Written Wednesday August 20th at 9:00 AM
ONTV News Media Day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWzOpeZgLQg
OAA Now Football Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpjDfF-Rjpo
Civic Center TV Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDCOEkZGzfY
AROUND THE OAA STATS FROM LAST SEASON (Top Five on points per game):
TOP OFFENSE:
1. Groves 35.4 ppg (461)
2. Harper Woods 33.7 ppg (431)
3. West Bloomfield 31 ppg (341)
4. Clarkston 27.2 ppg (300)
5. Avondale 26.3 ppg (290)
WORST DEFENSE:
1. Bloomfield Hills 33.8 ppg (305)
2. Pontiac 32.5 ppg (293)
3. Southfield Arts and Tech 31.3 ppg (282)
4. Royal Oak 25.4 ppg (229)
5. Berkley 25 ppg (225)
BEST DEFENSE:
1. Groves 10.6 ppg (138)
2. Adams 14.3 ppg (187)
3. Avondale 15.9 ppg (175)
4. Clarkston 16.8 ppg (185)
5. Harper Woods 17.8 ppg (232)
WORST OFFENSE:
1. Pontiac 7.1 ppg (64)
2. Bloomfield Hills 10.3 ppg (93)
3. Berkley 11.2 ppg (101)
4. Royal Oak 12.7 ppg (115)
5. Southfield Arts and Tech 13.7 ppg (124)
BLUE DIVISION OVERALL STATS
OFFENSE
1. Seaholm 24.7 ppg (272)
2. Farmington 24.5 ppg (245)
3. Troy 20.8 ppg (187)
4. North Farmington 20.2 ppg (202)
5. Oak Park 16.3 ppg (149)
6. Troy Athens 16 ppg (144)
7. Bloomfield Hills 10.3 ppg (93)
DEFENSE
1. Seaholm 17.8 ppg (196)
2. Farmington 18.1 ppg (200)
3. North Farmington 19.3 ppg (193)
4. Troy Athens 22.7 ppg (205)
5. Oak Park 23.7 ppg (214)
6. Troy 24 ppg (216)
7. Bloomfield Hills 33.8 ppg (305)
COACHES POLL
North Farmington (3)
Seaholm
Farmington
Oak Park
Troy Athens
Bloomfield Hills
Troy
Blue Division Preview Show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbFonR2lM3I
DIVISION RECAPS/STORYLINES:
This is a division that could see a ton of changes next season with the departures of Farmington and North Farmington. The Blue saw three postseason teams last season but there have been some big changes particularly at Bloomfield Hills with the arrival of a State Championship proven coach. Oak Park will look to have a bounce back season after years of missing the postseason. Seaholm has been the most consistent within the Blue. Troy Athens will look to have a bounce back year after really struggling as a program. Troy will look to have a bounce back season after missing the postseason on the final game for the second straight season. The Blue should be very interesting to watch this season.
Bloomfield Hills: The Black Hawks have really struggled trying to find their footing. They have a new coach who is really familiar with high school football and has a proven track record. The transition period will be the key for Bloomfield Hills and if they can start fast. If they can gel really quickly then this could be a really dangerous team this season, if not it could be a long season. The transition period will be the storyline for the Black Hawks.
Troy: The Colts are a really interesting team to watch this fall. Troy lost a ton of talent from last season and program strength is a concern. The Colts have not made the postseason in the last two years in the final game of the season. Troy will look to make some noise will be the storyline heading into the season.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks could be in line for greater things this season if things go right and they stay away from injuries. Troy Athens could be in a good position to get to the postseason for the first time since 2011 (not counting COVID year.) Taking the next step will be the storyline for the Red Hawks heading into the season.
Seaholm: The Maples were a postseason team despite overachieving after their success two seasons ago when they made the Division Two State Semifinals. Seaholm has a group of young stars ready to make an impact. The storyline for the Maples is can they keep the tradition alive and keep growing as a program.
Oak Park: The Knights are on the cusp of returning back to their normal selves after really struggling the last few seasons. Oak Park could have been a postseason team had they stayed in Division Three last season but they chose to go up to Division Two. The Knights have the talent to compete but depth is an issue. The story for Oak Park is can the break through to the postseason will be something to watch.
Farmington: The Falcons had a tough road to get to the postseason but they sustained through injuries and getting to the district finals. Farmington will be a different team this season but can this group gel will be the storyline heading into the season. The Falcons should be in the conversation for the Blue crown in their final year in the league this season.
North Farmington: We seen signs last season what the Raiders can do when they are healthy but they ran into a really good Orchard Lake St. Marys team in the first round. North Farmington has a ton of proven talent coming back. The storyline for the Raiders is how will the quarterback position hold with Stone Trevino coming into the position moving Terrance James moving to wide receiver. The defense will also be the story as well which will be something to watch as well.
TOP FIVE GAMES
1. North Farmington at Seaholm: Raiders won the Blue on a failed two point gamble by the Maples and Coach DeWald last season. North Farmington will have a tall task ahead of them in this game.
2. Troy Athens at Oak Park: Knights escaped with a 24-16 win over the Red Hawks last season but can they replicate it in Knight Valley???
3. Troy Athens at North Farmington: Raiders had to escape 14-7 in Troy last season but both teams have more experience.
4. North Farmington at Oak Park: Raiders had to escape the Knights with a 19-18 win last season. Expect more fun in Knight Valley.
5. Farmington at Seaholm: Maples won 14-6 last season, think the Falcons haven't forgotten that game???
COMBINED RECORDS WITH LAST SEASON'S SCHEDULES (NON LEAGUE:)
Bloomfield Hills: 9-20
Troy: 17-12
Troy Athens: 9-18
North Farmington: 23-10
Farmington: 13-16
Seaholm: 29-8
Oak Park: 21-12
Easiest Schedule: Bloomfield Hills: The Black Hawks have the easiest schedule by default looking at the schedule. There should be no reason that new coach Scott Merchant's team should be 2-0 heading into the Seaholm game. The final three weeks of the season is absolutely brutal for Bloomfield Hills with Farmington, Oak Park, and West Bloomfield with two of those games being on the road. If things click for the Black Hawks in Merchant's first season, they could be scary going forward.
Nightmare Schedule: Oak Park: The Knights have not had a ton of success but it hasn't stopped Coach Greg Carter from playing a brutal schedule like he has in years past. To make matters worse Oak Park is in Division Two despite having a Division Three enrollment if they can make the postseason. The Knights have Farmington, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Bloomfield Hills coming to Knight Valley. They have Lake Orion, North Farmington, Seaholm, and a trip to Hurley Field (Berkley) on the docket as well. This is not an easy schedule for Oak Park but it could be just enough to get them into the postseason field.
Team that's in Trouble: Troy: The Colts will have basically a new team after losing a ton of experience from a team that has missed the postseason in the last two years. The schedule is looking really rough. Troy opens with Bloomfield Hills which has a new coach and a loaded team. The Colts have Flint Powers, Clarkston, Seaholm, and North Farmington coming to Troy. They have Farmington, Troy Athens, Ferndale, and Oak Park on the road which are tough tasks. If there is a team that could take a serious step back this is it.
