Football Thoughts and Rankings Explanation.

Written Saturday September 14th at 9:45 AM

The Gold had an interesting week. Ferndale winning over 35-0 over Royal Oak wasn't surprising. Avondale bounced back after a 34-13 win over Macomb Lutheran North. Berkley won 41-6 over Pontiac on their first game at the new Hurley Field.

The Blue had some surprises. North Farmington won 20-7 over arch rival Farmington was a bit of a surprise considering how both teams have played. Seaholm winning 37-0 over Bloomfield Hills was not a surprise. Oak Park won 24-16 in a great game over Troy Athens wasn't surprising. Troy fell 32-0 to Lake Orion and they have another tough one looming next week.

The White had some interesting scores. Groves won 34-6 over Stoney Creek and Rochester winning 33-14 over Southfield Arts and Tech wasn't surprising. Harper Woods defense has allowed 83 points in the last two weeks is very concerning

The Red had an interesting week. Clarkston beat Oxford 23-15 after a tough matchup. Adams beat West Bloomfield 21-14 in a very interesting matchup. Lake Orion won 32-0 over Troy. There is a reason why this division is one of the toughest in the state and it shows week in and week out.

Rankings Explanation

The rankings explanation is very interesting. I was torn between moving Adams to one or keeping Lake Orion at the top spot. The Highlanders win over West Bloomfield is very significant at the moment also the Dragons looked shaky in the first half against Troy and Northville falling 29-28 in double overtime to Brighton was a reason to move Lake Orion to two in the rankings.

Clarkston, Groves, and Oxford didn't change despite the Wildcats sitting at 1-2. The losses Oxford has are to good teams plus Utica Eisenhower beating Romeo helps the Wildcats when it comes to playoff points so keeping Oxford at five makes a ton of sense.

Seaholm moves up to six after shutting out Bloomfield Hills. The Maples have been my biggest surprise to the season especially with the talent losses. Six is a great spot for them at the moment.

West Bloomfield moves down one spot to seven, the tough schedule helps the Lakers despite their funk they are in. West Bloomfield will be fine, seven makes sense for them.

Eight to thirteen is crazy. Ferndale is at eight after two big wins. Rochester is nine after beating Southfield Arts and Tech and Adams winning helps them in the poll then that leaves three teams. Farmington, Troy, and Harper Woods.

Farmington has two wins against Oak Park and Holly but they fell to North Farmington. Harper Woods fell to Oxford and Novi Detroit Catholic Central. I was impressed with Troy despite the loss to Lake Orion. Oak Park has won two in a row after beating Royal Oak and Troy Athens. I decided to keep Farmington ten because of the Oak Park win but barely over Troy. Oak Park is up and coming and Harper Woods has some issues they need to fix.

These are the explanations for week three.

Week Three Thoughts

Written Saturday September 14th at 12:35 AM

West Bloomfield: The Lakers are in a rough patch after falling 21-14 to Adams on Friday night. West Bloomfield has lost two in a row which is very concerning for Coach Zach Hilbers. The Lakers have allowed 50 points in the last two weeks which is very unusual. They have Southfield Arts and Tech looming next week.

Lake Orion: The Dragons got their third win of the season winning over Troy 32-0 but it came at a cost. Lake Orion lost quarterback TR Hill to a shoulder injury. It is unknown when Hill will come back. Backup quarterback Brody Thompson had three rushing touchdowns. The key for the Dragons is to keep composed when things go hard. They have Oxford looming next week.

Clarkston: The Wolves introduced new home blue uniforms which really has me up at arms. They had a really tough game with Oxford on Friday night and scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to win 23-15. Clarkston has been an odd team to figure out but they are 2-1 and that’s the bottom line. This is a team that relies a ton on the Bowman twins. The Wolves have Adams looming next week.

Adams: The Highlanders earned a big 21-14 win over West Bloomfield on Friday night. Ryland Watters and Matteo Humbert had big games for Adams. Watters had the winning touchdown with 33 seconds left in the game and had another score early in the third quarter. Humbert added a touchdown as well. The defense was very good as well despite allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown. The Highlanders have Clarkston looming next week.

