to focus on being the Athletic Director but he is back and ready to lead the Dragons. Lake Orion could be a sleeper to watch this season.
OUTLOOK: The Dragons are going to be changing some things. They have 12 returning starters. The offense will more be in line to what Bell likes. Bell will have his hands full to see who his starting quarterback will be??? It looks like it could be Connor McCarten or Tristan Hill battling it out for the job. “We got three really good quarterbacks in the program. We’ll be solid, we got good athletes and they can make every throw. We’ve had a good summer. They are not big name guys yet but we have some really good players” said Bell. Whomever the starting quarterback is should have a very potent rushing attack. Lake Orion has Billy Robertson and Darrin Jones coming back at running back. Robertson was very good early but they will need him to be more consistent this season. Jones had a solid year last season but it will be his first year on varsity where he could make a ton of noise. The pass catchers should be solid with Joey DeBrincat, Dorian Hill, Joey Bruno, Caleb Jones, and Raymond Payne coming back at wide receiver. The offensive and defensive lines should be solid despite losing a lot of experience from last season. They have Judah Kinnie, James Patterson, Sam Blakeley, Carlo Fortino, Connor O’Rourke, Steven Sheffield, Kyle Purdy, and Edwin Morris coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The back end should be much improved after really struggling last season. Lake Orion has Nick Eaton, Alec Fisher, Dominic Novak, Patrick Rowland, and Kayden DeGraffe coming back at linebacker. The Dragons have Trey Pochamara, Andrew Parker, Korbin Smith, and Tristian Hill coming back in the defensive secondary. Lake Orion needs to address cohesiveness and it looks like they have addressed that issue. “They’re learning a new system offensively, they’ve worked their tails off in the weight room. They have did everything we asked them to do, they’re learning, we have made some adjustments on defense, so we’re excited to get this going” Bell added.
WHY 7-2: With Bell back on the sidelines expect accountability. No one is really talking about the Dragons and being under the radar is usually a good thing. The schedule is very challenging which is no surprise under Bell. Lake Orion has Utica Eisenhower, Oxford, West Bloomfield, North Farmington, and Stoney Creek on the road. The Dragons have Saline, Adams, Oak Park, and Clarkston coming to Dragon Stadium. “We’re competing for a championship in the OAA Red, a lot of people are going to look past us which is fine and that’s the way we like it. We will be introducing ourselves to a lot of teams” Bell concluded. If Bell can bring back the tradition and turn back the clock to when the Dragons were dominant from 2001-2013 then Lake Orion could be back.
STONEY CREEK COUGARS
LAST SEASON RECORD: 4-5, 1-4 Red. Didn’t make Postseason
POINTS SCORED: 202 (22.4 ppg), 77 Red (15.4 ppg)
POINTS ALLOWED: 208 (23.1 ppg), 123 Red (24.6 ppg)
STRENGTHS: Rushing Attack, Linebackers, Proven Linemen, Proven Experience.
WEAKNESS: Defensive Secondary, Wide Receivers, Quarterback, Depth.
OFFENSE: Pistol
DEFENSE: Multiple
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 2nd vs Bloomfield Hills
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jon Fogler-Running back
PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 1-4 Red
STORYLINE: Can the Cougars compete in the Red???
It was a very interesting offseason for the Cougars. Stoney Creek was the first team to miss the postseason field last season. Coach Nick Merlo loves time possession football but they allowed more points than they scored last season which was very unusual. The “Armor Up” culture has fully taken into effect with the program. Stoney Creek will be looking to get back into the thick of things this season.
OUTLOOK: The Cougars have a ton of motivation and proven experience. They have 17 starters coming back. “Our kids have been working extremely hard this offseason. They went back to our roots to what the “Armor Up” culture is all about through hard work” said Merlo on the podcast. Stoney Creek has a time possession offense which helps the quarterback big time. In talking to Merlo on the podcast he said that Justin Taylor will be the starter this season. “He had a great summer, he is a hockey player. He can run and throw the football” Merlo added about Taylor. They have a very good rushing attack with Jon Fogler coming back at running back. Taylor should have proven pass catchers in Adam Bazzi at tight end along with Jonah McCay and Sam McDermitt coming back at wide receiver. They have Jacob Krobchak, Roman Lambert, GianMarco LoChirco, Kendall Pape, Ben Gauss, and Calvin Gibson coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The back end of should be solid. The Cougars have Seth Luhman, Wes Cyrulnik, and Bazzi coming back at linebacker. They have Kyle Parks coming back at defensive secondary. Stoney Creek has Quenton Ubaydi handling the kicking duties. “The players have very lofty goals themselves, we take it a day at a time” Merlo concluded. Program strength looks to be solid with Hart Middle School next door to Stoney Creek. The Cougars are a very interesting team to watch this season.
