Girls Basketball Preview 2023-2024.

Written Wednesday November 29th at 9:05 PM

Updated Saturday December 2nd at 12:40 PM

AROUND THE OAA TOP TEN

1. West Bloomfield

2. Rochester

3. Royal Oak

4. Stoney Creek

5. Lake Orion

6. Clarkston

7. Bloomfield Hills

8. Oxford

9. Troy

10. Adams

 

Girls Basketball Preview Show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6jUxJwDhg

 

Girls Basketball Districts.

https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2023/06/written-tuesday-june-20th-at-920-am.html

 

OAA/KLAA Challenge

https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2023/04/early-insight-on-oaaklaa-basketball.html 

RED

 

WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS

 

LAST SEASON: 26-3, 14-0 Red. Lost 40-36 to Rockford in Division One State Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Summer Davis-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Destiny Washington-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Ava Lord-F

STRENGTH: Proven Experience, Deeper than last season.

WEAKNESS: Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Lakers make it back to Breslin???

 

The Lakers have been a proven program and it has shown as of late. They made it to the Division One State Finals after winning it two years ago but fell to Rockford 40-36 last season. Coach Daryelle McAllister has four starters in Summer and Indya Davis along with Kendall Hendrix and Destiny Washington coming back. West Bloomfield will have a really deep bench and has a ton of proven candidates that could be their fifth starter. McAllister has Ava Lord, Sheridan Beal, and Gabrielle Hale also coming back. They added two Japanese transfers and a set of twins from Muskegon this offseason. The Lakers have a really tough non-conference which includes Butler Prep, Illinois, Chicago Prep, Illinois, Anthony Wayne, Ohio, Belleville, Plymouth Salem, Kalamazoo Central, Detroit Country Day, Northville, Detroit Edison, Saginaw Heritage, and Grand Blanc West Bloomfield should be in the mix to get back to Breslin but a rough road lies ahead.

 

 

ROCHESTER FALCONS

 

LAST SEASON: 18-7, 9-5 Red. Lost 61-41 to West Bloomfield in Division One Regional Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Alice Max-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Lucy Cook-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Angela Cichowski-G

STRENGTH: Interior, Program Strength.

WEAKNESS: Guard Play.

 

STORYLINE: Do the Falcons have enough guard play to help interior???

 

The Falcons have made a ton of strides since Bill Thurston became the varsity coach. Thurston has led Rochester with division crowns and a district crown last season. He is 54-29 in his four years but 36-11 in the last two years. “It’s a building point to where we were in, we’ve been building up to get to the districts and we’ve been to the district final every year I’ve been here and we finally got over that hump (winning the district final over Utica Eisenhower) to win the district, now we look forward to moving onto the regionals, winning a game in the regional, just seeing if we can keep building off that” said Thurston. The Falcons might have one of the best post players in Oakland County in Alice Max. Max was a double-double machine last season and will look to make some more noise this season. The guards will be the question mark but Thurston mentioned that Lucy Cook, Kaitlyn Guiola, Kayla Parsons, and Angela Cichowski could help fill the void and make defenses honest. Cook is a cross country state champion and a proven track athlete while Guiola also played soccer with Max last season. “We’ll surprise a lot of people with their play” Thurston added. The non-conference doesn’t look that daunting for Thurston. They have Utica Ford II, Wixom St. Catherine Sienna, Rochester Lutheran Northwest, and Grand Blanc look to be their toughest non-conference games. Rochester could be in a great spot if the guards play to their expectation and not focus on Max all too much. “People say that this is a rebuilding year for us but I think being in the Red and still being competitive and getting to the point where we’re ready for districts, that’s where we ultimately want to be and we’ll surprise a lot of people this year” Thurston concluded. Rochester might not surprise a ton of people who know them but they should be in the mix this season.

 

 

STONEY CREEK COUGARS

 

LAST SEASON: 17-7, 9-5 Red. Lost 43-39 to Rochester in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Sarah LaPrarie-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Merrick Schwalbach-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Izzy Ivezaj-G

STRENGTH: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Transition Period, Program Strength.

 

STORYLINE: Can new coach gel with proven experienced Cougars???

 

It was a rocky offseason for the Cougars which saw then Coach Kellen James step down in September. Stoney Creek Athletic Director Brian Jacobson went into Macomb County with his new hire and hired Columbus Williams to take over the program. Williams was an assistant at Utica Ford II under Matt Joseph and he leads the Michigan Goonies AAU program. Williams will be tasked to keep the success and momentum that James had built at Stoney Creek. James was 46-11 in three years at Stoney Creek. The non-conference doesn’t look that strong. They have a tough non conference with Brighton, Romeo, Utica Eisenhower, Riverview, Walled Lake Northern, and Fraser. The Cougars have a ton of proven experience in Sarah LaPrarie, Merrick Schwalbach, Taylor Fulkerson, and Izzy Ivezaj coming back. The transition period will be the challenge for Stoney Creek but having veteran experience helps but there are dangers. The Cougars will be a very interesting team to watch this season.

 

LAKE ORION DRAGONS

 

LAST SEASON: 20-6, 10-4 Red. Lost 48-30 to West Bloomfield in Division One Regional Final.

KEY PLAYER: Izzy Wotlinski-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Charlotte Peplowski-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Grace Hoenshein-G

STRENGTH: Interior, Solid Six.

WEAKNESS: Unproven Bench.

 

STORYLINE: Dragons are the great unknown this season.

 

The Dragons have won two district crowns in the last two years and 20 games last season behind a veteran heavy guard lineup but now the guards have graduated. “We’re going to be young, it’s going to be different” Coach Bob Brydges said. Lake Orion will be a lot younger this season after losing nine seniors including Kylie Heck, Taylor Dinda, Chloe Wiegers, and Maddie Ebbert. They have several proven players in Ryan Pawalacyzk, Charlotte Peplowski along with Lexi Stroshein coming back. Stroshein was away from the program while Izzy Wotlinski also comes back after missing three quarters of the season with an ACL injury last season. The Dragons added a transfer in Nevaeh Wood. Wood transferred back to Lake Orion after playing two years at Oxford. She is also coming back from an ACL injury. Brydges will be very young this season as mentioned. He has young players in sophomores Grace Hoenshein, Lauren LaForge, and Dani Heck along with a very talented freshman class. The Dragons non-conference is very interesting with Walled Lake Northern, Plymouth, Bay City Western, Rochester Lutheran Northwest, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Kingston. Lake Orion could struggle early. It’s basically a new team that hasn’t had a summer or build chemistry together. For Brydges it’s putting a puzzle together seeing where everyone on his roster fits.

 

 

CLARKSTON WOLVES

 

LAST SEASON: 13-11, 8-6 Red. Lost 54-52 to Lake Orion in Division One District Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Elliana Robak-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Emily Valencia-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Brooklyn Covert-G

STRENGTH: Quickness, Speed.

WEAKNESS: Size.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Wolves make some noise despite brutal non-conference???

 

The Wolves were very young last season but several players emerged and are ready to make a ton of noise. Clarkston has several key players in Elianna Robak, Ellery Hernandez, Emily Valencia, Ella Morgner, Claire Walker, Kierra Zorski, Kate Meyer, Marley Mazur, Jenna Thomas, Makayla Butki, and Lauren Fishtalher coming back along with Brooklyn Covert and Lexi Fry who could make a ton of noise especially Covert. “We’ve attended a team camp in Gaylord with Gaylord, Saline, and Croswell-Lex, did well with them. We’ve lost to a good Frankenmuth team. We lost some key pieces but we got some key pieces coming back and we’re going to be really young” said Coach Aaron Goodnough. The schedule is brutal early in the non-conference for Goodnough with Saginaw Heritage, Novi, Howell, Chelsea, Lake Fenton, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, and Grosse Pointe South. “I think it will be a very competitive start to the beginning of the year, it will be challenging but I expect us to do well” Goodnough added. He mentioned that the girls have gelled and developed chemistry during the summer. “We’ve gelled really well, we don’t have a lot of size, we got some ankle biters but we’ll compete, play tough defense” Goodnough concluded. Clarkston should be in line for a much better year this season.

 

OXFORD WILDCATS

 

LAST SEASON: 19-5, 12-2 White. Lost 66-30 to Grand Blanc in Division One District Final.

KEY PLAYER: Alison Hufsteddler-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Sophie Raab-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Emma Beggs-F

STRENGTH: Guards, strong proven big.

WEAKNESS: Bench, Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Wildcats fare in the Red???

 

The Wildcats moved up to the Red this offseason and have shown a ton of progress this summer. They had a very successful year in the White despite not winning the division. Oxford has had issues with Grand Blanc in the last two years in the postseason. Maybe the move to the Red will help especially when it comes to the postseason??? The Wildcats have proven experience in Alison Hufsteddler, Sophie Rabb, Braydee Elling, Lexi Yankee, and Peyton Ritcher coming back for Coach Rachel Bryer. Emma Beggs could be in line for a breakout season for Oxford. They have a very tough non-conference with Davison, Belleville, Flushing, Warren Regina, Detroit Country Day, Birmingham Marian, and Saginaw Hertiage. It could be a challenge for Bryer and that’s not the Red. If this is what it takes to matchup with Grand Blanc then it might be very well worth it.

 

 

 

WHITE

 

ROYAL OAK RAVENS

 

LAST SEASON: 13-10, 6-8 White. Lost 45-42 to Detroit Mumford in the Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Emille Austin-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Lydia Dickens-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Lucy Freytag-G

STRENGTH: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Ravens make the next step???

