Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Week Nine Picks.

Written Tuesday October 17th at 11:15 PM

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, High School Sports Historian and Blogger.

 

SANDY DUNES 74-24

COTTER 86-12

BURNEY 71-27

DUNLAP 74-24

STICK 78-20

TIM 79-19

 


1. Lake Orion at Saline: This could be potentially one of the biggest games in the State. Two state ranked teams that sit at 8-0. Both teams could be in line for multiple home postseason games pending on how everything works out. The Dragons have rolled behind a potent rushing attack led by Billy Roberson and company while the Hornets have relied on CJ Carr and his quick passing ability. Saline really hasn’t been tested in the Southeastern Conference Red. Lake Orion has been tested in the Red going up against proven powers in West Bloomfield, Clarkston, Adams, and Oxford along with Harper Woods. The Hornets have won the last two meetings by a combined 63-42 against the Dragons. This game could be a tense drama in Washtenaw County.

SANDY DUNES: LAKE ORION 38, SALINE 35.

COTTER: LAKE ORION 31, SALINE 28.

DUNLAP: SALINE 35, LAKE ORION 31.

STICK: LAKE ORION over SALINE.

BURNEY: LAKE ORION 31, SALINE 30.

TIM: SALINE 56, LAKE ORION 35.

 

5. Groves at 2. Seaholm: This might be the most interesting battle of 13 Mile game in “The Battle of Birmingham.” The Falcons have won 12 of the last 14 meetings over the Maples but both teams are very good again this season. Whoever wins this game will be in line for multiple postseason games at home while the loser will likely be guaranteed at least one home postseason game. This should be a fun one to watch.

SANDY DUNES: SEAHOLM 24, GROVES 21.

COTTER: GROVES 28, SEAHOLM 21.

DUNLAP: GROVES 23, SEAHOLM 20.

STICK: GROVES over SEAHOLM.

BURNEY: GROVES 28, SEAHOLM 25.

TIM: GROVES 42, SEAHOLM 28.

 

Oak Park at 3. West Bloomfield: The Lakers found a running game against Southfield Arts and Tech in their 31-20 win last week. Marquis Morris and Nigel Dutton had jet sweep touchdowns while Josh Tate found the end zone as well in the game. The Knights are fighting to get into the postseason. They have lost three of four games which is not good. Oak Park needs this one in the worst way to safely be in the postseason if not then they would be sweating it out come selection Sunday. This should be very interesting in the Swamp.

SANDY DUNES: WEST BLOOMFIELD 42, OAK PARK 6.

COTTER: WEST BLOOMFIELD 45, OAK PARK 6.

DUNLAP: WEST BLOOMFIELD 42, OAK PARK 28.

STICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD over OAK PARK.

BURNEY: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, OAK PARK 22.

TIM: WEST BLOOMFIELD 49, OAK PARK 14.

 

4. Southfield Arts and Tech at Detroit Renaissance: This is the first ever meeting between the Warriors and the Phoenix. Southfield Arts and Tech is coming off a 31-20 loss to West Bloomfield last week which was their first loss of the season. Detroit Renaissance has won four of their last five games after starting 0-3. If the Phoenix pulls off the upset then who knows what would happen.

SANDY DUNES: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 42, DETROIT RENAISSANCE 14.

COTTER: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 50, DETROIT RENAISSANCE 12.

DUNLAP: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 34, DETROIT RENAISSANCE 17.

STICK: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH over DETROIT RENAISSANCE.

BURNEY: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 38, DETROIT RENAISSANCE 18.

TIM: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 35, DETROIT RENAISSANCE 7.

 

6. Harper Woods at Roseville: This is a rematch of a 28-0 Panthers win over the Pioneers in Harper Woods last season. The Pioneers will travel to Macomb County and they are riding with a ton of confidence after winning 34-7 at Clarkston last week behind the play of running back Kolby Taylor, and quarterbacks Stephone Buford, and Nate Rocheleau. Roseville has won four of five and they have a 33-30 win over Romeo as well. Harper Woods is in a bit of a revenge tour as well. This should be a fun game and a battle for postseason positioning.

SANDY DUNES: HARPER WOODS 31, ROSEVILLE 20.

COTTER: HARPER WOODS 26, ROSEVILLE 14.

DUNLAP: ROSEVILLE 31, HARPER WOODS 30.

STICK: HARPER WOODS over ROSEVILLE.

BURNEY: HARPER WOODS 40, ROSEVILLE 36.

TIM: HARPER WOODS 35, ROSEVILLE 7.

 

7. Avondale at Warren Fitzgerald: These are two teams that are battling for postseason positioning and it's possible that they could rematch each other next week in Auburn Hills. The Yellow Jackets changed everything this offseason and has paid off. Avondale won 50-25 over Warren Fitzgerald last season. The Spartans started 0-3 but won four straight however fell 44-30 to Port Huron last week. Malachi Irving broke the school single season mark with 197 receiving yards in their loss to the Big Reds. This should be a very interesting matchup in Warren.

