Football Shortcomings.

Written Saturday November 19th at 4:30 PM

Updated Friday April 14th at 11:20 PM

Here are the shortcomings to the end of the OAA football season for 2022.

West Bloomfield: It was a very disappointing year for the Lakers this season which saw a first round exit to Detroit Cass Tech. West Bloomfield loses a ton of talent from this season but they have several talented returners coming back. The Lakers have Requan Nance at quarterback along with Jaiden Allios at running and wide receivers Jamir Benjamin and Bryce Rowe coming back. The lines should be solid with Brandon Davis-Swan and Zander Davis also coming back. The defense should be solid again with Benjamin and Rowe in the defensive secondary along with linebackers Kari Jackson, Reginald Hayes, and Josh Tate coming back for Coach Tyrice Grice. Program strength is a major concern this offseason for West Bloomfield. The Lakers have the talent but questions remain this offseason.

Adams: The Highlanders have had a ton of success in the last two years but they lose a ton from their senior class this season. Program strength will be very interesting in describing Adams this offseason. The Highlanders have Brady Prieskorn, Drew Heppner, and Matteo Humbert coming back at the skill positions and Brendan Watters and Nicholas Lakian coming back on the offensive and defensive lines for Coach Tony Patritto. Adams could be in line to take a step back with all the experience they lost but Patritto has built this program and kept the veer intact. The Highlanders will be a team to watch this offseason.

Clarkston: The Wolves have had a really good season under first year Coach Justin Pintar but they had a really tough loss to Caledonia in the Division One State Semifinals. Clarkston loses a ton of proven talent and experience but they also have some proven talent coming back for Pintar. The Wolves have proven playmaker in wide receiver and linebacker Desman Stephens, tight end Brody Kosin, Nick Waszczenko at linebacker, and Cooper Collins coming back at wide receiver. Watch for Graysen Clark and the Bowman twins next season. The Bowman twins are likely to make an impact on both sides of the football while Clark could likely replace his older brother Ethan at running back. Quarterback will be a question mark this offseason for Pintar. Clarkston should be a force to watch next season.

Lake Orion: The Dragons made some strides this season but had some tough losses to good teams along with the way but did make the postseason. Coach Chris Bell has really stabilized this program. Lake Orion has the balk of their skill players coming back with quarterback Triston Hill, running backs Darrin Jones and Billy Robertson and wide receivers Raymond Payne and Dominic Novak. The offensive and defensive lines will need to be addressed somewhat but there are options in Kyle Purdy and Sam Blakeley coming back. The defense will be the biggest question that Bell needs to address this offseason. They have Kaydon Degraffenreid at linebacker along with Korbin Smith, Andrew Parker, and Trey Pochamara in the defensive secondary. They have the talent and program strength to compete with the best in the State. Lake Orion should be a force to be a recon with next season.

Stoney Creek: There were a ton of ups and downs with the Cougars this season. The ups were getting into the postseason and getting a big win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay. The downs were the upset loss to Rochester in the first round. Stoney Creek loses a ton of proven experience from this season. The Cougars have lineman Jacob Krobchak along with linebackers Adam Battizi and Wes Cyrulnick and kicker Quentin Ubaydi coming back for Coach Nick Merlo. Stoney Creek will need to find a quarterback and rushing attack for next season. There are several options out there and program strength is solid for Merlo. The Cougars should be fine heading into next season.

Oxford: It was a very tough season for the Wildcats. Oxford was very young and went through a lot of adversity. The Wildcats have Dominic Cassisee at quarterback, Sean Wilson on the offensive and defensive lines, Luke Johnson at running back, tight end and kicker Jay Cady, punter Drew Cady, and Jake Champagne at wide receiver along with Owen Pavlock, Keegan Wynn, and Domonte Travis in the defensive secondary for Coach Zach Line. Program strength is a concern for Line. Oxford should be better with the young players seeing a ton of playing time and gaining the experience from this season’s struggle. They should be a team to watch next season.

Southfield Arts and Tech: It’s next season or bust with the Warriors. Southfield Arts and Tech made the postseason but fell to Detroit Cass Tech in the district finals. The offense wasn’t the issue and they have a ton of proven offensive players in quarterback Isisah Marshall, running back Davier Burt, lineman Reggie Gardner, and wide receivers Tashi Braceful, Xavier Bowman, Jawon Jarrett, and Parker Kennedy coming back. The defense is the biggest concern for Coach Aaron Marshall this offseason especially the linebackers and the defensive secondary even though they have Maurico Clayton and Mathias Davis at linebacker and Aaron Todd in the defensive secondary coming back. Program strength is also a major concern for Marshall. The Warriors have the offense figured out but defense and special teams will be key if Southfield Arts and Tech wants to make the next step and have a deep postseason run and live up to the expectations.