Oxford: The Wildcats had a tough 23-15 loss to Clarkston on Friday night. Oxford has proven they can compete with the Red. They have arch rival Lake Orion coming to Wildcat Stadium on Friday night.

Harper Woods: The Pioneers are really struggling all be it, it was against Novi Detroit Catholic Central where they fell 45-12 on Friday night. Harper Woods lost quarterback Nate Rocheleau to an ankle injury and was replaced by Dakota Guerrant. The Pioneers have been outscored 83-12 in the last two weeks which is not winning football. Coach Rob Oden’s team needs to bounce back in the worst way possible. They have Stoney Creek looming next week.

Groves: The Falcons had no issue with Stoney Creek winning 34-6 on Friday night. Groves has been very good lately. They have Rochester looming next week.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars had it rough with Groves falling 34-6 on Friday night. As mentioned Stoney Creek is going through a transition period and it has to happen during the season. The Cougars has Harper Woods looming next week.

Rochester: The Falcons looked really impressive against Southfield Arts and Tech winning 33-14 on Friday night. Matt Dykie is going to be a star for Rochester. He had a touchdown pass and looked really comfortable in the offense. The Falcons have a tough matchup with Groves looming next week.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors are in a lot of trouble after falling 33-14 to Rochester on Friday night. Southfield Arts and Tech struggled with Jack Lower all night and trailed 26-0 at the half. It won’t get any easier for the Warriors as West Bloomfield comes to town next week.

Farmington: The Falcons had a really tough 20-7 loss to North Farmington on Friday night. Farmington struggled offensively but they were without quarterback Julian Johnson who got hurt in the Holly game. The Falcons will be fine going forward. They have Troy Athens looming next week.

North Farmington: The Raiders earned a huge 20-7 win over arch rival Farmington at Ron Holland Field and brought the Farmington Cup to 14 Mile and Farmington Road on Friday night. Terrance James and Duke Blanch played well for North Farmington. This win might have saved North Farmington’s season. They have Bloomfield Hills looming next week.

Oak Park: The Knights are starting to put things together after winning 24-16 over Troy Athens on Friday night after trailing 16-0 in the game. Coach Greg Carter has really bounced back since the 17-6 loss to Farmington two weeks ago. The Knights have a big one with Seaholm in Knight Valley next week.

Troy: The Colts really impressed me despite the 32-0 loss to Lake Orion on Friday night. I thought quarterback Noah Oury looked really good despite not scoring. Troy will be fine going forward but they have a tough matchup with Pontiac Notre Dame Prep looming next week.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks can’t seem to catch a break falling 24-16 to Oak Park on Friday night. They blew a 16-0 lead in that game. Troy Athens has been competitive but haven’t been able to put it together. They have Farmington looming next week.

Seaholm: The Maples are rolling right now behind the veer offense. They beat Bloomfield Hills 37-0 on Friday night. Seaholm has a major test awaiting them with Oak Park looming next week.

Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks are really struggling in the worst way possible. They have been outscored 117-7 in three games including a 37-0 loss to Seaholm. Bloomfield Hills has North Farmington looming next week.

Avondale: The Yellow Jackets bounced back after two tough losses winning 34-13 over Macomb Lutheran North on Friday night. Avondale got big games from their top players. This could save the Yellow Jackets season. They have Pontiac looming next week.

Ferndale: The Eagles had no issues with Royal Oak on Friday night winning 35-0. Ferndale looks like they have written the ship and could be in contention for the Gold crown. Ferndale has Berkley looming next week.

Berkley: The Bears snapped a 14 game losing streak on their new field with an impressive 41-6 win over Pontiac on Friday night. Berkley needed this night and it was the first win for Coach Casey Humes as coach of the Bears. They have Ferndale looming next week.