 

The Ravens had a very young team but lost a heart breaker to Detroit Mumford in the district semifinals last season. Royal Oak has everyone coming back from that team and they will look to make the next step. Coach Brian Sopota has a ton to be excited about with everyone coming back. “It’s a nice thing especially when you have players that have been through a lot of varsity games, they played varsity when we were in the Red, we took some lumps but we played some really good competition, last year the White was a really tough league as well and so with games experience, varsity played, played a really tough schedule this summer and I think it’s going to benefit us, we’re going to step onto the court, we shouldn’t be nervous for any games, there is nothing new that these girls haven’t seen and who we are going to compete against” Sopota said. Royal Oak has a very interesting district and a non-conference with Walled Lake Northern, Royal Oak Shrine, Livonia Stevenson, and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep with the rest of the schedule going against OAA schools.  They have been everywhere and feel they can win their district. “We’re east again with Groves there and several MAC schools, we’ve been south with Detroit Renaissance, north with Birmingham Marian, and the last time we went east Warren Cousino went onto win a State title, we’ll see different teams and compete in that district” Sopota added. Everything is on the table this season for the Ravens. “We would like to compete for a league and win a district, when you return your starters and your bench those are reasonable goals” Sopota concluded.

 

 

BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS

 

LAST SEASON: 18-4, 12-0 Blue. Lost 56-45 in Overtime to Groves in First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Ruby Smith-C

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Ashley Forner-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Brianna Young-F

STRENGTH: Interior.

WEAKNESS: Shooting, Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Blackhawks make the next step???

 

The Blackhawks had a really strong year winning 18 games which was the most in school history. They also won their first division crown by winning the Blue and took Groves who was a Red opponent to overtime but fell in a tough one last season. Coach Kristen Massey is loaded with proven experience especially in the interior. Bloomfield Hills has Ashley Forner, Brianna Young, Michelle Barnett, and Ruby Smith coming back. The Blackhawks have a really interesting non-conference which includes Canton, the Belleville Classic, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. The key for Massey will be the better competition and if Bloomfield Hills is up for it. It should be a very interesting year to watch with the Blackhawks.

 

 

HARPER WOODS PIONEERS

 

LAST SEASON: 12-8, 8-6 White. Lost 50-41 to St. Clair Shores Lakeview in the Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Clearia Peterson-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Kendall Kelsey-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Autumn Trotter-F

STRENGTH: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength.

 

STORYLINE: Program strength will be something to watch with the Pioneers.

 

The Pioneers were a team that had some ups and some downs. They saw a ton of great wins and some really tough losses last season including to St. Clair Shores Lakeview. Harper Woods has a new coach but he will have a proven experienced team with Clearia Peterson, Kendall Kelsey, Autumn Trotter, Tamina Montgomery, Mikyra Kelly, and Laniyah West coming back for new coach LaTonya Tate. Program strength and depth are going to be question marks. The Pioneers could also be in line for a deep postseason run going back to Division Two this season. Harper Woods non-conference does include playing the Huskies but they haven’t completed it yet with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. It should be very interesting to see how the Pioneers compete, they should be in line for a much better season.

 

 

GROVES FALCONS

 

LAST SEASON: 7-17, 3-11 Red. Lost 30-29 to Birmingham Marian in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Cira Racco-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Cameron Little-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Jacey Roy-G

STRENGTH: Guards.

WEAKNESS: Interior.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Falcons do without Kaitlyn Sanders???

 

The Falcons were inches away from a district final but a heartbreaking loss to Birmingham Marian derailed those dreams. Groves will look to rebound with a very young team after losing seven seniors including Kaitlyn Sanders to graduation. Coach Alison Hidey is looking forward to some unfinished business this season. The Falcons have Cira Racco, Cameron Little, and Jacey Roy coming back for Hidey. “I feel like we have some unfinished business, I’m returning five really strong seniors and we played a really competitive schedule in the Red last year, this year moving down to the White, I have high expectations, I like to take some of those lessons and apply it to the team we’re going to play this year and hopefully be successful in wins and maybe go for a district” said Hidey. “Even though we are moving down and crossover a few Red, I anticipate a lot of these White teams to be competitive and we’re going to also play West Bloomfield type basketball, they are going to make a great run and get us ready” Hidey added. Groves has a really interesting non-conference which includes Hartland, Detroit Country Day, Livonia Churchill, Novi, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep, and Dearborn Divine Child with the rest of the schedule against OAA schools. “I would like to have a great year, last year I always laugh you make a plan and sometimes life just doesn’t go as planned, last year we had a plan, we wanted to have a really good year, I really think emotionally we had a good year but we didn’t have a lot of chemistry with the wins and losses, this year we want to get it done on both sides, I want the girls to have a lot of fun and I want to pull on some doubts” Hidey concluded.

 

 

SEAHOLM MAPLES

 

LAST SEASON: 7-16, 3-11 White. Lost 47-31 to Birmingham Marian in Division One District Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Addy Flynn-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Taylor Harwig-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Addy Kitzman-F

STRENGTH: Experience.

WEAKNESS: Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: Will the Maples make the next step???

 

The Maples were a very young team winning seven games but they made the district finals under Coach Chris Manchester. Seaholm lost Shay Manchester, Lola Weber, and Anne Boogerian to graduation last season. The Maples have a ton of proven experience which helps with Taylor Harwig, Addy Kitzman, Mary Gumbus, Mary Wiltgen, Clara Guffey, Emma Weber, and Addy Flynn coming back. Seaholm has a really interesting non-conference which includes Saline, Warren Cousino, Livonia Franklin, Clawson, St. Clair Shores Lakeview, and Lakeland with the rest being against OAA schools. There is a ton to like with the Maples when it comes to proven experience but the mental sickie will be something to watch for Manchester and his program this season.

 

 

NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS

 

LAST SEASON: 23-1, 14-0 White. Lost 59-23 to Farmington Hills Mercy in Division One District Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Asiyah Jihad-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Hannah Hart-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Anaiah Bowes-F

STRENGTH: Athleticism.

WEAKNESS: Transition period.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Raiders transition into a new regime???

 

It was a historic season for the Raiders which led them to the White crown and an undefeated season but they fell to Farmington Hills Mercy in the district finals last season. North Farmington went through a complete culture shock this offseason. They have a new coach in Michael Allin taking over for Jeff Simpson whom stepped down last season. “It’s been great, I’ve really enjoyed my experience at Lapeer, loved those girls, loved that community but I’m more than excited to be here and I’ve gotten to know almost all of the girls and those that I’m still meeting and I’m looking forward to the season and the girls have been great to work with and working really hard and they deserve a ton of credit already and hope to make their mark as the season goes on” said Allin. The Raiders have Hannah Hart, Asiyah Jihad coming back and added a transfer in Anaiah Bowers this offseason. Allin is really high on Jihad with what she brings to North Farmington. “She’s extremely verstale, she’s got a strong inside,out game, has multiple finishes at the rim, whether it’s in transition or in the half-court offense, she has a good dribble drive attack, she shoots the three, has good post moves, she can defend pretty much all five positions at least four of the five but beyond that, her work ethic, her attitude, dedication, her commitment, all of those are great examples for the younger players to follow and great characteristics for her life going forward” Allin said about Jihad. North Farmington has a really interesting non-conference with Warren Woods Tower, Frankel Jewish Academy, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Livonia Stevenson with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “We want to compete, Improve, have fun, and win games” Allin concluded.

 

 

 

BLUE

 

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS

 

LAST SEASON: 4-16, 2-11 Red. Lost 66-56 to North Farmington in First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Kamaria Paige-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Jordan Ushery-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Jamyra Fritz-F

STRENGTH: Offense

WEAKNESS: Defense

 

STORYLINE: Can the Warriors defend???

 

The Warriors have been up and down and the record along with the stats don't lie either. Southfield Arts and Tech was a high scoring machine but it was a different story defensively. They gave up a ton of points which has to concern Coach Shaquita Coltrane. The Warriors have the guards in Kamaria Paige, Jordan Ushery, and Christen Banks coming back. The interior looks to be the question mark despite having Jamyra Fritz coming back. The non-conference is brutal for Southfield Arts and Tech with games against Warren Michigan Collegiate, River Rouge twice, Livonia Stevenson, Detroit Denby Tech, the MLK Classic, and Detroit Pershing with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. The Warriors are the early favorites in the Blue but their defensive issues could be a big issue if Coltrane and her program doesn’t address that end of the floor this season.

 

 

TROY COLTS

 

LAST SEASON: 3-19, 0-14 Red. Lost 62-34 to Seaholm in First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Diamond Prince-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Reagan Zeiter-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Olivia Sprangler-G

STRENGTH: Proven Experience, Program Strength, Depth.

WEAKNESS: Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: Can Guzman put the mental belief of success with this young and hungry team???

 

It was a really tough year for the Colts being in the Red with a really young team last season. Troy made some big changes this offseason and is in a new division. They hired Laura Guzman from Farmington. Guzman coaches the softball program at Troy. “The transition has been pretty seemless, the kids are excited and eager and they’ve been showing up, we’ve had great numbers, I think they are ready to work hard and show what they are capable off” said Guzman. Guzman will have a ton of young and proven experience in Diamond Prince, Carly Higginbottom, Olivia Sprangler, Reagan Zeiter, Shivani Angadi, Victoria Siegan, Carly Blair, Sophia Kaltsounis, Aly Matuza, Justine Perkas, Savannah Oddy, and Kelsey Block coming back. “It’s great when you have a returning core of players but the players that you didn’t mention is ready to show everybody else like here is Troy basketball, we’re not just five deep, we can play 10 or 11 girls, I think that’s the most exciting part, having those returners really helps but I think players like one or whoever is on the team is going to come on the varsity team is going to come in and be able to play and that’s a big plus” Guzman added. The Colts have a really interesting non-conference which includes Novi, Romeo, Sterling Heights Stevenson, St. Clair Shores Lakeview, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Richmond, and Walled Lake Central with the rest of the schedule going against OAA schools.  “I think we’re going to win our division, we have enough kids to compete with the talent and the kids are buying in, I think they are going to surprise a lot of people and I’m excited for that” Guzman concluded.

