Written Monday August 21st at 6:45 PM
Picks will be updated. We'll get Sticks picks or Tim's when we can.
Welcome to the 2023 football season, here are our pickers for the season. Here are everyone who is doing picks this season.
SANDY DUNES is Sammy Taormina, OAA Now host and blogger.
COTTER is Sean Cotter, Walled Lake Western football and North Farmington basketball video coordinator
DUNLAP is Keith Dunlap, WDIV freelance writer
STICK is Dan Stickradt, North Oakland Sports writer
BURNEY is Scott Burnstein, MIPrepZone and State Champs sports writer.
TIM is Tim English, writer, High School Sports Historian, and blogger.
SANDY DUNES 0-0
COTTER 0-0
BURNEY 0-0
DUNLAP 0-0
STICK 0-0
TIM 0-0
1. West Bloomfield vs Chippewa Valley at Wayne State: The Lakers have a new coach, new system, but the same expectations. The quarterback battle takes center stage between Requan Nance and Andrew Schuster in this matchup. Both teams have speed, quickness, and size. If I had to trust someone right now it’s Kari Jackson, Jamir Benjamin, Brandon Davis-Swain and that high powered Lakers proven defense in this game, only question is will West Bloomfield wear green or black uniforms???
SANDY DUNES: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 14.
COTTER: WEST BLOOMFIELD 38, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 28.
DUNLAP: CHIPPEWA VALLEY 35, WEST BLOOMFIELD 30.
STICK:
BURNEY: WEST BLOOMFIELD 30, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 29.
TIM: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 31.
2. Southfield Arts and Tech vs Detroit Cass Tech at Wayne State: This will be the fourth meeting in two years between the Technicians and the Warriors. Southfield Arts and Tech won the regular season matchup that went two days 56-54 but Detroit Cass Tech won the district final 25-14 last season. Both teams have athletes, it could be a shootout again but the Warriors defense still has me worried heading into this matchup at Wayne State.
SANDY DUNES: DETROIT CASS TECH 48, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 42.
COTTER: DETROIT CASS TECH 42, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 40.
DUNLAP: DETROIT CASS TECH 45, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 42.
STICK:
BURNEY: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 31, DETROIT CASS TECH 28.
TIM: DETROIT CASS TECH 35, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 28.
3. Lake Orion vs Livonia Stevenson at Michigan: This should be a very interesting matchup between the Dragons and the Spartans. Livonia Stevenson has quarterback Ari’John Thompson along with Richardo Warman on the offensive and defensive lines and Aiden Nolan at wide receiver and free safety. The Dragons might be the most dangerous team in the league with their proven experience. It should be a very interesting matchup in Ann Arbor.
SANDY DUNES: LAKE ORION 56, LIVONIA STEVENSON 14.
COTTER: LAKE ORION 35, LIVONIA STEVENSON 21.
DUNLAP: LAKE ORION 30, LIVONIA STEVENSON 27.
STICK:
BURNEY: LAKE ORION 35, LIVONIA STEVENSON 20.
TIM: LIVONIA STEVENSON 28, LAKE ORION 21.
4. Harper Woods at Stoney Creek: This should be a very interesting matchup of two teams that have two different styles. It was an off year for the Pioneers after struggling with injuries in their first season in the OAA. Harper Woods has a ton of proven experience coming back. Stoney Creek is coming off a very disappointing first round loss to Rochester. Both teams want to start the season very strong with very tough schedules looming ahead. This is a big one to get for both teams.
SANDY DUNES: HARPER WOODS 30, STONEY CREEK 20.
COTTER: HARPER WOODS 20, STONEY CREEK 14.
DUNLAP: HARPER WOODS 23, STONEY CREEK 20.
STICK:
BURNEY: HARPER WOODS 27, STONEY CREEK 7.
TIM: HARPER WOODS 35, STONEY CREEK 14.
5. Clarkston vs Northville at Michigan: The Wolves have a ton of changes especially at quarterback and running back. Clarkston is back at Michigan Stadium for the fifth straight season but the opponent is very interesting. The Wolves go up against a very experienced Mustangs team. Northville has a new coach in Bret Luplow taking over the program. Luplow has a ton of proven experience in running back Caleb Moore, halfback Kayden Beschill, wide receiver Nick Hellinger among others. The Mustangs have 15 returning starters. Clarkston has questions at quarterback, hopefully they get answered before this game.
SANDY DUNES: NORTHVILLE 35, CLARKSTON 21.
COTTER: CLARKSTON 31, NORTHVILLE 28.
DUNLAP: CLARKSTON 35, NORTHVILLE 27.
