Gold plus Kettering and Mott Preview 2025.

Written Monday August 18th at 2:30 PM

 

ONTV News Media Day:

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

OAA Now Football Podcast: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpjDfF-Rjpo 

 

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)

 

GOLD DIVISION OVERALL STATS

 

OFFENSE

1. Avondale 26.3 ppg (290)

2. Ferndale 21.2 ppg (212)

3. Royal Oak 12.7 ppg (115)

4. Berkley 11.2 ppg (101) 

5. Pontiac 7.1 ppg (64)

 

DEFENSE

1. Avondale 15.9 ppg (175)

2. Ferndale 19.8 ppg (198)

3. Berkley 25 ppg (225)

4. Royal Oak 25.4 ppg (229)

5. Pontiac 32.5 ppg (293)

 

LAKES VALLEY CONFERENCE OVERALL STATS

 

OFFENSE

1. Walled Lake Western 46 ppg (553)

2. Lakeland 30.1 ppg (301)

3. Milford 27.1 ppg (271)

4. South Lyon East 25.1 ppg (251)

5. South Lyon 22.1 ppg (199)

6. Walled Lake Central 15.5 ppg (140)

7. Waterford Kettering 14 ppg (126)

8. Waterford Mott 12.5 ppg (113)

9. Walled Lake Northern 5 ppg (45)

 

DEFENSE 

1. Walled Lake Western 8.6 ppg (104)

2. Milford 16.2 ppg (162)

3. South Lyon East 19.2 ppg (192)

4. Waterford Mott 19.7 ppg (178)

5. South Lyon 23.8 ppg (215)

6. Lakeland 25.4 ppg (254)

7. Walled Lake Central 34.6 ppg (312)

8. Walled Lake Northern 37.3 ppg (336)

9. Waterford Kettering 40 ppg (360)

 

COACHES POLL

Ferndale (3)

Avondale

Berkley

Royal Oak

Pontiac 

 

Gold Division plus Kettering and Mott Preview Show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8bBy7SdyaE 

 

DIVISION RECAPS/STORYLINES:

The Gold was really interesting which went down to two teams last season. Avondale won the division after winning 21-7 over Ferndale which involved both venues after an incident in the stands that forced the game to be moved. Avondale and Ferndale were postseason teams while Pontiac, Royal Oak, and Berkley had things very tough last season. The Yellow Jackets and Eagles have new coaches. Could the transition lead the rest of the division to catch up to the top two teams in this division???

Avondale: The Yellow Jackets won the Gold and made the postseason but they fell to Walled Lake Western in the district finals for the second straight year last season. Avondale has a new coach and a new system to adjust to this season. Also they have a tough schedule which has them going to both sides of the state. It could be really interesting to see how the Yellow Jackets handle the transition period which has to happen during the season.

Ferndale: The Eagles had a great year getting to the postseason but this offseason there was a ton of changes. Ferndale has a new coach and a new system which leads to a transition period that has to happen during the season. The Eagles with a new team could be something to watch.

Royal Oak: The Ravens saw some progress winning two of their final three games last season but they still have identity issues especially offensively. It's focusing on what they want to do this season. Royal Oak's storyline will be progress. If the Ravens can do that they could surprise some people.

Berkley: The Bears seen some strides and were much improved despite the record. Berkley will look to make progress this season. Depth will be a question mark despite the progress made this season. The story is progress for the Bears and if they can do that they could surprise some people.

Pontiac: The Phoenix lost a lot of proven experience especially their quarterback last season and depth will be a concern heading into this season. Its continuing the process with development and how things have been going. The story for Pontiac will be progress and if that progress can develop results. It is clear that the Phoenix are heading in the right direction but patience is needed. 

 

TOP FIVE GAMES:

1. Ferndale at Berkley: Eagles have had the Bears number as of late.

2. Avondale at Ferndale: Yellow Jackets won 21-7 in a game that had to be played at both schools last season.

3. Berkley at Royal Oak: The Battle of Woodward on Royal Oak's homecoming, that's worth the price of admission.

4. Avondale at Berkley: Bears should have this game circled after a 49-7 drenching in Auburn Hills last season.

5. Pontiac at Avondale: Chance for the Phoenix to prove themselves as a program against a program with a ton of success.

 

COMBINED RECORDS WITH LAST SEASON'S SCHEDULES (NON LEAGUE): 

Avondale: 37-14

Berkley: 25-23

Royal Oak: 16-29

Ferndale: 29-20

Pontiac: 16-30

 

Easiest Schedule: Berkley: Things line up perfectly for the Bears if things go right. Berkley could be 4-0 or 3-1 heading into their much heated rivalry game with Royal Oak. The Bears took the Battle of Woodward Street sign back from the Ravens last season. Berkley also has to go to Jackson Northwest which blew them out 35-12 at Hurley Field last season. The Bears have Livonia Franklin, Oak Park, Ferndale, Avondale, and Stoney Creek coming to Hurley Field. They have to go to Madison Heights Lamphere along with Jackson Northwest as mentioned, Royal Oak, and Pontiac. If things go right as mentioned Coach Casey Humes will have this team heading on the right track.

Nightmare Schedule: Avondale: If your Yellow Jackets new coach James Carlisle who has went 21-41 in the last seven years coaching at Imlay City and Vassar you would want an easier schedule to ease in the transition. Carlisle did not put the schedule together to his defense, this was done well in advance under former Coach Bob Meyer. "I don't know why were driving that distances but whoever made that schedule should be fired but it is what it is" Carlisle said about the schedule this season. Avondale signed home and homes with Cedar Springs and Carleton Airport. Both teams went to Auburn Hills last season and now the Yellow Jackets have to make the return trips to Kent County and Monroe County respectively. Avondale heads to Cedar Springs week one (Kent County) which is a two hour and 18 minute bus ride on Interstate 96 where they fell 21-14 after being forced to play at Troy Athens because of a power outage and close out the season at Carleton Airport which is an hour and a half drive south on Interstate 275 to Monroe County after winning 28-7 in Auburn Hills last season. The Yellow Jackets have Seaholm, Ferndale, Royal Oak, and Berkley also the road which is going to be tough. They have Groves, Pontiac, and Macomb Lutheran North coming to Dick Bye Field. "Well being at an away game I can be there in 20 minutes and in the Greater Thumb Conference it's an hour commute, it would take an hour and a half to get to Harbor Beach (Huron County.") Carlisle said about the travel. The schedule looks very tricky and dangerous for Carlisle and the Yellow Jackets.

Team that's in Trouble: Ferndale: The Eagles have a new coach with a young team even though talking to Coach Donovan Jackson, he felt that Ferndale should be playing the best teams they could find, they are going to get that with this schedule. "We got to play the best to get us ready" Jackson said about the schedule. The schedule looks very daunting which has Madison Heights Lamphere on the road in week one. They have a trip to Hurley Field (Berkley) in the middle of the season. The final three weeks of the season is vicious with three proven Wayne County powers that have new and proven coaches in River Rouge, Harper Woods, and Detroit Renaissance. The Eagles have Troy, Royal Oak, Avondale, Pontiac come to Ferndale before that three week gantlet which River Rouge and Detroit Renaissance comes to Ferndale. If the Eagles can win at least one of those last three weeks then a postseason appearance looks possible.

 

FERNDALE EAGLES:

 

LAST SEASON: 6-4, 3-1 Gold. Lost 49-14 to Groves in Division Two first round. 212 points scored (21.2 ppg,) 198 points allowed (19.8 ppg.)

MAKE OR BREAK: September 26th vs Avondale

STRENGTHS: Linebackers, Proven Pass Catchers.

CONCERNS: Depth, Inexperience, Program Strength

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Michael Clark-Offensive/Defensive Lineman

BOLD PREDICTION: Ferndale wins a postseason game. 

PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 4-0 Gold. PLAYOFFS YES.

