Written Monday December 26th at 2:45 PM
Here are some storylines for each team heading into their respective Holiday Classics.
Boys
Bloomfield Hills: Are the Blackhawks for real is the question mark??? Noah Adamcyzk has been on a tear for Coach Brian Canfield. There are some folks that say that the schedule hasn’t been the greatest and it hasn’t been. Bloomfield Hills has Detroit Pershing and Detroit Henry Ford. Both games should be wins, I would be shocked if they split these two games.
Troy: The Colts are rolling at 5-0. They have been playing team ball and have developed a very good chemistry. Troy will have their toughest test of the season when they play Belleville at North Farmington. The Tigers are a very athletic team that should test Coach Gary Fralick’s team. If the Colts can win this game then they would have a ton of confidence heading into the New Year.
North Farmington: The Raiders have not played a game in a week and a half since their very tough overtime loss to Warren Lincoln. North Farmington has had a chance to heal up and get ready for their own Holiday Showcase. Coach Todd Negoshian has two very tough and interesting games with Detroit Western and Toledo Whitmer that are looming. What helps the Raiders is they have a loaded team with proven experience in Ryan Hurst, Tyler Spratt, Landon Williams, and Prince Jackson. North Farmington has a great chance to get some much needed confidence heading into the New Year.
West Bloomfield: The Lakers are riding high with a 5-0 start. West Bloomfield has proven that they can win and that they are deep. Coach Arnette Jordan has done a wonderful job with this program in his second year. The Lakers have a very tricky matchup with Grosse Pointe South. The Blue Devils beat Groves last week and will look to defeat their second White team in less than a week. It should be a very interesting matchup to say the least.
Adams: Can the Highlanders bounce back after a really tough loss to arch rival Rochester now all be it they did not have Brady Prieskorn but Coach Jaret Thomas won’t use that as an excuse. Peter Karasais and Will Gee have played very well as of late. Adams has Birmingham Detroit Country Day in a matchup they should win but this team needs Prieskorn back if they are going to want to make some noise in the New Year.
Stoney Creek: If there is a team that is in need of a win it’s the Cougars. Stoney Creek is already behind the eight ball a little bit with their loss to Oxford in the Blue. They have a very difficult matchup with Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. Peyton Rummler has been playing well as of late which should help in this matchup. The point guard matchup between Wiley Robinson and Tre Walker is very interesting. The Fighting Irish will be a very tough test for Coach Jeff Olind and his program.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers have not played a game in a week and a half. They have gotten the opportunity to rest up. Harper Woods has won games on the defensive end of the court which is a great sign. They open the Motor City Roundball with a very interesting matchup against Waterford Mott. The Corsairs are a very good team led by Caleb Osbourne. Coach TaJuan Porter has their fair share of very talented players. It’s a big game for the Pioneers considering what is going on in the Gold standings and it could really help them if they can get this one heading into the New Year.
Berkley: The Bears have seemed to have turned things around since their tough 69-66 loss to Avondale. Berkley has developed their depth to go alongside Tamir Runkenvich and company. The Bears have a very interesting game with Dearborn. The Pioneers are a solid team and could very well give Berkley problems if they are not careful. For Coach Joe Sermo it’s keeping his team heading in the right direction, this matchup will certainly be a test.
Oak Park: The Knights have not played in a week which is a concern but they gotten a chance to rest up getting ready for a very interesting matchup with Macomb Dakota. Oak Park has had a ton of close games which is a concern for Coach Durand Sheppard but they have proven to be battle tested. The Cougars aren’t the same team as in years past but they are still Macomb Dakota. It should be a very tough game for Oak Park in this one. If they can get to 4-0 then that will give them confidence heading into the New Year.
Ferndale: The Eagles are the best 1-3 team in the State. They have been battle tested and are now well rested after not playing in a week and a half. The rust factor could be a concern as they play Orchard Lake St. Marys. The Eaglets are not the same team as last season but still has Trey McKinney and just got two players after they were ineligible for a time. It will be a very tough matchup for Coach Juan Rickman but if they can get this one then it could give them some confidence heading into the New Year.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks have been off for about a week and a half. Troy Athens plays a very tough Okemos program at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and then they have Madison Heights Lamphere in Port Huron. It will be very interesting to see if Coach Dave Scott’s team can get the rust off. If they lose two then that could spell trouble but if they win these two games then it would be a huge confidence boost heading into the New Year.
Ferndale University: What are the Eagles, are they for real or not??? They are 3-3 right now. Coach Josh Nicks has this team playing better. Ferndale University has a very interesting matchup with Sanford Meridian. The Mustangs have been battle tested as seen with their 3-2 record. They have won two games by two points or less over Midland Bullock Creek and Gladwin but fell to Ogemaw Heights and Sheppard. It will be a very tough matchup for the Eagles in Port Huron.
Rochester: The Falcons are on cloud nine after upsetting Adams behind 21 points each from Grant Calcagno and Elijah Kalaj. Rochester heads into the New Baltimore Anchor Bay tournament in what is a very tough field with some proven teams in there. They see Grosse Pointe North first and if they win or lose would play New Baltimore Anchor Bay or Armada either in the championship or constellation game. Either way it is a very tough matchup for Coach Nick Evola’s team. If the Falcons can win this tournament they should be in very good shape heading into the New Year.
