Boys Soccer District Preview.

Written Tuesday October 10th at 5:00 PM

Here is my insight and projections on the boys soccer districts.

District Six @ Oxford

Davison vs OXFORD

Flushing vs LAKE ORION

 

Grand Blanc vs Lapeer

Grand Blanc/Lapeer vs CLARKSTON

 

Thoughts/Projection: This should be a fun district at Wildcat Stadium. Clarkston is the early favorite but Grand Blanc has been red hot lately and could pose problems for the Wolves. Lake Orion and Oxford should meet in the district semifinals which should be a very interesting matchup and it’s hard to beat a team three times. Any team can win this district so here goes nothing, a team that is red hot right now and with apologies to Clarkston Athletic Director Jeff Kosin this is the team I’m going with. PICK: GRAND BLANC.

Ant viewpoint: This district looks very interesting, two state powers in Oxford and Clarkston, two quality programs in Lake Orion and Grand Blanc. A lot of strong quality match ups in this district. Most pundits will have Oxford and Clarkston in the championship game. Oxford beat Clarkston on the blue turf 2-1 but it will be a challenge to beat a quality Clarkston program two times in a row. Lake Orion has played both Oxford and Clarkston tough (losing 2-1 and 1-0 to Oxford and 2-1 to Clarkston). LO also is a very young team which helps going into the future. Grand Blanc has been surging lately winning the SVL Championship though they did lose early in the season to Clarkston 3-2. They and Lapeer tied 2-2 their last meeting. Flushing has also had a very successful season in the Flint Metro League. This is a pick em district, Clarkston is the favorite based off playoff experience but you can't host Oxford out especially with it being on their home turf. Lake Orion and Grand Blanc are more than capable of playing spoiler while Lapeer and Flushing are more than capable of upsetting LO and GB. PICK: CLARKSTON.  

 

District Seven @ Bloomfield Hills

Walled Lake Northern vs WEST BLOOMFIELD

Walled Lake Central vs Milford

 

Waterford Mott vs Lakeland

Waterford Mott/Lakeland vs BLOOMFIELD HILLS

 

Thoughts/Projection: This should be a very interesting district. Bloomfield Hills should be the favorite in this district and they have a great draw as well. Walled Lake Central has always been tricky while Milford is a sleeper. I see this being a Bloomfield Hills/Walled Lake Central district final with the Blackhawks moving on. PICK: BLOOMFIELD HILLS.

Ant viewpoint: Most years in soccer, the OAA is better than the Lakes Valley, this is no different Bloomfield Hills is most likely the favorite in this district and is also the host. Bloomfield Hills and West Bloomfield tied each other 1-1 earlier this season. Bloomfield Hills also beat Waterford Mott 5-0. West Bloomfield/WL Northern will be interesting, West Bloomfield defeated WL Northern 4-0. WL Central is the best team in the LVC pairing posting two wins over Waterford Mott (5-1 and 5-0) and Milford 2-1. This district, it would not surprise me to see an all OAA final. PICK: BLOOMFIELD HILLS.

 

District Eight @ Livonia Stevenson

Livonia Stevenson vs FARMINGTON

South Lyon vs NORTH FARMINGTON

 

Novi vs South Lyon East

Novi/South Lyon East vs Novi Detroit Catholic Central

 

Thoughts/Projection: This should be a very interesting district. Novi Detroit Catholic Central has played a very tough schedule. Livonia Stevenson has been very good all season. Novi is the wildcard in this district and could give the Shamrocks some trouble. I think the Spartans continue their ride but it won’t be an easy one. PICK: LIVONIA STEVENSON.

Ant Viewpoint: Very hard to pick against Detroit Catholic Central with how tough a schedule they play year in and out. Livonia Stevenson is the host and has had a great season up to this point despite losing the KLAA Championship to Northville. Novi is the wildcard in this district. Farmington and North Farmington are both competitive teams but sadly they are not to the level of some of these teams in this district. PICK: DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL

 

District Thirteen @ Berkley

BERKLEY vs ROYAL OAK

TROY ATHENS vs SEAHOLM

 

TROY vs GROVES

FERNDALE vs SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH

 

Thoughts/Projection: This is a really brutal district. Berkley has the top seed and was rewarded with State ranked and White champ Royal Oak and if they get semifinals then they could deal with a red hot Troy Athens squad. Troy got the best draw on the other side. The Bears were wronged in this district but it will motivate them to do their best and they should with the Hurley crowd at their side. PICK: BERKLEY.