SANDY DUNES: AVONDALE 24, WARREN FITZGERALD 14.

COTTER: AVONDALE 28, WARREN FITZGERALD 14.

DUNLAP: AVONDALE 27, WARREN FITZGERALD 17.

STICK: AVONDALE over WARREN FITZGERALD.

BURNEY: AVONDALE 34, WARREN FITZGERALD 12.

TIM: AVONDALE 49, WARREN FITZGERALD 24.

 

Sterling Heights Stevenson at 8. Adams: This is a rematch of a 42-28 Highlanders win over the Titans at Runkel Field last season. Adams has won two straight games while Sterling Heights Stevenson won 59-0 over Fraser last week. Both teams are in the postseason and are battling for postseason positioning. This should be a very interesting game on Adams and Tienken Road.

SANDY DUNES: ADAMS 35, STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON 14.

COTTER: ADAMS 21, STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON 14.

DUNLAP: STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON 27, ADAMS 26.

STICK: ADAMS over STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON.

BURNEY: ADAMS 32, STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON 26.

TIM: ADAMS 35, STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON 31.

 

9. Troy at Fraser: The Colts are in a great spot. They won a huge game over arch rival Troy Athens 35-13 last week. Troy has a rematch with the Ramblers who saw their postseason hopes dashed after falling 59-0 to Sterling Heights Stevenson last week. Fraser has already beaten Troy Athens but Troy beat them 41-0 last season but the Ramblers are playing with nothing to lose while the Colts could be putting everything on the line.

SANDY DUNES: TROY 14, FRASER 3.

COTTER: TROY 31, FRASER 7.

DUNLAP: TROY 23, FRASER 16.

STICK: TROY over FRASER.

BURNEY: TROY 37, FRASER 28.

TIM: TROY 28, FRASER 21.

 

10. Clarkston at Utica Eisenhower: This is the first meeting between the Wolves and Eagles since 2007 when Clarkston won 44-18 in the first round of the postseason. The Wolves are in a very odd spot. They have lost two straight and have outscored 66-28 in that span. The Eagles co won the Macomb Area Red Conference crown which includes wins over Chippewa Valley and Macomb Dakota. Clarkston has to deal with a very experienced and proven quarterback in Preston Crum as well. It’s going to be a challenge for the Wolves at Sweinhart but if they win then a home game seems very possible.

SANDY DUNES: CLARKSTON 24, UTICA EISENHOWER 21.

COTTER: UTICA EISENHOWER 28, CLARKSTON 14.

DUNLAP: UTICA EISENHOWER 28, CLARKSTON 21.

STICK: UTICA EISENHOWER over CLARKSTON.

BURNEY: UTICA EISENHOWER 27, CLARKSTON 24.

TIM: UTICA EISENHOWER 42, CLARKSTON 21.

 

Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit at Oxford: The Wildcats are in a similar situation to 2021 when they needed to win out to make the postseason and they did by beating Chippewa Valley 29-28 at Wildcat Stadium. If Oxford can win over Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit then they would be a postseason team for the third time in four years. The Cubs are a very tough team and has a ton of proven athletes but if there is anything like what happened that October night when Oxford won over Chippewa Valley, will history strike twice???

SANDY DUNES: OXFORD 24, DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 21.

COTTER: OXFORD 17, DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 14.

DUNLAP: OXFORD 24, DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 17.

STICK: OXFORD over DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT.

BURNEY: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 27, OXFORD 25.

TIM: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 35, OXFORD 21.

 

North Farmington at Bloomfield Hills: This is a rematch of a 28-21 Blackhawks win over the Raiders at Ron Holland Field last season. North Farmington has Ryan Shelby back at full strength and they are locked into the postseason. Bloomfield Hills can play spoiler after having a really challenging season this year.

SANDY DUNES: NORTH FARMINGTON 24, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

COTTER: NORTH FARMINGTON 17, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 13.

DUNLAP: NORTH FARMINGTON 17, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 14.

STICK: NORTH FARMINGTON over BLOOMFIELD HILLS.

BURNEY: NORTH FARMINGTON 33, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 23.

TIM: NORTH FARMINGTON 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

 

Stoney Creek at New Baltimore Anchor Bay: This is a rematch of a 21-20 Cougars win over the Tars last season. Both teams won’t make the postseason this year but they have great talents coming up in the future. This should be a very interesting matchup in New Baltimore.

SANDY DUNES: NEW BALTIMORE ANCHOR BAY 24, STONEY CREEK 20.

COTTER: NEW BALTIMORE ANCHOR BAY 21, STONEY CREEK 14.

DUNLAP: NEW BALTIMORE ANCHOR BAY 28, STONEY CREEK 24.

STICK: STONEY CREEK over NEW BALTIMORE ANCHOR BAY.

BURNEY: STONEY CREEK 32, NEW BALTIMORE ANCHOR BAY 28.

TIM: NEW BALTIMORE ANCHOR BAY 28, STONEY CREEK 24.

