Written Friday August 23rd at 9:20 AM
ONTV News Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoMLYqQF3g8
Podcasts
Tyler Kieft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5H0mhi6z1E
Scott Burnstein and Doug Corless
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKw-ZcIj474&t=82s
Civic Center TV Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_K1oE4Eq3A
WHITE:
Preview Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Yij7pFyOQ
DIVISION RECAP/STORYLINES:
This is a division that features two State Champions in Harper Woods (Division Four) and Southfield Arts and Tech (Division One) from last season. Harper Woods is loaded and could be better than last season's team. Southfield Arts and Tech lost a ton of proven talent and have a new coach. Stoney Creek comes from the Red and has a new coach. Can Groves finally get to Ford Field??? What will Rochester look like after a really difficult year last season despite having a ton of proven experience.
How will Stoney Creek do with a new coach???
Is Rochester going to be improved???
Will there be a drop off at Southfield Arts and Tech???
Is Harper Woods better than last year???
Can Groves get to Ford Field???
COMBINED SCHEDULES WITH LAST SEASON'S RECORDS WITH THIS SEASON'S SCHEDULES:
Stoney Creek 70-30
Groves 61-37
Harper Woods 54-38
Southfield Arts and Tech 50-44
Rochester 48-46
MANAGEABLE SCHEDULE: Rochester: The Falcons have a really manageable schedule by default playing against teams that went 48-46 last season. “Our OAA league is so tough, we love to try to find out of league games, I love the MAC (Macomb Area Conference) trying to find someone unfortunately they bumped down to Division Two, they were one student away, they beat Troy last year” said Coach Eric Vernon on playing Fraser week one. They have several themes this season for their home games. The Falcons have Adams (Falcon-Frenzy Game) and Oxford (Homecoming) which are going to be really tough non league games but they come to Rochester Stadium. They have Harper Woods (Senior Night) and Groves (Future Falcon Night) coming to Rochester Stadium as well. They open up with Fraser (Hall of Fame Night) which is very winnable. “I’ve been really blessed these last couple of years with some of the best administration that you can ask for, their supporters, they’ve always had great principals who have always supported the program but even recently, Mr. (Josh) Wrinkle, he loves the whole community aspect of what football brings and what the environment can do with the band, the cheerleaders and other sports as well and our athletic director Dean Allen does an awesome job, they want it to be an event and so we have a lot of things on the calendar, we have a lot of things on the schedule, it’s special, that’s what Friday nights are all about, we do a lot of different things that something that’s so special here in this city” Vernon said. They close the season with a trip to Walled Lake Northern. Rochester also has Southfield Arts and Tech and Stoney Creek on the road as well. Overall if the Falcons can get off to a great start then they could surprise some people.
NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Groves: The Falcons have a really difficult schedule this season. Groves has to play teams that went 61-37 last season. They go to Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit and then host West Bloomfield in the first two weeks of the season but the non-conference eases with South Lyon and Royal Oak respectably and there’s that annual week nine game against arch rival Seaholm. The Falcons have Harper Woods and Southfield Arts and Tech coming to Beverly Hills but have to go to Rochester and Stoney Creek. It won’t surprise anyone if they start 0-2 and maybe 0-3 but they are more than capable of turning it around really quick.
TEAM ON THE RISE: Stoney Creek: The Cougars have been a story this offseason for new coach Rick Powell. Stoney Creek has a very interesting non-conference schedule which Powell is very familiar with this season. He takes his new team to play his alum school Warren Cousino in week one and then host his former school Lake Orion in week two and that’s not mentioning Ann Arbor Huron to close the season and has to go to Adams in week seven and Dick Bye Field in week eight. They have Groves and Rochester coming to Stoney Creek but have Southfield Arts and Tech and Harper Woods on the road. It’s a difficult schedule for the Cougars where they are going against teams that went 70-30 last season but the future looks bright.
TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: Southfield Arts and Tech: This is a team that won the Division One State Championship last season but they had a lot of turnover, they have a new coach, new players, new system. They are playing teams that went 50-44 last season. The Warriors open the Kurtis McKenzie era hosting Flint Beecher in week one. Southfield Arts and Tech has Clarkston coming to Southfield Arts and Tech. This is a team that still has to play West Bloomfield, Ferndale, and Detroit Renaissance all on the road and that’s not mentioning their league schedule when they have Groves and Harper Woods on the road along with Stoney Creek and Rochester at home. If there is a team that’s in trouble when it comes to the schedule, it’s the Warriors.
HARPER WOODS PIONEERS:
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 11-3, 3-2 White. Beat Grand Rapids South Christian 33-27 in the Division Four State Championship Game.
POINTS SCORED: 482 (34.4 ppg.) 200 White (40 ppg)
POINTS AGAINST: 226 (16.1 ppg) 80 White (16 ppg.)
