Written Friday November 22nd at 2:50 PM
Written by Anthony Taormina
For the record, this is mine and my opinion alone. This is not my brother's opinion but he has allowed me to speak my mind when it comes to realignment and expansion thoughts.
Waterford Kettering and Waterford Mott
Possibly and most likely returning to the Oakland Activities Association, better known as the OAA.
I have mixed thoughts.
Really mixed thoughts.
Both Kettering and Mott are Oakland County Public schools, one of the biggest appeals that the OAA likes. Both Kettering and Mott provide football, volleyball, boys basketball, boys and girls soccer, cross country, baseball, softball, track and field as separate teams. A few providing multiple levels while unifying in other sports such as girls basketball, boys and girls swim and dive, cheerleading, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls golf, and has a merged hockey team with West Bloomfield.
Kettering's Athletic Director is Shane Hynes, one of the best kickers to come out of Clarkston and was the Athletic Director at Troy. Shane did a lot in his time at Troy, coming up with several innovating ideas, calling rival Troy Athens, TSDTR (That school down the Road). A lot of the lighting ideas, Shane played a big role in. Shane has a lot of OAA experience so it didn't surprise me that when he became the Athletic Director at Kettering, he would look at the possibility of bringing both Kettering and Mott back into the OAA but he also had to persuade the Waterford Athletic Director Allison Sartorius to go along with it and it sounds like she has agreed to it.
So, Waterford provides all these sports and more or less competes with several schools in the OAA so why am I so skeptical by this?
Kettering and Mott walked away from the OAA in 2008 for other pastures sighting that they couldn't compete so they left to join the Kensington Lakes Activities Association (KLAA) and in 2017, Mott and Kettering would leave with seven other schools to form the Lakes Valley Conference. Now Mott and Kettering want to come back to the OAA. It seems that in the mind of the OAA, it's bygones be bygones. Also how would Kettering and Mott feel about possibly playing Lake Orion and Clarkston again, two teams they saw in the former Greater Oakland Activities League (GOAL). They also did have some very successful rivalries the first go around in the OAA but why did they leave? Does their reason of not being able to compete the first time make any sense?
There has also been talk of a potential Waterford merger that could happen down the line especially as both Mott and Kettering continue to decline in enrollment. Mott is about 1200 students (1174) while Kettering is barely under a 1,000 students (981). It is anticipated that enrollment will likely continue to decline at both schools. The OAA in the past several years has seen mergers at Royal Oak, Pontiac, Bloomfield Hills, and Southfield. Personally I hope this merger doesn't happen but who knows what will happen.
I'm also upset with how the OAA sets up their whole application process. When teams apply. A committee usually of Principals and Athletic Directors is formed. They go and site visit the schools. The school district that applies gives a presentation of their reasons for wanting to be in the league and ultimately it is up to the committee to make the decision. With Waterford, this decision will most likely be unanimous. Kettering and Mott are Oakland County Public schools and knowing how much the OAA loves Oakland County public schools. This will be a no brainer though I was quite shocked when the league accepted Harper Woods into the league a few years ago especially since Harper Woods is a Wayne county school and (Though they try to) doesn't provide every sport.
I am still very disappointed that the league did not accept Lapeer, Grand Blanc, and Davison. GB and Davison tried to join in 2010. Lapeer tried to join in 2016 and GB tried again in 2018. All were denied. All three schools would have been great especially in regards Lake Orion, Oxford, and Clarkston. Lapeer is very much like the three school mentioned. Mostly home grown, blue collar, hard working, multi sport athletes. Davison and Grand Blanc are very similar but in certain sports, a fair share of transfers come in from other school districts and participate on their teams. All three schools provide multiple sports and would be very competitive but at the same team, all three seem pretty happy in the Saginaw Valley League. The old big fish in a small pond approach especially in football. Maybe one day, some sort of thing will happen among Lake Orion, Oxford, Clarkston, Lapeer, Grand Blanc, and Davison, who knows. It is something I personally want to see. It was something, the late great Clarkston AD Dan Fife wanted to see (Remembering our conversation at Clarkston back during the 2017-2018 season which totally shocked my brother knowing it was the exact stance I wanted. It made me feel good. I had an ally when it came to league stance.) It was something former Lake Orion AD Bill Reiss wanted to see. To be part of a new first like it was in 1994 when the Oakland County smaller conferences would form into the OAA. Would I like to see the OAA become a mega conference again? Sure, if done correctly. Would also mean bringing in more members. The OAA has said they would be welcome to do it and as we have seen with Harper Woods, they will go outside Oakland County to do it.
It's almost a foregone conclusion that Kettering and Mott will be allowed to return to the OAA and I will be happy to see them back but it makes me wonder, why did they leave in the first place? What was wrong with the league back then that caused them to leave? Obviously Shane Hynes and the Waterford School District deserve a lot of credit for most likely having them come back to the league. If allowed back, no doubt the Waterford's coming back would help the league but at the same time. I can't let go of bitter feelings. The OAA has had multiple opportunities to bring in schools. While they have accepted many. They have denied others. Lapeer, Grand Blanc, Davison, Notre Dame Prep, Detroit Country Day, Cranbrook Kingswood, Birmingham Brother Rice.
What if, I ask myself,
What if.
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