 

 

ADAMS HIGHLANDERS

 

LAST SEASON: 4-18, 1-12 White. Lost 51-29 to Stoney Creek in the First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Samantha Blaine-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Faith Zoldos-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Reagen Jarrell-G

STRENGTH: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Highlanders take the next step???

 

It has been a very long and rocky road for the Highlanders and Coach Joe Malburg. Adams struggled in two consecutive years as they had to rebuild the program. There is some optimism for the Highlanders. Adams has Samantha Blaine, Faith Zoldos, Reagan Jarrell, and Layla Tomezak coming back. “The biggest thing that we have to do is build a full program, we just can’t wait for the talent to be there, we have to develop it and develop that chemistry between the talent and that’s where the summer program comes in” said Malburg on the podcast. That foundation has really started to come out which is a great sign for Malburg. “A lot of the girls are playing for the third year in a row in the summer program, they’re really starting to understand you know with what we want out of them as a program and what their expectations are, what are we going to hold them accountable, so it’s definitely been our best summer not in terms of winning and losing but the summer is more for development but we’re also seeing some of the rewards of having those players with a little bit more experience” Malburg added. Malburg expects to see some success with the proven experience that is back. “The majority of our players, the core of our players were freshmen and sophomores and that’s going to make a lot of the playing rotation this year, we’re going to continue to be more athletic and have a little bit more size” Malburg concluded. Adams mental sickie will be tested, Malburg is curious to see how his young team will handle success this season. The Highlanders could be in line for a big season with a young and proven group this season. Adams has a really interesting non-conference with games against Waterford Kettering, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, and Northville while the rest of the schedule is against OAA schools. The Highlanders are more than capable of making that big jump this season not only as a program but also in the league as well.

 

Adams Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC1SlkaSIfs

 

 

BERKLEY BEARS

 

LAST SEASON: 11-10, 9-5 White. Lost 56-29 to Detroit Renaissance in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Maeve Nolan-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Avery Weingarden-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Nadia Watt-G

STRENGTH: Team culture.

WEAKNESS: Inexperience.

 

STORYLINE: Bears are in a much better place under Shaver.

 

The Bears were around 500 but fell to a very good Detroit Renaissance program last season. Berkley changed coaches this offseason with Clay Shaver taking over the program. “This year’s varsity team will be exceptionally athletic and they love playing together, a lot of high level soccer players who do the things with speed and footwork that’s naturally hard to teach” said Shaver. Shaver has done really well this offseason with the transition. “We’re very pleased with the offseason and where we are at going into tryouts. We lost four seniors, three starters who played 105 of the 160 minutes on average, that level of experience will be tough to replace, thankfully we have a lot of talented and impressive young people back this year, from day one back in March when I took over multiple kids have stepped up and taken over leadership roles” Shaver mentioned. Shaver will have a ton of proven experience coming back led by Maeve Nolan. Nolan has done really well this offseason. “Maeve will play a big role on both ends of the court, great kid, great leader, every program would be lucky to have someone like Maeve” Shaver said of Nolan. Berkley also has another proven player in Kate McAllister whom could be primed for a big year. “Kate has also stepped up as a senior leader. She was underutilized and played out of position. She hit big baskets for us all summer” Shaver added on McAllister. Berkley will also have Avery Weingarden, Hailey Kirkwood, and Madi Boswall coming back. These three saw a ton of minutes and he’s extremely excited about the sophomore class which includes Nadia Watt. “I expect big steps from my junior class highlighted by Hailey, Madi, and Avery and I’m REALLY high on a talented sophomore class. We’re going to have some decisions to make at tryouts on some of these sophomores who have varsity skills and if we can find them minutes. Shaver has done a really good job with program strength. He will have three programs this season. “Last season, there was 22 healthy players in the program total, through this offseason we’ve worked hard to recruit a solid freshman class. We also reengaged with some talented athletes who left the program. I’m expecting 35 to 40 kids at tryouts to roster three levels. We’ve also engaged in the youth in the area, 53 student athletes played Middle School in the fall and there’s over 300 girls currently registered for the Berkley Bears local youth program. We’re building a “vertical program” from the youth to varsity and the future feels bright” Shaver added. Berkley has a tough non-conference which includes Plymouth, Utica Eisenhower, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Swartz Creek, Saginaw Heritage, Warren Mott, and Royal Oak Shrine with the rest being against OAA schools. They are in a very tough district which has Detroit Mumford and Detroit Renaissance. “Our goal is to make a legit run in the Blue while prepping for the postseason. We’re playing a tough schedule because ultimately we know this district runs through Detroit Renaissance. Our goal is to be peaking in March” Shaver concluded.

 

 

TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS

 

LAST SEASON: 7-14, 2-11 White. Lost 46-44 to Utica in the Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Abby Malone-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Alex Link-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Kayci Mercier-G

STRENGTH: Interior, Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Injuries.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Red Hawks stay healthy???

 

The Red Hawks had a great start but they had ton of injuries that really hurt them including their very tough loss to Utica last season. Troy Athens looks to have a bounce back year under Coach Stacie Klump. The Red Hawks have a ton of proven experience in Abby Malone, Alex Link, Kayci Mercier, Ava Laurer, Katy Keller, and Yasmeen Dabish coming back for Klump. Troy Athens has a very tough district and a tough non-conference with Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, Wayne Memorial, Utica Eisenhower, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Flint Hamady, and River Rouge. The rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. It will be very interesting to see how the Red Hawks respond this season. If they can stay healthy then they would be in line for a much better season.

 

 

FARMINGTON FALCONS

 

LAST SEASON: 12-10, 10-2 Blue. Lost 68-33 to Farmington Hills Mercy in First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Jayla Silver-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: EdiMari King-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Anna Tornachuck-F

STRENGTH: Skill players.

WEAKNESS: Experience, Transition period.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Falcons do under Nowak???

 

The Falcons have had a ton of success in the division but have really struggled when they go out of the division. Farmington has had a really interesting offseason. They saw Laura Guzman leave for Troy this offseason but they have Natalie Nowak who teaches in the school and she takes over the program. “It’s been really helpful that I am a teacher in the building and I coached the junior varsity five years ago before I stepped away to coach at Schoolcraft College, I know a lot of the girls, it’s been really helpful that I’ve known them as players or as students” Nowak said. Farmington has proven experience in Jayla Silver, Anna Tornachuck, and EdiMari King coming back. “I met with a few of them the other day just really talking to them about the leadership that we’re going to need so whether they played a lot of minutes last year or didn’t, they still need to come in and lead a team. We got a lot of young players that are ready to make an impact so we need the older players to lead them” Nowak added. The Falcons have a very interesting non-conference with Livonia Stevenson, Hartland, and Garden City with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “Get girls in, get them into the program, work hard, compete, and get better every day.” Nowak concluded.

 

 

 

GOLD

 

AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS

 

LAST SEASON: 7-16, 5-7 Blue. Lost 59-17 to Utica Ford II in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Madison Manyweathers-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Morgan McPherson-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Amaria Daniel-G

STRENGTH: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Depth.

 

STORYLINE: How will McPherson fit in with the Yellow Jackets???

 

The Yellow Jackets had a really rough season last year winning seven games and falling to a really good Utica Ford II program. Avondale has a ton of optimism which makes Coach Roy Christmon really excited for the season to start. The Yellow Jackets have a ton of proven experience in Madison Manyweathers, Arielle Dudley, Khalil Bradley, Trinitee Carroll, and Amaria Daniel coming back. They also added Morgan McPherson as she transferred from Adams this offseason. McPherson is expected to take on a much bigger role this season. “We got a lot of girls coming back, it’s good to have kip and occurring group of girls coming in and coming back, working hard in the weight room working hard, just looking to compete” Christmon said. McPherson has had a strong impression along with the team this summer and it has shown. “It’s been great, we’ve gone to a team camp with the girl from Adams (McPherson) so they got time to bond and we do a lot of things off campus, they go to movies, they do a lot of stuff together as far as chemistry, we should be great” Christmon added. The Yellow Jackets have a really interesting non-conference with Warren Mott, Dearborn, Walled Lake Central, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Chippewa Valley with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “Win Gold, get out of Gold and go from there” Christmon concluded.

 

 

FERNDALE EAGLES

 

LAST SEASON: 8-7, 6-6 Blue. Lost 68-35 to Warren Fitzgerald in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Demi Bolton-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Aaliyah Davis-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Iyanna Davis-F

STRENGTH: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Eagles make strides and build program strength???

 

The Eagles showed some real progress in winning eight games last season but they still aren’t there yet when it comes to the postseason and they will have a challenging one with Birmingham Detroit Country Day in there. Ferndale went all nuclear this offseason with a ton of proven experience and transfers. They have proven experience in Jayla Pouncey, Isabella Mendoza, Jada Buchanan, Jayla Jackson, Lily Bowson, Iyanna Davis, Demi Bolton, and Aaliyah Frost coming back for Coach Keith Paris. Paris has Bolton coming into the program along with newcomers Frost and Davis who will be relied upon this season. The challenge for Paris is finding more games and building program strength. He mentioned that the program was on the rise but can it be proven is the question. Ferndale really toughened up their non-conference with games against Ann Arbor Skyline, River Rouge, Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, Detroit Martin Luther King, Dexter, Macomb Dakota, Brandywine, Ohio, Michigan West-Prep Classic, Novi, Detroit Western, and Madison Heights Lamphere. This schedule should help them prepare for the division and the postseason. The Eagles could be a team to watch for this season.

 

 

FERNDALE UNIVERSITY EAGLES

 

LAST SEASON: 2-16, 2-10 Blue. Lost 58-17 to Ferndale in First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Kayla Lewis-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Laressa Broghton-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Brooklyn Gray-F

STRENGTH: Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Eagles make the next step???