 

INSIGHT: The Eagles has had a ton of success making the postseason six of the last nine years. They had a monster upset win at Ron Holland Field upsetting North Farmington 20-12 and a 27-20 win over Southfield Arts and Tech but they ran into a really strong Groves squad falling 49-14 in the first round of the postseason. Ferndale hasn't advanced past the first round in each of their appearances. The reason why is that Ferndale is in Division Two for the postseason because of a Co-Op program between Ferndale High School and Ferndale University which the MHSAA combines both school's enrollment and instead of being in Division Four or Division Three they are in Division Two for that reason. (Ferndale 710, Ferndale University 442 students, combined 1,151 students.) "I take it how it comes, if we're in Division Two lets do it we're Division Two, lets go win Division Two so I question it myself a little bit as well but we're a smaller school but we have a connecting school University of Ferndale as well (Ferndale University) so those students get an opportunity to play at Ferndale High School and that's why they put us in Division Two but our numbers, we're probably one of the smallest Division Two's there is like the team in Ferndale, last year Ferndale football had about 30 kids, that's crazy for a Division Two football team" said new Coach Donovan Jackson  There has been a ton of changes this offseason. Coach Erik Royal stepped down and Jackson a 2012 Ferndale alumni and former defensive coordinator at Ferndale has taken over the program. "Ferndale is home for me, I've attended Ferndale myself. Ferndale is known for winning in the OAA Gold, they did a great job, they were senior heavy, I think they had 22 seniors, it was a great senior class, those freshman stayed together until their senior year. Coach Eric Royal did a phenomenal job at keeping them together keeping them dialed in, keeping them dialed up last year and they had a phenomenal season, I was excited for them but that was a pleasure to watch them and especially while I was on my journey as well, I've always been a big fan of Ferndale" said Jackson and was an assistant at Detroit Cass Tech. "It was a pleasure to coach at Cass Tech, I learned a lot of things offensively, defensively just as far as a coach on how to run a program even though I played Division One Football, I played professional football just to coach under Coach Marvin Rushing and Kylie Robinson helped took me to an extreme another level, I'm looking forward to bringing that all to Ferndale" said Jackson.

Jackson has a really young team after the majority of their experience graduated but they still have some proven players that can make some noise despite having some questions but Jackson believes his young team can compete right away despite everything that is stacked against them but they will have to deal with a transition period which has to happen during the season "It's been great, ever since I've been hired, I've hit the ground running, no glitz, no glamor, straight out hard work, sweat and grit you know so we hit the ground running, the transition is going smooth you know ups and downs everything that we do but it's been taking them to the chin persevering and making it happen, yeah just ready to play ball" Jackson said.. The Eagles was solid scoring 212 points which was 21.2 points per game under Royal last season but they will have a completely different system as Jackson will look to put in his system when he was at Ferndale and at Detroit Cass Tech as an assistant. The Eagles will have to replace their quarterback as Cullen Hock graduated but they have Jermaine Bynum at quarterback. Hock was solid coming from Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham Brother Rice with his passing and running ability for Royal. Jackson as he kept everything in house but with Bynum at quarterback he expects this program to make a ton of noise this season."I'm going to kind of stay silent about my players, I'm going to let the play speak so just continue to keep a close eye on Ferndale" Jackson said while keeping everything close to the vest. The rushing attack looks to be the strength with Kadynce Williams and Leonard Hines coming back. Bynum should have proven pass catchers in Jaylen Kyjat, Donovan Franklin, Darelle Cochrane, and El'yontae London coming back for Jackson. The lines should be solid with Jeremiah Jones, DeQuan Starter, and Michael Clark coming back despite having to replace a few starters on both lines along with depth concerns. The defense should be a strength with their athletes despite allowing 198 points which was 19.8 points per game last season but they will have a new system to deal with. The Eagles have Williams, DeRon Burrell, and Hines at linebacker coming back. They added a transfer in Rayvon King who comes to Ferndale from Oak Park this offseason. He could see time at linebacker alongside Williams and Hines. Ferndale has Jeremy Horton, Devin Riser, Isaiah Penel, Franklin, Cochrane, Ivan Edwards, and Kyjat in the defensive secondary coming back. "We got some playmakers going to make really big plays year so I'm going to stay silent on that and I'm going to let them do the work and let their work do all the talking, kind of right there, we lost a lot of seniors" Jackson added. Jackson has a young team as mentioned but they still have some experience even though the Junior Varsity players who are coming up will have to step up and make an impact. "We're looking to play young, you know I'm excited about building young as well, you know what to expect, freshman, I'm looking to win a State Championship with these freshman so they are going to be really talented so I'm looking forward to playing young, build young, and build a young program" Jackson said.

Program strength will be something to watch for Jackson. He will rely on building program strength from Ferndale Middle School and also from Royal Oak Township which also brings kids into Ferndale. They usually get some athletes from Ferndale University which is the reason why they are in Division Two as mentioned. "I haven't really had much too communication with them, you know some kids gravitated towards me, I'm from the community as you know, they know, they've seen my success at Cass Tech so it brought a attraction to the program so I got those middle school guys getting them ready to go like I said I want to play young, I want to play as many of those young guys as I possibly can because they are the future, you know what I'm saying I'm looking down and it's not like I'm looking now but I'm also looking at the future as well, our young guys are going to be very good, it's going to be a lot of success at Ferndale for the next years to come" he added. Jackson has mentioned that he started up a youth football program and held a press conference back in February just about a month he got hired in at Ferndale. "It's a dream to come back to a community that molded me, getting the opportunity to lead the kids that's walking the same path that I walked, it's not a job it's a dream" Jackson said to Scott Bentley of C&G Newspapers in February. I'm 110 dedicated to the youth program, I don't want to be focused on varsity, I love mentoring the youth, I'm a servant to this community" Jackson concluded to Bentley. When he talked to me he mentioned more in depth about the youth program. "So I'm actually from this community, it's a small community called Royal Oak Township which is combined with Ferndale so all Royal Oak kids go to Ferndale Public Schools students, so I grew up here, it wasn't a lot of opportunity for kids coming out of Royal Oak township and that's where I'm from so we went out and I'm also the director of parks and recreation in Royal Oak township so I deal with the youth a lot in our community and one thing that I noticed that our kids don't have a fair opportunity, we're one of the only cities that don't have a youth football team. What opened my eyes was that we went up to play Rockford in week one with Cass Tech (lost 30-23) and I seen all the kids from Rockford's youth football team out at the game and it really opened my eyes and it's something that I wanted to do, something that people in my community stakeholders wanted to do so we went ahead and invested and created a new football team here at Ferndale that will hopefully be the pipeline to Ferndale High School and now we can create that State Championship culture for years and years to come" Jackson said. Ferndale has a tough three game stretch that looms late in the season with three proven Wayne County powers. "So basically our schedule going into the playoffs, in order to be the best we got to play the best and that's what the hammering in our team's head so we're going against two teams that could be State Champions, River Rouge could come out on top in Division Three at any moment of time, this year or next year, or the year after that. Harper Woods is my favorite for Division Four this year so when you look at our schedule, we got two potential State Champions back to back so it's just good for us to get that work going into the playoffs so we know what a State Championship team feels like, what a state championship game feels like so when we get in the playoffs that we don't shy down from competition and we rise to the occasion and you know hopefully we can be in that big dance, so I just wanted to line up the best teams in front of us, line up the best teams in front of our boys. We didn't want to play cupcake games, we wanted to play real football games to get us ready for the State Championship run" Jackson concluded.

BEST CASE: The Eagles find a quarterback, the young guys grow up, and they stay healthy. Ferndale gets into the playoffs in the first year under Jackson and lives up to Jackson's expectations.

WORST CASE: The inexperience shows, the schedule is too tough especially late, quarterback struggles, inconsistent play, mental mindset is not there. Plus injuries mount and lack of depth shows which likely leads to no postseason.

SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Eagles should be the early favorite in the Gold but I'm worried about that schedule especially late into the season. Jackson has his stamp on this program almost similar to that of Detroit Cass Tech which he was on. There is a transition period that has to happen during the season which Ferndale has to go through. This looks like a postseason team but if they do get there, they need to prove they can make some noise in Division Two. 

 

Ferndale Podcast (August 4th-Second Segment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs36c7R5gMU 

 

Bentley article-C&G Newspapers 

https://www.candgnews.com/index.php/news/ferndale-youth-football-program-officially-kicks-off-7683 

 

 

BERKLEY BEARS:

 

LAST SEASON: 2-7, 2-2 Gold. No postseason. 101 points scored (11.2 ppg,) 225 points allowed (25 ppg.)

MAKE OR BREAK: September 5th vs Oak Park

STRENGTHS: Linebackers, Defensive Secondary.

CONCERNS:  Both Lines, Depth, Mental Mindset.