KEY PLAYER: Nate Rocheleau-Quarterback.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience
CONCERNS: Defensive Secondary
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 13 at Novi Detroit Catholic Central.
PROJECTED RECORD: 8-1. 4-0 White.
PLAYOFF TEAM: Yes.
The Pioneers are riding high after winning the Division Four State Championship knocking off Grand Rapids South Christian 33-27 in that game. They got some impressive wins along the way as well particularly over Clarkston (34-7) in week eight before their postseason run. “It’s been amazing to bring that excitement of notoriety to our community it’s been awesome, it’s opened a few doors for us with different companies and corporations that want to get involved and sponsor us and help pay for a few things, provide us some additional opportunities getting to play to week 14 for our seniors in terms of getting evaluated for college scholarships so overall winning the State title has been a blessing for us” said Coach Rob Oden. Harper Woods lost some key players including Stephone Buford and Jacob Oden to graduation. The Pioneers have had a strong offseason including winning a seven on seven in Ann Arbor this past June. Harper Woods has a lot of proven experience this season. “It’s been going pretty well, the guys have been working hard in small groups mainly and now that we’ve been on the field they’ve been doing a lot of work collectively, our passing game is starting together, and our defense is starting to gel, we are replacing a lot of really good players that we lost through graduation but our young guys are hungry, they’re excited, they’re ready for their opportunity and they’re looking great right now” said Oden. They have Nate Rocheleau coming back at quarterback. Rocheleau split time with Buford at quarterback last season but this season it’s his to control. “He’s been amazing, he’s been studying his tail off, he’s been building consistency and comradery with the younger wide receivers, his wide receiver core has changed a lot, a lot of new faces out there but really explosive guys, he’s been coming more of a vocal leader for us, he’s taken the team under his wing and guys are following him because he’s doing things the right way, his leadership ability has shown this offseason through the weight room and through team activities this summer, Nate has done a tremendous job of training and getting better every day” Oden said of Rocheleau. Rocheleau will have proven playmakers in Dakota Guerrant, Jordan McLemoure, AJ Hentley, and DeAndre Bidden at wide receiver, and Vory Peacock at tight end coming back. The Pioneers have a proven rushing attack in Colby Bailey, Kiante Washington, and Donald Adams for Oden. “Colby has been explosive man, he’s been doing really well, he’s put up a few pounds because he understands the rigorous of being a tailback one in our system, he’s developing as a pass catcher as well so he’s expanding his game beyond being the dominant ball carrier, he’ll be a major factor in every down this year, he’ll go down and be a three or four down back, he’s worked on his explosiveness, his speed, and a little bit with his size in the weight room so with Colby we’re expecting a huge senior year from him and to continue to lead our team especially running the football. Bailey, Guerrant, Hentley, and Bidden have gotten a ton of attention this offseason. “Dakota is elite, he’s arguably going to be one of the top players nationally in his class, this offseason he’s put on a few pounds and gained a little bit more speed because this fall he’ll probably be a presence on both sides of the ball, he’ll play some defensive back as well as wide receiver and he’s not going to sneak up on anybody, we knew what kind of ability he had but I think the State of Michigan kind of knows as well” Oden said of his nephew Guerrant. “We got a couple wide receivers, we got DeAndre Bidden, he’s a freshman, had a great month of June, who has received offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Alabama this June, he went down to Alabama and ran in the four fours, he’ll blow the top of the coverage wide receivers similar to what Dakota’s role was last year so they’ll complement each other very well” Oden added about Bidden. Another he is high on is Hendley. “Henley is more of a halfback, tight end, he’s another ninth grader coming in about 6.3, 190 lbs, he’ll do a lot for us in the run and pass game but I’m excited to see them get after it” Oden added about Hendley and Bidden The lines and the defense will be key for Oden if they want to make another deep postseason run. The Pioneers have Bryant Weatherspoon, Jevon Jones, J-Shawn Kennedy, Ken Franklin, Corey Bailey, and Jermontae Meredith coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. Weatherspoon, Kennedy, and Jones are three year starters for Oden. “All three of those guys will be playing college football and graduating in December and doing a great job for us as seniors” Oden added. The defensive backfield should be really interesting with Matthew McGraw, Javonta Lee-Forbes, Ronald Williams, Michael Nelson, and Johnny Nelson at linebacker while Tayshawn Henry-Johnson, Dwayne Daniel, McLemoure, Guerrant, and Ryan Tolbert are coming back in the defensive secondary. Program strength should to be solid for Oden. There are expectations for Oden after getting to the mountain top last season. Harper Woods looks to have a repeat run in the postseason, they are more than capable of doing so.
BEST CASE: Everyone stays healthy and the defensive secondary is shored up, we could be talking repeat in Division Four.