 

It was a really rough year for the Eagles winning two games, both against Pontiac last season. Coach Brianna Rowe has a ton of optimism surrounding Ferndale University in her second season as coach. They have a ton of proven experience in Kayla Lewis, Laressa Broghton, Brooklyn Gray, among others coming back. “It’s been good, the girls have been in the gym, I’m really excited about getting in and getting better, they are progressing” said Rowe. The Eagles non-conference is very interesting with Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Detroit Old Redford Academy, Clawson, and Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “We’ve been in the weight room more, I expect the girls to be a lot stronger, a lot tougher, score more around the rim, just competing, they’re excited, I’m excited, it’s going to be a great year, hopefully be around 500 this year” Rowe concluded.

 

 

OAK PARK KNIGHTS

 

LAST SEASON: 10-9, 6-5 Blue. Lost 48-19 to Berkley in First Round.

KEY PLAYER: ???

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: ???

BREAKOUT WATCH: ???

STRENGTH: ???

WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Knights gain more experience???

 

The Knights made a ton of changes this offseason despite the late season turnaround. Oak Park named Tyler Washington as their new coach. There are some questions for the Knights heading into the season and there will be a transition period that has to happen during the season. Oak Park has non-conference games against South Lyon, Walled Lake Central, and St. Clair Shores South Lake with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. It will be very interesting to see what Washington brings to a program that had their moments last season.

 

 

PONTIAC PHOENIX

 

LAST SEASON: 0-20, 0-12. Lost 64-22 to Waterford Kettering in First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Aniyah Shaw-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Isisas Shaw-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Carroll Hunt-G

STRENGTH: Proven Experience, plus added talent.

WEAKNESS: Program Strength, Mental sickie.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Phoenix grow and make the next step???

 

It was a very tough first season for Coach Corray Lett and the Phoenix. Pontiac looks like they have the experience and talent to turn it around really quick. “Our backs are against the wall, we’ll be competitive every game we step on the floor” Lett said. The Phoenix have the majority of their team coming back with Aniyah Shaw, Isisas Shaw, Carroll Hunt, among others. “The offseason has been good, interesting for us, it’s good to have a good core that sticks together, we’re young, we got a lot of mistakes to correct. This year coming in we got some additional pieces that will help, we got a young lady who moved from Alabama that’s going to help us out a lot, and will be a senior, we have a freshman coming in who hasn’t played too much basketball but is a hell of an athlete, I’m looking forward to the season and being able to compete” Lett added. Program strength is a big concern for Pontiac coming into the season. “We’re working on that right now, it’s hard to get girls to come out, we do have some core pieces that came from our eighth grade team that are freshmen now, we’re going to establish that program and if not then we’ll keep them and use them on our bench” Lett concluded. Pontiac has a favorable non-conference with games against Waterford Kettering, Waterford Mott, Detroit Christo Rey, Hazel Park, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Brighton Stockwell Prep, Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart, Ypsilanti, and Westland John Glenn. The Phoenix should win some games this season with the non-conference. It will help with their confidence going forward.

Warriors win the Division One State Crown.

Written Sunday November 26th at 11:35 PM

It was never an easy road for the Warriors and Coach Aaron Marshall.

It was a four year project for Southfield Arts and Tech that a lot of ups and a lot of downs. They have had constant battles with Clarkston, West Bloomfield, Groves, Harper Woods, and others.

Then came Sunday night.

Belleville, the top team in the State, ranked in the nation, had a 38 game winning streak, and has the best quarterback in the State as a junior.

It didn't phase them

The Warriors stunned Belleville 36-32 on Sunday night in the Division One State Finals.

Southfield Arts and Tech has a very proven senior heavy class. They've been through the battles. The moment did not phase them.

It wasn't just Isiah Marshall who was spectator despite throwing two picks. The offensive line controlled the game all game long. The running game was great and the passing game was outstanding.

The defense was fantastic. They limited Bryce Underwood and made timely plays when they needed it. Southfield Arts and Tech defensive lineman Reggie Gardner played a man possessed. He caused Underwood to throw the ball.

Isiah Marshall had to be the best player on Sunday night. 

And he was.

The hype he had in seventh grade, he lived up to it but it wasn't just him.

It was the entire team.

The game plan was perfect, the Warriors had to control tempo and strike first, which they did with a Mathias Davis four yard touchdown for a 6-0 lead.

The Tigers answered but the Warriors didn't blink.

Davis answered again behind a great attack from the offensive line giving Southfield Arts and Tech a 12-7 lead.

The Warriors defense held again holding the high octane Belleville offense to three points. They started to get some confidence.

They got another score from Marshall to Tashi Braceful late in the half stunning media pundits across the State and they were five yards away from getting another score but settled for a 20-10 lead at the half.

Southfield Arts and Tech got another defensive stop then the offense went to work with Marshall connecting with Xavier Bowman for a 19 yard touchdown sending media experts into a shock with the Warriors up 28-10 in the third quarter.

The Warriors knew Belleville was going to make a rally and they did. They had a 50 yard passing touchdown to make it 28-18 and then Southfield Arts and Tech went for it on fourth and two but didn't get it at mid field which led to another Belleville score. Then Marshall threw his second interception of the night which set up the Tigers third score.

Then all of a sudden it was 32-28 Belleville.

So many teams across the State would panic after blowing a 28-10 lead. The Tigers had all the momentum and they went through Saline, Northville, and Davison and beat them handily.

So many people in the media thought this game would be over right???

WRONG

The Warriors have been here before. Everything they have been through, the painful losses. The loss to West Bloomfield this season but they've been here before.

Last week against the Lakers in the Division One State Semifinals it was a very similar story.

They didn't panic.

Marshall ran the ball on the quarterback draw at the Belleville 10 yard line and behind that very good offensive line ran to his right and went through three Tigers to give his team the 36-32 lead with 47 seconds left in the game.

Dorian Freeman will forever be in the history books at Southfield Arts and Tech as the one who picked off Underwood but it was Gardner who pressured him to throw that arrant throw sealing their first ever State title.

Belleville had won 38 straight games, Underwood had never lost a high school game at quarterback.

That all changed on Sunday night.

It wasn't just Marshall it was the entire team and community that stood out on Sunday night at Ford Field.

Pioneers win Division Four State Crown.

Written Saturday November 25th at 5:00 PM

"To be the man you have to beat the man" That is the quote from Hall of Fame and former WWE superstar and current AEW star Ric Flair.

For the Pioneers and Coach Ron Oden, they had to beat the finalists from last season's Division Four State Champions in the last two weeks.

In the postseason they have played some really tough competition in Croswell-Lexington, Marysville, and Carleton Airport and not to mention the two teams that played in the Division Four State title game last season in Goodrich and Grand Rapids South Christian.

Mission accomplished.

Harper Woods had to survive a goal line stand stopping Grand Rapids South Christian at the three yard line to hang on and win 33-27 over the Sailors on Saturday afternoon at Ford Field.

The Sailors were the defending Division Four State Champions and they had no easy road either playing the likes of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern, Big Rapids, and Portland to get to this game.

The Pioneers started off red hot early. They scored on a seven yard touchdown run from Stephone Buford for an early 7-0 lead.

Harper Woods got a defensive stop and then running back Dwight Houston scoring from five yards out and a 14-0 lead for the Pioneers.

Harper Woods had trouble with the Carson Vis/Jake Vermass combination all night. Vas and Vermass connected on a 45 yard passing score for the Sailors cutting the Pioneers lead to 14-7.

Harper Woods would not panic however thanks to the combination of Nate Rocheleau and Dakota Guerrant. They connected from 32 yards out but missed the PAT making the score 20-7 Pioneers. The Sailors did go down the field but Vis was picked in the endzone keeping the score at 20-7 Harper Woods at the half.

The Pioneers started out red hot in the third quarter on a second down and 18 as Rocheleau connected with Ramonty House from 90 yards out and making the score 27-7 Harper Woods.

Grand Rapids South Christian did not back down as they went down the field leading to a one yard score from Charlie Scherur making the score 27-14 Pioneers which ended up being the score after three quarters.

The fourth quarter became a tense drama.

The Sailors had the football and Vis ran the zone read and took it himself from 22 yards out but the PAT was blocked making the score 27-20 Harper Woods.

The Pioneers went down the field again with a huge one yard touchdown on fourth and inches from Buford but they missed the PAT again making the score 33-20 Harper Woods.

Vis did his magic again for Grand Rapids South Christian as he connected with Noah Funk from 12 yards out making the score 33-27 Harper Woods.

The Pioneers did their best to run the clock out but the Sailors got a stop and the ball back.

Grand Rapids South Christian drove down to the Harper Woods three yard line with three seconds left but the Pioneers defensive line forced Vis to throw under pressure and defensive back Kayonte Wilson  causing the ball to be incomplete and giving Oden his first State title in school history.

Vis had under 475 yards of total offense. He threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns while adding 72 yards on the ground with one score for the Sailors The Pioneers used a balanced attack with 487 yards total offense (200 rushing, 287 passing) to win this game. Donald Adams had 174 all purpose yards.

The Pioneers lose a ton of proven talent next season but they have a lot coming back as well. Harper Woods can now say they have beaten the best and is among one of the best in Division Four.

Playing an OAA schedule in the last two years has helped the Pioneers and it showed big time. Harper Woods has played powers in West Bloomfield, Adams, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Oak Park, Stoney Creek, Rochester, Bloomfield Hills, and Southfield Arts and Tech. It has helped them for this moment.

Harper Woods can call itself State Champion.

The stop-Credit MLive's Jared Purcell

https://twitter.com/JaredPurcellDET/status/1728526060411568130

Boys Basketball Preview 2023-2024.