OAK PARK KNIGHTS:
LAST SEASON: 3-6, 2-5 Blue. No postseason. 149 points scored (16.3 ppg,) 214 points allowed (23.7 ppg.)
MAKE OR BREAK: August 29th vs Farmington
STRENGTHS: Defensive Secondary, Skill Positions.
CONCERNS: Both Lines, Linebackers, Depth, Program Strength.
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Quinton Blakeley-Running Back/Defensive Back
BOLD PREDICTION: Muhammad El-Mubarak throws 15 passing touchdowns this season.
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-2, 5-1 Blue. PLAYOFFS YES.
INSIGHT: The Knights were a traditional postseason power since Coach Greg Carter got to Oak Park. He led the Knights to nine postseason appearances from 2012-2020 and had a 66-33 record in that span. They started the season at 0-4 but they managed to turn things around and went 5-1 down the stretch with their only loss being against Clarkston. Oak Park had a miraculous run in the postseason beating Grosse Pointe South, Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit, Wyandotte, and Livonia Churchill all on the road. They had a chance to get to Ford Field but had a 26-20 double overtime heartbreaking loss to Warren DeLaSalle in the Division Two State Semifinals in 2020. The Knights arev9-27 since that game and haven't made the postseason since. They were better last season but they aren't there yet. Oak Park has a ton of proven experience which helps but they are going to have to prove it if they want to bring the postseason back to Knight Valley.
The Knights have a ton of proven athletes coming back for Coach Greg Carter but it hasn't clicked as it did in the past. "We've been humbled by teams in this league so it gives us that drive to get back on that level with you guys" Carter said at Media Day. The offense really struggled to put points on the board scoring 149 points (16.3 points per game) which was sixth worst in the OAA last season. Oak Park has Muhammad El-Mubarak coming back at quarterback. El-Mubarak is a three year starter who has seen ups and downs in Knight Valley. He has a ton of proven experience at his disposal this season. The Knights rushing attack should be strong with Quinton Blakeley coming back at running back. Blakeley had a strong year rushing the ball last season and will look to have a strong senior season. They have another running back in Michael Jones who could split carries with Blakeley or they could put them together at times. El-Mubarak should have proven pass catchers in Ron'Dre Austion, Kent Jordan, Christian DuBose, Kayden Taylor, Derrick Burlow, and Aaden Watson coming back at wide receiver Blakeley and Austion are three year starters like El-Mubarak. Carter has a proven lineman in William Reed coming back. Reed could be that next great lineman under Carter but depth on both lines will be a huge concern and something to watch with Oak Park. The defense will be something to keep a close eye on this season. this is Carter's specialty even though it has been a struggle on this side of the football. The Knights allowed 214 points which was 23.7 points per game which wasn't good. The linebackers are a question mark for Carter despite having Cornell Owens coming back but there are others from the offensive side that could play linebacker as well. The back end of the defense should be solid with a proven and athletic defensive secondary. They have Austion, Burrow, Blakeley, Jordan, Cardelle Carrington, DuBose, and Watson in the defensive secondary coming back. Oak Park has a chance to be really competitive but they have to stay healthy if they want to make a return trip to the postseason which they did decide to go up to Division Two if they made the postseason.
Program strength is very concerning for Oak Park. The Knights don't really have a strong middle school program and the youth levels are something to keep a close eye on. Oak Park usually goes to the Detroit area to get athletes along with Oak Park Academy which is their middle school. The Knights could be a team to watch this season with their proven experience, it's now or never for Carter and company.
BEST CASE: Everything comes together, playmakers stay healthy and they come together. They develop depth on both sides of the football and is a postseason team if things go right.
WORST CASE: Injuries mount, playmakers get hurt. Knights go back to really bad habits.
SAMMY OUTLOOK: It's now or never for the Knights if they want to return to postseason glory. Oak Park has three year starters at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. They have a future Division One lineman. Depth on the lines are question marks along with depth elsewhere as well. The Knights should be one of the favorites because of proven experience but one injury could change everything heading into the season.
NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS:
LAST SEASON: 6-4, 6-0 Blue. Lost 42-7 to Orchard Lake St. Marys in Division Two first round. 202 points scored (20.2 ppg,) 193 points allowed (19.3 ppg.)
MAKE OR BREAK: August 29th vs Livonia Stevenson
STRENGTHS: Quarterback, Proven Pass Catchers, Defensive Secondary
CONCERNS: Linebackers, Rushing Attack, Program Strength.
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Stone Trevino-Quarterback
BOLD PREDICTION: Leland Hollingsworth has 500 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns this season.
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-3, 5-1 Blue. PLAYOFFS YES.
INSIGHT: The Raiders had a strong league season winning all six Blue games last season but struggled against the non conference including a first round loss to Orchard Lake St. Marys (42-7) and a week one loss to former Western Lakes Conference and future Lakes Valley Conference rival Livonia Stevenson (27-22.) "We started off slow, that was unfortunate. I think as the season went on we found our stride and that the team came together, the chemistry got right, guys stepped up and did a good job with the changes we made, we went on to win the league championship, beat our crosstown rival (Farmington) and to make it to the tournament, it's the resilience the way the team played" said Coach Jon Herstein. This is an area where Herstein needs to address in North Farmington's final season in the OAA before they leave for the Lakes Valley Conference next season."It's happening and you kind of stay with it, we don't have a lot of control as coaches (about changing conferences,) I came out and talked to the team, you have a chance to win the league this year, we're going to be playing in the OAA, we're the defending league champions, we got a chance to play the Red champs in Oxford and we open the season with Livonia Stevenson and Walled Lake Western who will be in the new league (Lakes Valley Conference) so it's a great opportunity to set the tone on our season in week one and week two and a great opportunity to repeat as league champions which is one of our goals and to go out as league champions of the OAA" Herstein added.
The Raiders will be a different team according to Herstein. They had their proven athlete in Terrance James playing at quarterback last season but he will likely make the move to wide receiver to go along with playing in the defensive secondary. "He's a lock, he played corner back, he was able to throw the ball effectively when we needed too and he's a great runner with excellent quickness. He's not afraid of contact, came up to play the football, he's a true football player, I think he's really grown up, he's matured, he can really play at the next level, I'm excited to see him play, we're working with him to see if we can use him in different positions, so it will be exciting to see where our offense is heading and some of the things that we're able to do" Herstein said of James. Even though Herstein mentioned James will play some quarterback out of the wildcat formation but worse case he could play quarterback full time. There has been two other quarterbacks that have been mentioned that could make some noise with James's move to wide receiver. The first candidate is Stone Trevino. Herstein used Trevino in Junior Varsity and not rush him into playing as a freshman and went with James at quarterback last season. He has made progress and is in the battle for the quarterback spot. "He's come along, he's matured a lot, he's really training seriously, we're looking to lean on a little bit and see how he develops" Herstein added about Trevino. The other candidate Herstein mentioned is Elijah Cobb. Cobb transferred into North Farmington this offseason. "We got a couple of other quarterbacks who have a lot of potential so we'll wait and see as of now Terrance is our guy as these other quarterbacks and Stone is one of them and learn the offense which so much we can do" Herstein added. Whoever the quarterback is if its Cobb or Trevino will have proven pass catchers in James, Jeremiah Larkins, Jo'Ell Vann, Trey Woods, Carter Ashbil, and Johnathan Henshaw (tight end) coming back. "They're learning to run routes, learning the schemes to make them a weapon themselves, I'm expecting us to spread the ball around and get a lot of guys around" Herstein added about his pass catchers. The rushing attack will be a question mark for Herstein but Leland Hollingsworth came back to play football after stepping away from football last season. Hollingsworth is expected to be top running back along with David Minisee and Noah Kornspan are options as well. The lines should be really interesting to watch. They have Willie Hariston, Trevor Ordendorff, Gabe Jankowski, Owen Varva, Jonathan Majcher, and Elijah Moore coming back on both lines which should help. "I think we got some potential with some of our younger guys, I'm excited, I think it's going to be a work in progress, we got guys that are figuring it out, that's what doubles are for, that's where you separate men from the boys see who wants to do the dirty work in the trenches" Herstein said about both lines. The linebackers are a concern despite having Minisee, Kornspan, Christian Green, and Mel Cornerstone coming back. North Farmington has Jamir Rentie, Woods, James, Davell Harrison, Caleb Robinson, and Ashbil in the defensive secondary coming back. "Jamir Rentie has been steady as a guy we've seen, reminds me of some of our old players we had at Harrison, he would go out there and play every single rep, he works hard, he's an all state track and field kid. I think we'll have more depth than we've had in the past and to be able to get more guys involved in the game, more guys playing different roles offense or defense being used in specific ways that they can really benefit the team" Herstein said about Rentie and his depth. The Raiders have Jade Fade handling the kicking duties.