WORSE CASE: Injuries pile up, the Pioneers take a step back especially in the defensive secondary.
Harper Woods Podcast (Third Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TujKDHv0lc&t=1218s
GROVES FALCONS:
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 6-4, 4-1 White. Lost 56-49 to Seaholm in the Division Two First Round.
POINTS SCORED: 320 (32 ppg.) 153 White (30.6 ppg.)
POINTS AGAINST: 195 (19.5 ppg.) 74 White (14.8 ppg.)
KEY PLAYER: Teddy Abbott-Defensive Back.
STRENGTHS: Back End of the Defense, Rushing Attack
CONCERNS: Quarterback
GAME OF THE YEAR: August 29 at Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit.
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-3. 3-1 White.
PLAYOFF TEAM: Yes.
The Falcons have been a proven power in the OAA making the postseason 10 of the last 11 years but they haven’t been able to get to Ford Field which has always been the goal for everyone in the OAA. Groves plays in Division Two for the postseason which there are a ton of proven teams in that division. It’s something that motivates the players and coaches to experience being in the State title game. “To play at Ford Field and to hoist a trophy at Ford Field, we’re not going to go down there for nothing, those are our expectations. I think it’s a combination of things, it’s like you know you talk about that, you talk about Thanksgiving weekend, you kind of put it out there, I think if you get too far ahead then that’s when you start stumbling and making mistakes, it’s like how do you get out of a dark forest, it’s like one step at a time so it’s just process oriented like I’m more worried about us getting bigger and stronger and finishing up the summer” said Coach Brendan Flaherty. It was a really rough season for Groves which seen them lose two straight games to arch rival Seaholm (21-14) including in the postseason (56-49.) “We had a good regular season, we did some good things, I thought we progressed real well and toward the end of the year it’s getting past our crosstown rival (Seaholm) it’s difficult, it’s difficult the old addict that the records don’t mean anything, it’s true, in my 20 plus years here it’s tough to beat them and you know it’s tough playing them twice in a row it’s tough so I just think we had a couple of bad weeks and faults on us as coaches and you know that the players played their tails off and we could have done some better things as coaches but you know I think if we could have got past them (Seaholm) I think we could have made a run there but that’s our goal to get past them” said Flaherty. The Falcons will have a ton of proven talent coming back. Groves will have Ryan Counts coming back at quarterback. They also have LeVelle Shannon who could push Counts but Flaherty is really high on Counts. “We have Ryan Counts, he’ll be a senior for us and he has played on the Birmingham Patriots and been with our feeder program and been with us for eight plus years, he’s a tremendous athlete and extremely gifted as far as his decision making and we feel really good about him, and we have a young guy behind him in LeVelle Shannon, he’ll be pushing Ryan, he’s done some great stuff this summer so we feel really good about the position but Ryan Counts is steady eddy, he is solid as a rock” Flaherty said about his two quarterbacks. The Falcons offense was really good last season and will look to have another really strong season. They have Mario Campoy-Lovasco and Noah Sanders coming back at running back. Campoy-Lovasco is the power back while Sanders is the son of Detroit Lions hall of fame running back Barry Sanders coming back. “It’s a thunder and lightning type thing but we like to think as a thunder and thunder thing, both guys are dynamic, strong, fast runners and they push each other but at the same time it’s a good teammate you know competitive thing between them but it’s up to us coaches to try and figure different ways to get them both on the field at the same time and getting them touches figuring out ways they can have success and help the team at the same time” Flaherty added about his two running backs. Counts should have proven pass catchers in Nick Hardy and Chris Little coming back at wide receiver along with Ben Handzel and Noah Woods at tight end. “Chris Little has been a three year starter for us and Nick Hardy has been a four year player and three year starter for us so you know we bring some experience to the table and I think those guys have pushed each other and gotten themselves better, I think a guy that has been lost in the shuffle quite a bit is Noah Woods, he’s a second year tight end, he played on varsity as a sophomore, did some great things for us, he’s a force to be a reckon with, he’s a dude, we think he’s one of the better tight ends around in the league and maybe in the State, so we’re excited about Noah Woods contributing as well” Flaherty added about Woods. Groves should be strong on both the offensive and defensive lines with Leland Swanson, Mattia Andriano, David Fayz, Tyson Wright, Ray Glory-Ejoyokah, Issac