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Ben Bullock-Running Back/Linebacker

BOLD PREDICTION: Connor Bushey has 15 touchdown passes. 

PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 3-1 Gold. POSTSEASON YES.

 

INSIGHT: The Bears went through a transition period last season under Coach Casey Humes who was in his first season coaching at his home school but it was a challenge on both sides of the football which had the third worse offense when it came to points scored and the fifth most points allowed in the OAA last season. The Bears are 4-23 in the last four years (2021-2024) after going 12-6 the prior two years (2019-2020.) "First year under me was a lot of transition, we got a whole new coaching staff and myself as a first year coach, I was kinda of learning my way, kind of being the main guy in charge and hiring staff and getting guys around players who invoke the culture we're trying to build at Berkley, X's and O's we had a small senior class and we had a lot of juniors who were asked to come up and play a lot of minutes, it didn't work out as well as I anticipated but everything is you know about getting better so with some of those same juniors who were asked to play a lot last year are going to be asked to play a bigger role their senior year this year and I'm hoping we can find some success and kind of build on the things we were doing last year" said Humes. 

The main problem for the Bears have been their offense which has struggled the last three years. They had the third worst offense in the OAA last season. The offense should be much better this season with another year of experience and the system for Humes. "This year the four guys who have been playing on varsity since they were sophomores, Eli Khoury will play linebacker and running back for us, Collin Richardson he plays tackle and nose tackle for us, Jack Rittenberry plays guard and defensive tackle for us as well and then Ben Bullock, our middle linebacker and utility player on offense, he has a few offensive positions that he plays so he's our utility on offense. We're going to lean heavily on those guys but we have a big senior class with 16 plus guys, I'm hoping we can lean heavily on this senior class to be able to set the tone for our program but for the future of our program as well" Humes added. Berkley has Connor Bushey at quarterback coming back. Bushey had his moments of good and bad last season. Humes will look to have a bounce back season from his quarterback. Berkley will rely heavily on Bullock on both sides of the football. He was their leading running back and is a tough nose player. Bullock will be more of a focus on the defensive side of the football as their starting linebacker. Bushey should have proven pass catchers in Braylen Banks, Lucas Schwen, John Hannosh, and Ian Flipp coming back. The Bears have Collin Richardson and Jack  Rittenberry coming back on the offensive and defensive lines but Humes is high on Anthony Brachel, formerly a soccer player on the proven powerhouse program but hadn't really played football until last season. "Anthony played for us last year, his first year as a football player but he was a soccer player before, he's 6.3 280 pounds so we're hoping with him being a little more agile and on the heavier athletic side, we can get him out kind of in front of some guys and open up some holes for us on that offensive line" Humes said. The defense was improved despite allowing 225 points last season which was way down from the past two seasons. The linebackers should be the strength of the defense for Humes with Bullock, Eli Khoury, and Hunter Arney coming back. The defensive secondary should be solid with Banks, DJ Ramey, and Schwen coming back. Humes called Schwen a defensive specialist who has made strides this offseason. "The kid has been working his tail off since his junior year and he was able to get out onto the track this year and get the numbers up or get his numbers down sort of say to kind of improve on things that you to able to just improve on things that he was able to do last year, he was our offensive player of the year last year (played slot wide receiver,)  he had the most defensive interceptions, and was third in defensive tackles so he's a guy we're looking to have another great year hopefully a breakout senior season for him" Humes said about Schwen. They have Dominic Giglotti handling the kicking duties. 

Program strength will be something to watch for Humes now and into the future. "Our middle school program, we're hiring a whole new staff, we had some teachers who were working at the middle school resign so it opened up kind of the middle school jobs that were available. Our youth team is the Berkley Steelers, those guys compete in the YFA (Youth Football Association), last year we made it to the championship game, we didn't win unfortunately but to be able to compete and battle all year to get to that stage of the season, it shows that we have that work hard and are willing to compete moving up into the high school so I'm really excited about the program and the kids they have coming out this year in our youth league and we're hoping they have sustained success so when those guys come up to the high school, we can keep the ball rolling. Berkley right now doesn't have a freshman team so our freshman and sophomores on Junior Varsity and our Junior Varsity is going to be very competitive this year, we got a lot of players ready to come in and ready to work, guys that are leaders in this younger squad that are going to help continue to push the message and the program and create and curate the culture that we're trying to create here of hard work and dedication and putting on your hard hat and just going out and get it, so I think our future from our young guys is very bright, my head coach Victor Edge he's doing a great job getting our young guys getting ready to play, getting them ready to be on varsity and they are going to be must see TV this year" Humes concluded. Berkley should be much improved after going through their transition period and could be a player in the Blue this season. 

BEST CASE: Bullock is a star, Khoury plays well, and everyone is performing to standards. Humes has this team rolling back to the days of 2019-2020 when the Bears had the Dombrowski brothers and Berkley was a postseason power.

WORST CASE: Injuries mount, Bears can't get any consistency, mental mindset is shot, and postseason dreams are out the window.

SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Bears have a ton of proven experience coming back but mental mindset is the key to Berkley's season. The schedule looks manageable, the start is the key for Humes and the Bears if they want to turn things around. 

 

Berkley Podcast (July 8th-Third Segment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF_wX6-LhMY 

 

 

AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS:

 

LAST SEASON: 7-4, 4-0 Gold. Lost 42-0 to Walled Lake Western in Division Three district finals. 290 points scored (26.3 ppg,) 175 points allowed (15.9 ppg.)

MAKE OR BREAK: August 29th at Cedar Springs

STRENGTHS: Quarterback, Rushing Attack.

CONCERNS: Both Lines, Linebackers, Depth, Program Strength.

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Bryan Collins- Running Back/Linebacker

BOLD PREDICTION: James Carlisle gets Avondale into the postseason in his first year. 

PROJECTED RECORD: 3-6, 2-2 Gold. PLAYOFFS NO.

 

INSIGHT: The Yellow Jackets have experienced a ton of success as a program making the postseason eight of the last nine years but coaching stability has been an issue for the program. Coach Bob Meyer stepped down in Auburn Hills after their 42-0 district final loss to Walled Lake Western for the second straight year last season. Avondale has a new coach in James Carlisle taking over the program. "One of my mentors told me that you got to look at three things, number one the facilities, the athletes, and you got to look at the schedule, they all checked off when you take the job and they all checked off big time" Carlisle said about taking Avondale coaching job. Carlisle comes to Auburn Hills from Vassar (near Caro) where he spent three years being in the Big Thumb Conference and also coached at Imlay City in the Blue Water Area Conference from 2018 until 2022. He went 8-19 in his three seasons with the Vulcans and 13-22 with the Spartans, neither program made the postseason (overall 21-41 from 2018-2024) so there is a lot to prove."That was another aspect on why I took the Avondale job is because I feel like we can win immediately to be honest the other jobs I took (Imlay City and Vassar) were rebuilding programs, I took jobs quite honest with you that nobody else wanted them because they didn't have to worry about the record well I don't care about my record, I care about the kids, I care about their experiences, the wins and losses come later but we did a great job at Vassar, I think we were four plays, I talk to my ex-coaches at Vassar that we were four plays away from being 5-4 last year, my first year there we should have been 6-3, didn't just happen, didn't work out for us, it's just a learning experience so coming to Avondale we expect to win immediately" Carlisle said. Carlisle has an Oakland County connection being from Novi brings a lot of experience throughout the state to Auburn Hills which helps but he has a ton to prove as well but he is the fifth coach in 10 years with this program. "It's a funny story, I talked to Anthony (Burton) and he was like Coach your my third coach in four years, well how are you going to expect a kid to respond to any kind of stability when it's a constant turnover in the coaching because you know what they're thinking, okay who's going to be here next year??? So sometimes you really got to earn their trust, they're going to be like they're not going to listen to you because it's going to be somebody different next year, it's going to be a different tune, a different story, different voice and so one of my goals when I talked to Melissa Tuccini the new AD here (Athletic Director) and she was another reason why I came here because I really wanted to work for her. I want these seventh graders, these sixth graders see my face when it comes to the program, it's incredibly important to be stable, that was another reason why I picked Ben (Scott) and Tommy to come with me because they're stable and going to be here in the long run and that's what these kids need, the one missing thing Avondale has needed is stability and you know I could have wondered how good they could have really been if there was a stable face" Carlisle said about program stability.