Program strength is a concern for the Raiders despite having a strong sub varsity and strong middle school program. "We've had a couple of back to back strong freshman classes which is exciting to see the program continue to develop, our junior and senior levels aren't bad but the freshman numbers are that much higher with the sophomore levels. As we continue to see this evolve the program continue to improve from a number participation standpoint but from a competition standpoint. Right now we got a bunch of guys competing for spots, I mean all of them, they have some scripts that they can bring and and use for the team, I see really good opportunities for a lot of kids out there within our program as we continue to grow" Herstein concluded. North Farmington should be solid in their final season in the OAA and they have a tough schedule. Herstein could be in line to make some more noise this season.
BEST CASE: Trevino or Cobb becomes a star that everyone is expected of him. James excels on both sides of the football. The lines get more experience. The defense performs to what expectations are and the Raiders are in the postseason.
WORST CASE: Injuries mount. James has to play quarterback and if he gets hurt that makes things that much worse. Defense struggles. Both lines struggle. It is likely that the Raiders miss the postseason.
SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Raiders have a lot to look forward too heading into the season. There are also a lot of questions and fears with North Farmington particularly of Terrance James. If Elijah Cobb or Stone Trevino struggle and James has to play quarterback that could spell trouble but if James doesn't have to play quarterback there is no doubt the Raiders will have a strong season and James blossoms on both sides of the football. Leland Hollingsworth at running back is the key to North Farmington's season.
North Farmington Podcast (July 14th-First Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dchMjAC1ceQ
TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS:
LAST SEASON: 3-6, 1-5 Blue. No postseason. 144 points scored (16 ppg,) 205 points allowed (22.7 ppg.)
MAKE OR BREAK: September 12th at Oak Park
STRENGTHS: Rushing Attack, A lot of two way players.
CONCERNS: Linebackers, Defense.
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Nathan Piggott- Tight End/Linebacker
BOLD PREDICTION: Anthony Dunlap throws 15 touchdown passes.
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-3, 4-2 Blue. PLAYOFFS YES.
INSIGHT: This could be a make or break year for the Red Hawks after getting so close in majority of those games. Troy Athens is 16-20 in the last four years but a majority of those losses they either had leads or couldn't sustain late in games. "We struggled to finish games, we were close in a lot of games, we had some tough losses in the fourth quarter so we're looking forward to remedy that with a strong senior group this year" said Coach Tom Cook. They've changed offenses running to more of the Wing T but it hasn't produced results or enough points. Troy Athens has not made postseason since 2011 under then Coach Josh Heppner but Cook sees some similarities to this team to that team back in 2011. "I was on that 2011 staff when we went to the playoffs, there is a lot of similarities between this group and that group, high level skill positions, really tough interior play, this is something the kids have been thinking about since day one when they came here to Athens this senior group in particular, it's been in their minds, they are hungry for it, it's our biggest goal, to win our division, and make the playoffs and make some noise in the playoffs so those are their goals and like how hard they work and how hard they want it, I wouldn't doubt they would achieve to what they set up to do and we're looking forward to big things" Cook added. Troy Athens will change offenses this season. They brought in a new offensive coordinator in Neal Mozdzierz. Mozdzierz brings a ton of experience to Troy being at Troy Athens and has a ton of offensive experience. He was the former offensive coordinator at Birmingham Brother Rice and at Waterford Mott under Coach Chris Fahr. "Coach Moz and I, we coached together at Athens a different lifetime ago, I was always hopeful we would get back together at some point and the stars aligned and we were able to kind of make it happen this year but he's very creative and very intelligent football coach, we felt we needed a change, the points weren't just enough for us last year, Coach Moz is going to help fix that a little bit bringing in a new offensive system, I can't say enough of how he has worked with the kids this summer, the kids have really responded and I'm really hopeful for good things for our offense this year" Cook said about his new offensive coordinator.
The Red Hawks have a very experienced team that has gone through the ringer in years past. It starts with a proven star player in tight end/defensive end Nathan Piggott coming back. Piggott has gotten a ton of attention and rightfully so but it's clear that everyone on the roster has to step up if Troy Athens wants to make the postseason this season. "It will be great to have Nathan back full time, we started the season without him last year, we played five games without him and one game that you know when he came back it was in a limited capacity so to have him back healthy, he's been great, he's put on weight, he's physically much stronger, he just clocked in his 40, he's running pretty fast so we're looking for big things for him and to be honest glad just he can be healthy and help us on both sides of the ball" Cook said about Piggott. Troy Athens has running backs Cainan Hanbury and Miguel Diaz coming back and to help balance things out in their new look offense but quarterback will be really interesting to watch for Cook despite having proven experience in Andrew Dunlap coming back. "We have Andrew Dunlap who started for us last year at quarterback, he's working to earn that spot. He's in competition with Jack Bourin and those two guys are really getting at each other this summer, pushing each other to get better so we'll see how that works out but we have a strong senior leader coming back in that position in the quarterback room, I think we're going to have good leadership regardless who wins that spot" Cook said about the quarterbacks. Cook has other proven experience coming back for the Red Hawks. "We have several returners that are coming back, Caiden Hanbury as our running back, Grayson Conrad, Jeremiah Thomas, we'll be stout up front Will Goetz is coming back, we got Macklin Ciurla that will be in the mix a little bit, he played corner for us last year and he'll be in the mix offensively. We got several starters coming back, Caiden is going to be a four year starter for us and we're looking for big things for a lot of those guys, I think switching up our offensive scheme is going to help and is going to highlight some of the talent we have offensively" Cook said about his returners on offense. The lines will be a question mark despite having Jayden Yousif, Macklin Ciurla, Will Goetz, Jeremiah Thomas, Vadym Hladiy, and Marcello Koja coming back. The defense was solid allowing 205 points last season but there are concerns heading into the season. Troy Athens has Hanbury at linebacker along with Grayson Conrad, Thomas, and Macklin Chura in the defensive secondary coming back. Conrad could also see time at wide receiver as well. "We have a lot of starters that are coming back, Macklin is coming back as a sophomore, were returning Nathan Piggott, he's going to play safety for us, Jeremiah Thomas, he played a lot of minutes, he's going to play at safety and Grayson Conrad will too, we got a lot of talented kids who are coming up who are going to be juniors like Brian Pierce, Brady Ossman, and many more in that defensive secondary, up front we're returning our nose guard, our defensive end, we're missing several linebackers, we're looking at some of the young guys, we lost several senior linebackers, we're looking at some of the young guys to fill in some spots at the linebacker position but overall our defense should be pretty stout, we're expecting that we're smart, we talk, a good defense is a loud defense, we got kids that like communicate and I think we will be pretty stout defensively this year" Cook said about his defense.