Ant viewpoint: The kiss of death district, like the district at Oxford, this district has it's fair share of strong state ranked teams. At some point through the season, four teams in this district were state ranked. Berkley defeated Troy Athens and Troy 2-0 in league play and has been nationally ranked all season, at present they are number one in the state. They will play Royal Oak who won the White and has played strong competition playing almost every team in the district. The other side features Troy Athens and Seaholm, both of whom are in the Red this season. The Red Hawks and the Maples tied each other at one but the Red Hawks have been playing better while the Maples most part a young team and very strong all around program will only keep getting better and better. The other side of the draw features Troy and Groves. Troy has always been a strong program in the Red while Groves has been a strong program in the White. The last match up features two blue teams, Ferndale and Southfield A&T, both match ups Ferndale won convincingly 7-0 and 6-1 respectively. Whoever wins this district will be prepared come Regional time. Five teams are capable of winning this district but it is hard to pick against the hosts. PICK: BERKLEY    

 

District Fifteen @ Adams

STONEY CREEK vs ROCHESTER

STONEY CREEK/ROCHESTER vs Utica Eisenhower

 

Romeo vs Utica

Romeo/Utica vs ADAMS

 

Thoughts/Projection: This should be a fun district. Utica Eisenhower is the favorite and been the most consistent coming into this district but Stoney Creek has really started to improve. The Cougars have a dangerous matchup with Rochester in the first round. Adams has home field but a tough matchup awaits them with Romeo or Utica in the next round. I see this being an Adams/Utica Eisenhower district final and until anyone dethrones the champs that what I see moving on. PICK: ADAMS.

Ant viewpoint: Every year, the Rochester/Utica district is always challenging. You have two state ranked powers in both Adams and Utica Eisenhower. Adams is the defending Class A Champions and has home field in the district. Every team in this district traditionally has been very strong and will continue to be that way. Stoney Creek and Rochester is a very intriguing matchup. Rochester beat Stoney Creek 2-0 in a very competitive matchup at Stoney Creek. Would not expect anything different when it comes to competitiveness in that game. Every team in this district is capable of an upset, both Adams and Ike should be on upset alert. The final will likely be Adams/Utica Eisenhower in a matchup that can go either way but it's tough to pick against the champs: PICK: ADAMS.

 

District Twenty Four @ Dearborn Divine Child

Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy vs Detroit Renaissance

Hamtramck vs OAK PARK

 

Melvindale vs Warren Fitzgerald

Melvindale/Warren Fitzgerald vs Dearborn Divine Child

 

Thoughts/Projection: This is an interesting district. Dearborn Divine Child is the favorite and the host but fell to Melvindale 5-1 in a recent matchup. Oak Park has had things rough but they have a chance to do some damage. I see Melvindale upsetting Dearborn Divine Child again and taking this district over Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy. PICK: MELVINDALE.

Ant viewpoint: Dearborn Divine Child is the favorite in this district but Melvindale will be their biggest challenge. From an OAA perspective, it has been challenging for Oak Park but there is a lot of positives with the Knights. A lot like Southfield A&T, Oak Park fielded a soccer team for the second year in a row. While the wins will come, the fact of having a program out there provides strong dividends. PICK: DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD.

 

District Twenty Six @ Avondale

AVONDALE vs Birmingham Brother Rice

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood vs PONTIAC

 

Madison Heights Lamphere vs Waterford Kettering

Madison Heights Lamphere/Waterford Kettering vs Orchard Lake St. Marys

 

Thoughts/Projection: This should be a very interesting district. Orchard Lake St. Marys got a great draw and should get to the district finals with no issues. Avondale is the host in this district but they have a very tough matchup with Birmingham Brother Rice and if they get by that one either Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood or Pontiac. This looks to be a Orchard Lake St. Marys/Avondale district final with Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood as a darkhorse but this will be the Eaglets time to shine. PICK: ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS.