Gjolaj, Josh Hammonds, and Avery Gach coming back. “Mattia is a big guy, he’s near darn big as Avery and his reach is similar so we’re really excited about, we feel really good where the line is going” Flaherty said of Andriano and his proven lineman. The back end of defense should be very good for Flaherty with the mentioned linemen along with Paul Hubbard, Aiden Leung, Wyatt Shortridge, Carter Hladki coming back at linebacker. “We got three senior guys in Spencer George, Wes Smith, and Miller Man, those guys are bidding for time and playing and pushing those guys and they’ll be on every kickoff and their presence will be known, they are part of this solid senior group we have” Flaherty said of his three senior linebackers who could push the starting linebackers. They also have Teddy Abbot, Little, Riley Armbrustmacher, and Jalen Brooks coming back in the defensive secondary. Little has 17 career interceptions at Groves. “We’re pumped up for our group” Flaherty added. Gage Waters will handle the kicking duties. “He’s really improved on his kickoffs so we’re excited for him and Mario (Campoy-Lovasco) has been handling our punter for us the last two years so he’ll be our punter again, we like what we’re doing” Flaherty said of his special teams. The Falcons will look to have a bounce back season after two rough losses to arch rival Seaholm. “We’re really fortunate to have a great crosstown rival, there’s nobody in the State that I respect more than Coach DeWald and what he does, it’s part of that thing and it’s a city rivalry but we always, I always tell the senior guys that you’re going to see those guys for the rest of your life and everybody will ever since you know and not everyone is going to know but you’re going to know and their seniors are going to know and unfortunately you got to live with that for our seniors last year which it was a tremendous group of guys but they got to live with that so with our guys the pressure is really you know that’s it, that’s how it is, that’s how we look at it like you get to see those guys the rest of your life, you’re going to see them at Dick O’Dowell's on Thanksgiving weekend or somewhere up at State (Michigan) or Michigan or you’ll see them at a frat party and you know in your heart if you know you know who won and who lost that’s what we’re playing for, we’re playing for that, that feeling when you see those other guys the rest of our lives in the community” Flaherty said about playing Seaholm. Program strength looks to be solid for Flaherty heading into the season. “Last year our numbers were a little bit down on the freshmen level so we had to move around, we didn’t play a complete schedule, I think we put together four games for them, and they played some JV games so that was a little bump for us but we’re super excited about our freshman class this year, we got a great group of guys coming in, we got a mixed group of guys, some played Middle School, some played in our youth program the Birmingham Patriots but those guys have been you know we just got done with a workout and it’s a solid and talented group so we’re looking forward to our freshman guys, that sophomore group will do a fantastic job, Coach Dave Mason is my JV coach, he’ll put stuff together, he’s brilliant so we’ll mix and match with the sophomore guys, it was a small group last year, a couple of junior guys, they’ll come down and play some games, maybe one freshman guy may move up to JV, we’re rebuilding on that JV level, on the freshman level we’ll be solid so we’re excited, Middle Schools are great like I said it’s a mix with our middle school at Berkshire and the Birmingham Patriots you know is solely a feeder school and we appreciate it’s a feeder school for us and Seaholm so we put a lot of blood sweat and tears in our feeder program with the Patriots” Flaherty said about program strength. It will be very interesting to see what happens. “What I learned in my 24 years here is we can just worry about today, let’s just make today great, let’s win today and doing those things, the stuff we can control is having a great weight room and you know building on that” Flaherty concluded. The Falcons should be a team to watch heading into the season that is for sure.
BEST CASE: The Falcons meet expectations and stay healthy then a deep postseason run is very likely.
WORSE CASE: Injuries pile up, lose some tough games and fail to meet expecations.
Groves Podcast (First Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jgW3HdMz1o&t=1s
STONEY CREEK COUGARS:
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 3-6, 0-5 Red. Didn’t make Postseason.
POINTS SCORED: 243 (27 ppg.) 106 Red (21.5 ppg.)
POINTS AGAINST: 240 (26.6 ppg.) 169 Red (33.8 ppg.)
KEY PLAYER: Spencer Beckeman-Offensive/Defensive Lineman.
STRENGTHS: Proven Linemen, Rushing Attack, Linebackers
CONCERNS: Quarterback, Passing Attack
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 6 vs Lake Orion.
PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4. 2-2 White.
PLAYOFF TEAM: Yes.