Written Wednesday November 22nd at 2:00 PM

Updated Saturday December 2nd at 12:45 PM

AROUND THE OAA TOP TEN

1. North Farmington

2. Ferndale

3. West Bloomfield

4. Troy

5. Adams

6. Clarkston

7. Troy Athens

8. Stoney Creek

9. Harper Woods

10. Seaholm

 

Boys Basketball Preview Special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO8_lfAOMLM&t=777s

 

Boys Basketball Districts.

https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2023/06/boys-basketball-districts-are-out-2024.html 

 

OAA/KLAA Challenge

https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2023/04/early-insight-on-oaaklaa-basketball.html

RED

 

NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS

 

LAST SEASON: 22-2, 8-0 Red. Lost 56-44 to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Division One Regional Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Tyler Spratt-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Dylan Smith-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Avi Melster-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Raiders had a strong year last season but a very questionable officiated game in the regional finals derailed Coach Todd Negoshian and North Farmington’s season. They lost several very talented players to graduation but they also reloaded and got a transfer in Dylan Smith this offseason. Program strength has always been solid for Negoshian. The Raiders are one of the favorites coming into this season for a reason.

 

STORYLINE: Are the Raiders a State title contender???

 

The Raiders have had a ton of success getting to the Division One State title game in 2018. They have been rolling whether it’s through program strength or bringing in transfers to North Farmington. The Raiders had a bad taste in their mouths when they fell to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the regional finals behind very questionable officiating in that game. North Farmington has Tyler Spratt, Landon Williams, Avi Melser coming back and they added two transfers in Robert Smith (Oak Park) and Dylan Smith (Walled Lake Western) this offseason. “We’ve had a pretty good offseason, we got Landon and Tyler back and they did a great job leading a lot of our younger guys this summer, great job with them in the weight room and in the gym with skill work, it’s been a good year with North, pretty happy with how summer and fall went and I’m looking forward to the next step trying to figure out some roster spots to see where we are going to be, get the younger guys some minutes” said Negoshian. The non-conference is brutal for North Farmington which includes Detroit Martin Luther King, Flat Rock, Detroit University Prep, Canton Glenoak, Ohio, Detroit Community, Grand Rapids Northview, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, and Zeeland West with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “It’s going to be a bear it is what it is every year, I’m still a firm believer that the Catholic League and the Red are the two top divisions in the State so we got that gauntlet and we got West Bloomfield and Groves will be fun but we got the State tournament, we got to use our days to get ready for that, we’re going to try to be ready by the end of February and early March where we can take advantage of getting better” Negoshian added. The Raiders should be in the mix and February is the key for North Farmington. “Be good in February, that’s our expectation” Negoshian concluded.

 

FERNDALE EAGLES

 

LAST SEASON: 21-8, 6-2 Red. Won 44-38 over Grand Rapids South Christian in the Division Two State Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Trenton Ruth-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Markiese Young-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Eden Vinyard-F

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a special year for the Eagles and Coach Juan Rickman who added the role of Athletic Director this fall taking over for Tom Butler. Ferndale won their first State Crown since 1966 by winning 44-38 over Grand Rapids South Christian. Rickman lost a ton of proven talent last season but they have several players that are ready to take over. The Eagles if they can get the program strength which they have started to do and keep it at a high level then they could be a force to watch in the years to come.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Eagles do in defending their crown???

 

The Eagles are coming off their first State crown since 1966 winning it last season but they will be the hunted once the postseason starts. “It’s cool, it was great to see the community and the whole school celebrate, it was a great experience” said Rickman. Ferndale has to replace a ton of talent from last season. Rickman has found ways to build his program through transfers and program strength. Ferndale has proven experience Trenton Ruth, Mishawn Hereford, Juilan Cardenas, Darion Johnson, Kendall Mayes, Kaden Hudson, and Markiese Young coming back. Rickman is very high on Eden Vinyard who is rated as the top freshman in the State for his class along with Toriano Adams. Ferndale has a very tough non-conference which has Birmingham Brother Rice, Davison, Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit, River Rouge, MLK Classic, Davison Classic, Muskegon, Warren Fitzgerald, and Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills. The Eagles as mentioned will be the hunted once the postseason starts. They are the defending Division Two State Champs. Ferndale will have a really interesting district at Detroit Pershing with Ferndale University, Warren Lincoln, and Detroit Pershing. “I don’t like that our district is at Pershing, I just don’t like the location, it’s okay, we’ll be ready” Rickman added. Rickman wants to take things one day at a time as the season progresses. “Just to get better as the season progresses, not really get caught up in the results, it’s a process” Rickman concluded.

 

WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS

 

LAST SEASON: 16-7, 7-3 White. Lost 57-47 to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Donnie Watts-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Chris Britton-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Drew Wilson-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Lakers shared the White with Groves but fell to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the district semifinals last season. Coach Arnette Jordan has built the program through program strength and several transfers sprinkled in. West Bloomfield added Bloomfield Hills transfer Drew Wilson this offseason to go along with several proven returners. The Lakers won’t be judged with what they do in the regular season, it will be the postseason but it will be a tough chore for Jordan with Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in there this season.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Lakers matchup in the postseason???

 

The Lakers have a ton of proven experience making the jump from the White to the Red this season. “I was happy to make it back to the Red where I think we belong and I think going down to the White to teach my kids and now we won the White, I think it’s time to go back and deal with our old rivals North Farmington, Ferndale, and a bunch of great coaches and programs” said Jordan. West Bloomfield has Chris Britton, Donnie Watts, Corey Pittman, Keith Gilmore, Caleb Caudle, and Dyoni Edwards coming back. They did add Drew Wilson who comes into the program from Bloomfield Hills and Keith Gilmore comes back after taking a year off. West Bloomfield has a really tough non-conference which includes Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit, East Lansing, Westland John Glenn, Warren Lincoln, River Rouge, Grand Rapids South Christian, Detroit Renaissance, and East Kentwood with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. They have a really tough district which has Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in there. “We’re with Walled Lake (Western, Northern, Central also Lakeland) and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, a chance to play a good team like Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, that’s why we’re in the Red, we got to build up and get better, we’ll be ready to go” Jordan added. “Play hard, play together and try to get many wins as we can, the Red is hard every night, it’s going to be a tough job in front of us, just to compete and come out on top and learn something” Jordan concluded.

 

ADAMS HIGHLANDERS

 

LAST SEASON: 17-9, 2-6 Red. Lost 64-44 to Grand Blanc in Division One Quarterfinals.

KEY PLAYER: Peter Kardasis-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: William Gee-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Trenton LaGarge-F

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a special season for the Highlanders despite having losing record in the Red. Adams had to go through Lake Orion, Utica Eisenhower, and Clarkston in the district and regional before falling to Grand Blanc in the State Quarterfinals. There were some changes this offseason, Coach Jaret Thomas went to Avondale and Isaiah Novak has taken over the program. Novak has a ton of program strength and will look to make his mark in the always tough and difficult Red.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Highlanders adapt to a new coach???

 

The Highlanders had one of their best postseason’s ever getting to the State quarterfinals before falling to Grand Blanc and they beat Clarkston three times which is unheard off especially in boys basketball last season. Adams had a ton of changes this offseason but the transition has been very smooth. “It’s been fantastic, great support group from the administration to the athletes, very excited to be a part of it” said Novak. The Highlanders have Peter Kardasis and William Gee coming back which has Novak excited for the season “I’m extremely blessed, I cannot be more fortunate, a program coming in with this positive culture that they have and having two great leaders, not only are they great players but fantastic teammates, they hold themselves accountable, they hold their teammates accountable, being a first year coach you can’t ask much more from your two leaders” Novak added. The interior will be the question mark for Adams despite having Trenton LaGarge coming back. They also have Colin Langdon, Jake Andrzejak, Chan Yang, Gavin Farris, Aaron Troxwell, and Luke Marcial coming back as well. The Highlanders have a really interesting non-conference which includes Macomb L’Anse Creuse North, Milford, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Grosse Pointe South, Detroit Science and Math, and Northville. Adams intents to be a grinding program like they were in the past. “Grind, play hard, play like a family, be resilient, no doubt we play in one of the toughest leagues in the State of Michigan, there is going to be losses throughout the season but I’m looking forward too is how we respond more to losses and I’m hoping it will be similar to where we were last year” Novak concluded.

 

CLARKSTON WOLVES

 

LAST SEASON: 16-10, 1-7 Red. Lost 58-48 to Adams in Division One Regional Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Jon Kaul-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Matthew Pfligher-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Cole Charter-G

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very odd year for the Wolves which saw them lose 10 games and winning one league game was mind boggling but Clarkston won a district crown and got to the regional finals behind a workman like approach. The Wolves lost Desman Stephens (football), Brody Kosin (football), and Cavanaugh Diton to graduation which are big losses but this is still Clarkston and they have an ore surrounding them. They have the Dan Fife ore surrounding the program and they have a ton of program strength which always helps. Coach Tim Waslik has talent but they might need that workman like approach like they did last season if they want to make a move to where they usually are.

 

STORYLINE: Wolves could have more workman group this season???

 

The Wolves have been known to have bounce back seasons after having a down year. This season looks to be no different as they want to get back to where they have been in years past. Clarkston has John Kaul, Matthew Pfligher, Cole Charter, Peyton Fitzsimmons, Hayden Flavin, Ryan Gifford, and Quinn Rosenburg coming back. “We’ve had a really good offseason and we’ve had many guys make a commitment to getting into the gym and improving. With only two returning starters we are looking forward to guys stepping into new roles. We have a nice mix of returning players and new comers that will contribute to our team” said Waslik. Clarkston has a really tough non-conference which includes Sterling Heights Stevenson, Detroit Old Redford Academy, Brighton, Fenton, and Walled Lake Western with the rest of the schedule going against OAA schools. “We will pride ourselves on the defensive end of the floor, we will be a much improved shooting team from the perimeter this season” Waslik added. Clarkston will look to have a bounce back season after a very unusual year last season. “I’m really looking forward to coaching this team and the classes moving up the system” Waslik concluded.