Ant Thoughts: Avondale is the host in this district recently won the OAA Blue. The district will be very challenging for both OAA teams as Avondale plays Catholic League power Brother Rice while Pontiac plays Cranbrook Kingswood who could be a potential darkhorse in this district. Should Avondale and Pontiac win their first round games, it will be the fourth time both these teams would play each other. Pontiac defeated Avondale 2-1 at Avondale but Avondale won 3-0 at Ferndale (Ferndale Tournament) and 4-0 at Pontiac. Avondale has also played strong OAA powers in Clarkston and Lake Orion and at one point was state ranked. This looks to be an Avondale/OLSM district final, with it being at Avondale's home field and despite OLSM's better schedule, going with the home OAA team. PICK: AVONDALE 

Week Seven Recap.

Written Saturday October 7th at 12:50 AM

AROUND THE OAA TOP TEN-Week Seven

1. Lake Orion

2. Southfield Arts and Tech

3. Seaholm

4. Clarkston

5. West Bloomfield

6. Groves

7. Avondale

8. North Farmington

9. Harper Woods

10. Adams

 

SCORES.

TROY 48, BERKLEY 0.

TROY ATHENS 38, ROYAL OAK 37 OT.

NORTH FARMINGTON 66, PONTIAC 8.

SEAHOLM 20, AVONDALE 0.

OAK PARK 22, FERNDALE 9.

GROVES 30, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 6.

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 25, ROCHESTER 13.

HARPER WOODS 55, FARMINGTON 0.

LAKE ORION 42, CLARKSTON 21.

WEST BLOOMFIELD 38, OXFORD 19.

ADAMS 28, STONEY CREEK 7.

 

BEST WIN: Lake Orion: The Dragons went into Clarkston and won 42-21 on Friday night. Billy Roberson and TR Hill combined for five touchdowns in the game. Lake Orion is rolling right now. They have Farmington looming next week.

TOUGH LOSS: Avondale: The Yellow Jackets had a tough matchup on Friday night against Seaholm falling 20-0 in the Maple Forest. Avondale will be fine going forward though but this is a wakeup call for Coach Bob Meyer and company. The Yellow Jackets have Pontiac looming next week.

TEAM THAT NEEDS A HUG: Oxford: The Wildcats postseason hopes took a hit with a 38-19 loss to West Bloomfield on Friday night. Oxford needs some help and win out to make the postseason. They have North Farmington looming next week.

VALENTI RANT: Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks have struggled all season long including a 30-6 loss to Groves on Friday night. Bloomfield Hills has been outscored 129-6 in the last two weeks. The Blackhawks have Adams looming next week.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME: Farmington: The Falcons have not had Cameron Pettaway most of the season. They have been outscored 134-7 in the last four weeks including a 55-0 loss to Harper Woods. Farmington has a really tough two game stretch to close the season with Lake Orion starting next week.

Week Seven Thoughts.

Written Saturday October 7th at 12:30 AM

West Bloomfield: The Lakers bounced back after a rough loss to Clarkston with a 38-19 win at Oxford on Friday night. Brandon Davis-Swain and Rick Nance had a big nights for West Bloomfield. The Lakers defense is still a concern and they have a big test looming with Southfield Arts and Tech next week.

Lake Orion: The Dragons earned the Red crown and a 42-21 win over Clarkston on Friday night. Billy Roberson had three touchdowns while TR Hill had two scores on the night. Lake Orion has Farmington looming next week.

Clarkston: The Wolves had a tough 42-21 loss to Lake Orion on Friday night. Desman Stephens had two touchdowns while Brody Kosin added a score. Clarkston will be fine. They have Harper Woods looming next week.

Adams: The Highlanders bounced back after falling to Lake Orion last week with a 28-7 win over Stoney Creek. They have Bloomfield Hills looming next week.