The Yellow Jackets are well known to have a ton of athletes which should help ease Carlisle in his first season with the program. They lost a ton of proven talent on both sides of the football along with Meyer. Carlisle will change offenses going back to the spread offense which was famous in Auburn Hills under then Coach Steve Deutch. The spread is an offense he is very familiar with when he was at Imlay City and at Vassar along with some power run fronts. Avondale had the fifth best offense in the OAA based on points per game running the Wing T offense last season. "Well you know the thing about it is, I've been running the spread since 2002 when I was at Inkster and I really fell in love with it and it's kind of taken off from there and each year I try to get better with it but yeah we have the athletes here to where we feel we can be very successful at running the spread because what that does is that creates our running game to which we feel like we're three, four deep at running back where they can take it to the house anytime they touch the ball so we're just really happy with it right now and we feel we'll probably be 60/40 pass to run but last year I had a sophomore quarterback at Vassar (Maddix Gorleski) who threw for 3,300 yards and 34 touchdowns and the year before that I had a sophomore quarterback who was all state so the system works, it's a matter of the kids buying in and executing" Carlisle added. The Yellow Jackets a proven quarterback that Carlisle can work with in Brock Taylor  coming back. Taylor had a good year last season under the Wing T offense with Meyer but under Carlisle he could throw the football more to go along with his running ability this season. "He's really adjusted well with it, he's worked hard during the summer, he goes to camp, he applies himself, he's taking it very seriously, he's just had an extremely good summer, he's improved, he's night and day from our first camp in Toledo to where he is now, it's funny we were just talking about that on the phone not to long ago and he's very comfortable with the system, his decision process is becoming a lot better, he's got a really good arm, he's starting to understand what we're wanting to do with leverages, things like that so I'm excited to have him for two years and see how far he can go" Carlisle said about his quarterback. The rushing attack should the strength of the Yellow Jackets especially with teams more focused on the pass in the spread but you have to have a strong rushing attack to keep defenses honest. Avondale has Bryan Collins coming back. Collins saw multiple roles last season for Meyer and will look to have more roles under Carlisle. "Brian has had a good summer and we're excited to see what he can do when we get the pads on and start rolling, you know he's just a sophomore so we want to see where he is at physically and mentally, is he at a senior level or is he at a sophomore level??? so time will tell when we start feeding him the ball but so far he's been so good but  you know of course that's seven on seven, you can't really show running back attributes because we're throwing the ball so much but he's improved on catching the ball, he's run really good routes, he's played really good linebacker for us on defense so he's come along well" Carlisle said about his running back/linebacker. They will also have Anthony Burton play some running back as well. "Anthony Burton has been a leader, he's been challenged with that" Carlisle said of his running back. Taylor should have proven pass catchers in Tristan Devealt, Jordan Flentroy, and David Edmonds along with young talents in Jashawn Simmons, Fernando Melchor, Caleb Watkins, Noah Scullin, Lavaren Gaddius, and Kartyr Grigsby at wide receiver coming back along with a tight end in Sebestian Ivezaj that could make some noise as a freshman. The lines are serious question marks for Carslie especially with more pass blocking in the spread than run block when they were in the Wing T under Meyer. They have some experience in Brendan McMeekin, Fernnado Elias, Alfonso Fernandez, Kason Shaw, Nylan Hoover, Sawyer Damron, Davon Windham, Evan Kulhanek, Caleb Johnson, Aaron Henderson, Colton Bourdage, Vance Flores, Jon Hart, and Paul Scherbarth coming back. "We feel with the senior leadership they can take this offense to where we need to go" Carlisle added. The defense has some questions for new defensive coordinator Ben Scott. "I brought over Ben Scott, he comes from Novi, just a tremendous coach, a lot of energy, a lot of passion, very intense and the kids are feeding off of that so to play for his defense you got to be fast and very physical or you won't be on the field plain and simple" Carlisle said about his new defensive coordinator. Scott inherits a defense that allowed the third least points (175) based on points per game in the OAA last season (15.9 points per game.) He has Greg Chambers, Collins, Burton, Austin Bradley, and Kyre Alexander coming back at linebacker along with a newcomer in freshman Derek Diaz who could be someone to watch. The Yellow Jackets have Anthonie Lewis, Edmonds, Ben Decoster, and Devealt coming back in the defensive secondary. "Kids say the first thing he asks is how well do you tackle???, the first thing you ask, I don't care how you run, I don't care how big you are, can you tackle??? because if you can't tackle, you can't play on our defense" Carlisle added about his defense. Avondale should have a lot of athletes but they will need to prove themselves and also go through that transition period that has to happen during the season. "I think they have done a great job adjusting to us because there has been a lot of adjustments that had to be done just at numerous levels at numerous things compared to last year but our coaches have done a great job being patient, being understanding that this kid is a freshman or that this kid is a sophomore, we don't expect him to play like an 18 year old even though he has the skill set of an 18 year old mentally he's still 14 or 15 years old so my staff has done a great job coaching them up, teaching them up, loving them up, being patient" Carlisle said.

Program strength looks to be very interesting for Carlisle. The numbers are high in the program according to Carlisle."Our numbers are really high so that really helps the feed before they come to the JV level. On our JV team I expect us to have 22 or 23 kids but they are going to be really, really young because we're going to be really young on varsity so that's how it goes, being young on varsity means your going to be young on JV" Carlisle said. They have Avondale Middle School that feeds kids into Avondale despite the changes on both sides of the football and the youth levels could be something to watch to see what Carlisle does and what type of program he puts in for the lower levels. "I just focus who's going to be in my school district and who I know is going to be in my program and who's going to be in the system so we really focus on the junior high. We had a youth camp in the summer and there was some phenomenal talent in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grade levels, I mean those kids are incredible, it's incredible and they had a great time and we're excited about that" Carlisle said about his youth levels. Avondale Middle School has struggled in years past but Meyer did a really good job building program strength for the Yellow Jackets and with the changes and the lack of coaching stability in the high school level being that Carlisle is the fifth coach in 10 years that could be a huge challenge heading into the season."Our junior high levels have had really good numbers and we expect them to have good numbers this year as far as the youth league it's in the Pontiac area, they are scattered everywhere so it's a matter of trying to wrangle them up and see if they will come to the junior high school or not" Carlisle added. The schedule is brutal for Avondale as well especially with a trip to Cedar Springs in week one and Carleton Airport in week nine, that could be really tough. There are a lot of questions with the Yellow Jackets this season.

BEST CASE: The Yellow Jackets don't miss a beat, they change offenses and becomes more explosive. They find depth at wide receiver and up front. Avondale develops depth everywhere and makes Carlisle in his first season into a postseason team.

WORST CASE: The Yellow Jackets aren't healthy and struggle to find consistency in Carlisle's first season. The schedule is tough to overcome and they miss the postseason.

SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Yellow Jackets should have the talent to be really competitive but the schedule makes things really difficult with trips to Cedar Springs, Carleton, and Seaholm during the season. Also the transition period has to happen during the season. Could Avondale surprise absolutely but it's going to take time for Carlisle to fully put his system in place. 

 

Avondale Podcast (August 11th)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI_oZarsw7o 

 

ROYAL OAK RAVENS:

 

LAST SEASON: 3-6, 1-3 Gold. No postseason. 115 points scored (12.7 ppg,) 229 points allowed (25.4 ppg.)

MAKE OR BREAK: August 29th vs St. Clair Shores Lake Shore

STRENGTHS: Rushing Attack, Proven Pass Catchers.

CONCERNS: Both Lines, Depth.

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Juilen Zehel- Running Back/Linebacker.

BOLD PREDICTION: Ben Ales throws 15 passing touchdowns. 

PROJECTED RECORD: 2-7, 1-3 Gold. PLAYOFFS NO.

 

INSIGHT: The Ravens have been a program that has been on a crossroads making the postseason three times in their 15 years since Royal Oak Dondero and Royal Oak Kimball merged and became Royal Oak in 2006. The Ravens are 12-40 since 2019 with half (six) of those wins coming against Pontiac. They had the fourth least scored points and fourth most points allowed in the OAA last season which has to bother Coach Colin Campbell. Royal Oak won two of their final three games including denying Clawson a trip to the postseason with their 21-7 win over the Trojans last season. "It's a year that we were continuing to grow, we had some kind of unfortunate injuries for us but guys have to continue to step up and learn, we had a lot of young guys do a lot of positive things and I think as a program we took some positive steps forward obviously we want the record to reflect those positive steps but I think there were a lot of things that were going well and we need to continue to keep working at it and improve" said Campbell. The Ravens hope to continue the momentum heading into this season despite the challenges from last season and beyond. 