 

OAK PARK KNIGHTS

 

LAST SEASON: 12-8, 3-5 Red. Lost 62-47 to Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit in Division One District Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Geon Hutchins-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Jason Sanders-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: ???

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very interesting year for the Knights which saw a ton of ups and downs. It is clear that Coach Durrand Sheppard’s program has a big problem when they play Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit in the postseason. The Cubs has won four straight against them but the good news is they are going to be in different districts this season. Oak Park lost Gene Hutchins to graduation but his brother Geon comes back. The Knights lost a transfer as well so program strength will be tested for the Knights this season.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Knights do without Hutchins???

 

The Knights are 79-60 in the last seven years and 27-14 in the last two years but the postseason had gone through Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit or Detroit Renaissance. Oak Park has lost five straight postseason games to the Cubs but the good news for the Knights is that they don’t have the Cubs or the Phoenix in their district this season. “I think our district is better, I don’t know if it’s worse than having U-D or Renaissance but at the end of the day it’s still going to be competitive, we’re just going to be ready to go at the end of the day whoever plays us, we’ll be ready for a fight” said Sheppard. Oak Park has Geon Hutchins and Jason Sanders coming back and both are three year starters as juniors. “We’re ready to compete like normal, I don’t know how we are going to do in our league, we always are going to be competitive in the higher upper tier, at the end of the day I want my guys to play hard, at the end of the year we’re going to be a better team than we started” Sheppard added. Sheppard expects big things with the Knights this season and the non-conference looks very challenging with Macomb Dakota, Detroit Edison, Jackson, and Michigan Collegiate with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “Compete every night and at the end of the day make a State run, get past the district, and the league hopefully we be in the top three or two teams” Sheppard concluded.

 

GROVES FALCONS

 

LAST SEASON: 16-7, 7-3 White. Lost 55-48 to Seaholm in Division One District First Round.

KEY PLAYER: John Simpson-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Josh Gibson-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Paul Hubbard-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Falcons shared the White with West Bloomfield but they were shocked in the first round by arch rival Seaholm last season. Groves has a ton of proven players back for Coach Marc West. Program strength will be something to watch especially at the lower levels. Things look very favorable for them postseason wise but seeing how they level up in the Red will be something to watch this season.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Falcons do in the Red???

 

The Falcons had a strong year last season sharing the White with West Bloomfield but they were upset by Seaholm in the first round of districts. “We ended the year with a roller coaster, one of our best moments to win a league championship and then really didn’t bring the same intensity for that district game but it hopefully adds fuel to the fire this year, get some guys going and definitely not take anything for granted anymore and once we get into that Red we know we’re going to be competing every night, and that part is going to be a lot of fun” said West. Groves has some proven players in John Simpson, Josh Gibson, Elijah Yelder, Brody Tushman, Landon McKinney, and Paul Hubbard coming back. They have an upcoming freshman in David Jones to watch for this season. Groves moved up to the Red and hosts their district this season which is something that excites West. “We’re going to learn about that life in the Red together, first year moving up seeing what that is all about but my expectation is you’re going to have to compete at the highest of levels every night, that’s what our guys are kind of looking forward too. Every day we got to practice, no nights off thing is going to be there for us and the idea of getting the district on your home court, that’s a big deal, we’re looking forward to the opportunity and making some noise there” West added. Groves has a very interesting non-conference which features Livonia Clarenceville, Redford Thurston, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Plymouth Canton, and Utica Ford II with the rest of the schedule going against OAA schools. “To compete and get better, learn how to compete at that Red level, learn as much as we can through the league and compete the highest level come February and March” West concluded.

 

 

WHITE

 

TROY COLTS

 

LAST SEASON: 18-7, 6-4 White. Lost 54-48 to North Farmington in Division One Regional Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Mason Parker-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Chaise Kupier-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Jon Whiteside-G

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very interesting year for the Colts which had more ups than downs. Troy won their district but fell to North Farmington in the regional semifinals on their home floor. Coach Gary Fralick has a pretty strong team coming back this season especially with three proven starters. The bench is the question mark for Fralick. If he can give his proven starters some rest and develop the bench then it would help the team. Program strength looks solid for the Colts. Troy has the makings of another really good season but the bench will be the key going forward.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Colts develop the bench???

 

The Colts had a great year winning 18 games and a district title last season. Troy has Mason Parker, Chaise Kupier, and Jon Whiteside coming back. “Anytime you win a championship it carries over in a positive manner, last year is no exception, we have enough starting players, we have enough backup players who played a good amount last year, really I think even better this year. I think there will be a lot to be said that we will have a chance to carry things over into that type of team that we like to be” said Fralick. Fralick believes that this team can have a successful year this season even though they will have a tough postseason path but the reward will be hosting the regional. “I want to win the league, a district, and a regional and then go from there and see what we can get after that” Fralick concluded. DeNiro Prince, Andrew Lake, and Bryce Bauman could see some time in the starting lineup. The bench will be a question mark for the Colts despite having Greg Tester, Jailen Peacock, and Jack Sobotka are players to watch for a very young on the bench. The non-conference is pretty much an OAA schedule with the exception of Novi, Detroit Edison, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Utica Ford II. Troy should be a force to watch this season.

 

HARPER WOODS PIONEERS

 

LAST SEASON: 16-8, 8-0 Gold. Lost 68-45 to Grosse Pointe South in Division One District Finals.

KEY PLAYER: Julian Young-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Stephone Buford-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Colby Bailey-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Pioneers made a ton of noise when they were in Division One for the postseason only to fall to a very good Grosse Pointe South team in the district finals last season. Harper Woods won the Gold and moved up two divisions. The Pioneers have a ton of proven players coming back for Coach TaJuan Porter and program strength looks to be on the rise. They have that Division One experience which should help them when they are back in Division Two for the postseason. Harper Woods should be very good this season.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Pioneers do in the White???

 

The Pioneers had a ton of momentum last season. They made the district finals in Division One but fell to a very good Grosse Pointe South program as mentioned. Harper Woods has proven experience in Julian Young, Stephone Buford, Colby Bailey, Jashon Pierce, Jason Prince, and Delanio Key coming back for Porter. The non-conference is very interesting with Warren Fitzgerald, Detroit Edison, and Detroit University Prep with the rest being against other OAA schools. They will add more non-conference games as well. Harper Woods has a ton of experience but moving two divisions will be a challenge for Porter and his program this season, it’s a risk worth to take.

 

TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS

 

LAST SEASON: 11-10, 7-5 Blue. Lost 61-60 to Sterling Heights Stevenson in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Emmanuel Robinson-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Hayden Crum-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Griffin Labay-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Red Hawks had an up and down year last season which included a heartbreaking loss to Sterling Heights Stevenson. They have shown some strides during the summer. Coach Dave Scott has a proven group of talent coming back and program strength as well. Troy Athens has everything in line to have a special season.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Red Hawks keep improving???

 

The Red Hawks have done really well this summer and have kept improving as the summer progressed. “We got a nice group of kids, we’re moving up a division, we’re excited to play teams like Lake Orion twice a year, Troy twice a year, Bloomfield Hills twice a year. I think our league is going to be very competitive, we’re excited to get started” said Scott. Troy Athens has proven experience in Emmanuel Robinson, Luke DiGiovanni, Hayden Crum, Brayden Downey, Griffin Labay, and Eli Garvin coming back. Program strength looks to be solid for the Red Hawks who just completed a new redesign to celebrate their 50 year anniversary as a school. The non-conference doesn’t look as challenging with Waterford Oakdale Prep, Redford Thurston, and Howell with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “We’re going to show up, we’re going to compete, we do that we’ll see what happens” Scott concluded. Troy Athens should be a sleeper to watch this season.

 

LAKE ORION DRAGONS

 

LAST SEASON: 12-12, 3-7 White. Lost 50-42 to Adams in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Ryan Rocheleau-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Ethan Sharkey-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Zach Parks-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Dragons were around 500 but they lost a ton of really close games last season. They lost DJ Morrow, Blake Liddell, and Kevin Tobe to graduation and Kaydon DeGraffenreid (football) as well. Lake Orion has a blend of youth and veterans which helps Coach Jose Andrades along with a transfer that has made a ton of noise lately. The Dragons are in a perfect spot, they are the great unknown heading into the year as well.

 

STORYLINE: Dragons are a young team but if summer ball is indication they could be a sleeper???

 

Lake Orion could be a really dangerous team despite losing DJ Morrow, Kevin Tobe, and Blake Liddell to graduation last season as mentioned. This is a team that does not have a true star player. Zach Parks and Quay Fly have made a ton of noise this summer and they have gotten solid guard play from Nick Galben, Kobe Louris, and Ethan Sharkey. Gabe Scott should have another strong season at point guard and MJ Long could be in line for a breakout year and that’s not mentioning Ryan Rocheleau who has played football along with Jackson Shoskey and Will Farmer who played soccer has also made some noise but Shoskey and Farmer could be five quarter guys. “We’re young, we’re a work in progress, we have a long way to go” said Andrades. They also have Hayden Armstrong coming back along with Sam Blakeley in the interior. The Dragons are well coached under Andrades. They have some proven players but they are really young. The non-conference looks very interesting with Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Holly, Lapeer, and Plymouth while the rest are either in division or against OAA schools. Lake Orion as mentioned is the great unknown.

 

SEAHOLM MAPLES

 

LAST SEASON: 13-11, 9-3 Blue. Lost 52-34 to Birmingham Brother Rice in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Findlay Sparby-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Abraham Miller-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Max Laskey-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Maples had a rough 2022 after some offseason issues but a very strong 2023 as shown with their record. They won the Blue and upset Groves in the first round has Seaholm fans very optimistic of Coach Mike DeGeeter’s team this season. The Maples are always scrappy and very blue collar which has always been their calling card. Program strength looks solid for Seaholm as well. The Maples could be in line for another strong season.