Oxford: The Wildcats postseason hopes took a hit with a 38-19 loss to West Bloomfield on Friday night. Oxford will need to win out and get some help if they want to make the postseason. The Wildcats have North Farmington looming next week.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars had a tough 28-7 loss to Adams on Friday night. Stoney Creek has Rochester looming next week.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors were tested winning 25-13 over Rochester on Friday night. Southfield Arts and Tech needed a game like this especially with West Bloomfield looming next week.

Harper Woods: The Pioneers got back on track with a 55-0 blowout win over Farmington on Friday night. Harper Woods has a statement game with Clarkston looming next week.

Groves: The Falcons had no issue with Bloomfield Hills winning 30-6 on Friday night. Groves is rolling with confidence right now. They have Ferndale looming next week.

Farmington: The Falcons have really struggled since Cam Pettaway went down but he did return in this game. They fell 55-0 to Harper Woods on Friday night. Farmington has been outscored 134-7 in the last three weeks and it won’t get any easier. They have Lake Orion looming next week.

Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks have had a rough three weeks. They fell 30-6 to Groves on Friday night. Bloomfield Hills has been outscored 129-6 in the last two weeks. They have a tough one looming with Adams next week.

Rochester: The Falcons battled despite falling 25-13 to Southfield Arts and Tech. Rochester kept Southfield Arts and Tech to one of their lowest scores of the season. They have Stoney Creek looming next week.

Seaholm: The Maples behind the play of Jack Lewis and the Kinnie brothers were dominant in their 20-0 win over Avondale on Friday night. Seaholm is rolling with confidence. They have Oak Park looming next week.

North Farmington: The Raiders had no issues with Pontiac winning 66-8 on Friday night. Lorence Woodley had 207 total yards and a touchdown in the game. North Farmington will for sure be tested when they head to Oxford next week.

Oak Park: The Knights had their game called due to gun shots outside Knight Valley. Oak Park won 22-9 with six minutes to go in the game. The win helps their postseason hopes. They have Seaholm looming next week.

Troy: The Colts had no issue with Berkley keeping their postseason hopes alive winning 48-0. Troy will be tested next week when they play Troy Athens.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks survived in overtime on Friday night winning 38-37 over Royal Oak. The Red Hawks have won two straight and has a big one looming with Troy next week.

Ferndale: The Eagles had their game called due to gun shots outside Oak Park. Ferndale fell 22-9 which hurt their postseason hopes. They need to win out to make the postseason. They have Groves looming next week.

Avondale: The Yellow Jackets had a tough test but they fell to a very good Seaholm program 20-0 on Friday night. Avondale will be fine. They have Pontiac looming next week.

Berkley: The Bears were blown out 48-0 by Troy on Friday night. Berkley is really struggling. They have Royal Oak looming next week.

Royal Oak: The Ravens lost a heart breaker to Troy Athens in overtime 38-37 on Friday night. The offense was solid all night for Royal Oak despite the weather conditions. Coach Collin Campbell has this team heading in the right direction. They have Berkley looming next week.

Pontiac: The Phoenix had a rough night falling 66-8 to North Farmington on Friday night. Pontiac has another tough one looming with Avondale next week.

Week Seven Picks.

Written Wednesday October 4th at 8:15 AM

Welcome to the 2023 football season, here are our pickers for the season. Here are everyone who is doing picks this season.

 

SANDY DUNES is Sammy Taormina, OAA Now host and blogger.

COTTER is Sean Cotter, Walled Lake Western football and North Farmington basketball video coordinator

DUNLAP is Keith Dunlap, WDIV freelance writer

STICK is Dan Stickradt, North Oakland Sports writer

BURNEY is Scott Burnstein, MIPrepZone and State Champs sports writer.

TIM is Tim English, High School Sports Historian and Blogger.