Program strength will be something to watch in the city of Troy. Cook mentioned that football has been making a comeback at Troy especially at Baker and Larson Middle Schools where both schools feed kids into Troy Athens. They also have the Troy Cowboys youth football program they look at as well with it comes to the feeder system. "We have some new freshmen coaches this year Coach Keenan and Coach Lisk coming in, they've been around in different programs and in the area but coming back home to coach our freshman, we're looking for good results from them, our middle school program are building up, Coach Tolen, Coach Koskin, Coach Hayes over at Larson like have increased the numbers at both Baker and Larson, the two feeder schools that come into Athens in the most part, we get kids from Smith and every now and then Boulan Park as well but the two main schools are Larson and Baker and Coach Latory and Coach Hosback over there at Baker do a nice job as well bringing in kids, our numbers are improving, football is growing in Troy, that's always a good thing for the health of our program here at Athens" Cook concluded. The Red Hawks have the talent to be really competitive along with experience, they could surprise some people this season.
BEST CASE: The Red Hawks have a season like 2011 and gets into the postseason. Everyone stays healthy, they are battle tested. Piggott is a star and their athletes perform to their standards. The defense plays well and are in contention for the Blue.
WORST CASE: The Red Hawks struggle to maintain offense, the players struggle with the new look offense. Defense gives up a ton of points. Injuries pile up especially if Piggott gets hurt. The lines struggle and they go back to bad habits.
SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Red Hawks offense should blossom in 2025 with the change at offensive coordinator. What could decide Troy Athens's season is their defense. If they go south in any way they could be in trouble, This should be a team that can score points but stopping people is the key.
Troy Athens Podcast (July 8th-First Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF_wX6-LhMY
FARMINGTON FALCONS:
LAST SEASON: 7-4, 4-2 Blue. Lost 51-0 to Orchard Lake St. Marys in Division Two district finals. 245 points scored (22.2 ppg,) 200 points allowed (18.1 ppg.)
MAKE OR BREAK: September 12th vs North Farmington
STRENGTHS: Linebackers, Defensive Secondary.
CONCERNS: Quarterback, Offense.
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Vinni Pechi- Quarterback
BOLD PREDICTION: Anthony Bailey throws two passing touchdowns this season.
PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 3-3 Blue. PLAYOFFS YES.
INSIGHT: The Falcons overcame a ton of injuries and won seven games last season with a veteran heavy roster. Farmington's defense allowed 51 points in their loss to Orchard Lake St. Marys so the stats are pretty misguided from a points allowed perspective. "It's something we've talked about year in and year out, how do we respond, not just in football but in life and you know in week one when we had a lead against Oak Park and our quarterback (Julian Johnson) goes down so yeah that was quite a shock and we go through the year kind of bounced around using athletes at quarterback then our backup quarterback Leo Pasen, kind of went back and forth and kind of found our identity with our defense playing well and kind of got through week seven (Troy) and Julian was cleared and we eased him back and he threw a touchdown in that game and you know we kept our athlete in there in Anthony Bailey and Julian kind of took over weeks eight and nine when we could get Bailey back on defense and receiver as well" said Coach Jason Albrecht about last season.
The Falcons will have a new quarterback and rushing attack for Albrecht this season. "We replace two senior tackles that Brady Patricia, a three year starter for us is going to be a big loss and we're losing Trenton Dardon at running back, he split time with Bailey, Julian (Johnson) was a two year starter for us at quarterback which will be a tough loss but I think we'll be all right there this year and receiver wise we lost Trey Whitefield but we have a bunch of kids who are returning in the outside and at the slot positions so I think we have three of our five offensive lineman returning and we're going to plug in other kids in plug in play different formations and stuff like that so it will all balance out, I think we have six, six and a half because we have kids that have started games or played and had major contributing factors in games" Albrecht said. They have Bailey coming back and he's a versatile player. He played quarterback when Julian Johnson got hurt last season but he could be in line to play running back this season. Albrecht has four to five kids that are battling for the quarterback job this season which is not including Bailey who has experience playing quarterback as mentioned. "We're going to keep him in some packages" Albrecht said of Bailey at quarterback but one name to watch is Vinni Pechi (brother is Dom Pechi who Farmington fans know really well.) "He was focusing on baseball last year because that's what his main sport is and he's coming out for his senior year and he was our JV quarterback his freshman to sophomore year and he's a big time leader for us, just on presence" Albrecht said of Pechi but the backup Leo Pace is also back for the Falcons as well along with two juniors which should be a fun quarterback battle in camp. Pass catchers will be a question mark for Albrecht despite having Bailey coming back but he mentioned about Herschel McCormick-Reamer who was their slot receiver last season and should have a huge role along with Darius Warren for Farmington. "It's tough for me to give him recognition at the receiver spot because he ran a ton of jet sweeps, ran a lot of tosses out of the backfield as well but he was a big time scorer for us when we needed him and he also doubled at corner for us and had some really big plays especially against Troy with their 6.3 receiver (Jalen Peacock") Albrecht said of McCormick-Reamer. Warren and Jaylen Marshall also expected to make some noise as well. "Darius Warren is the other wide receiver show returning out there, we have Jaylen Marshall who is returning, who's had a lot of time as well. We also got some JV kids that are looking to buy time and get reps in there that are really capable and understand their role like kind of they aren't going to be the starter right away and kind of work their way in a little bit" Albrecht said of his wide receivers. They should be strong up front with Evan Simms, Vaughn Hoffmeyer, Justin Quin, Ashwin Sureshbabbu, and Myles Smith coming back on both lines. The defense should be the strength of the Falcons with Carter Kulinski at linebacker and John Howell who could play both in the defensive secondary and linebacker while Bailey, and Marshall, McCormick-Reamer, and Warren coming back in the defensive secondary. They did add a transfer in Christian Gillins who comes to Farmington from Novi. "We got a transfer in Christian Gillins is coming in from Novi, he's a DB too so we got some ability to kind of move guys around at times and match personnel and kind of play where you know wherever is going to be our strength" Albrecht said about his defensive secondary.