 

STORYLINE: Can Maples keep the momentum after upset of Groves last season???

 

The Maples had a ton of proven experience last season. They are younger but they could be deeper than they were last season. Seaholm has Findlay Sparby, Max Laskey, Jacob Drouilland, Abraham Miller, and James Chinois coming back for DeGeeter. The Maples rely a ton on program strength and their lower levels were very good last season and they will be again this year. They expect to go 11 deep this season which helps this season. DeGeeter has a tough non-conference which includes East Lansing, Walled Lake Western, and Livonia Churchill with the rest being against OAA schools. Seaholm could be a team to watch this season.

 

FARMINGTON FALCONS

 

LAST SEASON: 6-16, 2-8 White. Lost 56-41 to Detroit Henry Ford in Division One District First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Greg Grays-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Quintez Salter-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Darrell Cochrane-G

 

REVIEW:

 

It has been a rough offseason for the Falcons with the year they had last season along with the coaching changes that has affected the program. Farmington named Byron Johnson as their new coach. He'll be tasked to get the players on the same page along with changing the culture of the program. Farmington does have a proven player in Greg Grays who had a big year along with Jordan Turner in the interior last season. Look for whoever the new coach is to lean on Grays and the proven experience the Falcons have early to build the program.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Falcons and Johnson get on the same page???

 

The Falcons have talent and a ton of proven experience but there are some questions when it comes to trust. Johnson has Greg Grays, Quintez Salter, Darrell Cochrane, Anthony Bailey, and Jordan Turner coming back for Johnson. Program strength is also a question mark for Johnson and Farmington this season. They are in a tough district and have a tough non-conference with Livonia Stevenson, Brighton, Livonia Franklin, and Holland West Ottawa with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. The Falcons will be a program to watch this season.

 

BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS

 

LAST SEASON: 15-8, 5-5 White. Lost 62-56 to West Bloomfield in Division One District First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Blake Nagy-F

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Daron Mason-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Carter Canfield-G

 

REVIEW:

 

The Blackhawks had a strong year last season despite losing in the first round to West Bloomfield but anytime you lose Noah Adamcyzk and CJ Jackson to graduation and Drew Wilson transferring to West Bloomfield it’s going to be a very hard challenge for Coach Brian Canfield. Bloomfield Hills has a nice blend of youth and experience which helps. Carter Canfield will be a player to watch this season. The Blackhawks should be very competitive this season.

 

STORYLINE: Blackhawks should be a very interesting team to watch???

 

The Blackhawks have a clean slate to start the season. It is virtually a new team for Canfield and his program. They have Blake Nagy, Phil Mohammad, Reggie Hinton, and Daron Mason coming back along with newcomer Carter Canfield whom is expected to make a ton of noise and has done well this summer. “New challenge for us, it’s always been some key players returning but this year it’s a clean slate, new challenge, great opportunity to try and leave our mark again with new players who can leave an impact, I’m really excited about that, we have some outstanding young men with high character, they take care of their business in the classroom, super hard workers, very coachable. Myself and the coaching staff are very excited for that” said Canfield. The non-conference schedule is very interesting. The Blackhawks will play South Lyon and Walled Lake Central with the rest being against OAA schools. “We want to develop our players as time goes on, we know that there is a learning curve with our players this year but we’re super excited to get in and re-teach from step one and have our players just take off. The goal this year is to expedite the growth of our players and we feel like even though we lost a lot of guys, lost five starters and key players off the bench, we feel like we can come in and play with teams in the White, so our goal is to be right there in the mix again” Canfield concluded.

 

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS

 

LAST SEASON: 10-14, 5-3 Gold. Lost 73-22 to North Farmington in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Xavier Bowman-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Bryce Humes-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Jaylen Rosell-F

 

REVIEW:

 

The Warriors were up and down last season. They had some games they looked good and others they did not. Southfield Arts and Tech moved up two divisions but there are a ton of questions for Coach Terrance Porter’s program. Program strength is a concern as well. There are a ton of questions for the Warriors this season.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Warriors improve in the White???

 

The Warriors were veteran heavy last season but had some ups and downs. Southfield Arts and Tech will look to have a much younger team this season and program strength is a bit of a concern as well. They have Xavier Bowman, Bryce Humes, and Jaylen Rosell coming back for Porter. The Warriors are in a very tough district and they have a really tough non-conference which has Belleville, Detroit Voguyer, Center Line Prep, and Mount Clemens with the rest being against OAA schools. Southfield Arts and Tech has a ton of questions coming into the season, they should be better but being up two divisions will be very interesting to see how this goes.

 

 

BLUE

 

STONEY CREEK COUGARS

 

LAST SEASON: 3-19, 3-9 Blue. Lost 66-63 to Romeo in Division One District First Round

KEY PLAYER: Tre Walker-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Jonah McCay-F

BREAKOUT PLAYER: Tommasso Sinacola-F

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very rough transition for the Cougars under Coach Jeff Olind. They were very competitive in their first round loss to Romeo last season. Usually is when year two is where teams see the transition change into success and it’s under year two under Olind, Stoney Creek will look to make a ton of strides in the program after a rough year. The Cougars sub varsities were very good last season and for some of them they will look to make a name for themselves in the varsity level. If things go right then the Cougars could be a force to watch.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Cougars bounce back after a rough year last season???

 

Usually with programs, year two is always the turnaround under a new coach and with Stoney Creek it's no different. “It’s always a transition change with new people, new coach, new programs. Our lower levels have been very successful, the kids have been working really hard all summer and fall and we’re excited to put this together and see what happens” said Olind. Stoney Creek has a very interesting non-conference which has Romeo, New Baltimore Anchor Bay, Hamtramck, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Sterling Heights on the schedule. The Cougars have Tre Walker, Jonah McCay, and Tommaso Sinacola coming back along with several players that played in the sub varsities that are ready to make an impact as well. Walker has really improved according to Olind. “Tre has been working on his game, he keeps continuing to get better, his shots look better, his whole around game has gotten better, his ball handling has always been solid, now he’s got to focus on the other intangibles and getting the other guys on the team better and we’re going to need him to be this season” Olind added. If the lower level players can translate their games to the varsity level then they could have a much different season than last season. “We can be as good as our senior leaders take us, the way the division is this year, as bad as our record was last year, we were competitive with everybody and I feel it’s going to be the little things that make us different this year and in the second year in they know how things are supposed to go and we get some guys who can step us as leaders, do some players do some coaching out there and we can be very successful” Olind concluded.

 

AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS

 

LAST SEASON: 10-13, 5-3 Gold. Lost 59-47 to Waterford Mott in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Justin Greer-Sykes-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Dequarius White-G

BREAKOUT PLAYER: DJ Moody-G

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very interesting offseason for the Yellow Jackets which saw three coaches in a span of six months. Avondale was up and down falling to Waterford Mott in the district semifinals last season. They have a new coach in former Coach Tim Morton assistant Jaret Thomas taking over the program. Thomas turned Adams around and rebuilt that program. He is looking to do the same at his home school and build the program. The Yellow Jackets were hot and cold during the summer but under Thomas they could make a ton of noise this season but it will take him a little bit. It’s very similar to when he had to rebuild Adams but if what he did at Adams turns out then they could be a very scary program to watch.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Yellow Jackets do under a new coach???

 

The Yellow Jackets have had a smooth transition since Thomas took over the program. “It’s been a grind, we’ve been in the gym since May first, we’ve had guys working hard, we’ve had offseason workout with guys invested in showing up during the summer, summer league was very productive, now we’re approaching the season pretty healthy and see what we can do” said Thomas. Avondale has a ton of proven experience in Justin-Greer Sykes, Dequarius White, Amaria Daniel, Anthony Burton, and DJ Moody coming back for Thomas. The Yellow Jackets have a very tough non-conference which includes the North Farmington classic, Detroit Loyola, Brother Rice, and Dearborn with the rest being against OAA schools. “I think it’s completely different, I do feel like we have some upper establishment juniors, one or two seniors, we got a good core of players which I didn’t have initially at Adams so I’m hoping that we can do the little things and show them the best we can be” Thomas added. Thomas was really looking forward to the season and seeing how things work out with his new program. “I want to get to the season and I want to feel like we gave it our all, I want to feel like we are the hardest playing team, hardest connecting team and compete from start to finish” Thomas concluded.

 

OXFORD WILDCATS

 

LAST SEASON: 14-10, 7-5 Blue. Lost 64-48 to Grand Blanc in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Jake Champagne-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Drew Cady-F

BREAKOUT PLAYER: Luke Stoffan-G

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very interesting season for the Wildcats which saw a ton of ups and downs and a tough loss to Grand Blanc in the district semifinals last season. Oxford will have a new coach as Joe Fedorinchik takes over the program. Fedorinchik will have Jake Champagne coming back. Champagne had a really strong year last season and will look to continue his magic this season. The Wildcats have other proven players besides Champagne as well and Fedorinchik has done a really good job with program strength. Oxford should be in the thick of things this season.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Wildcats do under Fed???