 

SANDY DUNES 56-20

COTTER 65-11

BURNEY 53-23

DUNLAP 55-21

STICK 58-18

TIM 58-18

 

1. Lake Orion at 3. Clarkston: This is a huge game for both teams not just for the Red but when it comes to postseason positioning. Wolves coach Justin Pintar added some spice when he said after the 44-36 win over West Bloomfield last week that “Lake Orion is good but we’re better.” If the Dragons and especially Coach Chris Bell heard that then it would already add more motivation to a team that really doesn’t need more of it after falling 45-41 on their homecoming to Clarkston last season. The Wolves have played much better since falling in weeks one and two to Northville and Southfield Arts and Tech respectably. Brady Collins has really settled in at quarterback and the Bowman twins have excelled at running back to go along with proven players in Ryan Rector, Brody Kosin, and Desman Stephens. Lake Orion has been very consistent all season long behind the play of Billy Roberson, Raymond Payne, and TR Hill. The Dragons have been on a “Revenge Tour” and so far they have backed it up. If you can’t go to the game you can watch the game on Dragon Broadcasting (WDBC) online or on Independence Television.

SANDY DUNES: LAKE ORION 35, CLARKSTON 24.

COTTER: LAKE ORION 28, CLARKSTON 21.

DUNLAP: LAKE ORION 31, CLARKSTON 28.

STICK: LAKE ORION over CLARKSTON.

BURNEY: LAKE ORION 29, CLARKSTON 28.

TIM: LAKE ORION 28, CLARKSTON 24.

 

2. Southfield Arts and Tech at Rochester: The Warriors have been rolling as of late. They have been developing their depth since they haven’t really needed to play the starters in the last two weeks. The Falcons won 33-7 over Farmington on their homecoming last week. This looks like it’s a complete mismatch on paper which it might pretty well be.

SANDY DUNES: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 48, ROCHESTER 14.

COTTER: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 44, ROCHESTER 7.

DUNLAP: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 42, ROCHESTER 7.

STICK: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH over ROCHESTER.

BURNEY: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 40, ROCHESTER 12.

TIM: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 56, ROCHESTER 7.

 

4. Avondale at 5. Seaholm: This is a huge match for postseason positioning. The Yellow Jackets really hasn’t been tested since the Brandon game. The Maples have really been battle tested as of late. The offenses are also very interesting, Avondale runs the Wing T while Seaholm runs the veer. There will be a ton of running in this game that is for sure. If you can’t go to the game you can watch online at “The Prep.”

SANDY DUNES: SEAHOLM 21, AVONDALE 14.

COTTER: SEAHOLM 49, AVONDALE 14.

DUNLAP: AVONDALE 21, SEAHOLM 20.

STICK: SEAHOLM over AVONDALE.

BURNEY: AVONDALE 31, SEAHOLM 30.

TIM: SEAHOLM 42, AVONDALE 21.

 

6. West Bloomfield at Oxford: This is a big game for both teams. The Wildcats need to win out if they want to make the postseason and winning 38-28 over Stoney Creek is a start last week. The Lakers are reeling a little bit especially defensively where they have allowed 30 points in three of the last four weeks. This should be a fun one at Wildcat Stadium or if you can’t go to the game you can watch on Civic Center Television or Oxford Community Television.

SANDY DUNES: OXFORD 35, WEST BLOOMFIELD 31.

COTTER: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, OXFORD 21.

DUNLAP: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, OXFORD 14.

STICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD over OXFORD.

BURNEY: WEST BLOOMFIELD 36, OXFORD 26.

TIM: WEST BLOOMFIELD 42, OXFORD 35.

 

7. Groves at Bloomfield Hills: The Falcons have been rolling after winning an emotional 20-12 victory over Harper Woods last week. Groves has a rivalry game with the Blackhawks whom have been shutout in the last two weeks. This could be a blowout in the making.

SANDY DUNES: GROVES 56, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

COTTER: GROVES 46, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

DUNLAP: GROVES 35, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 14.

STICK: GROVES over BLOOMFIELD HILLS.

BURNEY: GROVES 34, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 17.

TIM: GROVES 49, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

 

Pontiac at 8. North Farmington: The Raiders have been getting confidence each week which has shown. The availability of Duke Blanch will be something to watch. The Phoenix are much improved even though they fell 35-15 to Troy Athens last week. This should be a very interesting matchup at Ron Holland Field. The Raiders have a ton to play for. If you can’t go to the game you can tune in to Farmington TV-10.