Royal Oak: The Ravens are really struggling right now. Royal Oak fell 35-0 to Ferndale on Friday night on their home field. Something is seriously a miss with this program. Coach Collin Campbell has a really tough stretch coming up with three games on the road starting with Livonia Clarenceville next week.

Pontiac: The Phoenix had a rough night at Hurley Field falling 41-6 to Berkley on Friday night. Pontiac has been outscored 76-6 in the last two weeks since winning 40-0 over Detroit Fredrick Douglass. Coach Wendall Jefferson's team will be fine despite the struggles especially defensively. They have a tough matchup looming with Avondale next week.

Week Three Recap

Written Saturday September 14th at 12:15 AM

UPDATED TOP TEN

1. Adams

2. Lake Orion

3. Clarkston

4. Groves

5. Oxford

6. Seaholm

7. West Bloomfield

8. Ferndale

9. Rochester

10. Farmington

 

WEEK THREE SCORES

CLARKSTON 23, OXFORD 15.

ADAMS 21, WEST BLOOMFIELD 14.

LAKE ORION 32, TROY 0.

Novi Detroit Catholic Central 45, HARPER WOODS 12.

ROCHESTER 33, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 14.

GROVES 34, STONEY CREEK 6.

NORTH FARMINGTON 20, FARMINGTON 7.

OAK PARK 24, TROY ATHENS 16.

SEAHOLM 37, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

BERKLEY 41, PONTIAC 6.

FERNDALE 35, ROYAL OAK 0.

AVONDALE 34, Macomb Lutheran North 13.

 

 

WIN OF THE WEEK: Adams: The Highlanders earned a huge 21-14 win over West Bloomfield in a back and forth battle. Ryland Watters scored the winning touchdown with 40 seconds left and the Adams defense held off the Lakers. The Highlanders have a big one looming with Clarkston next week in what should be another classic in Rochester.

 

WHAT IN THE BLUE WORLD: Royal Oak: The Ravens have had things rough lately. They have been outscored 54-7 in the last two weeks including a 35-0 loss to Ferndale on Friday night. Royal Oak has a three game road trip looming starting with Livonia Clarenceville next week.

 

TEAM THAT NEEDS A HUG: Farmington: The Falcons had a street fight with arch rival North Farmington even taking a 7-6 lead at one point but the Raiders scored a touchdown in the middle of the third quarter and held the Falcons. North Farmington added a touchdown and a two point conversion to win 20-12 on Friday night. Farmington needs to bounce back after this tough loss to their arch rivals. They have Troy Athens looming next week.

 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME: Bloomfield Hills: 117-7 is basically all I need to know when describing the Blackhawks. I said this on the podcast, Bloomfield Hills is really struggling bottom line, no sugarcoating it. They have North Farmington looming next week.

Week Three Picks

Written Wednesday September 11th at 6:50 AM

Here are the pickers and the picks for week two.

 

SANDY DUNES: Sammy Taormina, host of OAA Now, blogger and host of Between Taorminas, and Last Three Brain Cells on Orion Neighborhood Television.

 

TIM: Tim English, writer, and blogger-Lake Orion 1996 Alumni.

 

COTTER: Sean Cotter, Walled Lake Western video coordinator, and North Farmington boys basketball scouter.

 

KEITH: Keith Dunlap, writer works as a free lance writer for the MHSAA.

 

SCOTT: Scott Burnstein, writer for MIPrepZone and State Champs.

 

SANDY DUNES: 19-12

TIM: 20-11

COTTER: 24-7

KEITH: 20-11

SCOTT: 21-10

 

10. Troy at 1. Lake Orion: This is the first meeting between the Dragons and the Colts since 2015. Lake Orion has had Troy's number in the 2000's. The Dragons have been playing really well lately. Lake Orion is coming off a 42-13 win over Stoney Creek last week and has been playing with confidence. The Colts come into this game at 2-0 winning both their games by a combined 70-7 including a 35-0 win over Pontiac last week. Lake Orion has played a much tougher schedule than Troy. The Colts will have to deal with quarterback TR Hill, slot back Jackie Vasquez, and a loaded Dragons team. Lake Orion has to deal with quarterback Noah Oury, wide receiver/defensive back Jailen Peacock, linebacker Jon Tester, and lineman Lucas Tic. This will be a huge test for Troy going on the road to Lake Orion to play a Dragons team that is red hot right now.