It was really different for the Cougars this offseason which brought a ton of changes. Stoney Creek has a new coach in Rick Powell taking over the program. Powell was the defensive coordinator at Lake Orion for five years before taking over for Coach Nick Merlo who is the offensive coordinator at Orchard Lake St. Marys. “Lake Orion is a great place, great staff members, not only in the building but also on the football field, just looking forward to an opportunity to run my own program and be a head coach and this opportunity came up right in my back yard where I grew up in Rochester and thought it was a good opportunity to pursue especially for me and my family so kind of having it fall in my lap and it was a difficult decision obviously leaving Lake Orion but I was ready to start a new chapter of my coaching career” said Powell. Powell credits Lake Orion and his father for taking the Cougars coaching job. “They have done everything for me, they’ve made a huge impact for me (Coaches Chris Bell and John Blackstock) and obviously also my dad who’s been a long time football coach (Warren Cousino) for a number of years he’s kind of molded me into the person who I am and kind of allowed me to pursue this opportunity but that was one of the biggest things when I was able to take that job six years ago at Lake Orion that those guys gave me an opportunity and chance and Coach Bell and Coach Blackstock, and I appreciate everything they’ve done and they’ve given me a lot of different roles and responsibilities to not only be a defensive coordinator but to put me in a situation to handle some of the situations that head coaches might be put in so I owe a lot of the stuff to them (Bell and Blackstock) obviously as well as my dad as well but they taught me at Lake Orion and you know I really appreciate what they’ve done for me” Powell added about Bell, Blackstock, and his father. Powell will be tasked on turning around a Cougars program that is 12-17 since 2021 which is un Stoney Creek like. “I’m excited to work with these guys and see what we can put together and see what we can start, you know everything in the past is the past, whatever’s happened you know whether it’s been ups and downs with the program in the past, we’re just trying to be consistent that’s our whole goal this offseason and future seasons but just being consistent with everything we do and put our best foot forward and really trying to make a run of things as we put it all together” Powell added. The Cougars strength should be up front with offensive and defensive linemen Spencer Beckeman, Rudy Hernandez, Jackson Mead, Ian Genzlinger, Noah Gojcaj, and Brody Rummler coming back. “Stoney Creek has always had a lot of big guys and the offense and defensive lines has always been the main points of emphasis in the program and in the team. Spencer will be a huge catalyst on the offensive and defensive line and then you got some other young guys that we’re really trying to really bring up with them with Brody Rummler, another senior is Noah Gojcaj, a lot of good pieces on the offensive and defensive lines that are really looking forward to run behind but cause some havoc on the defensive line but we got a lot of other quick little guys that can do some things differently up front for us that like to move around a little bit and create some havoc on the offense as well” Powell said about both his offensive and defensive lines. Stoney Creek lost a ton of guys from last season but he has some proven players who can make some noise as well. “They lost some guys last season, a lot of senior graduations, really heavy senior class last year so really it’s an opportunity for young guys to kind of step into new roles and figure out where best fit” Powell said. They have Brandon Dobos, Nolan O'Connor, and Asher Lackowski coming back at linebacker. Dobos could see some time at tight end. Stoney Creek has two really proven playmakers in Sam Fogler at running back along with playing at linebacker and in the defensive secondary if need be. They also have Ben Gargaro and Quinn Zezula coming back at wide receiver. Zezula could see time in the defensive secondary. “We got some young bucks ready to stand up whether it’s tenth graders, eleventh graders, or even some seniors so it’s a good opportunity for those guys to make a name of themselves, starting fresh with a new scheme, a new staff but with a new season, they have a chance to make their own paths so we’re really looking forward to see to how they develop throughout the year” Powell said. The Cougars need to settle on a quarterback. He mentioned that the quarterback competition is down to three guys which could include Aytron Zeile. “It’s a good quarterback room right now, we have three guys that are battling for the job, two juniors and a sophomore and you know those guys are doing a good job of putting forth a lot of extra work and doing what they need to do to be successful this offseason but each one of them bring a different style of play that you know can be utilized in many different ways so it’s all about how we develop and figure out best scheme that fits the guy that wins the job and who takes leadership and ownership because that’s what we’re trying to teach those guys right now is to take ownership of the team and then from there utilize their skill sets to the best ability of the team” Powell added. Powell has been really excited looking at his program strength especially with his freshmen class mostly coming in from Hart Middle School. “That’s awesome, that’s a cool thing we do, obviously we have Hart Middle School across the street (Tienken and Sheldon Roads,) they get a lot of good numbers, we’re at about a little bit over 50, 51, or 52 in the freshmen class right now so we’re really excited for the future of the program, our current freshmen went undefeated last year, the future looks bright and in those couple classes obviously with what we’re trying to build with the upper classmen right now as well but we also have the Stoney Creek Junior Cougars which is a youth organization that three through sixth grade participated with that’s been awesome for us to get involved a little bit more and you’ll think that it will progress as time will come you know obviously our main focus is with the high school kids right now but we have done a lot with them with the youth camps to get that going and then the Rochester Redskins and that you know there’s variations with that because some of those guys go to Hart and others go to Rochester or Adams but we do have a handful of kids that come from that program as well to Stoney Creek, it’s been an awesome experience to get to know each of those individual groups and being able to work with them, I’m super excited to put it all together as the years progress” Powell concluded. The Cougars could be back in the mix heading into this season.
BEST CASE: Powell finds their quarterback and they develop balance especially at the wide receiver and defensive secondary spots then the Cougars with their defense are a postseason team.
WORSE CASE: If Powell's quarterback struggles and they don't develop the balance and have to rely on defense and rushing the ball, that could be a problem and could dampen postseason dreams.