Program strength looks to be a concern for Farmington. "With our district we have each of our middle school teams and then it's kind of not a lottery but kids can choose as incoming freshman where what school they want to choose from (North Farmington or Farmington) for high school so it's tough knowing exactly who we are going to get. We'll get some kids who play in the NFWB (North Farmington/West Bloomfield) Vikings or Southfield Falcons stuff like that but our JV program has been strong obviously with the kids we have up with us now, they've had winning seasons the last couple of years and we know my head coach is kind of retired (John Becktel,) he's been a big proprietor in our offseason program as well so it's been great so it's early in the summer and we're looking at freshman numbers is always who's going to show up when they sign up in the winter and spring, some kids get cold feet but you know our strength has always been to try and develop our kids and have them understand what our base package is of our offense, defense, and be able to learn that, excel with it and then as they move up to varsity to be able to kind of to step right in and do what is expected of them. So it's nice to expect that, in the last year, I've had a lot of the same coaches in our lower levels so it's nice to have that continuity and development of our young players" Albrecht said. The Falcons are in their final season in the OAA before they head to the Lakes Valley Conference next season. "It's kind of bittersweet, when I grew up and played for Farmington High School we were in the Western Lakes so it's a lot of the same teams with the Walled Lakes (Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Northern), the South Lyons are in there (South Lyon East, South Lyon), I think it's great for the district, great for athletics just with transportation as a major factor and bus transportation isn't easy and I think it's you know with the Livonia's next door (Livonia Stevenson, Livonia Franklin, and Livonia Churchill) and the Walled Lake schools are fairly close, the furthest one for us is going to White Lake Lakeland and we did that last year and it was kind of a shorter bus ride than going to some of the OAA schools, it's an exciting time with being the last year in the OAA, I'm glad it's a full year for all athletics to do that and we'll still be seeing everybody in seven on seven and in the playoffs and everything like that and be able to schedule those teams in the non conference schedule games and stuff like that" Albrecht concluded. This could be really interesting for the Falcons when it comes to their season.
BEST CASE: Falcons find their quarterback and he performs. Defense performs to expectations. Bailey shines as a playmaker and gets help especially at wide receiver and creates balance. Everyone stays healthy. This is a postseason team if these pans out.
WORST CASE: The Falcons struggle to find their quarterback, injuries mount. Bailey has to do everything. They struggle to find consistency on both sides of the football.
SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Falcons should be in the postseason conversation in their final year in the league but is Vinni Pechi ready to take on the responsibilities that was left by Juilen Johnson will be the question. Pechi could have a strong year which takes the pressure off Anthony Bailey. Farmington has a ton of questions but also some upside heading into the season.
Farmington Podcast (June 30th-First Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iFK2O6KAH0
SEAHOLM MAPLES:
LAST SEASON: 7-4, 5-1 Blue. Lost 36-7 to Groves in Division Two district finals. 272 points scored (24.7 ppg,) 196 points allowed (17.8 ppg.)
MAKE OR BREAK: September 12th at Bloomfield Hills
STRENGTHS: Quarterback, Skill Positions.
CONCERNS: Depth, Both Lines.
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Patrick Hughes-Quarterback
BOLD PREDICTION: Patrick Hughes throws 12 touchdown passes this season.
PROJECTED RECORD: 4-5, 3-3 Blue. PLAYOFFS YES.
INSIGHT: The Maples have had a ton of moments with special deep postseason runs and even made a Division Two State Semifinal appearance (2019 falling to Detroit Martin Luther King.) They were a team that really overachieved last season after losing a ton of proven talent from 2023 when they beat their arch rival Groves twice (27-21 and 56-49 in the postseason) but fell 34-21 to Waterford Mott in the regional finals. Seaholm made a run what was supposed to be a down year for the program and made the postseason for the sixth time in seven years. "I thought our kids did a great job throughout the summer, we had a lot to replace but we obviously had Penn Roberts that was our workhorse on both sides of the ball and I thought our kids bonded well, worked hard and gave us a fighting chance in every game and somehow someway in the fourth quarter, we found a way to win those close games, we had some close fourth quarter games and I was real proud of our kids, I was actually kind of surprised that we started 6-0, I was really shocked with that" said Coach Jim DeWald about last season's surprising start. For the Maples to have a good year, they must be competitive in the division and also beat their arch rival Groves which DeWald prioritizes every year knowing that the two rivals will cross paths in week nine and in the postseason if both teams can get there. "Last year they had to be one of the top five teams in the State, they were really good last year, they have talent year in and year out, they are well coached over there, they do a really good job, that's a school that is a mile from ours and in the same district, it's a great rivalry, it's a fun game, everyone loves rivalry games, they've had our number as of late but we look forward to that game every year" DeWald said about the rivalry with Groves to which they will play at Seaholm in week nine this season.
The Maples have some proven experience despite having to replace some major holes on both sides of the football. Seaholm runs the veer offense which is a triple option but their version of the veer is not as dynamic as Adams (Adams, more explosive) but the Maples play the time possession game which most veer teams want to do. They like to play 11 on 10 and keep the football as long as they can but the veer requires a lot of timing, execution, and steps. The Maples have their quarterback in Patrick Hughes coming back. Hughes shared time with Finn Rowland who graduated last season. "We rotated series with him last year he played 50 percent of every game so some games he had an extra series or two but that's always helpful in our offense (veer) when a quarterback comes back, you can train kids over and over again until they see the proverbial live bullets, it's tough to see now he's seen it so games tend to slow down for the quarterback at that position, it's tough, he's got to make three decisions in a matter of seconds every play, having the game slow down is helpful. So I'm looking forward to watching him this year, he's had a great summer, he's doing things really well right now" said DeWald who admits the veer offense is known for a lot of zone read and read options but this veer is not like Adams which DeWald would admit. Seaholm will have Casey Goetz coming back at the A-Back (slot back) along with Conrad Swanson who is another A-Back and a proven pass catcher in Will Forberg coming back. "Will is a good athlete, we brought him up as a sophomore, he's got a kind of a natural instinct in the open field, he learned a lot then he got banged up, he broke his tibia so he missed a bunch last year, we're going to put him at corner, playing him at the A-Back, he's a really good athlete, great kid, great family, hardworking the whole nine, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do this year having a whole healthy year, he's had a great offseason, he's a lacrosse kid (Birmingham United) so he understands how to move in space" DeWald said of Forburg. The lines should be solid with Max Kruger and Brendan Corbett coming back but DeWald admitted that they have to replace a lot on both sides of the football. "Max is our leading returner, hard worker and everyone else we got to replace so it's back to the drawing board, we got to replace a lot on that side of the ball" DeWald said about the offense. The defense has some holes they need to replace for defensive coordinator and boys basketball coach Spenser Adams. They should be solid with Ben Swisher and Will Norman at linebacker coming back which DeWald is excited to see Norman play more "He's steady, he had a great year spelling guys here and there" he said about Norman. DeWald is also looking forward to seeing Wesley McPete play. McPete broke his arm last season but he is healthy this season. "We have a lot of work to do on filling holes on both sides of the ball" DeWald said about his linebackers. The defensive secondary will be a question mark for the Maples. They have Forberg along with moving Rocco Kulpa from the line into the defensive secondary. Nolan McKevitt handles the kicking duties."It's going to be plug and play like the Detroit Tigers, we got to kind of figure out all right he's better at this position and so we're learning on the run, I'm looking forward to it" DeWald said about his defense.