SANDY DUNES: NORTH FARMINGTON 31, PONTIAC 26.

COTTER: NORTH FARMINGTON 38, PONTIAC 6.

DUNLAP: NORTH FARMINGTON 24, PONTIAC 22.

STICK: NORTH FARMINGTON over PONTIAC.

BURNEY: NORTH FARMINGTON 32, PONTIAC 29.

TIM: NORTH FARMINGTON 35, PONTIAC 21.

 

9. Harper Woods at Farmington: The Falcons will most likely need to win out if they want to make the postseason. It is unknown if Cam Pettaway will play this week. Farmington has a Harper Woods program that has had a ton of ups and downs. The Pioneers are safely in the field in Division Four. Harper Woods could be in for a deep postseason run if things work out. If you can’t watch the game you can tune into Farmington TV-10.

SANDY DUNES: HARPER WOODS 56, FARMINGTON 21.

COTTER: HARPER WOODS 48, FARMINGTON 7.

DUNLAP: HARPER WOODS 31, FARMINGTON 10.

STICK: HARPER WOODS over FARMINGTON.

BURNEY: HARPER WOODS 33, FARMINGTON 18.

TIM: HARPER WOODS 42, FARMINGTON 7.

 

10. Adams at Stoney Creek: This is a huge game for the Highlanders. They are trying to keep their postseason hopes alive after falling 35-0 to Lake Orion last week. The Cougars postseason fate was sealed after falling to Oxford 38-28 last week. This should be a fun matchup, anything is possible in a rivalry game.

SANDY DUNES: ADAMS 24, STONEY CREEK 21.

COTTER: ADAMS 27, STONEY CREEK 21.

DUNLAP: ADAMS 27, STONEY CREEK 24 OT.

STICK: ADAMS over STONEY CREEK.

BURNEY: ADAMS 28, STONEY CREEK 21.

TIM: ADAMS 28, STONEY CREEK 24.

 

Royal Oak at Troy Athens: This is a matchup of two teams looking for some positive momentum heading into the final three weeks of the season. The Ravens defense has been very good all year and should be a building block for Coach Collin Campbell. The Red Hawks are coming off a 35-15 win over Pontiac. They have Vernon Burden as their principal. Better and brighter days are ahead for both programs.

SANDY DUNES: TROY ATHENS 17, ROYAL OAK 7.

COTTER: TROY ATHENS 28, ROYAL OAK 14.

DUNLAP: TROY ATHENS 23, ROYAL OAK 13.

STICK: TROY ATHENS over ROYAL OAK.

BURNEY: TROY ATHENS 39, ROYAL OAK 22.

TIM: TROY ATHENS 14, ROYAL OAK 7.

 

Ferndale at Oak Park: This is a huge game for both teams when it comes to the postseason. Both teams are likely needing to win out to get into the postseason. The Knights have lost two straight games by a combined eight points. The Eagles need this game and also either St. Clair Shores Lake Shore or Groves to be assured a postseason berth. It’s a big game for both teams as mentioned.

SANDY DUNES: FERNDALE 33, OAK PARK 30.

COTTER: OAK PARK 26, FERNDALE 14.

DUNLAP: OAK PARK 17, FERNDALE 10.

STICK: OAK PARK over FERNDALE.

BURNEY: OAK PARK 31, FERNDALE 26.

TIM: OAK PARK 28, FERNDALE 21.

 

Berkley at Troy: Both of these teams are at a crossroads but none bigger than the Colts. Troy is battling for their postseason lives after losing three straight games and allowing 94 points in the last two weeks. The Bears have struggled all season, allowing 61 points in a loss to Ferndale last week. This should be a very interesting matchup to watch.

SANDY DUNES: TROY 21, BERKLEY 0.

COTTER: TROY 42, BERKLEY 0.

DUNLAP: TROY 35, BERKLEY 7.

STICK: TROY over BERKLEY.

BURNEY: TROY 38, BERKLEY 25.

TIM: TROY A LOT, BERKLEY 0.

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