Stoney Creek Podcast (Third Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfZ8PH3iC28&t=2433s
ROCHESTER FALCONS:
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 3-6, 2-3 White. Didn’t make Postseason.
POINTS SCORED: 159 (17.6 ppg.) 100 White (20 ppg.)
POINTS AGAINST: 246 (27.3 ppg.) 144 White (28.8 ppg.)
KEY PLAYER: Jack Lower-Linebacker/Running Back.
STRENGTHS: Both Lines, Linebacker
CONCERNS: Quarterback, Defensive Secondary
GAME OF THE YEAR: August 29 vs Fraser
PROJECTED RECORD: 4-5. 1-3 White.
PLAYOFF TEAM: No.
The Falcons took a step back after making the playoffs in 2022 and won their first postseason game when they beat Stoney Creek winning that game 21-20 after trailing 14-0 in the second half. “That was a great group of senior football players that we talk all offseason just like every other school does about putting the work in so that when get that opportunity, get that moment you can thrive and shine, and we had some really good playmakers in Alex Bueno (Michigan Tech) and Grant Calcagno (Michigan State), those two guys made a great play at the end of the game but the whole group, the whole team to be able to get the ball back with just short amount of time left and then drive down for that last second win, really was, I mean it was awesome, it was one of the best moments that I’ve ever been a part off, and it was a testament of how hard the kids worked, they never quit, they never gave up and it was a good thing for obviously our program and our school, it was an awesome experience, I’m really proud of those kids to have that opportunity” said coach Eric Vernon. They had a tough 22-21 loss to Utica at Sweinhart Field and they weren’t the same since that game winning three games. Rochester is in a much better place than they were in the 2010’s when they really struggled (26-55 from 2011-2019.) The Falcons really struggled on both sides of the football last season. They lost 14 seniors to graduation last season. “We were a really young football team, the year before we had one of the best team’s the school’s ever had and it was a senior laden team so we knew last year coming in that we were going to be pretty young, we played hard, you know we had a couple of games where we kind of gave the games away in the fourth quarter, we played Southfield really hard (lost 28-15) at our place and you know some games, we just made too many mistakes, I kind of attribute to it to the youth that we had but I think you know unfortunately with that youth last year it didn’t work out so well for us, again we played hard, just made a lot of mistakes but good news is we got a lot of guys coming back this year ready to contribute and have a better season for sure” said Vernon. Rochester has several proven players in Jack Lower coming back at linebacker and running back. Lower had a really strong year last season and could see some time at running back if need be. “He was an all region running back last year and an all state wrestler for me, he took fifth in the state at 215, he’s a truck, he’s a tank and you know last year was his first year playing running back, we needed him back there, he didn’t even fumble all season, just scored a ton of touchdowns, he just runs the ball hard, he’s coming back on both sides” Vernon said about Lower. They will have three quarterbacks battling for the spot this season. Curtis Adair was the quarterback last season but there are two other guys battling for that spot right now. They also have Matt Dyckie and Brody Wilcox who could be in the mix that Vernon is high on as a freshmen coming into the program. “Curtis Adair was our quarterback and he’s young as a junior, one of his first couple of years actually playing quarterback, he struggled with turnovers a little bit last year but is really a playmaker for us and he’s going to find ways to get the ball that way” Vernon said of Adiar. If Adiar doesn’t get the quarterback spot, he could transition to a wide receiver. “Curtis Adiar is one of our best wide receivers so we’re going to find a way to get him the ball both at quarterback, running back, wide receiver” Vernon added about Adiar’s role. “We got Matt Dyckie, he played for the Rochester Raiders (Redskins) program last year, he’s a talented kid, he’s had a really good summer. We’re pretty excited to see what he can do” Vernon said about Dyckie. “We got Brody Wilcox, he was a sophomore for us last year, he will be a junior, baseball kid, he’s had a good camp so one of those three guys have to step up at quarterback for us, each of them have their own skills, their own unique talents, it’s a matter to us coaches to find ways to maximize and utilize them” Vernon said about his three quarterbacks. Whoever the quarterback is will have proven pass catchers in Cory Minos, Jacob Scott, and Quentin Hatchett coming back at wide receiver. “We got a lot of good skill kids at the wide receiver spot, we got Quentin Hatchett, he’s had a good season, good camp as well, he’s a big strong receiver. We got Jacob Scott who’s a good baseball player he’s coming back, he got some varsity reps as a sophomore last year” Vernon said about his wide receivers. They have Zach Davis coming back at tight end. “We got Zach Davis who was our leading tackler last year is coming back at tight end, he provides us a lot of experience on both sides of the football. Zach will be a unique weapon, he was a good lacrosse player this spring so he’s a pretty athletic kid and he’s one of our leading receivers coming back” Vernon mentioned on Davis. There is a ton to prove with the pass catchers for the Falcons. “There’s a lot to prove because we didn’t throw the ball particularly well last year, there’s a lot that goes into it, we didn’t protect particularly well so we got some things to prove in the passing game, we definitely kind of earned our money last year with running the ball in the three wins we had last year, I think we have maybe completed one pass in those three wins so obviously we have to get a lot better in the passing game and we’ve been really working hard at it this summer” Vernon added. The lines were a big concern last season for Vernon. They should be much improved with Adam Glinski, Brendan Roscoe, Antionio Abro, and Anthony Kyritsis coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. Vernon is the wrestling coach at Rochester so he knows the returners especially on the lines really well. “Adam was a wrestler for me, we’re getting him back and he was an all league linemen and played guard, defensive line for us” Vernon mentioned about Glinski. Vernon mentioned a couple of others who could make some noise in Seth Payne. “Seth