Program strength looks to be solid with a new group of players coming up in the system coming from Berkshire Middle School and with the Birmingham Patriots youth football program. "Our freshman team was not great last year, our JV team seems to be very good year in and year out, a lot of it is the way we do things and I don't know that you know I think what helps us is we're consistent with coaching/play calling/defense/offense all the way through freshmen so there is not a lot of variance so our kids know and get our system before they come to us, our lower level coaches do a great job to keep kids in the program as we try to get more kids out, it's a numbers game. There's five high schools inside of our district (Groves, Seaholm, Birmingham Brother Rice, Birmingham Marian, Birmingham Detroit Country Day) and I swear we're the fifth when it comes to when people know athletics they go somewhere else. We kind of get what comes through that door, coach them up the best we possibly can, the kids are awesome, they work their ass off, I love them to death and they exceed expectations all the time and I expect them to do the same thing this year, so we're working on the program numbers that is a work in progress" DeWald said. Seaholm opened up a new facility last season, which usually new things bring the community together and it's a big time recruiting tool to bring kids to Seaholm. "It's unbelievable, I just get there in the morning watch film, you can stand up all day long and you can do everything you need right there, it overlooks the field, our office stares at the field, the kids love it, it's clean, it's nice, the film room is outstanding what we use just everything is so convenient it's beautiful and our stadium it has the hill on one side and the three side building on the other side and the two sides it's almost like we're in a bowl, you got the big scoreboard on the other side, there is no track around the field and Aaron Frank (Athletic Director at Seaholm) does a phenomenal job at in game entertainment whether it's between in timeouts, or in between quarters, or at halftime, he's trying to make it as close as to a college game, it's about trying to entertain the crowd the best he can and our Maple Forest crowd does a good job, it's a cool especially when you get into later into the season, the lights it's just cool, I love it, I love playing home games there, it's one of the coolest atmospheres your going to find just with the facility itself, the in game entertainment, the kids playing, the little kids playing football on the hill (north endzone) during the game, it's so cool, I can tell people in the neighborhood it's so cool listening announcing to the neighborhood, we're very fortunate and very blessed. I'm so thankful for the building and the kids it's awesome" DeWald concluded. Seaholm should be in the conversation with the veer offense but defense and depth are big concerns this season.
BEST CASE: The Maples take the next step. Hughes becomes more a star than he already was. They find an offensive line, the defense performs to expectations. Seaholm finds that balance that they can play time possession football which makes the veer very effective.
WORST CASE: Injuries mount. Both lines struggle and are forced to play from behind, not a good recipe.
SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Maples have been a proven power in the Blue. Seaholm should be in the conversation but can the young guys gel will be the question mark. The JV was very successful last season but it doesn't always translate to varsity which is why DeWald wasn't as optimistic as the media is surrounding Seaholm. The Maples should be competitive but the young players will be the key to see if they are competitive or not.
Seaholm Podcast (July 14th-Third Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dchMjAC1ceQ
BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACK HAWKS:
LAST SEASON: 1-8, 0-6 Blue. No postseason. 93 points scored (10.3 ppg,) 305 points allowed (33.8 ppg.)
MAKE OR BREAK: September 12th vs Seaholm
STRENGTHS: Proven Pass Catchers, Program Strength, Defensive Secondary.
CONCERNS: Both Lines, Quarterback, Depth, Transition Period.
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Rocco Colossomo- Quarterback
BOLD PREDICTION: Jad Almsaddi rushes for 1,000 yards and has 15 touchdowns this season.
PROJECTED RECORD: 3-6, 1-5 Blue. PLAYOFFS NO.
INSIGHT: The Black Hawks have been a program that has really struggled lately going 5-22 in the last three years but there is some optimism on Andover Road especially when it comes to the lower levels. "Everything is new, everything is different, it's a new year, new staff, new schemes, we can move forward and try to get better at the things we're trying to do, we have some good players, we have some good kids, we got a bunch of kids that have been working hard this summer, my hope is that they are open to change and they want to help turn things around" said new Coach Scott Merchant. Merchant takes over the program for longtime coach Dan Loria who is now an assistant at New Baltimore Anchor Bay. Merchant has done magic in his 15 years at Chippewa Valley leading the Big Reds to the Division One State crown beating Clarkston 31-30 in 2018 and finished with a 103-53 record at Chippewa Valley, making the postseason 13 of his 15 years with the school. He recently coached at Lawrence Tech in Southfield in 2024 before coming back to coach high school football. "Number one is probably my family, my wife (Amy Merchant) has been at Bloomfield Hills for over 25 years, my daughter (Emma Merchant- 2018 Girls Soccer State Champion) graduated from the high school, my son is going to be a junior this year, he played varsity last year. We lived in the district for over 11 years so that was the number one thing, the other thing was after a year being back in college I really missed being in a high school only as a coach but being a counselor and working in the school with all different kinds of students, administrators, you know it's a lot different than that, there is something special about Friday night lights and nothing like it in the world" said Merchant. Merchant sees more of with this program when he was at University-Detroit Jesuit than he was at Chippewa Valley. "Chippewa was middle of the pack when I got there, they've been on top and they kind of slipped a little bit to the middle of the pack, this reminds me of when I got to U-D Jesuit, my first head coaching job (1998,) they've had only two winning seasons in 20 years and our first year we went 4-5 and people were ecstatic about that because they hadn't been very good and then the second year we went 10-3 and went to the State Semifinals, it would be great if that happened again but there is a lot of similarities between the academics, the facility, the construction, and the kids. The kids at U-D were tired of losing and they were very open to changing the narrative and I've seen that with the kids at Bloomfield Hills too so hopefully we'll be able to turn it around in a similar way to what we did at U-D Jesuit" Merchant added about this program's similarities.