Royal Oak changed offenses going from power to more of a zone read scheme but it was the fourth least points scored in the OAA last season. "We got a group of guys that are willing to do what is needed" Campbell said. The Ravens have a lot of proven experience on the offensive side of the football coming back. They have Ben Ales at quarterback coming back. Ales was up and down last season but will look to have a better year this season. "Ben has continued to develop, he's done a ton of work, he's continuing to learn and improve, he's doing all we can ask for and we want him to go out and play with great confidence and great joy which so far this summer he's been doing so we're just really excited to see him get some pads on and see what that looks like" Campbell said about his quarterback. Royal Oak has a really strong rushing attack in Liam Fleming and Gage Orzel coming back for Campbell. "We got some guys coming back, our running back room is pretty strong, we return all of those guys, we have Liam Fleming and Gage Orzel, we're going to bring up some other guys as well that are quality for us, I mean Gean Robinson so those guys are going to be quality, I think our run game will continue to excel, we got some skilled guys, you know Javien Johnson is one of those guys who played really well as a junior, he'll be a senior, we're really excited for what he can do, we're going to have both some youth and some more veteran guys that I think will be great mix for the offense so we're pretty excited" Campbell added." Campbell said about his rushing attack. Ales should have a proven pass catchers in Aaron Hilgendorf and Andrew Wattleworth coming back. "Both quality guys, like I said excited for what they can do and there is a couple of young guys behind them that can spell them and give them a bit of a break that we're excited for so guys just continuing to put in the work and put in the time just like were asking for in our program" Campbell said about his pass catchers. The lines have some serious issues to watch. They have Corey Johnson leading both lines coming back. "We got some young guys and we've moved some people around, we're excited to see guys take steps forward and develop, it's going to be a competition to see who gets to earn those different spots and who gets to start and who gets to be that kind of role guy that's six offensive lineman so there's no certainty, we got to get pads on and you know kids have been working hard but we got to see what they can do, once we get pads on we're going to see who takes those positions" Campbell said about his offensive line. The defense was a big issue for Campbell with a lot of two way players and allowed the fourth most points in the OAA last season. Royal Oak has Juilen Zehel coming back at linebacker. The back end of the defense could be really interesting with Wattleworth, Johnson, and Hulgendorf coming back in the defensive secondary coming back. "We return a couple of sophomores who were juniors this year and we have a couple guys who will be seniors, really great communicators, really see the field well which we need and they're willing to get downhill in the run game and be physical which is important in any level in football but we're really excited about our linebacking group and then that corner group the safeties is definitely going to be solidified by you know we got a couple of good corners, safeties we got a couple of good options to see who is going to be the best fit and there is a rotation there is going to be a lot of guys to be able to to play so it's a group that communicates well, it's a group that's pretty darn smart and so we're excited to see what they look like" Campbell said.

Program strength has been a concern for Campbell despite the numbers being solid within the program. The youth levels in Royal Oak has been solid (Royal Oak Titans) along with the academics that have been a big part of Royal Oak."The youth program is the Royal Oak Titans, they are doing a great job at developing kids for us and we're working with them and trying to develop that partnership" Campbell said about the youth program. There's Royal Oak Middle School which is the former Royal Oak Dondero High School since Royal Oak High School is at Royal Oak Kimball. "Then there is the middle school, they do a great job of getting kids out and excited about football" Campbell said. The Junior Varsity program has been solid under Campbell and he'll look to continue that when he's the varsity coach. "Our JV program has had a lot of success the last couple of years so it's working on growing that success and eventually that success translating up to the varsity level so our entire coaching staff is absolutely incredible and they do a great job at improving athletes throughout the entire roster from JV to Varsity and it's continuing and strengthen and improve that program and getting kids excited for playing for the Royal Oak High School football brand" Campbell said. The Ravens have to make that next step if they want to make noise in the future. "It's going to take work, it's going to take continuous work and it's attention to detail all the time, that's what we're coaching, that's what we're preaching, it's the continual attack on our process and pushing each person on our coaching staff in our program, on the team to get better and better every single day and if we continue to attack our process and trust in it and really continue to collectively push ourselves and buy into that work and move things along one percent by one percent everyday, that's how we get back into the playoffs, it's this continuation of relentless hard work and that's not going to be a shortcut, there's not going to be anything that will change that magically overnight, its going to be continuing to do that work and to do that process and that's what we're working towards" Campbell concluded.

BEST CASE: The Ravens find a passing game to go along with Fleming and Zehel and builds depth on both their lines. The defense has a monster season which could lead them to the postseason.

WORST CASE: Injuries mount and especially if Zehel gets hurt. They can't find that balance on both sides of the football and lack of depth strikes again.

SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Ravens need to make the next step and it takes a lot of work. The schedule seems manageable but does Royal Oak want it is the question. The lines will be watched very closely because they could decide the Ravens season. 

 

Royal Oak Podcast (July 28th-First Segment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWKQ22segY 

 

PONTIAC PHOENIX

 

LAST SEASON: 1-8. 0-4 Gold. No postseason. 64 points scored (7.1 ppg,) 293 points allowed (32.5 ppg.)

MAKE OR BREAK: September 5th vs Troy Athens

STRENGTHS: Both Lines.

CONCERNS: Depth.

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Dallas Coleman- Offensive/Defensive Lineman

BOLD PREDICTION: The Phoenix make the postseason. 

PROJECTED RECORD: 1-8, 0-4 Gold. PLAYOFFS NO.

 

INSIGHT: The Phoenix have gone through a lot in their history and a lot of it has been rough on the field and also academically but things are changing for the better despite the history both on and off the field. "There's times that everything has gotten better, I don't have the actual numbers but actually the athletic director commented on us before the fact that our student athletes have included the overall grade point average, everyone is being you know, there is always a couple of guys that we really need to keep an eye on but they've improved and our goal is to have every last player on our team to be eligible for a scholarship, so we're working towards that, we put some things in place to help us with that, we have an academic councilor that's there for our sports teams. That councilor is going to be making sure that they're up on the latest NCAA rules and keeping a tab on every athlete being a good boy" Coach Wendell Jefferson said. Pontiac is 9-103 since 2012 and had the worst offense and second worst defense when it came to points allowed in the OAA last season but this is a program that is looking ahead toward the future. "The word part is the standard to what you say but what they're interesting in is what your doing, how does it look, that's what we're doing, we're putting everything together, we're coaching in a way and organizing in a way that a parent decides to come check us out with their child, they see something that looks like it's suppose to look, you know everyone on my staff has played college football and that's one of the things that I tell them and that's what you know what it looks like so that's what we have to make sure that we're always doing is that we are organized, know what we're doing makes sense and that we're coaching with energy and passion and always increasing our knowledge base because parents know and kids know and so that's the thing and when they come, they want to see something that makes you want to be a part of it and that's our focus right now, it's going to always be our focus to do things the correct way but I believe that's the way we can get our parents having their kids stay in Pontiac and playing their sports for Pontiac" Jefferson said. The Phoenix had a ton of injuries and things didn't go their way which resulted in multiple tough losses last season. "Last year we started off with a big victory (40-0 over Detroit Fredrick Douglass) and it went downhill from there, we had a lot of things that we had to work on. We were still trying to develop the culture and we had a couple of missteps so we made some adjustments, we made some changes in how we do things and it's looking better for us" said Jefferson. 

