Girls Soccer Regional Preview.

Written Saturday June 4th at 9:15 PM

Here is my insight previewing the Girls Soccer regionals this week.

Region 2 @ Novi

LAKE ORION vs BLOOMFIELD HILLS

Farmington Hills Mercy vs Hartland

 

THOUGHTS/INSIGHT: This is a rematch of a 4-0 Blackhawks victory over the Dragons a few weeks ago. Bloomfield Hills is fresh off their first district title since 2019 after winning over Walled Lake Northern 3-0 at West Bloomfield. The Blackhawks played with 10 players with one getting a red card in the district finals. Lake Orion won their second straight district title with a 1-0 victory over a red hot Oxford program that had been rolling. It’s a clash of different styles at Novi and whose style wins out heads to the regional final. On the other side of the bracket, it's an interesting matchup between defending State Champs Hartland and proven Catholic League power Farmington Hills Mercy.

 

PICK: It’s going to be a tough chore for whoever wins the Dragons/Blackhawks matchup. Hartland is the defending State Champs. The Dragons played the Eagles really tough in the regional final last season but Hartland’s size was too much for them. Bloomfield Hills will give Lake Orion a ton of problems. I don’t really see anyone beating the Eagles. Hartland should head to the State Semifinals riding with a lot of confidence.

Region 4 @ Adams

 

ROCHESTER vs New Baltimore Anchor Bay

TROY ATHENS vs Fraser

THOUGHTS/INSIGHT: This is a very interesting regional. Rochester remains unbeaten after winning a hard earned district by beating three State ranked teams in Adams, Romeo, and Stoney Creek. Their reward is another test against a very good New Baltimore Anchor Bay squad in the regional semifinals. Both the Falcons and Tars have wins over Troy Athens whom won their district with a pair of 1-0 games over Troy and Seaholm. Fraser really wasn’t tested until the district finals where they won 3-1 over St. Clair Shores Lakeview but the Ramblers have a huge test awaiting them against the Red Hawks.

PICK: I see a rematch of sorts but it will be Troy Athens vs New Baltimore Anchor Bay. Rochester and the Tars will be a heck of a regional semifinals but they have the deep postseason experience which should be the difference. I think the Red Hawks get revenge and move onto the State Semifinals.

Girls Tennis Recap.

Written Saturday June 4th at 8:00 PM

Bloomfield Hills performed very well on Friday afternoon at the Division One State Tennis Finals at Western Michigan University. The Blackhawks had 10 State Finalists and eight State Champions but it wasn’t enough as they scored 32 points which was good for second place. Ann Arbor Pioneer took home the State title with 33 points.

The OAA was well represented in Kalamazoo besides the Blackhawks. Troy was third with 22 points, Clarkston was seventh with 12 points, Stoney Creek was tied for eighth with 10 points, Adams was tied for 15^th with four points, Troy Athens and Lake Orion were tied for 19^th with three points, and Farmington was tied for 22^nd with one point.

Groves, Berkley, and Seaholm were in the Division Two State finals which took place on Saturday afternoon at Hope College. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern took the crown with 34 points. The Maples finished second with 30 points. Groves tied for fourth with 17 points. Berkley was tied for 12^th with six points.

The OAA should be strong again next season in girls tennis.

Girls Lacrosse State Semifinal Preview.

Written Saturday June 4th at 10:10 AM

BLOOMFIELD HILLS @ Brighton

 

THOUGHTS/INSIGHT: This is a road game for the Blackhawks in the Division One State Semifinals on Wednesday night with the winner playing either Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern or Hartland on Saturday afternoon. Bloomfield Hills is coming of a 16-5 regional final victory over Grosse Pointe South on Friday night prior to that game they beat Birmingham 18-14 in the regional semifinals last week. Brighton hasn’t really been tested in the postseason. Northville was the only team that came close to the Bulldogs in the regional semifinals 18-10. Brighton won 24-5 over Livonia Stevenson in the regional finals.

 

PICK: It’s a home game for Brighton however Bloomfield Hills has been here before. I don’t think the Bulldogs have been tested as the Blackhawks were against Birmingham in the regional semifinals. I think Bloomfield Hills gets this done and heads to the Division One State Finals.

OAA Top Ten Sports Traditions.

Written Saturday June 4th at 2:30 AM

Every school has their tradition in every sport. This is what makes high school sports one of the greatest traditions in our lifetimes. Here are some noticeable traditions around the OAA.