Payne was a heavyweight for me this past year, got some reps last year but looking back, really looking forward to a big year for us” Vernon said about Payne. “We got a lot of depth that’s the good news, we got a lot of guys that we can rotate in. We got a kid name Marcus Abram who was a freshmen last year that we moved up, played against Harper Woods and against Southfield, did really well, he’s coming back as a sophomore, he’ll be on varsity playing defensive line, he’s a strong, explosive kid so I’m excited to see what he does in his second year as a sophomore so we got depth, we got guys who can rotate through and through so that’s exciting” Vernon said about both his lines. The back end of the defense should be better for the Falcons. They have Emilino Marques, Tristan Hiatt, Davis, and Lower coming back at linebacker. “We got Jack and Zach was our leading tackler, he played inside backer, we might move him to outside because we got another backer, Tristian Hyatt who was one of my tight ends for us, wrestled for me as well, he’s going to come in and he could play some linebacker for us, we got Emilino Marques, he played linebacker for us as a junior and he’s coming back with experience, we’ll have depth there, we got a lot of young kids coming up too from the JV team that can play” Vernon said about his linebackers. The defensive secondary is the big question mark for Vernon heading into the season despite getting Devin Grabkie back. “We lost a couple of defensive backs despite getting Devin Grabkie back, his older brother played for me a couple of years ago, he was our starting corner last year but he was injured in a couple of games, I’m looking forward to him having a breakout year at corner and at running back as well and our other corner and safety spots are up for grabs so we’re looking for some guys to step up so that’s something we’re trying to do there this summer” Vernon said about his defensive secondary. Rochester has a really good punter in Henry Fontolan coming back. Fontolan is another proven wide receiver coming back for Vernon. “We got Henry Fontolan, he’s our kicker, he’s a really good kicker for us” Vernon added about Fontolan. Program strength will be very interesting to see for Rochester. They have three programs along with Reuther and West Middle Schools where they get kids along with the Rochester Raiders but also they compete with Adams and Stoney Creek for them as well. “I’ve been here a while, I think when we took the program over we weren’t very good, it was one of the worst programs in the state, I think we’ve done a really good job as a coaching staff building this program up, I’ve had a lot of continuity with coaches, we’ve kept the same coaches om staff for a really long time, I think 2020 the COVID year was kind of the turning point for us, we kind of made a decision where we were going to blend in our JV and varsity programs together, we’re going to let our JV kids get coached by the varsity coaches, we’re going to utilize that fifth quarter the state allows and let those kids get an opportunity to play in those games and in 2020 we won the league (Blue) and the next year we finished second and then the following year in second and then last year we had a down year but I think the COVID year was the turning point for us and we started to kind of changing those processes and what we did. Our numbers are stronger than ever, we got over 130 kids in the program and so, I can dress anywhere to 70 to 75 kids on Friday night this year, we got a lot of guys and a lot of depth and that helps us quite a bit and we embrace multi-sport athletes and so that’s something where that’s helped us with our numbers like I’m not trying to fight with other coaches to get kids as long as they’re doing there and we talk as coaches hey he’s doing that workout and he’s doing that workout as long as I know they are doing something that’s really benefited our program so numbers are good, I think the strength of our program is the fact that we have such high numbers, we have over 130 kids in the program is by far the most we’ve ever had since I’ve been here and then the buy in too, when I first started we’ve had workouts we’ve get over 15 to 20 kids this morning, this morning we had over 90 kids at our workout today, we’ve come a long ways, it’s a testament to the kids that are here, the kids that have come before them, they’ve bought into this culture, I think we’re doing well as a program, there’s obviously still things middle school wise you like to see dudes build that up but that’s you know something we’re continuing to work on, we had our youth camp, a couple of years ago I had a youth camp I think we had eight kids show up, this year we had over 100 so our future is bright as well, working our way getting into our youth, getting to the elementary schools and building that up so excited for it, excited for this year and the upcoming years as well” Vernon said about program strength. The community has been really important and especially the importance of multi-sport athletes. “What I love about this school is how the coaches in this building embrace multi-sport athletes, I coach wrestling on top of it so I get a lot of my football players who wrestle, you know Coach Evola (Nick Evola) with basketball, Coach Majena (Eric Majena) with baseball and really all the coaches here embrace and impress upon the kids the importance of playing multi-sports so I got a lot of kids that play not just football but doing a lot of different things on different fields here and they’re ready to contribute, kind of excited, we got a lot of kids coming back, I have a lot of high hope” Vernon said. The expectations have not changed for the Falcons and they look to have a special year heading into this season. “We got to run the rock, we got to beat Adams (haven’t beaten since 1996), we got to beat Stoney (Creek), our rivals, we want to win our league, we obviously want to make playoffs and if your high school team and your ultimate goal is to get to Ford Field, making sure we take care of the football and do the things we do which is run the football, take care of the football, and play great defense and get the ball in our playmakers hands so if we can do those things and stay healthy, I think depth is one of our strengths, we dress 75 kids a night, we’re going to have the opportunity for guys to contribute to this, your as good as your senior class and I got a good senior class, I got a large chunk of seniors coming back who played last year and are looking forward to having a great year” Vernon concluded. Rochester could be a player to watch this season.