Pontiac lost some key players on both sides of the football including their four year quarterback Kayne Donaldson who graduated. The offense struggled having the least amount of points in the OAA scoring 64 points (7.1 points per game) last season. "We're still in that phase that we are trying to figuring it out, we moved one of our wide receivers over to quarterback and he's coming along pretty good for the future. We have a few young quarterbacks who are on JV now that we're looking forward to having with us" Jefferson said about his quarterbacks. Whoever the new quarterback is will have DeAndre Jordan and Alfred Mantzy coming back at wide receiver and tight end. Pontiac should be very strong up front this season. The Phoenix have Terrell Chatmon, Dallas Coleman, and Carlo Solano coming back on both lines. The defense had it very tough allowing the second most points in the OAA (293 points, 32.5 points per game) behind Bloomfield Hills last season. They have Mario Rocha, Bryce Brown, Marquis McCray, and Dionate Jones coming back at linebacker along with Faheim Jeffery and Johnson in the defensive secondary coming back. There are brighter days are ahead for this program. "We're going to look different than we've been in the past two years" Jefferson said about his team. Pontiac has looked at the future and with everything that has surrounded the program everything starts with academics to bring the Phoenix back to prominence with the facilities at Pontiac High School with a new field and a new weight room. Jefferson mentioned that Pontiac is still in the program building stage building up their culture. "We're in the program building phase so my focus has been on getting these student athletes better both academically and the sports they are playing and how they conduct themselves, that's my biggest thing is setting up the culture, setting the standard, that's what I've been focusing on. If we do what we're supposed to do consistently do it then then we can let the results be what they're going to be" Jefferson added. The Phoenix have the talent but depth and other stuff off the field are concerns.

Program strength will be something to watch for the Phoenix with a really promising freshman class coming to Pontiac. "The focus has been one creating one cohesive program, I'm still working on trying to get a better relationship with our youth program (Pontiac Panthers,) it's been a work in progress, we're still trying to develop a great relationship with them to where there is two teams in Pontiac, we want to work with both of them, we want to be successful and keep our kids here so we're trying to establish that, it's been a little challenging because of past things but I think very soon we'll be able to break through those old ceilings and really be able to get this going. Our middle school, our JV, our varsity we are all one so the coaching staff, I've hired everyone at those levels, they basically understand being the feeder of our program so they are using the varsity terminology, the varsity players, everything, the schemes so before long I believe that Pontiac will be much better than we were before because of the cohesiveness of everyone so when we're getting those kids that started in middle school with the JV and when they got here to varsity, now we can talk more about how they can be successful athletes and not the fundamentals that they need to learn so still be athletes and play" Jefferson said. Jefferson has done a great job putting together a plan to get Pontiac back into the postseason conversation and relevance to bring Phoenix football back. "Lets take my first year (2023) when we won our first couple of games, by winning those games, we had quite a few people from the community come out and in a way it was like a playoff atmosphere so I'm looking forward to having that for our kids and I know the city of Pontiac will come out once we make the playoffs and for me and the guys it's a matter of staying the course and being consistent with your effort and learning things you need to learn and playoffs will come. This year I think we will be a better team than I think we were our first year, I really believe that and I know after this year the future is even brighter, we have a great freshman class coming in and we got kids showing up to our offseason workouts and it's encouraging because they look like athletes, they get out there and you know football players look a certain way, your surprised by some sometimes but we get players coming in that look like football players and they are moving like football players, as a staff we're getting excited about that and I think it's anyone who comes out and watches us and see how we prepare and how hard these kids work, we'll be excited about the program at Pontiac" Jefferson said. The numbers have been a real issue for the Phoenix, it wasn't that way in the past when Pontiac had two schools in Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central in the 80's but that's the challenge that the Phoenix face. "I'm a Pontiac Central alum back in the 80's when I was there we had Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central, both teams actually had more than 50 players coming out for football, one year we had 110 guys come out for football at Pontiac Central. We're challenged with the combination of schools with Pontiac High, I'm not sure with what happened to make the numbers so much but that's our challenge right now to is just getting enough players, enough people coming out, I think part of it is because of the win-loss record for football (9-103 last 14 years) that we have but it's getting better. We're trying to get the community to be more involved, more involved to what we have going on and that's actively we're working on. I believe the community are not as involved because they don't know, so we're actively working on our communication to the community so they know what we're doing and actively to be a part of it" Jefferson added. The Phoenix are looking for progress and could be in the conversation for the postseason if they can stay healthy and keep building this season.

BEST CASE: Everyone stays healthy, Jefferson finds a quarterback. and builds depth in every position.

WORST CASE: Injuries mount, lack of depth hurts, and not a ton of program strength in the lower levels.

SAMMY OUTLOOK: The Phoenix keep making progress, staying healthy is the key for Pontiac if they want to turn things around. The progress is there which eventually will deliver better results. 

 

Pontiac Podcast (July 14th-Second Segment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dchMjAC1ceQ

 

 

Future Members:

The OAA will be getting two future members this winter in Waterford Kettering and Waterford Mott but the Waterford schools will be in their final season in the Lakes Valley Conference before joining the league this winter. Both Waterford Schools are coming into this season with bad tastes in their mouths, not making the postseason. Waterford Kettering and Waterford Mott have had new coaches in the last three years. The offense was the problem for both schools as they were near the bottom of the Lakes Valley Conference (seventh and eighth) last season. The defense was not good for Waterford Kettering as they had the worst defense in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. If one of both schools want to make the postseason there are a ton of things they need to clean up. Both teams could be in contention for postseason berths. Waterford Mott could be a sleeper for the conference crown despite having a new coach and offensive issues they need to address while Waterford Kettering is poised to rise in the Lakes Valley Conference standings this season.

Waterford Kettering: The Captains were in a transition period last season under Coach Brian Barnes but will look to make progress in their last season in the Lakes Valley Conference and second year under Barnes. Waterford Kettering feels they are close to having a break through when it comes to building a program. They have some questions heading into the season especially on defense. It will be very interesting to see with the Captains.

Waterford Mott: The Corsairs had a rough year with injuries and a bad offense being their story last season. Waterford Mott has a new coach who brings a championship pedigree with him. He has a lot of proven weapons coming back and their best all around player comes back after tearing his ACL last season. The Corsairs will look to get back to where they've used to be in their final season in the Lakes Valley Conference.

 

TOP FIVE GAMES:

1. Waterford Mott at Waterford Kettering: It's always fun on a Saturday between the Waterford schools to battle it out for a trophy and possibly postseason dreams.

2. Milford at Waterford Mott: Corsairs have this one circled after falling 27-0 in Milford last season.

3. Walled Lake Western at Waterford Mott: Corsairs want to get back at the Warriors after allowing 52 points last season.

4. South Lyon at Waterford Kettering: If Captains want to prove they are for real they need to win this game.

5. Walled Lake Northern at Waterford Kettering: Captains got a 21-18 win in Walled Lake last season. It should be a very interesting game between two evenly matched teams.

 

Other Lakes Valley Conference Teams 

Walled Lake Western: The Warriors have been the consistent power in the Lakes Valley Conference under former Farmington Coach Kory Cicroch. Walled Lake Western is loaded on both sides of the ball with proven experience. They had the best offense and defense in the Lakes Valley Conference last season but being in Division Two for the postseason will bring major roadblocks and challenges if they want to contend for a State crown. 

Lakeland: The Eagles lost a ton of proven experience last season after falling to Farmington in the first round. Lakeland a lot of young talent that needs experience after having the second best offense in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. The defense had some big issues being the fourth worst defense in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. If Lakeland wants to improve the defense needs to be shored up if they want to make the postseason.

Walled Lake Central: The Vikings were not very good last season and the stats show why. They have a new offensive coordinator in former Berkley assistant Jeff Glynn taking over an offense that was the third worst offense in the Lakes Valley Conference last season but the change does not address the defensive issues which they were also the third worst defense in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. If Walled Lake Central doesn't clean everything up it could be a long season again for the Vikings.

Milford: The Mavericks have been a hard team to figure out but Milford somehow found ways to win games having the third best offense and the second best defense in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. Milford could be a team that is very dangerous despite returning only two starters on offense for Coach Andrew Micovich in the Lakes Valley Conference this season.

Walled Lake Northern: The Knights was the worst team offensively and eighth worst defensively in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. Walled Lake Northern was going through a transition period and have not had coaching stability within their program. Progress will be the key if the Knights want to make noise in the Lakes Valley Conference.

South Lyon East: The Cougars had a strong year after having an 0-2 start last season while having the fourth best offense and also defense in the Lakes Valley Conference. South Lyon East will look for continued sustainability after winning six of their last seven games this season. They were a postseason team last season as well and poised to have more success this season. 

South Lyon: The Lions were in the middle of the pack last season in both stat categories and it's year. They started at 2-0 with wins over Walled Lake Northern and Waterford Mott but lost three of their last four games to close the season, this is something South Lyon does not want to happen again. The Lions could be poised to have another consistent season if they can shore their defense up this season. 