STICK:
BURNEY: CLARKSTON 40, NORTHVILLE 39.
TIM: CLARKSTON 28, NORTHVILLE 21.
6. Adams at Orchard Lake St. Marys: This is shaping up to be a very interesting matchup on the red turf in Orchard Lake. The Highlanders won 42-14 in Rochester last season. Adams is very young this season while the Eaglets are much improved and added a transfer in Lake Orion running back Darrin Jones. It’s going to be a tough matchup for Brady Prieskorn and company against Orchard Lake St. Marys.
SANDY DUNES: ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 49, ADAMS 7.
COTTER: ADAMS 24, ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 21.
DUNLAP: ADAMS 17, ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 13.
STICK:
BURNEY: ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 33, ADAMS 23.
TIM: ADAMS 35, ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 31.
7. Groves at North Farmington: These two teams are no strangers to one another. The Falcons won 34-19 last season over the Raiders in Beverly Hills but North Farmington has gotten the best of Groves the previous two years. Ryan Shelby vs Cayden Hardy should be the matchup to watch. It’s Special Olympics Night at Ron Holland Field which makes things really interesting. This game should be tight.
SANDY DUNES: NORTH FARMINGTON 28, GROVES 24.
COTTER: GROVES 35, NORTH FARMINGTON 14.
DUNLAP: GROVES 27, NORTH FARMINGTON 24.
STICK:
BURNEY: GROVES 33, NORTH FARMINGTON 17.
TIM: GROVES 42, NORTH FARMINGTON 28.
Bloomfield Hills at 8. Seaholm: This is a rematch of a 38-21 Maples win over the Blackhawks last season. Seaholm and Bloomfield Hills are no strangers to each other and especially coaches Jim DeWald and Dan Loria. Both of them coached at Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Bloomfield Hills Andover and in their current schools as well. This should be a very interesting matchup to say the least.
SANDY DUNES: SEAHOLM 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 6.
COTTER: SEAHOLM 35, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.
DUNLAP: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21, SEAHOLM 20.
STICK:
BURNEY: SEAHOLM 34, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21.
TIM: SEAHOLM 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.
Macomb L’Anse Creuse at 9. Ferndale: This is a rematch of a 27-26 Lancers win over the Eagles last season in Macomb. Macomb L’Anse Creuse has a new coach and a new system. Ferndale is a much different team than they were last season. They have a new quarterback in Cullen Hock and Coach Eric Royal brought in two new coordinators who came from Croswell-Lexington. This might be a different game than it was last season. Macomb L’Anse Creuse has a new coach taking over the program.
SANDY DUNES: FERNDALE 35, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 6.
COTTER: FERNDALE 38, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 28.
DUNLAP: FERNDALE 24, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 20.
STICK:
BURNEY: FERNDALE 38, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 28.
TIM: FERNDALE 35, MACOMB L'ANSE CREUSE NORTH 21.
Warren Cousino at 10. Avondale: This is a rematch of a 36-6 Yellow Jackets win in Warren last season. Avondale has a new coach and a new system in Bob Meyer. The Patriots were a playoff team last season. The Yellow Jackets have almost everyone back and a new coach in Meyer who is a proven winner himself running the program, it could be a long evening for Warren Cousino at Dick Bye Field.
SANDY DUNES: AVONDALE 34, WARREN COUSINO 14.
COTTER: AVONDALE 35, WARREN COUSINO 6.
DUNLAP: WARREN COUSINO 17, AVONDALE 14.
STICK:
BURNEY: AVONDALE 35, WARREN COUSINO 13.
TIM: AVONDALE 28, WARREN COUSINO 7.
Utica Eisenhower at Oxford: The Wildcats is the great unknown heading into this season. This game has the makings of two teams with different styles of play. Oxford likes to slow the game down while Utica Eisenhower has a ton of proven playmakers and a four year quarterback in Preston Crumm. Whoever style wins out wins this game.
SANDY DUNES: OXFORD 24, UTICA EISENHOWER 20.
COTTER: UTICA EISENHOWER 28, OXFORD 7.
DUNLAP: UTICA EISENHOWER 31, OXFORD 20.
STICK:
BURNEY: UTICA EISENHOWER 36, OXFORD 28.
TIM: UTICA EISENHOWER 35, OXFORD 14.
Rochester at Utica: The Falcons did a ton of great things. They made the postseason for the first time since 2010 (2020 doesn’t count) and won their first playoff game in school history by beating Stoney Creek but they were upset in week one by Utica. The Chieftains went into Rochester and scored on the last play of the game stunning the Falcons 27-24 last season. Utica won two games last season but they were against OAA teams. The Chieftains are experienced and are at Sweinhart while Rochester is very young this season, you never know what could happen in this game.