Avondale: The Yellow Jackets have two classics this week. They play South Lyon East in the Northville Showcase and are also in the Carleton Airport Showcase. One thing for sure for Coach Pat Clancy is that his program will be doing a lot of traveling through three different counties. It is unknown whom is their opponent at Carleton Airport. Avondale is in a good spot right now but they need to win these two games if they want to keep developing that confidence heading into the New Year.
Clarkston: The Wolves have not been the same team as in past years. Clarkston just fell to Flint Carman Ainsworth after having to survive very close calls against Lake Orion, Groves, and Detroit Old Redford Academy. The Wolves have a really tough matchup with Utica Eisenhower at the Dan Fife fieldhouse looming. They need Desman Stephens, Blake Kosin, John Kaul, and Cavanaugh Diton to step up to turn this thing around. The Eagles have size, quickness, proven experience, and is well coached. It will be a very tough matchup for Coach Tim Waslik. Clarkston needs this game with what’s ahead. If they don’t win this game then they could be in some trouble heading into the New Year.
Groves: The Falcons have played two really tough games after a 4-0 start. Groves fell to Clarkston and Grosse Pointe South. They have a very interesting matchup with Walled Lake Central. Josh Gibson and Josh Simpson have played very well for Coach Marc West. If the Falcons can win this game over the Vikings then it could get their confidence back.
Farmington: The Falcons have not played in a week and a half due to a flu outbreak within the program. They had their game postponed with arch rival North Farmington which is expected to be made up at an unknown date. Coach Derrick McDowell needs to get his team healthy before they play a very tough River Rouge program. The Panthers are solid and with Farmington getting back into the thick of things. Rust is a big concern for the Falcons with not playing in a week. It will be very interesting to see if Farmington can continue their magic and get some confidence heading into the New Year.
Girls
West Bloomfield: The Lakers are 2-2 in showcase games which is very unusual since they are in a ton of showcase games. West Bloomfield has the Davis twins, the Hendrix sisters, along with Ava Lord and Destiny Washington. The Lakers have had some very impressive wins over Stoney Creek and Ann Arbor Pioneer. Prior to those two games they played the top team in Indiana in South Bend, Washington and Ypsilanti Arbor Prep. They get yet another very tough team in Kenwood Illinois in the Motor City Roundball Classic. The Broncos are third in Illinois and come in at 12-1. They have four very talented players in Danielle Brooks, Natasha Barnes, Jazelle Young, and Ariella Henigan. It’s going to be a very tough matchup for Coach Darrelle McAllister and West Bloomfield especially with the lack of depth. However if the Lakers can win this game, it will give them some confidence heading into the New Year.
Clarkston: The Wolves have been hanging in there after losing Elle Robak to an injury in their win over Macomb Dakota. They have had their moments for sure. Clarkston should have Robak back against Grand Blanc in the Motor City Roundball Classic. Ava Hernandez, Kierra Tolmie, Claire Walker, Ellerey Hernandez, Marley Mazur, and Mia Zorski have done a very nice job for Coach Aaron Goodnough. The Bobcats have been around 500 but they have some good wins over proven teams. Grand Blanc has proven experience in Chelsea Bishop, Jada McCree, and Malaya Brown. It’s going to be a very tough matchup for the Wolves even with Robak. If Clarkston can get this game then it should give them some confidence heading into the New Year.
North Farmington: The Raiders have a ton of confidence after a 7-0 start which included a monster road win over Stoney Creek. North Farmington has been riding Sela Lefler, Penelope Creary, and have found a third scorer in Eliza Muller. This may be Coach Jeff Simpson’s biggest test when they play Saginaw Arthur Hill. The Lumberjacks have one loss and feature very talented players in Hailee Jefferson, Raegan Byrd, JaLeeah Griggs, Dasani Washington, and Diamond Robinson. This should be a very interesting matchup. The Lumberjacks fell 70-49 to Macomb Dakota allowing 38 points from Samone Andrews which broke their school record for most points in a single game. This is a big game for the Raiders because it could tell a lot about them heading into the New Year.
Oak Park: The Knights have been really struggling ever since scoring 50 points against Detroit Martin Luther King. They have really struggled in the Blue with blowout losses to Farmington and Bloomfield Hills. Oak Park needs this game against a very good Deckerville program in the worst way. The Eagles have been very competitive in the North Central Thumb. They had a 0-2 start with losses to Croswell-Lexington and Armada before winning four straight games. This will be a very tough matchup for Coach Chantelle Corson’s team against an improving and confident Deckerville program in Port Huron.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers have been rolling as of late scoring 50 points in each game which has resulted in a 4-1 record. Harper Woods plays Detroit Mumford in the Detroit Public School League Holiday Classic. The Mustangs have been around 500. They have scored over 80 points but have also scored 31 points which was just recently. This should be a high scoring game but if new Coach Anthony Brown can shore up the Pioneers defense then maybe they can win this game and head into the New Year with confidence.
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