The Deer-Head (Troy): When going to a Colts sporting event, the deer head always finds a way to make an appearance. The deer head is named Canela. Now there are some detractors to say why the deer head is at Troy games. Here is an article describing the traditional deer head.

https://troychariot.org/5406/features/deer-pressure/

The Soldiers of Fortune (Rochester): The Falcons student section for games is called "The Soldiers of Fortune." Rochester students bring out a pirate flag which is their main logo. The students go all in and cheer on their Falcons during games. The flag and the students is what makes the tradition continue now and into the future.

https://twitter.com/SOFisgood/photo

The Jungle (Clarkston): Pretty much during a boys basketball game, "the Jungle" is out in full force making things miserable for opponents whether at Clarkston High School or on the road. The students usually dress in camouflage which has been the tradition however they have changed things up in the past. The Jungle is one of the best student sections in the State.

"Enter Sandman" (Lake Orion): When Bob Brydges took over the Lake Orion Girls Basketball program in 2018. His teams always came out to "Black and Yellow" by Wiz Khalifa when he was at Bloomfield Hills Lahser. Brydges thought of "Enter Sandman" by Metallica as the Dragons entrance. Whenever that music hits the Dragons are not that far behind.

The Highlander Bang Pipes (Adams): When going to an Adams sporting event there is someone that is in Highlanders attire. He would play his Scottish bang pipes whether it is on the football field or on the basketball court before the team comes out. It has been a tradition at Adams. It is an awesome tradition to see at Highlanders home games.

Dragon Banner (Lake Orion): The Dragons have one of the best traditions is the Dragon banner where the football players run down the tunnel to touch the banner while cheerleaders and dance team lead the charge while the Marching Band plays "Push On" (Dragons school song.) The Dragon faithful is on their feet cheering the team with some of them painted up while the Dragon Moms make the tunnel with two others hold the banner for the players to touch when they come on the field. It's a great tradition for the players to do for every home game.

American Flag (Clarkston): The Wolves have one of the best traditions in football. They come out of their tunnel with one of the players holding the American Flag while another has the Clarkston flag and everyone else touches the Clarkston football banner. One of the best traditions in football as mentioned.

Wildcat head (Oxford): This is a new tradition started at Oxford in the last two years. The Wildcats usually announce the offensive starters during the pre-game. Oxford players walk the long path down the hill to the south end of the field but now there is a Wildcat head with smoke leading them to the field. The Wildcats have one of their players running with an American Flag while another player has the Oxford O they run with to the field. It's a great tradition and a strong symbol of Oxford football.

Warriors Marching Band (Southfield Arts and Tech): The Warriors band is one of the best bands in the OAA. They are on the south side of the field. Some folks want to see the band play along with the varsity team.

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

Cougars Football Entrance (Stoney Creek): The Cougars football entrance is one of the most interesting in sports. Their football stadium is like a dome so the players have to walk the home bleachers to come to the football field. It's a unique entrance but the Stoney Creek faithful, coaches, and players know how to make things work.

Groves has their new Boys Basketball Coach and it's a Familiar Face.

Written Friday June 3rd at 8:50 PM

Groves has their new Boys Basketball Coach and it's familiar to Beverly Hills.

The Falcons named Marc West as their new coach. West takes over for Coach Benny White whom retired in April.

The move was confirmed by a very accurate source.

West was an assistant at Henry Ford College for three years 2019-2022 before making the move to come back to Beverly Hills.

West coached at Groves from 2014-2018 where he was 44-46 with the program. He won double digit games in his last three years with the program including 16 games in 2015-2016.

The Falcons went 13-8 last season. Groves fell to Birmingham Brother Rice in the district semifinals.

White was 42-39 overall in his four years with the program.

Groves has a young team coming back with proven experience. The Falcons have Elijah Yelder, Jack Abbott, Max Young, Brody Tushman, Miles McClary, Max Kramer, Josh Gibson, Josh Simpson, Ben Kostello, Nash Gilbert, Raymond Pope, and Brett Russell coming back. 

West will have program strength as well.

Groves will be in the White with Farmington, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Troy, and Lake Orion next season. The district is unknown at this time. The MHSAA is expected to release the districts in June.

Thoughts

I really like the West hire for Groves. He is very familiar with the program. West brings a lot of stability for a program that needs it and brings college experience when he was an assistant at Henry Ford College. 

West is a familiar face that comes back into the OAA.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story.

Basketball Summer Storylines.

Written Friday June 3rd at 8:00 PM

Updated Sunday June 12th at 8:20 PM

Let the summer leagues start and the storylines to start developing heading into the winter. Here are the basketball storylines heading into the summer and winter by the division.