SANDY DUNES: LAKE ORION 35, TROY 7.

TIM: LAKE ORION 42, TROY 21.

COTTER: LAKE ORION 42, TROY 0.

KEITH: LAKE ORION 42, TROY 7.

SCOTT: LAKE ORION 32. TROY 22.

 

6. West Bloomfield at 2. Adams: These are two teams that are really familiar with one another and this game is the "State Champs" game time live of the week. The Lakers beat the Highlanders twice last season but they are coming off a really disappointing 28-13 loss to Groves last week. Adams has been rolling behind quarterback Ryland Watters. He had three touchdowns in a 28-0 win over Rochester last week. The Highlanders will be tested by the balanced West Bloomfield offense led by running back Josh Tate and proven pass catchers Jailen Allios, Kam Flowers, and Elijah Durham. This should be a really interesting game between these two teams, it always is.

SANDY DUNES: WEST BLOOMFIELD 24, ADAMS 21.

TIM: WEST BLOOMFIELD 28, ADAMS 21.

COTTER: ADAMS 28, WEST BLOOMFIELD 14.

KEITH: WEST BLOOMFIELD 31, ADAMS 28.

SCOTT: WEST BLOOMFIELD 28, ADAMS 27.

 

5. Oxford at 3. Clarkston: These are two 1-1 teams that are playing some really good football right now. Despite the Bryce Underwood heroics which bailed out Belleville, the Wolves have been playing really good football. Clarkston's starters got some much needed rest in a 48-0 blowout of Southfield Arts and Tech last week. The Wolves won 39-13 over the Wildcats in Oxford last season. The Wildcats are coming off a stunning 38-0 win over Harper Woods last week putting what Bryce Hurley of Utica Eisenhower did to them two weeks ago to rest. There are a lot of fun battles to watch in this matchup. The quarterbacks between Nick Wasczenko and Jack Hendrix along with the running back/linebacking battle between the Bowman twins and Luke Johnson. Whoever wins in the trenches wins this game.

SANDY DUNES: OXFORD 32, CLARKSTON 31.

TIM: CLARKSTON 42, OXFORD 28.

COTTER: CLARKSTON 35, OXFORD 20.

KEITH: CLARKSTON 20, OXFORD 17.

SCOTT: CLARKSTON 34, OXFORD 33.

 

4. Groves at Stoney Creek: This is the first meeting between these two teams since 2020 when Stoney Creek beat Groves 40-14 at Stoney Creek. The Falcons are coming off two really huge wins to start the season. Groves won 28-13 over West Bloomfield last week behind two rushing touchdowns from Mario Lovasco and timely stops from their proven lineman Avery Gach. The Cougars have been going through a transition period and it has to happen during the season. They have two proven players in running back/linebacker Sam Fogler and linemen Spencer Beckeman. Stoney Creek fell 42-13 to Lake Orion last week after winning 42-21 over Warren Cousino two weeks ago. Offensively has been a problem for Coach Rick Powell's team which they need to change. This is a really tough matchup for Stoney Creek but you never know with the Cougars.

SANDY DUNES: GROVES 35, STONEY CREEK 14.

TIM: GROVES 35, STONEY CREEK 21.

COTTER: GROVES 35, STONEY CREEK 13.

KEITH: GROVES 27, STONEY CREEK 13.

SCOTT: GROVES 31, STONEY CREEK 27.