 

Walled Lake Northern at Rochester: The Falcons have lost four of their last five games and have been outscored 60-20 in that span. Rochester fell 35-7 to Stoney Creek last week. The Knights are 1-17 in the last two years. Someone will end the season on a high note.

SANDY DUNES: ROCHESTER 31, WALLED LAKE NORTHERN 0.

COTTER: ROCHESTER 35, WALLED LAKE NORTHERN 6.

DUNLAP: ROCHESTER 27, WALLED LAKE NORTHERN 10.

STICK: ROCHESTER over WALLED LAKE NORTHERN.

BURNEY: ROCHESTER 32, WALLED LAKE NORTHERN 28.

TIM: ROCHESTER 35, WALLED LAKE NORTHERN 0.

 

Farmington at Utica: This is shaping up to be a very interesting matchup on Thursday night at Sweinhart. The Chieftains beat the Falcons 35-28 at Falcon Field. They forced Farmington to go south toward Temperance in the postseason last season. The Falcons have an opportunity to take Utica out of the postseason if they win this game and they have a chance to but things have to go right.

SANDY DUNES: FARMINGTON 14, UTICA 13.

COTTER: UTICA 35, FARMINGTON 7.

DUNLAP: UTICA 20, FARMINGTON 10.

STICK: UTICA over FARMINGTON.

BURNEY: FARMINGTON 30, UTICA 20.

TIM: UTICA 35, FARMINGTON 28.

 

Troy Athens at Utica Ford II: It has been a rough season for the Red Hawks after a disappointing 35-13 loss to Troy last week. The Falcons are 6-27 since 2020. This looks like it’s a winnable game for Troy Athens at Runkel Field.

SANDY DUNES: TROY ATHENS 21, UTICA FORD II 12.

COTTER: TROY ATHENS 28, UTICA FORD II 21.

DUNLAP: TROY ATHENS 31, UTICA FORD II 28.

STICK: TROY ATHENS over UTICA FORD II.

BURNEY: TROY ATHENS 25, UTICA FORD II 24.

TIM: TROY ATHENS 21, UTICA FORD II 14.

 

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore at Ferndale: It has been a very disappointing season for both teams. The Eagles and the Shorians have struggled all season. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore has lost four of their last five games. Ferndale has lost three of their last five games. This should be a very interesting game on Pinecrest Drive.

SANDY DUNES: FERNDALE 24, ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKE SHORE 21.

COTTER: FERNDALE 22, ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKE SHORE 20.

DUNLAP: FERNDALE 21, ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKE SHORE 20.

STICK: FERNDALE over ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKE SHORE.

BURNEY: FERNDALE 27, ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKE SHORE 25.

TIM: FERNDALE 35, ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKE SHORE 21.

 

Pontiac at Garden City: It has been a successful season for Coach Wendell Jefferson and the Phoenix but they will have a tough challenge ahead of them. Pontiac fell 60-24 last season to Garden City and the Cougars have outscored their last two opponents by a combined 71-12. Pontiac is much better than their record indicates, this should be a very interesting game.

SANDY DUNES: PONTIAC 30, GARDEN CITY 27.

COTTER: GARDEN CITY 27, PONTIAC 22.

DUNLAP: GARDEN CITY 17, PONTIAC 14.

STICK: PONTIAC over GARDEN CITY.

BURNEY: PONTIAC 18, GARDEN CITY 16.

TIM: GARDEN CITY 35, PONTIAC 21.

 

Royal Oak at Madison Heights Lamphere: The Ravens have looked really good in the last two weeks scoring 74 points. They will have a challenge ahead of them as they play Madison Heights Lamphere. The Rams beat the Ravens 42-0 in Royal Oak last season. Madison Heights Lamphere has some proven playmakers on their roster. It’s going to be a very tough matchup for Coach Colin Campbell and the Ravens.

SANDY DUNES: MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 44, ROYAL OAK 37.

COTTER: MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 27, ROYAL OAK 14.

DUNLAP: ROYAL OAK 24, MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 23.

STICK: ROYAL OAK over MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE.

BURNEY: MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 35, ROYAL OAK 27.

TIM: MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 56, ROYAL OAK 7.

 

St. Clair Shores Lakeview at Berkley: It has been a tale of two seasons for the Bears and the Huskies. St. Clair Shores Lakeview is on their way to the postseason. Berkley has really struggled and really hasn’t looked good all season. There are going to be a ton of questions next season for the Bears.

SANDY DUNES: ST CLAIR SHORES LAKEVIEW 49, BERKLEY 0.

COTTER: ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKEVIEW 56, BERKLEY 0.

DUNLAP: ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKEVIEW 24, BERKLEY 10.

STICK: ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKEVIEW over BERKLEY.

BURNEY: ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKEVUEW 26, BERKLEY 24.

TIM: ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKEVIEW 63, BERKLEY 0.

 

My Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2C7vviy6iU

No comments:

Post a Comment

Girls Holiday Classics Preview.

Written Sunday December 22nd at 10:25 PM This is the girls preview of the classics.   Motor City Roundball @ Ferndale   Thursday WEST BLOOMF...