WHY 5-4: The Cougars have a very interesting schedule. Stoney Creek has Lake Orion, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Rochester, and New Baltimore Anchor Bay coming to Rochester Hills. They will have the Dutton Farms game against the Lakers as well which is a big deal to the Stoney Creek community. Stoney Creek has Clarkston, Adams, Detroit Mumford, and Oxford on the road. If Merlo’s team can win five or six games then they should be a postseason team this season.
Stoney Creek Podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-08-01-22
OXFORD WILDCATS
LAST SEASON RECORD: 6-5, 3-2 Red. Lost 42-7 to Adams in District Finals
POINTS SCORED: 305 (27.7 ppg), 175 Red (35 ppg)
POINTS ALLOWED: 326 (29.6 ppg), 156 Red (31.2 ppg)
STRENGTHS: Kicking Game, Team Chemistry.
WEAKNESS: Proven Experience.
OFFENSE: Pistol
DEFENSE: 4-3
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 9th vs Lake Orion
PLAYER TO WATCH: Elijah Tabert-Defensive Back/Running Back
PROJECTED RECORD: 2-7, 0-5 Red
STORYLINE: How will the Wildcats overcome adversity???
The Wildcats had a ton of mountains and molehills. Oxford had a really difficult schedule. They struggled by starting 0-3 losing to three postseason teams. They went with the nothing to lose mantra and things really changed. The Wildcats won five of their last six games to get into the postseason. Oxford went into Clarkston and stunned the Wolves in the first round behind four touchdowns from running back Sal Valcaro. The Wildcats fell to the Highlanders in the district finals last season. Oxford went through an unthinkable tragedy in November where four people lost their lives and seven were injured in a school shooting. One of those who passed tragically was Tate Myre. Myre played almost everywhere in his three years whether it was running back, linebacker, tight end, or defensive back for the Wildcats. Coach Zach Line will have his hands full with Oxford, not just coaching but continuing to help the community recover from the events that happened in November and honoring Myre’s legacy.
OUTLOOK: The Wildcats lost a lot of proven experience and talent from last season. Line knows he is very young but it is a proven experienced young that he mentioned on the podcast. Oxford has a lot of sophomores that are up on varsity. That class went 8-1 as freshman last season. The Wildcats will have a quarterback competition between Brendan Bruski, Dominic Cassisse, and Jaidan Olafsson. “It’s still a competition. At the end of the day competition drives greatness” said Line. Whomever the starter is should have Cameron Jarrett coming back at running back. The pass catchers should be very interesting for their new quarterback. They have proven pass catchers in tight end Logan Wilmot, Charles Campbell, and William Whitlash along with Evan Gehringer, Quinton Quidort, Jake Champagne, Keegan Wynn, coming back at wide receiver. Oxford has Sean Wilson, Gavin Aldred, Wyatt Geibel, Axel Colon, Kylan Pocisak, Edward Castro, Wyatt Fowler, Andre Acheson, Clayton McMullen, and Devin Strimpel coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The defensive secondary and wide receivers look to be very interchangeable this season. They have Elijah Tabert, Jackson Nicks, Kody Oeschger, Jonte Pittman, Logan Johnson, Ryan Chisholm, Brody Moore, Owen Pavlock, coming back in the defensive secondary. The Wildcats have Marco Valcaro, Aiden Munson, Luke Johnson, George Flores, Logan Marshall, Zach Cabanillas, and Jarrett coming back at linebacker. They have both Kady brothers (Jay and Drew) whom are also soccer players as well handling the kicking duties. “Once we hit week one, we’ll be ready to roll” Line added.
WHY 2-7: The Wildcats have a very difficult schedule. Oxford has Romeo and Chippewa Valley both on the road and that’s not mentioning Clarkston, West Bloomfield, and Bloomfield Hills that is also on the road. They have Lake Orion, Stoney Creek, Groves, and Adams coming to the blue turf. “I don’t think there is much of a difference between the non conference and the Red, it’s all a test. We look at it week to week each one is worth one unit so we’ll prepare for them the each way” Line concluded. The community will be behind this program. Can the Wildcats overachieve??? Absolutely, that will be the challenge for them this season.
Oxford Podcast:
No comments:
Post a Comment