 

7. Farmington at North Farmington: The Farmington Cup is back after a one year absence in what is always a classic whether your at the game or watching it on Farmington TV-10. These are two teams that have went in opposite directions. The Falcons have been gaining confidence in each game and has started strong behind their quarterback Juilen Johnson. Farmington won 33-7 over Holly last week and the defense has been very good, allowing 13 points in two weeks. The Falcons own the Farmington Cup after a 33-27 overtime win at Farmington in 2022. The Raiders have had a ton of bad luck. North Farmington fell 20-12 to Ferndale at Ron Holland Field last week but had a gut wrenching 27-22 loss to Livonia Stevenson two weeks ago. This rivalry was missed dearly last season but it's back and this is a big one for the Raiders on their home field to see if they can turn things around and save their season.

SANDY DUNES: FARMINGTON 17, NORTH FARMINGTON 12.

TIM: FARMINGTON 21, NORTH FARMINGTON 14.

COTTER: FARMINGTON 19, NORTH FARMINGTON 12.

KEITH: NORTH FARMINGTON 17, FARMINGTON 7.

SCOTT: FARMINGTON 23, NORTH FARMINGTON 20.

 

Bloomfield Hills at 8. Seaholm: The Maples are off to a great start to the season outscoring both Troy Athens and Avondale by a combined 63-7 which included a 21-7 win over the Yellow Jackets last week. Penn Roberts has been playing outstanding on both sides of the football for Seaholm. The Maples had no trouble with Bloomfield Hills winning 27-14 on their home field last season. The Blackhawks has had a really rough start. They have been outscored 77-7 including falling 42-0 to Dearborn Divine Child last week. Bloomfield Hills has issues on both sides of the football. This could be a long game for the Blackhawks this week especially with how the Maples have been playing.

SANDY DUNES: SEAHOLM 70, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

TIM: SEAHOLM 91, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

COTTER: SEAHOLM 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

KEITH: SEAHOLM 38, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

SCOTT: SEAHOLM 35, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21.

 

9. Harper Woods at Novi Detroit Catholic Central: This is the second all time meeting between the Pioneers and Shamrocks with Novi Detroit Catholic Central winning 21-12 in 2020. Harper Woods was dominated in all phases by Oxford falling 38-0 last week. The task doesn't get any easier for Coach Rob Oden and the Pioneers when they head to Novi to take on a Shamrocks team that has outscored their opponents by a combined 77-19 in the last two weeks including an impressive 21-7 win over Toledo Central Catholic last week. This is going to be a tough matchup for Harper Woods that is for sure.

SANDY DUNES: NOVI DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL 31, HARPER WOODS 14.

TIM: NOVI DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL 35, HARPER WOODS 21.

COTTER: NOVI DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL 42, HARPER WOODS 0.

KEITH: NOVI DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL 28, HARPER WOODS 14.

SCOTT: NOVI DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL 40, HARPER WOODS 21.

 

Rochester at Southfield Arts and Tech: These are two teams that are coming off really tough losses after big wins in week one. The Falcons battled hard with arch rival Adams but couldn't get into the end zone against a stout Highlanders defense falling 28-0 last week. Rochester lost 25-13 to Southfield Arts and Tech last season but this is a much different Warriors team than in years past. The game against Clarkston proved it could be a long year for Southfield Arts and Tech. The Warriors fell 48-0 to the Wolves last week. This looks like it's a mismatch on paper but you never know with these two teams.

SANDY DUNES: ROCHESTER 38, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 6.

TIM: ROCHESTER 42, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 14.

COTTER: ROCHESTER 35, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 6.

KEITH: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 27, ROCHESTER 24.

SCOTT: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 32, ROCHESTER 28.

 

Oak Park at Troy Athens: These are two teams that are very odd to figure out. The Knights are coming off a bounce back 19-7 victory over Royal Oak last week behind a strong defensive performance after a rough loss two weeks ago falling 17-6 to Farmington. Oak Park beat Troy Athens 30-24 last season in a crazy game. The Red Hawks looked bad against Seaholm falling 40-0 two weeks ago but bounced back and beat Berkley 20-0 last week. These are two teams that are up and down. This should be a very tense game.

SANDY DUNES: OAK PARK 24, TROY ATHENS 14.

TIM: OAK PARK 10, TROY ATHENS 7.

COTTER: OAK PARK 20, TROY ATHENS 7.