The transition period will be very interesting to see with Bloomfield Hills which has to happen during the season. "It's been great, I've really enjoyed the time I've been at Bloomfield working with the kids, the parents, and the administrators and the teachers there so from my perspective, I'm definitely excited about the move, for the kids there is a lot of changes were asking the kids to make right now so there is definitely a learning curve to make but they are working hard and we've busy with the changes we're trying to make during the summer" Merchant said. The Black Hawks have some questions they need to address despite having strong program strength. Bloomfield Hills allowed the most points in the league based on points allowed and points per game and has the second least amount of points based on points per game and points scored in the OAA last season. The Black Hawks have a returning quarterback in Rocco Colossomo coming back and is the leader in the clubhouse heading into camp according to Merchant. Colossomo had some moments where he struggled at times but with Merchant he could be in line for a bounce back season. "He's got a couple of years playing but it's a different system but it's always nice when you have a quarterback coming back that has some varsity experience" Merchant said about Colossomo. The rushing attack should be solid for Merchant with Jad Almsaddi at running back coming back. "He's our most dynamic guy on offense, he was a sophomore last year, will be a junior this year, he's a guy who can play outside receiver, he can play the slot, he can play running back, he's a talented football player" Merchant said about Almsaddi but there are some others to watch for like Kaden Gully who was the running back for their JV last season (will also play in the defensive secondary.) Another set of players to watch is the Commit brothers (Desi and Phy) Desi should also get some time at running back while his brother will play linebacker and also have some time at running back. Colossomo will have proven pass catchers in Mason Hitchcock and Isaac Kaplan coming back. "Mason has had a good summer, he's a hard worker he's kind of a fifth quarter guy for them last year, he didn't get a ton of time as a sophomore but he did get some which is always valuable so we're excited to have him back, we'll definitely look for a lot of progress from him from last year to this year, anytime you can put a guy who's 6.4 out wide and you know he's athletic and can jump, he can create mismatches in the perimeter and we have to be able to do that so he's had a good summer, working hard and he's trying to learn the new system, once he does he's going to have a good year for us" Merchant said about Hitchcock. Also Bennett Costus could be a player to watch at tight end. "Bennett Costus is a kid to watch at tight end" Merchant mentioned. Both lines are huge strengths for Merchant despite having only two starters in Grant Main and Nolan Metts coming back and Averi Lewis could be someone to watch. "It starts up front and we have some seniors, we have two outstanding seniors, we have Nolan Metts, he was a tackle but is going to move into a guard position, he's a road grader, big, strong, physical kid and then Grant Main, he's an offensive tackle he started for us, he's 6.2, 285, maybe 280, he's a good athlete, plays three sports so I'm really excited up front starting with those guys" Merchant said about his two senior lineman. The rest of the offensive line looks to be strong as well which includes a rising sophomore lineman in Wilson Terrance which Merchant is high on as well. "He's around 295, 290, he heavyweights wrestles as well" Merchant said about Terrance. The defense should be much improved despite having one of the worst seasons when it came to points allowed allowing 305 points last season. "We're going to be pretty young up front but we have one senior coming back, Avery Lewis who had a real solid junior year, we kind of see him as the leader of the defensive line group, we kind of have a number of juniors and seniors who didn't start last year that are working in there, I've been really encouraged with the number of linemen we have on both sides of the ball, a lot of times you got a million skill kids and they don't want to play on the line and you know, we're pretty much 50/50 which is nice to have some depth on the line. They have Bryant Snyder, Cam Harst, and Will Merchant coming back at linebacker. Snyder missed half of the season with illness and injury last season. The Black Hawks have Eddie Hruska, Almsaddi, Caden Whitmire, Hitchcock, and Brent Brooks in the defensive secondary coming back. "I've really liked what I've seen out of him this summer, our defensive coordinator is Mike Quinnland, he was the defensive coordinator at Brother Rice under Adam Kryzenski, Mike's done a great job along with our other defensive staff this summer and I think we're going to make some progress on that side of the ball that is for sure" Merchant said about Burns along with his defense. The sophomore class could push the veterans for playing time which should help the Black Hawks as the season progresses. "We got some young guys in the mix if they keep progressing they may find some key roles on the varsity as sophomores" Merchant said about his sophomores.
Program strength has been on the upswing at Bloomfield Hills under Loria despite the challenging results. Bloomfield Hills has gone through a ton of changes in their school district. The Black Hawks have a flag football youth league which Merchant wants to look at. "I have spoken to Coach Geneieve who's been running the flag football league in Bloomfield for like 30 years and trying to find different ways to get our players involved in the program, last spring we had a bunch of our players coach our youth teams so that was a positive thing, we're going to have a community night and invite our youth, elementary, and middle school players to come to a game and so we're trying to get into the community and make it definitely a point of pride on and off the field and we want to grow the program and keep our kids at home and choosing to go to Bloomfield Hills High School instead of a private school" Merchant added. Bloomfield Hills have two middle schools in South Hills which was the original middle school and North Hills which is the former Bloomfield Hills Lahser campus. Bloomfield Hills High School is on the former Bloomfield Hills Andover campus. "I've had an opportunity to meet with the middle schools, we have two middle schools, and two coaches at each of those schools, I've met with them, I'm excited about them and shared kind of my vision for the program and they're on board so everything starts with them down there, you know I think they have about 40 kids in each school last year so our numbers down there are pretty good, with our incoming freshman class I saw our freshman coach and he said that he's got over 50 kids signed up to play now showing up and signing up are two different things but if we have 40 or more freshman we're going to feel really good about that, then our JV numbers are a little low, I don't know why exactly why, they had a good season on freshman, they went 7-2 but there was only 26 28 of them so we're in our mid 20's with our sophomores, we have a really large junior class like around 30 juniors and 16 to 18 seniors, we're looking to have like 50 on varsity, 25 on JV, and hopefully 40 on freshman" Merchant said about his program strength from middle school to high school. Merchant has used program strength to build his program when he was at Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit and at Chippewa Valley. This is an area where he built before leaving for Lawrence Tech. Merchant brings a new level of excitement to Bloomfield Hills but also a ton of questions as well. "I'm a believer in competition, makes you better, not that the competition isn't good in the Blue but our enrollment is bigger than some of those schools so if we do what we're suppose to do then maybe we will move up to the White eventually" Merchant concluded.
BEST CASE: Merchant brings that magic from Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit and Chippewa Valley to Bloomfield Hills. Colossomo has a monster year, they have a two headed running back monster, and their pass catchers rise to become stars. They are healthy and have a line on both sides and the defense brings a ton of excitement. Postseason dreams could be a reality if this pans out.
WORST CASE: The Black Hawks go back to their losing ways. Injuries mount, Colossomo struggles, the lines struggle to protect offensively, and get a pass rush defensively. Depth and program strength become big concerns. Mental mindset is shot. The rebuild takes longer than expected.
SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Black Hawks look better under Merchant but can they keep it up??? Can Colossomo blossom under Merchant after struggling under Loria. Yes Merchant is a big hire but he has a big rebuilding job ahead with Bloomfield Hills. The transition period has to happen and it has to during the season. I think this is a program that is two years away from making a ton of noise.
Bloomfield Hills Podcast (July 28th-Third Segment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWKQ22segY
TROY COLTS:
LAST SEASON: 4-5, 3-3 Blue. No postseason. 187 points scored (20.8 ppg,) 216 points allowed (24 ppg.)
MAKE OR BREAK: September 12th vs Flint Powers Catholic
STRENGTHS: Linebackers, Proven Secondary, Rushing Attack
CONCERNS: Program Strength, Offense, Both Lines, Not a lot of Experience
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Cole Oury- Quarterback/Running Back
BOLD PREDICTION: Noah Oury becomes the starting quarterback week one.
PROJECTED RECORD: 0-9, 0-6 Blue. PLAYOFFS NO.