 

The Wildcats are going to rely a ton on Champagne to carry the load but Fedorinchik is high on Luke Stoffan as well. “Everyone knows about Jake, averaged 18 points a game last year, had a strong travel season with the Wolfpack. He can score in all three levels, shoots it well, midrange game is very good, he can finish at the bucket. I really look forward to how Luke Stoffan is going to do for us this year, I will constantly be asking him to be more aggressive, he’s a returning point guard for us, he’s a junior, I’m looking for big things out of him, he can get to the bucket, he’s the catalyst of our team, the straw that gets us going and I will constantly be telling him this season” Fedorinchik mentioned and that’s not mentioning Jonah Lundberg, Jay Cady,and Drew Cady in the interior coming back. The coaching transition has been smooth this offseason for Oxford. “It’s been pretty smooth, I’ve been blessed to have the kids I have and the kids I didn’t have in fall sports but they have been involved in the gym working, work on their game and getting better, I think it’s been a very successful offseason for us this year, a lot of work but I can’t wait until tryouts” Fedorinchik added. The Wildcats have a very interesting non-conference with Lapeer, Plymouth Salem, Detroit Country Day, and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep with the rest of the schedule being OAA schools. “Anytime you return Jake and Luke, there are going to give you a chance to win games so we’re going to compete hard in the Blue, I think we got a heck of a chance of winning it but we got to go up there and earn it.” Fedorinchik concluded.

 

ROCHESTER FALCONS

 

LAST SEASON: 5-18, 2-10 Blue. Lost 64-54 to Lake Orion in Division One District First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Max Mohl-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Jake Tandy-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Logan Pleasant-G

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a really rough year for Coach Nick Evola and the Falcons winning five games and falling to Lake Orion in the first round. They lost Grant Calcagno, Elijah Kalaj, and Khammani Potts to graduation. Rochester has program strength as well. This is a program that took a bit of a step back last season but they could be on the bounce back this season.

 

STORYLINE: Can the Falcons keep growing???

 

The Falcons have a ton of room for growth after being really young last season and losing a ton of close games. Rochester should be much improved this season for Evola and they have program strength as a strength this season. They have proven experience in Jake Tandy, Max Mohl, Luke Lionas, Evan Crowe, Logan Pleasant, and Noah Kim coming back. The Falcons have a mostly OAA schedule for their non-conference but they have New Baltimore Anchor Bay tournament which has Grosse Pointe North, New Baltimore Anchor Bay, and Lakeland along with Dearborn Fordson as well. The Falcons are a darkhorse in the Blue, they could surprise some people.

 

PONTIAC PHOENIX

 

LAST SEASON: 3-19, 0-8 Gold. Lost 65-48 to Waterford Kettering in Division One First Round.

KEY PLAYER: JJ Claudio-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Carter Leatherwood-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Trevion Peters-F

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a really rough season for the Phoenix but there are some positives heading into this season. They have a new coach in Andrew Myers taking over the program. Myers was a star at Clarkston under Coach Dan Fife and Sy Green Gym should be ready to go this season after it was renovated. They played at Pontiac Kennedy last season. Myers will have his hands full with the Phoenix building the program. It should be very interesting to see what he does at Pontiac.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Phoenix do with a new coach???

 

It was a very rough year last season for the Phoenix. They made a ton of changes this offseason and named former assistant Andrew Myers to coach the program. Myers will try to bring his success to a Pontiac program that has struggled in recent years and rebuild the program and their program strength. The Phoenix have JJ Claudio, Carter Leatherwood, Famarzay Jeffery, Faheem Jeffery, Tim Ewing, and Trevion Peters coming back for Myers. Pontiac has a really interesting non-conference which includes the Moneyball Classic, Hazel Park, Southfield Christian, Jackson, Detroit Henry Ford, Wayne Memorial, and the Davison Classic. The Phoenix have a great shot to turn things around and quickly under Myers.

 

ROYAL OAK RAVENS

 

LAST SEASON: 13-9, 6-6 Blue. Lost 59-46 to Detroit Renaissance in Division One District First Round.

KEY PLAYER: Camden Clark-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Nick Hoffman-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Eddie Skaleski-F

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very interesting year for the Ravens which saw them unbeaten in 2022 but struggled a bit in 2023. They fell to Detroit Renaissance in the first round last season. Royal Oak loses its all-time leading scorer in Dylan Hoffman and all time three point shooter Davis Arbeiter to graduation. The Ravens are known for their defense first mentality and Clark and Hoffman are proven shooters for Coach Aaron Smith. Bench play and program strength will be something to watch for Smith and Royal Oak this season.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Ravens replace Dylan Hoffman and Davis Arbeiter???

 

The Ravens are a very interesting team that saw a ton of ups and downs last season. Royal Oak lost Dylan Hoffman and Davis Arbeiter to graduation as mentioned. “Losing our all time leading scorer as well as our all time three point shooter will be tough to replace” said Smith. They will look to replace his production from last season. Smith has Luke Liszak, Nick Hoffman and Camden Clark, coming back. “Camden has taken a nice leap forward and will definitely fill in nicely from a scoring standpoint point, our freshman CJ Hairston will help in providing a scoring punch as well from the guard position. Nick provides great stability on the offensive end” Smith added. The interior will be a question mark despite having Eddie Skaleski coming back. The Ravens have always been well known for the defensive end and this season it’s no different. “We will challenge our kids to manufacture scoring by having a better understanding of our system on both ends of the court. Looking for our tough defense to help us on the offensive end as well by getting transition baskets” Smith mentioned. Royal Oak has a very tough district and their non-conference is very interesting with Southfield Christian, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, Livonia Stevenson, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Novi, and Fraser with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. Royal Oak is looking to have another strong start like 2022 but they will be challenged as well. “With three sophomores and one freshman, we will be somewhat inexperienced however we are returning Cam as well as two other guards that have a ton of experience (Nick and Luke) so it will be a nice blend of youth and experience. Expectations are to be really good on the defensive end and to get better everyday offensively. Hopefully put ourselves in a position to compete in the Blue while gaining experience for our young players that will certainly pay off in the years to come” Smith concluded. The Ravens have program strength which also helps. Royal Oak as mentioned could be a team to watch this season.

 

BERKLEY BEARS

 

LAST SEASON: 15-9, 8-4 Blue. Lost 77-23 to Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit in Division One District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Donovan Powell-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Michael Onuoha-F

BREAKOUT WATCH: Alex Beard-F

 

REVIEW:

 

It was a very interesting year for the Bears but they fell to a very good Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit program last season. It will be very interesting to see how Coach Joe Sermo replaces Tamir Runkenvich who has graduated. Berkley has some proven experience players coming back but losing Runkenvich is going to be tough for Sermo. Program strength should be solid for the Bears but they need to address how they are going to replace Runkenvich this season.

 

STORYLINE: How will the Bears replace Tamir Runkenvich???

 

The Bears are in the midst of a transition but they have a ton of proven size in the program. They lost several top players to graduation but they will look to build on their program strength with who they have coming back. Berkley has Donovan Powell and Michael Onuoha coming back to join a deep Bears lineup which also has Ari Geller, Matt Bell, and Jacob Frieman also coming back. “We have league title aspirations this year. We return two starters in Donovan and Micah Green. Andrew Cook takes over for Tamir, he has good range from three” Sermo said. Sermo mentioned that Berkley has a ton of size coming back and they have two players who didn’t play last season are back in the fold. “We have a lot of size with Joe Voss and Michael Onuoha, we also have two seniors that took their junior year off in Owen Stone and Alex Beard who will be huge for us” Sermo added. The Bears non-conference is really interesting with Novi, Pontiac Arts and Tech, Livonia Churchill, the Motor City Roundball Classic, Hartland, and the Martin Luther King Classic at Madison Heights Bishop Foley. The district looks very manageable for Berkley but they want to win the league first and they are more than capable of doing so. “We’re expecting a big year” Sermo concluded.

 

FERNDALE UNIVERSITY EAGLES

 

LAST SEASON: 11-13, 2-6 Gold. Lost 98-46 to Ferndale in Division Two District Semifinals.

KEY PLAYER: Pierce Sanders-G

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Kevin Jackson-G

BREAKOUT WATCH: Arthur Stanley-F

 

REVIEW:

 

It was an up and down year for Coach Josh Nicks and the Eagles last season. Ferndale Universtiy will look to have a bounce back season. They have one player with varsity experience coming back but there is some optimism this season. The Eagles will be a very interesting team to watch this season.

 

STORYLINE: How will Eagles rebound after a rough season???

 

The Eagles are in a very interesting spot. They lost a ton of experience from last season but they could be much improved this season. Ferndale University will look to have a bounce back year after losing 11 seniors to graduation. The Eagles have Pierce Sanders, Arthur Stanley, Tyler Stokes, Jermiah Hill, Dajuan Small, and Kevin Jackson coming back for Nicks. “Offseason has been a learning experience, I’m returning one varsity basketball player from last season, so bringing in a new group of kids, it’s been fun, summer league was a rough start, we’ve been working in some kids trying to transfer and not come in, just trying to gel certain kids and it didn’t work out, it was one of my bigger things going into my third season keeping this young group and how much I can coach and seeing how well we can grow and develop and grow with these young players. Fall was really great for us, we got to gel a lot more as a team, chemistry, coaches to player chemistry, and player to player chemistry has grown a lot so I’m excited for the season, I think we have the defensive image that I want and been wanting to have the last two years. We had the talent to do it but I think this team embodies everything that I want to have defensively, really scrappy, very gritty, and love to press, I’m excited for the season actually” said Nicks. Ferndale University has a really interesting non-conference which includes Detroit Fredrick Douglass, Detroit Osborn, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Croswell-Lexington, and Birmingham Detroit Country Day with the rest of the schedule being against OAA schools. “We lost a bunch of talent last year, I plan to win 15 games this year, I’m excited to be in the Blue, definitely excited to go out and play the schools like Rochester, Stoney Creek, to see new facilities this year, we got a super small facility, I don’t know if anyone has been out there so taking the kids to see the bigger facilities, some nicer facilities and playing some different faces and get to know different coaches and playing styles of basketball. I don’t think we’re as talented skillfully than we were last year but this team gels way more than they did in the last two years and listen a lot more and it’s easy for me to coach, I think we will compete and we’ll be better this year” Nicks concluded.