KEITH: OAK PARK 18, TROY ATHENS 10.

SCOTT: TROY ATHENS 30, OAK PARK 26.

 

Macomb Lutheran North at Avondale: If there is a team that is in must need win mode it's the Yellow Jackets. Avondale has been outscored 41-21 in their last two games including a 21-7 loss to Seaholm last week. The offense has been the big problem for Coach Bob Meyer as of late, 21 points is not good enough. The Mustangs have been dominant winning both games by a combined 84-6 including a 35-0 win over Livonia Clarenceville. This will be a tough matchup for Meyer but a big momentum swing if they can get it.

SANDY DUNES: AVONDALE 20, MACOMB LUTHERAN NORTH 17.

TIM: AVONDALE 42, MACOMB LUTHERAN NORTH 28.

COTTER: AVONDALE 17, MACOMB LUTHERAN NORTH 14.

KEITH: AVONDALE 27, MACOMB LUTHERAN NORTH 24.

SCOTT: AVONDALE 33, MACOMB LUTHERAN NORTH 24.

 

Ferndale at Royal Oak: The Eagles got back on track with a stunning 20-12 win at Ron Holland Field last week. Ferndale has been a very odd team to figure out but what hasn't been odd is that they have won five of the last six matchups over the Ravens including a 33-14 home win last season. Royal Oak has a rough week falling 19-7 to Oak Park last week. The Ravens have struggled on both sides of the football which has been the story of their season thus far. If Royal Oak wants to pull an upset they have to play better on both sides of the ball, the Oak Park game was a start but can they sustain is the challenge.

SANDY DUNES: FERNDALE 42, ROYAL OAK 0.

TIM: FERNDALE 63, ROYAL OAK 7.

COTTER: FERNDALE 28, ROYAL OAK 7.

KEITH: FERNDALE 31, ROYAL OAK 14.

SCOTT: FERNDALE 44, ROYAL OAK 25.

 

Pontiac at Berkley: The Bears are having a rough patch right now. Berkley has been outscored 27-0 in their last two games which included a 20-0 loss to Troy Athens last week. This is a rematch of a 34-28 Phoenix win last season. Pontiac is coming off a 35-0 loss to Troy last week. Both teams are desperate to score points, there should be a ton of points scored in this game on the new Hurley Field.

SANDY DUNES: PONTIAC 24, BERKLEY 20.

TIM: PONTIAC 35, BERKLEY 14.

COTTER: PONTIAC 18, BERKLEY 14.

KEITH: BERKLEY 23, PONTIAC 20.

SCOTT: BERKLEY 24, PONTIAC 16.

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Football Thoughts and Rankings Explanation.

Written Saturday September 7th at 1:15 AM

The Red went 4-1 this week with some impressive wins against the White outscoring the division 171-41. Oxford had the biggest win of the week stunning Harper Woods 38-0. This was supposed to be a matchup of two different styles but it wasn't meant to be. West Bloomfield fell 28-13 to Groves in a tough matchup that could had gone either way. Lake Orion had no issues with Stoney Creek winning 42-13. Clarkston won 48-0 over Southfield Arts and Tech. Adams had a struggle with Rochester winning 28-0. Overall the Red had a good week besides West Bloomfield which is mind boggling. It should be very interesting to watch with Clarkston/Oxford and West Bloomfield/Adams looming next week. Lake Orion will host Troy next week.

The White went 1-4 this week against the Red getting outscored 171-41 this week. Groves had the biggest win of the week stunning West Bloomfield 28-13 on their home field. Stoney Creek fell 42-13 to Lake Orion. Rochester battled with Adams falling 28-0. Southfield Arts and Tech fell 48-0 to Clarkston. The biggest upset had to be Harper Woods falling 38-0 to Oxford. Overall the White had a rough week. It should be very interesting with Rochester and Southfield Arts and Tech and Groves and Stoney Creek looming while Harper Woods has to go to Novi Detroit Catholic Central next week.