 

WATERFORD KETTERING CAPTAINS:

 

LAST SEASON: 2-7, 2-6 Lakes Valley. No postseason. 126 points scored (14 ppg,) 360 points allowed (40 ppg.)

MAKE OR BREAK: August 29th vs Walled Lake Central

STRENGTHS: Quarterback, Rushing Attack.

CONCERNS: Both Lines

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Gavin Robinnette- Quarterback

BOLD PREDICTION: The Captains make the postseason. 

PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 4-4 Lakes Valley. PLAYOFFS YES.

 

INSIGHT: It was a transition year for Coach Brian Barnes and the Captains. Waterford Kettering was one win over their arch rivals Waterford Mott from making the postseason but the Captains fell 13-9 missing the postseason finishing at 2-7 last season. "We finished 2-7 but we had the lead at halftime three times. We were in position to be a playoff team toward the end of the season and we were a better team than we were at the beginning, and like every coach will tell you is that you want to be playing well at the end of the season" Barnes said. Waterford Kettering has made the postseason three times in 65 years with the last legit appearance being in 2013."The program hasn't had a ton of success in it's history so we didn't really focus on that aspect of it because as coaches we feel guilty of this. We look as everything as the end result and of course we're all competitors and we want to win but we got to do things to make sure that we can be successful with simply the things we can control being a good person off the field, being a good student in the classroom, making sure we're at football and when it's time to go to football, you show up to football and give it your very best things like that" Barnes said. If the Captains want to make the next step they have to address a ton of things. Waterford Kettering had the worst defense in the Lakes Valley Conference allowing 360 points which is 40 points per game and was seventh in points scored scoring 126 points which was 14 points per game in the Lakes Valley Conference last season.

Barnes has done a really nice job changing the culture around Waterford Kettering making the Captains more competitive since coming to Waterford from Madison Heights Bishop Foley. "There's a lot of layers to it when you want to make a big move like this, I was at a small catholic school in Madison Heights Bishop Foley, I was kind of proud of the things we did there but I was kind of looking around looking for a new challenge and Kettering became available and I heard about that there are really good people there and a good district that I looked into and researched that something I want to go for" Barnes said. If Barnes wants to truly change things they need to beat arch rival Waterford Mott and build confidence for his program and have a strong finish in the Lakes Valley Conference. "We finished our camp and have 84 kids in the program and whether or not they're 84 legit football kids or there are 84 kids that's like hey lets give this a try, we're doing some good things to have that amount of interest in our program so we feel really good about that" Barnes added. Waterford Kettering has a ton of proven experience in their final season in the Lakes Valley Conference before coming back into the OAA this winter (left the league in 2008-2009.)  The Captains have a lot of proven experience on the offensive side of the football that is returning. They have Gavin Robinette at quarterback coming back. Robinette will look to have a very strong year for Barnes after having some ups and downs last season. Waterford Kettering should have a strong rushing attack in Johnny Regan coming back. Robinette should have proven pass catchers in Zane Hadeed, Max Fendler, and Clarkston transfer Brody Craft coming back. Both lines according to Barnes looks to be strong especially with the sophomores and juniors. The defense will look to have a bounce back season after having the worst defense in the Lakes Valley Conference (360 points allowed and 40 points per game) from last season. The Captains have Regan at linebacker along with Hadded and Fendler coming back in the defensive secondary. "We're very excited about our lower levels, one of the things you can't downplay is how important the weight room is to a football program, so when I got hired kind of late February or March of the previous year we really didn't establish a workout program, the ability for us to have a full offseason of weightlifting have been so critical for us because we got some lower level guys that like we got some pretty sizable offensive lineman we're excited about, we do lose some skill guys that made some plays for us last year, we had a kid who is at Adrian College in Kaden Robinson who had a 99 yard touchdown reception (against Walled Lake Central) that he's graduating but we return our quarterback in Gavin Robinnette who threw for five touchdowns and 500 yards in that game. Johnny Regan (running back) has been an all county, all area player since he was a sophomore so he's returning like I said we got some kids that are going to be 10th graders or 11th graders that are going to contribute for us who are state finalists in track and field. Zane Hadeed (wide receiver/defensive back) for example, Max Fendler (wide receiver/defensive back) so we're pretty excited about the future of our program. You can't substitute for getting stronger and being strong in the game of football, at times you can get away with it and make plays here and there and matchups and what not but if you're not physically strong, you're going to struggle and that was a problem for us last year, just physically it was hard for us to move people on the offensive line. I know it's hard for us to stop people but you know like I said we're excited to be where we're at at this point" Barnes said.

The Captains have a really strong feeder program in Pierce Middle School that Barnes looks at when improving the program but he has Mason Middle School as well and they do compete for kids with Waterford Schools being an open district for middle schools. "One of the other things that drew me to this community is they have Pierce Middle School and Mason Middle School we'll occasionally get kids from there and the youth program the Waterford Corsairs like historically just tough kids, that are well coached that play hard and that have a chip on their shoulder and that's invaluable and so the sub varsity levels in my opinion like that has to be the minor league system for a major league baseball or a hockey team, guys have to get reps and at those lower levels like we stress and I told the parents at our meeting every year like when your kids are at the lower levels like obviously were preparing kids. We want them to strive to win but those guys need reps as well so we make sure they get a ton of reps and game reps and with the transition of high school football's kind of gone the last few years, somewhat dwindling numbers but that's rebounding a little bit. It's hard sometimes to find other games, last year we struggled to find games, so I made it a point to schedule as many (games) as I could, you have ninth graders that aren't ready for junior varsity football like we still want them to get game reps, I would schedule scrimmages against other schools or try to find as many ninth grade only games or JVB so those kids can get game reps like I said we had 84 kids, 24 freshman, that's just awesome so we're extremely fired up about that" Barnes added. The Captains are looking forward to their final season in the Lakes Valley Conference before coming back to the OAA this winter. "It wasn't something that I expected in taking over the program, I have a ton of respect for the OAA and what they've done historically, a lot of good coaches, a lot of good teams in that league and so we're in the LVC and that obliviously isn't that easy, there is a lot of good coaches, a lot of good teams here as well, not something we expected but going back to it, we're focusing on what we can control and you know some people in our community questioned and wondered well we're the smallest school in the LVC, why aren't we in the OAA this fall, like we can't control that, we can control what we can control like getting ready for our week one opponent in Walled Lake Central and that's what we're focusing on. It will be different and unique, I know some people in the OAA and I'm looking forward to coaching against them and see how it goes" Barnes concluded.

BEST CASE: The Captains surprise some people in Barnes second year and make the postseason for the first time in a long while.

WORST CASE: The Captains get back to bad habits and find ways to lose games.

SAMMY OUTLOOK: The key is the start for Coach Brian Barnes team. Waterford Kettering needs to shore up the defense to turn things around. If the Captains can knock off South Lyon, South Lyon East or even a Lakeland which they can do, this could be a postseason team. Barnes has a lot to look forward to heading into the season but these three teams plus Walled Lake Northern and Walled Lake Central are winnable games heading into the season. 

 

Waterford Kettering Podcast (June 16th-First Segment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cai8P_qBp4 

 

 

WATERFORD MOTT CORSAIRS:

 

LAST SEASON: 4-5, 3-5 Lakes Valley. No postseason. 113 points scored (12.5 ppg,) 178 points allowed (19.7 ppg.)

MAKE OR BREAK: September 5th vs Milford

STRENGTHS: Linebackers, Quarterback, Pass Catchers.

CONCERNS: Both Lines, Depth.

PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Geno Seets- Quarterback/Wide Receiver/Defensive Back.

BOLD PREDICTION: Geno Sheets has over 30 combined touchdowns, 15 rushing, 15 passing. 

PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 5-3 Lakes Valley. PLAYOFFS: YES.