Rochester: The Falcons had a ton of success this season. They made the postseason and won their first ever playoff game over Stoney Creek. Rochester loses a ton of skill players which could be very tough to replace They have the proven linemen in Casey Burke, Issac Putuus, and Josh Harman along with linebacker Bodie Therkildsen and wide receiver/defensive secondary Jacob Vancollie coming back for Coach Eric Vernon. Program strength is a concern for the Falcons as they have to replace their quarterback and rushing attack this offseason. Rochester should be an interesting team to watch this offseason.

Groves: The Falcons had an incredible season making it to the Division Two State Semifinals falling to Warren DeLaSalle. Groves has a ton of proven experience to look forward to next season. The offense should be very good with Cayden Hardy at quarterback, Mario Lovasco at running back, wide receiver Zach Rogers, Brayden Hall and Avery Gach coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The back end of the defense should be solid with linebacker Ivan Belew, and Chris Little, Jalen Brooks, and Aiden Leuing coming back in the defensive secondary for Coach Brendan Flaherty. Program strength is a major concern for Flaherty this offseason. The Falcons should be one of the favorites in the White next season and they could if things go right make another deep postseason run.

Harper Woods: It was a very rough transitional year for the Pioneers being their first year in the OAA this season. Harper Woods had some really tough losses to very good teams. Coach Rob Oden will look to have a bounce back year next season with a ton of proven experience. The Pioneers back end of the defense should be solid. They have a very talented secondary in Jacob Oden, Johnny Nelson, Jaylen Wilkerson, Brandon Houston, and Jacob Sims along with Caitlin Scott, Willy Powell, and Matthew McGraw at linebacker and linemen Elron Beaman, Jessten Johnson, and Trevon Mendanhall coming back. Oden will have Ramonty House and Oden coming back at wide receiver. The quarterback is the question mark for Oden and is something to watch this offseason. Harper Woods could be back with a vengeance next season.

Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks had a tough season this year but they closed the season out strong with two wins. Bloomfield Hills loses a ton of talent but they have several players that could help out next season. The Blackhawks have Kierran Crossley. He was the backup this season and could replace CJ Jackson at quarterback. They also have Gavin Cote at running back, Jonah Zekman at wide receiver, and lineman Jack Holton coming back for Coach Dan Loria. They need to find out their defense this offseason and build upon their program strength which is a concern this offseason. Bloomfield Hills should be a team to watch this offseason.

Oak Park: It was a very tough season for Coach Greg Carter and the Knights. Oak Park struggled in games but did improve despite the outcomes. Program strength is a serious concern for Carter this offseason. They have A’Jaylen King and Candice Fityoumouth coming back in the defensive secondary along with Arytell Guyton and Austin Smith at wide receiver. Carter has to replace his quarterback, rushing attack, and find some proven linemen and linebackers. It’s going to be a very tough task for Carter this offseason with the Knights.

Farmington: The Falcons had a ton of great moments this season which included sharing the Blue title with Seaholm, making the postseason, and getting the Farmington Cup back from North Farmington after a three year vacation. Coach Jason Albrecht needs to replace his quarterback this offseason but he has the proven playmakers in running back Cam Pettaway and Michael Woods coming back. The back end of the defense should be very talented next season. They have linebackers Trenton Dardon, Josh Walker, and Cooper Williams along with Cam Hughes and Owen Mattison in the defensive secondary and linemen Jacob Braswell and Steven Krager. Farmington could be a sleeper next season. They will need to find who their quarterback will be and if they do then they could be a team to watch.

Seaholm: The Maples had a bounce back season which saw a ton of success but they have had issues with Groves which cost them big time and a tough loss to Farmington which saw them share the Blue. Seaholm has a ton of proven talent coming back even though they could be thin up front. The Maples have the Kinnie brothers Colton and Grayden coming back. Colton will be back at quarterback and Grayden at linebacker and could play some at running back for Coach Jim DeWald despite having Kyle Robbins coming back at running back and Jack Lewis in the defensive secondary. The Maples have the talent to make another run but depth and program strength will be question marks this offseason.

Troy: The Colts made the postseason for the second straight year but was blown out by Southfield Arts and Tech. Bottom line is that Troy needs to play tougher competition so this doesn’t happen on a consistent basis. The Colts have the majority of their offense coming back led by quarterback Parker Brandenburg and running back Nolan Block. Jalen Peacock leads the defense which was very good all season. Peacock will be their top playmaker in the defensive secondary and could see some time at wide receiver with Darius Whiteside graduating. Program strength is a concern for Coach Chris Fraiser heading into next season. If there is a team that could take a step back it’s the Colts.