Girls

The Red should be very interesting heading into the winter. Lake Orion and Rochester come from the White. West Bloomfield is fresh off winning the Division One State Championship. I expect the Lakers to be very good again with both Davis and Hendrix sisters coming back. Program strength is a major concern and something to watch for Coach Darrin McAllister. Lake Orion and Rochester have program strength and deep teams this summer and winter. The Dragons and Falcons each have four starters and a deep bench coming back along with program strength. Lake Orion should be very interesting to watch for Coach Bob Brydges and Rochester as well for Coach Bill Thurston. Clarkston could be more dangerous even though they lost Maddie Skorupski and Izzy Hadley to graduation. The Wolves have several proven players coming back for Coach Aaron Goodnough. Stoney Creek should be in the mix with Sarah LaPrarie, Emily Flynn, and Mia Carson coming back along with program strength for Coach Kellen James. Southfield Arts and Tech has had a ton of ups and downs last season. The Warriors have a ton of young proven talent that has made a ton of noise this summer coming back despite program strength being a major concern for Coach Shiquita Coltrane. Groves was up and down last season. The Falcons have proven experience with Kaitlyn Sanders coming back. Program strength will be something to watch for Coach Allison Hidey. Troy lost a lot of experience from their historic State Quarterfinal run last season. The Colts are well coached under Coach Juilus Porter and could surprise someone if teams are not careful.

The White should be very interesting this winter. Can anyone challenge Oxford in the division??? The Wildcats have a ton of proven experience coming back and program strength to boot as well. The team that could challenge Oxford is North Farmington. The Raiders have Sela Lefler and Penelope Creary coming back. Berkley is the sleeper for a few reasons, the upset of Detroit Renaissance in the district finals is the huge reason and they really improved in the postseason despite losing Ashley Loon to graduation. The Bears have others that are proven and ready to step up led by Maleve Nolan. Seaholm is another program to watch this summer. The Maples have almost everyone coming back after winning the Blue last season. Coach Chris Manchester has this program heading in the right direction. Harper Woods has a ton of questions despite moving up to the White. I’m not sure if the Pioneers are ready for this division despite having a lot of proven experience coming back. Is Coach Paul Allen ready for the challenge of the White??? Royal Oak comes from the Red where they really struggled early but saw significant improvement which showed in their district semifinal loss to Detroit Renaissance last season. It should be a huge summer for the Ravens to see where they are at heading into the winter for Coach Brian Sopota and company. Adams is in a very interesting spot. They will be rebuilding a little bit and program strength is a concern. The Highlanders could play spoiler this winter but they have to replace their two top players from last season. Troy Athens has to replace some talent from last season but they have some talented players waiting in the wings.

The Blue looks like it could be a two team race on paper this winter. Bloomfield Hills comes from the White and has the majority of their team coming back. The Blackhawks are also rising as a program under Coach Kristen Massey. Farmington should be Bloomfield Hills toughest challenger this winter. The Falcons lost several key players including Autumn Bartlett to graduation but there are several key players to watch this summer. Avondale will be a program to watch this summer. They lose Reigan Lawrence and Savannah Schmidt to graduation. Program strength is a concern surrounding the Yellow Jackets. Ferndale University has been rising as a program and made the district finals last season. The Eagles have several key players coming back. Pontiac has been building their program. The Phoenix have really toughen their non conference slate. Ferndale is doing the same with their program. Oak Park should be better after having a really rough season last year.

 

Boys

The Red should be very interesting this summer and winter. Ferndale had back to back Division Two State Semifinal appearances but won’t have two of their best players in Jason Drake and Treyvon Lewis as both have graduated. The Eagles has everyone else coming back which helps. For Coach Juan Rickman the returners need to step up this summer if they want to keep their stranglehold on the Red. North Farmington is ready to make a ton of noise. The Raiders have the makings of a possible Division One sleeper with the proven talent and added transfers coming back. Coach Todd Negoshian pending how the districts work out once they come in June should be in a very good position to make a deep postseason run. Clarkston should still be in the mix despite losing the majority of their scoring but this program always reloads with a ton of proven program strength under Coach Tim Waslik. Adams could take a bit of a step back but they will be a player especially with Brady Prieskorn and program strength for Coach Jaret Thomas. Oak Park is a possible sleeper with the young talent they have coming back for Coach Durand Sheppard. This summer will be the key for each of the programs to place their identities heading into the winter.