BEST CASE: The Falcons find balance on offense and they stays healthy. Rochester could be a postseason team if things go right.
WORSE CASE: Injuries pile up, they can't find balance then that could be a serious problem for Vernon and the Falcons.
Rochester Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxRrPiIhjk8&t=1852s
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS:
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 13-1, 5-0 White. Beat Belleville 36-32 in Division One State Championship Game.
POINTS SCORED: 478 (34.1 ppg.) 187 White (37.4 ppg.)
POINTS AGAINST: 292 (20.8 ppg.) 76 White (15.2 ppg)
KEY PLAYER: Jordan Melton-Wide Receiver/Defensive Back.
STRENGTHS: Both Lines, Back End of the Defense
CONCERNS: Quarterback, Depth, Transition Period
GAME OF THE YEAR: September 13 vs Rochester.
PROJECTED RECORD: 1-8. 0-4 White.
PLAYOFF TEAM: No.
The Warriors are coming off a season they will never forget after winning the White crown. They had a deep postseason which they went through Detroit Cass Tech, Chippewa Valley, and West Bloomfield to get to their first State Final and won the Division One State Championship 36-32 over Belleville last season but this offseason has been a different story for Southfield Arts and Tech and it will bring a ton of changes this season. Coach Aaron Marshall left the program and now is at Birmingham Brother Rice. They also lost a ton of proven experience to graduation. The Warriors have a new coach in Keith McKenzie taking over the program. McKenzie brings a ton of experience to Southfield from his playing days in the National Football League. He is also the student support network coordinator at Southfield Arts and Tech. They should have a ton of proven experience despite losing a lot of high end talent from last season. "It's been going well, the unfortunate thing is the players that had the success are all gone, we got four starters from that championship team that is coming back, the transition has been good, we got a new team, new culture, new identity, there's always that fear of adjustment but the kids have done a really good job" McKenzie said about last season's team and the challenges he faces. The offensive and defensive lines look to be the strength for the Warriors. They have Orlando Headley, Stanley Wright, Darnell Smith, Chris Smith, Adrian Reading, Marcus Boler, Cario Pickett, Rashad Taylor, and Ryan Hooper coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The back end of the defense should be the strength of this team this season. Southfield Arts and Tech has Babou George, Paydon Jones, Brandon West, Shamarion Fleming, Brandon Crenshaw and Jordan Melton in the defensive secondary along with Kenneth Brooks and Marcus Carson at linebacker coming back. The offense will be a huge question mark for McKenzie despite having the skill positions and the offensive line. They have Malcolm Pryor, Kevin Blair, Jaun Mitchell, Tyjuan Esper, and Auturo Martin at wide receiver along with Timothy Garr coming back at running back. Quarterback will be the key for McKenzie. Could McKenzie keep the same principals and offense that Marshall did with the RPO (Run Pass Option offense.) Depth and program strength looks very concerning for McKenzie. "We want to get better it's going to take time especially with those who didn't play a lot, they want to make their mark on this team" McKenzie concluded. It will take some time to develop chemistry and mental mindset. They could take a step back with the talent lost or they could surprise some people this season. "We're going to go out be physical, play hard. Our expectations is to win the State Championship, go hard and win the conference championship, you name it" McKenzie concluded. It will be really interesting to see what happens.
BEST CASE: McKenzie's team grows up really quickly and plays to their potential.
WORSE CASE: The inexperience comes into play which leads to blown assignments on both sides of the ball and morale becomes an issue.
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