SANDY DUNES: UTICA 28, ROCHESTER 7.
COTTER: UTICA 24, ROCHESTER 14.
DUNLAP: ROCHESTER 27, UTICA 17.
STICK:
BURNEY: ROCHESTER 23, UTICA 21.
TIM: ROCHESTER 35, UTICA 24.
Detroit Henry Ford at Farmington: The Falcons are coming off a strong year last season. They still have some experience coming back which helps. The Trojans are 19-16 since 2019 which could be a very interesting matchup at Falcon Field. This should be very interesting to say the least.
SANDY DUNES: FARMINGTON 42, DETROIT HENRY FORD 28.
COTTER: FARMINGTON 41, DETROIT HENRY FORD 6.
DUNLAP: FARMINGTON 35, DETROIT HENRY FORD 14.
STICK:
BURNEY: FARMINGTON 32, DETROIT HENRY FORD 18.
TIM: FARMINGTON 35, DETROIT HENRY FORD 14.
Macomb L’Anse Creuse North at Troy: This is a rematch of a 14-3 Colts win in Macomb County last season. Troy opens their new football field against a Crusaders team that should be much improved after being very young last season. It should be a very interesting matchup between these two teams.
SANDY DUNES: TROY 20, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 17.
COTTER: TROY 17, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 7.
DUNLAP: MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 20, TROY 17.
STICK:
BURNEY: TROY 23, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 20.
TIM: TROY 42, MACOMB L'ANSE CREUSE NORTH 7.
Fraser at Troy Athens: The Red Hawks are a solid team this season but the non league schedule is very interesting. The Ramblers went 1-8 last season. They missed the postseason last season but they lost to Troy Athens 28-21 in Fraser last season. Fraser should be better this season. This looks like it could be a trap game for the Red Hawks.
SANDY DUNES: TROY ATHENS 35, FRASER 28.
COTTER: TROY ATHENS 35, FRASER 7.
DUNLAP: TROY ATHENS 31, FRASER 7.
STICK:
BURNEY: TROY ATHENS 25, FRASER 22.
TIM: TROY ATHENS 35, FRASER 10.
Oak Park vs Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit @ Hazel Park: This is the sixth meeting between these two close rivals in the Knights and the Cubs. Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit won 20-0 in Knight Valley last season. Oak Park has a lot of questions coming into this season. This will be a big one for the Knights against a neighborhood rival that is close by and also very good as well and to make matters worse Oak Park Coach Greg Carter is out for week one because of having joint practices with three other teams.
SANDY DUNES: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 28, OAK PARK 18.
COTTER: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 35, OAK PARK 6.
DUNLAP: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 31, OAK PARK 18.
STICK:
BURNEY: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 40, OAK PARK 27.
TIM: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 42, OAK PARK 7.
Holly at Royal Oak: This is a rematch of a 49-0 Bronchos blowout of the Ravens last season. Holly has been a well-oiled machine under former Troy Athens and Berkley coach Billy Keenest and former Lake Orion defensive coordinator Dave Tooley. Royal Oak is rebuilding under new coach Collin Campbell. This does not look good on paper for the Ravens, Holly has a proven program heading in the right direction.
SANDY DUNES: HOLLY 63, ROYAL OAK 0.
COTTER: HOLLY 56, ROYAL OAK 0.
DUNLAP: HOLLY 28, ROYAL OAK 10.
STICK:
BURNEY: HOLLY 36, ROYAL OAK 23.
TIM: HOLLY 70, ROYAL OAK 0.
Pontiac at Madison Heights Bishop Foley: The Phoenix have seen some strides with a new coaching staff. Kayne Donaldson has taken the reigns and looks to snap the State’s longest losing streak. The Ventures are a very good team and they beat Pontiac 57-12 last season. It’s going to be a tough task for the Phoenix.
SANDY DUNES: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 21, PONTIAC 20.
COTTER: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 34, PONTIAC 6.
DUNLAP: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 21, PONTIAC 6.
STICK:
BURNEY: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 34, PONTIAC 14.
TIM: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 84, PONTIAC 0.
Walled Lake Central at Berkley: The Bears are coming off a very disappointing season. Berkley needs a bounce back year instead of the “Me over We” culture they went through last season. The Vikings are much improved. They were young last season. It should be a really good test at Hurley that is for sure.
SANDY DUNES: BERKLEY 27, WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 24.
COTTER: WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 21, BERKLEY 14.
DUNLAP: BERKLEY 24, WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 21.
STICK:
BURNEY: BERKLEY 24, WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 20.
TIM: WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 28, BERKLEY 14.
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