The White will have a new look. Farmington and West Bloomfield come from the Red. Both programs should be better this winter. The Lakers have a lot of proven experience coming back for Coach Arnette Jordan. The Falcons have a lot of talent coming back for Coach Derrick McDowell. Bloomfield Hills has a new coach this winter. The Blackhawks have the best player in Noah Adamcyzk coming back. They have program strength and a new coach in Brian Canfield taking over the program. Groves is in a very interesting spot. The Falcons lost Nick Lutz and Aaron DuBose to graduation last season. They have program strength coming back for returning coach Marc West. Lake Orion had a coaching change during the season last year. Program strength is a concern for Coach Jose Andredas along with losing Alden Ritt and Malachi Grandberry to graduation. Watch for Nate Havrilla, DJ Morrow, and Blake Leidell to make some noise this summer. Troy has the majority of their team coming back led by Darius Whiteside, Jon Whiteside, Zach Penoza, and Chase Kupier for Coach Gary Fralick. The Colts should be in the mix for the White this winter but the summer is the key to see how they develop.

The Blue has the most interesting storylines. Stoney Creek comes from the White and has a new coach while Royal Oak comes from the Gold. Rochester will be a team to watch this summer. The Falcons lost a ton of experience from last season however they have several key players in Grant Calcagno, Jaiden Bolden, and Alex Bueno coming back for Coach Nick Evola. Berkley has a lot of experience coming back for Coach Joe Sermo and they also have program strength as well. Oxford is the sleeper. The Wildcats have Dominic Cassise in the wings along with proven returners in Jake Champagne whom has been on a tear this summer, along with Lucas Bottene, and Logan Rozanski for Coach Steve Laidlaw. Troy Athens lost a lot of proven experience last season but watch for Emmanuel Robinson, Kyrie Harper, and Brogan Withun to make some noise this summer and winter for Coach Dave Scott. Royal Oak has Davis Arbeiter, Camden Clark, and Dylan Hoffman coming back for Coach Aaron Smith. I’m curious to see how they adjust to going up against better competition. Stoney Creek has a lot of experience coming back with Peyton Rummler, Tre Walker, Jonah McCay, Tommasso Sinacola, and Leo Kent. The Cougars will have a new coach in Jeff Olind and a transition period has to occur during the summer and the season. They also have program strength which helps Olind Once everyone gets adjusted to one another, Stoney Creek should be a program to watch this summer and winter. Seaholm should be improved on paper. The Maples have program strength but not a ton with proven varsity experience yet. This summer will be key for Coach Mike DeGeeter and company.

The Gold looks very interesting this winter. Southfield Arts and Tech comes from the Blue where they have had things really rough lately. The Warriors have a lot of proven experience coming back and a new coach in Terrance Porter taking over the program. Pontiac has the most exciting player in the division in Davieon Hall. Hall is expected to be a force not only on the basketball court but also on the grid iron as well. Hall will be the key to the Phoenix success this winter for Coach Dameon O'Neil. Harper Woods has a lot of proven experience coming back. The Pioneers won a district crown last season and are looking for more this season for Coach TaJuan Porter. Ferndale University is the sleeper. The Eagles have built something under Coach Josh Nicks. they have a lot of proven experience in Semaj McGhee, Rasheed Jones, Zach Sillah, and Javon Sanders coming back among others. Program strength will be the question mark for Ferndale University. This summer is key for Nicks and company. Avondale is a program on the rise, I’ve really liked what Coach Pat Clancy has done with the Yellow Jackets. He has a ton of proven players coming back and has built program strength. This summer will be key for Avondale if they want to take the next step as a program.

Boys Lacrosse State Quarterfinal Preview.

Written Friday June 3rd at 8:20 AM

Here are my insight and projections heading into the State Quarterfinals for Boys Lacrosse.

CLARKSTON vs Grandville @ Haslett-Friday at 5:30 PM

 

THOUGHTS/INSIGHT: It has been a great season for the Wolves. They won the Red and are peaking at the right time. The Bulldogs are riding a ton of confidence as well especially when they beat Rockford in the regional final. Clarkston really wasn’t tested in their regional. This is shaping up to be a very interesting matchup in the State Quarterfinals.

 

PICK: I like the Wolves to move onto the State Semifinals. They have too many options but it should be close.

 

LAKE ORION vs Birmingham Brother Rice @ Troy Athens-Saturday at 1 PM

 

THOUGHTS/INSIGHT: The Dragons have been up and down this season but they have seemed to pick things up at the right time. Lake Orion wasn’t tested in their regional and won it with ease. Birmingham Brother Rice is a powerhouse and the Catholic League has seemed to be everyone’s kryptonite including Lake Orion. The Warriors are rolling and gaining more confidence heading into this State Quarterfinal matchup.

 

PICK: I like the Warriors to move on to the State Semifinals. They have too many options but it should be close.