North Farmington: The Raiders had a very rough season this year. North Farmington loses a ton of talent from this senior class and program strength is a serious concern going forward for Coach Jon Herstein. The Raiders have Brandon Rice coming on the offensive and defensive lines along with Thomas Thakady at linebacker, Duke Blanch in the defensive secondary, Ryan Shelby at quarterback, and wide receiver Will Coleman coming back. Coleman played quarterback in their 9-0 win over Troy when Shelby was still rehabbing from knee surgery. Shelby should be better after having a rough year last season. North Farmington has some serious questions this offseason to address if they want to make some noise.

Troy Athens: It was a very interesting first season for Coach Tom Cook and the Red Hawks. Troy Athens saw their ups and downs this season. The program is back on the rise after having three teams this year. The Red Hawks should be young again but it’s a very good young. Troy Athens has Anthony Ashor and Charles Robinson coming back at running back and Evan Watson in the defensive secondary. Cook has a good quarterback in Patrick Ciuria also coming back. If the Red Hawks can find some proven linemen and build depth on both sides of the football then they could make some noise next season for sure.

Ferndale: The Eagles had a resurgence this season. They won the Gold but barely made the postseason after getting enough points in Division Two. Ferndale lost a ton of proven experience which they will need to replace next season. Coach Erik Royal will have Leander Neal coming back at wide receiver and also in the defensive secondary, Lavar Cronton on the offensive and defensive lines, Gary Maxwell in the defensive secondary, Bryce Ferguson at linebacker, and Jacoby Young at linebacker and running back. Program strength is a concern for Royal next season. If Royal can keep this program at a high level like he has been doing then there is no reason why the Eagles should be back in this conversation again.

Avondale: It was a much better season for Coach Corey Bell and the Yellow Jackets however Bell won't be back after shockingly stepping down from the program. Avondale was very competitive this season and made the postseason for the fourth straight season. They have a proven nucleus in quarterback Tyler Herzog along with proven pass catchers in Cooper Voeffray and Justin Sykes at wide receiver coming back. The defense should be solid with Matthew Lloyd and Myles Moore at linebacker along with punter Hunter Petras and Alfonso Merritt in the defensive secondary. The offensive and defensive lines has Dhruv Thakur, Charlie Killian, and Cameron Washington coming back. Program strength looks to be on the way up despite having to find a new coach. The Yellow Jackets need to find a running back for next season but other than that they look ready to make the next step.

Royal Oak: It was a disastrous year for the Ravens last season. They saw their then Coach Dustyn Truitt placed on administrative leave and was not brought back this offseason. Royal Oak really struggled on the field and weren’t competitive in most games. The Ravens lose a ton of proven experience from a team that had a ton of lofty expectations. They will have a new coach in Collin Campbell taking over the program. Campbell is the program's third coach in two years after Truitt and then Coach Ray McMann led the program. He was also the junior varsity coach and interim coach for their final three games. Royal Oak was 0-3 and was outscored 229-0 in that span. Campbell has a lot to prove to the doubters and if he can change the culture of the program. The Ravens are 34-107 since 2006. Royal Oak will have a new quarterback next season. They have proven skill players in running back Nathan Benton, wide receiver Owen Louwers, along with Aiden Tesch and Sam Klonke on the offensive and defensive lines, and linebackers in Elijah Lyons, Michael Herman, and Steven Johnson coming back. The mindset and culture needs to change but on the bright side Campbell's junior varsity program was solid last season. If there is a program that needs a complete reboot it’s the Ravens.

Berkley: It was a very disappointing season for the Bears and Coach Sean Shields in which they won two games. Berkley took a major step back as mentioned. The Bears lost a lot of size and talent up front. They have John Passon coming back on the offensive and defensive lines, along with quarterback Sunny Kadlicz, and defensive back Alex Papadelious. If the Bears want to get back to where they had their postseason appearances they have to build depth on both sides of the football and get back to what Berkley football was all about which they are more than capable of doing.

Pontiac:  It has been a really rough 12 years for the Phoenix going 5-82 in that span but there is hope and optimism for next season. Pontiac does have their quarterback Kayne Donaldson coming back along with running back Davieon Hall, Bryce Brown on the offensive and defensive lines, and Debon Johnson in the defensive secondary. The Phoenix will have a new coach next season as Ken Wade stepped down a few weeks ago so there could be a transition period with new coach Wendell Jefferson taking over the program. It’s only a matter of time until Pontiac starts getting back in the win column.