 

INSIGHT: The Corsairs had some ups and downs in the Lakes Valley Conference going 4-5 but missed the postseason for the first time in four years last season. Waterford Mott has a new football coach in Tra'Jan Seay taking over the program for Chris Fahr who is the defensive coordinator at Davison. Seay comes to Waterford from Orchard Lake St. Marys where he was an assistant for the Eaglets. "I have talked to Coach Fahr a few times about coming over to Mott, I had followed Mott for years, my dad used to run the Pontiac Panthers so I knew somewhat of the program, some of the kids that were in the program I kind of know what Coach Fahr was about and what he built up over there at Mott. When he stepped away for me it was kind of perfect timing being closer to home being from Pontiac and then getting a crack at becoming a head coach you know especially from a State Championship, I thought it was perfect timing, a perfect fit for me at that time" he said. Seay brings State championship experience winning the Division Two State Crown from last season to Waterford. "We had a really talented group, a really close knit group, those guys have been together for the most part, three to four years, they saw the ups and downs, we started off 3-6 the first year, snuck into the playoffs in D4, was able to win a district championship and then we got knocked out by a really good Goodrich team and the following year we got bumped up to D2, we went 3-5 couldn't get into the playoffs, and last year we were no longer young the talent had kind of matured, we kind of knew who we were as a staff, as a team and we were kind of able to put it all the way together last year" Seay said about Orchard Lake St. Marys. Seay has an opportunity to say that he will be in three different leagues in three years when Waterford Mott leaves the Lakes Valley Conference coming back into the OAA for the first time since 2008-2009 but Seay is really familiar with what the OAA brings into the fold. "I was pretty excited in high school when I transferred from Brother Rice, I went back home to Pontiac so I actually played in the OAA and like I said being able to play some teams where I know more of the players and the coaches, I'm not all the way familiar with the LVC (Lakes Valley Conference) but with the OAA I know the way of the land so for me it's a little bit more comfortable being able to come back to the OAA" Seay said about Waterford Mott coming back into the OAA.

The Corsairs had a really rough time offensively scoring 113 points (12.5 points per game) which was eighth in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. "The first thing is buy in and that's something we preach with not only our players but the staff, the parents, everybody. The one thing we talk about in our program is able to be held accountable, you know that's from the little sister at home to the trainer. We all hold each other to a certain standard so one everybody has to buy in and play or practice or do their job to the standard and two we have to stay healthy, you know I think last year you look at the record and like oh wow, you know that team was bad but when you come to practice or you go to seven on seven you know or you come to games in the future I think you realize that a lot of the key guys were just hurt last year" Seay said about the offense woes last season. Waterford Mott will have Geno Seets at quarterback coming back. Seets had an off year but will look to have a better season. "Geno has had a really good offseason more so from a leadership standpoint, Geno is committed as a receiver (Central Michigan) and in my opinion is one of the better receivers and better athletes in the State but just for what we need him to do obviously he's going to be our quarterback, he's done a really good job of being selfless, teaching these guys the new system, helping us create the standard. I had Geno as a freshman at (Orchard Lake) St. Marys before he transferred so I know Geno really well, I know his family really well so he's just a kid that you know we can be tougher on, we can put a lot more on his shoulders and he can handle it" Seay said about Seets. Seets will have proven pass catchers in Alex Allen, Tori Robinson, and Greg White coming back. "We got Tori Robinson coming back, he's a basketball player at Waterford Mott (Jeff Jayson), we got Alex Allen coming back he's a speed burner, we have a kid Logan (Farnum) he's a speed burner. We have a lot of talent at the receiver position, we have a freshman Jamal Stovall that's going to come in, he's going to get some carries early for us, we have a lot of weapons, we just got to put it together" Seay added. The rushing attack should be the strength of the Corsairs with Hunter Pozzi, and Kareem Jallow coming back for Seay. "We have Kareem Jallow at running back, we're moving Jordan (White) to be one of our starting slots so Jordan is like our Amara Ra St. Brown like tough dude, can play a lot of different positions" Seay mentioned about his rushing attack. The lines will be really interesting with Aidyn Cummings, Noah Jimenez (Wayne State commit), Gavin Vandekeere, Jamari Spruill, Javaugn Jones, Cayden Rusher, and Taylen Lietzke coming back. "Our offensive line is really good so offensively we have to you know put it together" Seay added about his offense. The defense was not to what Waterford Mott fans was used to seeing despite allowing 178 points which is 19.7 points per game which was fourth in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. This is where Seay needs to look at if they want to be back in the upper echelon in their final season of the Lakes Valley Conference before coming back to the OAA where they and Waterford Kettering left the league in 2008-2009. They will have a huge addition on the defensive line with Max Jansenvanvuren coming back. Jansenvanvuren had his season cut short because of a torn ACL last season. He will look to have a bounce back season for the Corsairs and to a defense that had some struggles last season despite allowing less than 20 points per game. Jansenvanvuren will also see some time on offense as well. "Max just brings a level of toughness that I think every good or great team has, you know everybody that has that one kid that they can just go and make plays off script, same thing with Geno but Max is just like for us going to be the bully on offense, on defense, he'll be the enforcer but he brings a different mentality to our team even in the weight room, just everywhere in the school, on the field like he's going to be a big piece for us, he's one of our leaders for us as well but being able to walk into with this team and have those two guys (Seets) is definitely a blessing" Seay said about Jansenvanvuren. Jimenez will also see some time on the defensive line as well. "We have a sophomore in Daryll Shoyni, 6.2 215 will be on our D-Line, Jamari (Spruill) will also be on our D-Line as well uh Javaugn Jones, we have about six to eight deep on the D-Line that will be rotating" Seay mentioned about the defensive line. The linebackers should be the strength of Waterford Mott with Ayden Mercado-Wims and Tristan Meriell who could also be rotating from linebacker to defensive line according to Seay. They also have  Hunter Posey, and Jallow at linebacker coming back. "Linebacker we probably have the most depth at any position so, we return Hunter Posey, he's a baseball player at Mott and I coached him at St. Marys in his freshman year as well, we have Layden (Gatch) who is a really good junior coming up at linebacker, Kareem (Jallow) plays at linebacker, Jordan White plays some outside linebacker" Seay said about his linebackers. The defensive secondary has some big question marks. The Corsairs also have Wims, Greg White, Farnum, along with Robinson, and Allen coming back. "We have a few guys at the corner position we're going to mix it up a little bit just depending on what teams present us with outside and inside, you know certain guys move around like Greg White who will move around and play corner, some linebacker, and some safety" Seay mentioned about his defensive secondary. They have Caleb Stephison and Nico Bracali handling the punting and kicking duties. Waterford Mott is determined to right the wrong heading into this season. "This team is definitely motivated obviously we don't want to get too caught up in rankings you know obviously there's a lot motivation, a lot of guys feel like you know they need or want to prove themselves so definitely we're ready for that so I think we're going to be okay" Seay said.

Program strength is a concern for Seay with the feeder program being mostly Mason Middle School but they do get some kids from Pierce Middle School as well. "We are a varsity and junior varsity program, we're trying to build those numbers back up to where we have a freshmen but we have two middle schools in Mason and Pierce and we have the youth in the Waterford Corsairs so we have a lot of places to pull from, program strength wise as for the varsity we are senior led we have about 11 to 12 seniors that have played at Mason Middle School, so we're senior led, a lot of these guys played with Coach Fahr when he was able to go to the semis (2023-lost 45-19 to Warren DeLaSalle) a lot of these guys played on that team, Geno was a receiver on that team, Jordan was a receiver on that team, Noah started at lineman, Jamari played on that team, Tristan played on that team. A lot of our key guys this year were rotational guys on that team so I think if we can put it together then we can have a really good team. They're really close knit, you know they already have their own standards so you know Coach Fahr did a good job at setting his own standards as well so we're not really rebuilding , we're kind of picking up where Coach Fahr left off and hoping that we can take it to the next step" Seay concluded. It will be a challenge for Seay in his first season to get the Corsairs into the postseason in their final year in the Lakes Valley Conference before coming to the OAA this winter.

BEST CASE: Everyone stays healthy and the transition period is smooth. Sheets and Jansenvanvuren have bounce back seasons. The Corsairs are in contention for the Lakes Valley Conference crown.

WORST CASE: Injuries mount especially to Sheets and Jansenvanvuren and lack of depth haunts them again like last season. The transition period is harder than thought. The Corsairs could be in danger of missing the postseason for the second straight year.

SAMMY OUTLOOK: I think Waterford Mott has a bounce back season especially with the injuries costing them big time. If the Corsairs can stay healthy this is a postseason team in the Lakes Valley Conference in Seay's first season in Waterford. 

 

Waterford Mott Podcast (July 21st-Second Segment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzu-xG_RIgA