The Blue had an interesting week. Farmington was really impressive against Holly winning 33-7 in northern Oakland County. Oak Park won 19-7 over Royal Oak. Troy won 35-0 over Pontiac. Seaholm won 21-7 over Avondale. Troy Athens beat Berkley 20-0 but North Farmington fell 20-12 to Ferndale. Bloomfield Hills fell 42-0 to Dearborn Divine Child. Overall the division really hasn't changed with Farmington and Seaholm right now ahead of Troy and Oak Park. Seaholm plays Bloomfield Hills, Troy Athens plays Oak Park, and the Farmington Cup is next week. Troy has a tough matchup looming with Lake Orion next week.

The Gold had a rough week. Ferndale had the biggest win of the week by beating North Farmington 20-12. Avondale fell 21-7 to Seaholm. Royal Oak fell 19-7 to Oak Park. Pontiac fell 35-0 to Troy. Berkley fell 20-0 to Troy Athens. Overall Ferndale looks like they are the early favorite but can't count Avondale out after two really tough losses. Berkley has not scored a point and has lost 14 straight games. Pontiac has really improved despite falling to Troy. Royal Oak it's really hard to trust them going forward. This division as mentioned is still wide open. 

Rankings Explanation.

I'm introducing a new segment called rankings explanation explaining the rankings each week.

Lake Orion moves up to the top spot after their win over Stoney Creek. Adams was ranked ahead of the Dragons to start the season and is also at 2-0. The reason why the Dragons are ahead of the Highlanders in the poll is because Northville is 1-1 after coming back to beat Plymouth after they had a strong second half. Romeo is 0-2 after losing to Grosse Pointe South.

Clarkston goes up to three in the poll. I kept them at five after losing to Belleville in week one and that's because they came back from two touchdowns down to tie Belleville only to see Bryce Underwood have the best game of his career. Felt the Wolves resiliency kept them at five and wasn't right to move them down despite the loss. Clarkston moves up two spots after losses by West Bloomfield and Harper Woods.

Groves looks like they are the best team in the White after making a statement. They moved up three spots in the last two weeks from seven to four with wins over Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit and West Bloomfield. The 28-13 win over the Lakers was a stunner. The Cubs are sitting at 0-2 which is surprising to the season. The Falcons are in a really good spot to keep moving up in the rankings.

Oxford makes the biggest jump in the poll. The Wildcats started the season ranked sixth because of quarterback play and the rushing attack. I had concerns about their defense. It didn't fair well with a 33-16 loss to Utica Eisenhower after Bryce Hurley went nuts on them. I thought of dropping Oxford out of the poll after that loss but the Eagles have been a proven powerhouse so I kept them in at nine in week two. The statement win over Harper Woods moves them up four spots from nine to five in the poll this week.

West Bloomfield started at two in the poll and retained the spot after winning 42-0 over West Bloomfield but the 28-13 loss to Groves dropped them to six in the week three poll. The Lakers have a ton of opportunities ahead of them to go up with the schedule looming.

Farmington is off to a strong start after an impressive 33-7 win over Holly. Farmington started the year at ten but has moved up three spots after beating Oak Park 17-6 and Holly as mentioned. The Falcons have a big test with North Farmington. They are at seven for this reason.

Seaholm has been really impressive. I had questions about how they would do after losing a ton of talent but Coach Jim DeWald knows how to do more with less. They moved from being unranked to eighth after two impressive wins. The Maples are at eight because of their impressive start especially against Avondale who is shockingly off to a slow start.

Harper Woods made the biggest drop in the poll. The Pioneers started at the top spot but they have been shaky as of late especially defensively. Harper Woods won 43-21 over Redford Union but was shut out 38-0 by Oxford. The Pioneers have not fared well against the M-24 corridor getting outscored 66-6 in the last two years. Harper Woods sits at nine in the poll after their loss to Oxford.

Troy comes into the poll at ten. The Colts haven't played the most impressive schedule with Pontiac and Bloomfield Hills. They have a tough schedule coming up so we'll see what happens.