INSIGHT: It's been a game of inches that have described the Colts fate after making the postseason four of the last six years from 2019-2022 (19-9.) "Last year Troy High was really lucky to have a highly talented team last year, we sent three guys to play Division Two football (Noah Oury and Lucas Tic-Grand Valley State, Jalen Peacock-Saginaw Valley State) those guys along with the rest of the seniors were, most of those guys were three year players for us so they kind of knew the system, they kind of knew the expectations and we relied on those guys as the year went on to make more and more plays, Noah (Oury) ran the ball from the quarterback spot and Jalen played every position there was (wide receiver, defensive secondary) and Lucas was the guy we ran behind whenever it was, those were really important players for us and we were really fortunate to coach them and we're happy they're off playing in the college level and now obviously the goal is or the task is to try and replace people like that and obviously that's not going to be easy" said Coach Chris Frasier. Troy hasn't been able to make the postseason the last two years after putting themselves into the final game in a win or go home mantra. They fell to Fraser on a last second touchdown 20-19 in 2023. The Colts fell 35-7 the following year at Ron Holland Field to North Farmington behind Raiders quarterback Terrance James 69 yard rushing touchdown on fourth down denying Troy a trip to the postseason for the second straight year last season. "Nothing will beat the heartache of Fraser (lost on a last second passing touchdown), the one play to get in and out of the playoffs but you know obliviously playing in close football games is a skill you have to develop is like staying cool under pressure like staying calm in the moment so that's something for a while things were going our way and then last couple years things were going the other team's way so you know at Troy High we have to get back of not only capitalizing in the moment but putting ourselves in better positions to finish those games and close those games out" said Frasier. Getting to the postseason and getting those final inches will be key for Frasier if they want to make some noise this season. Frasier praises Troy Boys Basketball Coach Gary Fralick for getting him into coaching and also congratulated Fralick on getting to the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame. "I've known Coach Fralick since I was a young kid, he worked with my mother, I owe a lot of gratitude towards him, he was the person that started me in my coaching career so way back in the day I was a volunteer coach for him and he kind of started my path to coaching so I owe Coach Fralick a lot of gratitude and a lot of respect for actually getting me into the coaching game. I consider Coach Fralick a good friend, and he's got nothing but Troy High on his mind all the time, he's the coach that'll be at school in 10 in the morning in the middle of fall getting basketball ready and you know we talk weekly and he always comes out and supports our football program so I got nothing but great things to say about Coach Fralick and we're really proud to have him in the Hall of Fame, something that he greatly deserves" Frasier said about Coach Fralick.
Troy has some serious questions on both sides of the football. They have to replace a lot of proven talent after being senior heavy last season. The Colts need to find out who there entire offense will be for Frasier. Troy has to replace Oury who has graduated. "Noah was a three year player for us and Noah had played a bunch of positions for us, he was the backup quarterback, as a sophomore he played defensive end, tight end and Noah was a really good athlete, he was a really good quarterback, he's really smart and we were lucky to have him, losing a college quarterback you can't easily replace but you know that's kind of the name of high school sports, every year you wish you kind of want to have that player you want to have for a fifth year but you know they are going to go on and do bigger and better things besides high school football so the quarterback position is kind of up for grabs and it's probably the most important position in sports whether it's high school quarterback or pro quarterback so it's been something we've been trying to develop this summer, we've got a couple of kids who are working hard for the job and I can't tell you where it's going to go yet but we don't have a returning quarterback so that's something that you kind of look at as a coach every year and say is the quarterback coming back or not and it's our turn to say no, the battle is going good we got Noah's younger brother Cole has been on the varsity team last year, so he's played a little bit and we have another quarterback in Darrius, he's been working hard at it and we got a couple of younger kids doing it so there is a couple of kids working hard for that spot" said Frasier. The Colts have some proven experience in their backfield with Teddy Moore and Anthony Piraino at running back coming back. "We got Teddy Moore, second year varsity player for us, he was a sophomore last year so he's one of the kids in the mix and Anthony Piraino will be a second year running back so he'll be in the mix and Cole Oury can play running back as well so all those guys have experience like what you said that's going to be one of the strengths of our team is those skill guys and their experience and knowledge of the system" Frasier added. Whoever the quarterback is should have Evan Baraiac, Matt Jackson, and Ryan Christensen at wide receiver coming back. "We've been lucky to have to have guys that are coming back so our guy coming back is Evan Baraiac, he's a three year player, and a varsity captain for us, he'll pretty much be a kid that knows it all for us, been around the block so he'll be one of the guys and you know to be honest now it's a chance for some young guys to step up and make a case to be those receivers so we're hopefully looking for a JV guy, a kid that didn't get a lot of reps last year to step up and take some of those other pass catching roles" he added. Frasier will have to replace both lines after the majority of them including Lucas Tic graduated and is at Grand Valley State. He will have Mike Helinski, Cam Gillespie, and Selah Houston coming back "We're lucky to have an offensive tackle in Mike Helinski back and our center Cam Gillespie so those are two guys we'll rely on and you know we're trying to replace three guys on the offensive line and we're trying to replace four, three guys on the defensive line so that's going to be one of the major stories in camp is who is going to take those reps and not only who is going to take those reps in shorts and t-shirts but who's going to take those reps when pads come on so that's going to be our biggest story in fall camp" Frasier mentioned. The defense has to replace a lot of proven skill players for defensive coordinator Tom Calhen after really struggling to stop people despite having Jalen Peacock who was one of the best defensive backs in the state but has since graduated. They have Jordan Goka, Malik Phillips, Cameron Adams, and Gabe Geisner at linebacker along with Christensen, Jackson and Baraiac in the defensive secondary coming back. "We lost a lot of guys on defense so we're going to have to replace Greg Tester who was one of our captains last year so that's going to be a big task for a lot of people and we're going to have to replace the whole secondary, Ryan Christensen comes back, Evan Baraiac comes back but the rest of the guys are going to have to be replaced so a similar story to the offensive and defensive lines, some juniors or new seniors are going to have to take it or a JV guy is going to have to step up and take those reps" Frasier said about his defense. They have Omar Atasi handling the kicking duties. He had a great year and will look to have a repeat performance this season.
Program strength is a serious concern despite the resurgence in the city of Troy with football. The Colts get some kids from the youth program in Troy with the Troy Cowboys youth program but they also go to arch rival Troy Athens as well. "The last couple of years there has been a resurgence in young men interested in football in Troy so we're hoping it continues this year, we've had some good turnouts from offseason workouts, we never know who is going to show up the first day but we're hoping a solid class of freshmen shows up and we call those guys the lifeline of the team and without those younger people like restocking the system old guys like me can't hang around the game anymore and so that we've been lucky to have and they do a good job at the middle school and the Cowboys level kind of promoting football so we got nothing but good to say about the lower levels in Troy" Frasier added. Troy gets most of their kids from Boulan Park Middle School but there are at times some kids from Larson or Baker that go to Troy as well. "I think each middle school not just the Troy side but the Athens side, they have teachers in the building coaching middle school sports which not only helps but with continuity not only knowing the kids but promoting the program, we've been lucky. I think I can say that they've done a good job at having good coaches in the building, promote the sport and having like that relationship that those teachers have with the student's help funnel more kids into sports whether it's football, basketball and all those things and that's the biggest that we want at Troy and I don't care what sport your playing but just come out and play sports whether it's football or basketball, soccer whatever it is but just do something, you know what I mean" Frasier concluded. It could be a really long season for Frasier and the Colts if they don't get some things addressed and quick.
BEST CASE: The Colts lines really improve, some household names emerge, they create depth, and the young guys make some noise. The defense has a strong year. They break the two year drought and make the postseason.
WORST CASE: The Colts get off to a tough start, injuries mount. Depth is not there, they struggle on both lines and struggle as a team.
SAMMY OUTLOOK: It could be a long year for the Colts if they don't address key position areas. The schedule looks brutal plus losing a lot of talent really hurts. Troy needs to start fast if they want to be really competitive this season. Injuries and mental mindset could set this team on a downward slope fast.
Troy Podcast (July 28th-Second Segment)
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