Week Four Picks
Written Wednesday September 18th at 8:08 AM
Here are the pickers and the picks for week four.
SANDY DUNES: Sammy Taormina, host of OAA Now, blogger and host of Between Taorminas, and Last Three Brain Cells on Orion Neighborhood Television.
TIM: Tim English, writer, and blogger-Lake Orion 1996 Alumni.
COTTER: Sean Cotter, Walled Lake Western video coordinator, and North Farmington boys basketball scouter.
KEITH: Keith Dunlap, writer works as a free lance writer for the MHSAA.
SCOTT: Scott Burnstein, writer for MIPrepZone and State Champs.
SANDY DUNES: 27-16
TIM: 29-14
COTTER: 34-9
KEITH: 30-13
SCOTT: 29-14
WEATHER FORECAST: Showers, thunderstorms possible most likely before kickoff otherwise cloudy, lows 62-65 degrees.
Here are the picks.
- Clarkston at 1. Adams: The Highlanders know how to win close games which has shown in their record. Adams has wins over Romeo, West Bloomfield, and Rochester with the all three game being really tight as mentioned. A lot has to do with their potent veer offense. The Wolves have won their last two games by a combined 71-15 ever since the Belleville game two weeks ago. Clarkston won 28-7 over Adams last season but the Wolves have not fared well at Rochester in the past. This should be a really interesting game.
SANDY DUNES: ADAMS 17, CLARKSTON 14.
TIM: CLARKSTON 35, ADAMS 28.
COTTER: ADAMS 24, CLARKSTON 21.
KEITH: CLARKSTON 20, ADAMS 17.
SCOTT: CLARKSTON 33, ADAMS 26.
- Lake Orion at 5. Oxford: The Dragons and Wildcats are no strangers to one another. Lake Orion won twice over Oxford last season but this season there are more plots and twists heading into this game. The Dragons will be without quarterback TR Hill who has a shoulder injury but quarterback Brody Thompson has really stepped up scoring three touchdowns in their 32-0 win over Troy last week. The Wildcats have played a really tough schedule and are a really dangerous team behind their quarterback Jack Hendrix and running back/linebacker Luke Johnson. Oxford had a tough 23-15 loss to Clarkston last week but they shocked Harper Woods 38-0 two weeks ago. Whoever wins the battle in the trenches will win this game.
SANDY DUNES: LAKE ORION 31, OXFORD 21.
TIM: LAKE ORION 35, OXFORD 31.
COTTER: LAKE ORION 21, OXFORD 14.
KEITH: LAKE ORION 28, OXFORD 21.
SCOTT: LAKE ORION 25, OXFORD 24.
- Groves at 9. Rochester: The Falcons have been on a roll to start the season with wins over Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit, West Bloomfield, and Stoney Creek by a combined 97-33. They won 42-7 over Rochester last season in Beverly Hills. The Falcons are coming off an impressive 33-14 win over Southfield Arts and Tech and has really improved despite the 28-0 loss to Adams. This might have trap game for Groves written all over it.
SANDY DUNES: GROVES 31, ROCHESTER 28.
TIM: GROVES 42, ROCHESTER 28.
COTTER: GROVES 35, ROCHESTER 7.
KEITH: GROVES 31, ROCHESTER 21.
SCOTT: GROVES 29, ROCHESTER 12.
- Seaholm at Oak Park: This might be the biggest game for both teams but especially the Knights. Oak Park has really turned things around since their 17-6 loss to Farmington. The Knights fell 42-22 to Seaholm last season in the Maple Forest. The Maples have not lost a beat outscoring Troy Athens, Avondale, and Bloomfield Hills by a combined 100-7 in the last three weeks. This will be Seaholm’s biggest test to date in Knight Valley.
SANDY DUNES: SEAHOLM 28, OAK PARK 24.
TIM: SEAHOLM 42, OAK PARK 21.
COTTER: SEAHOLM 28, OAK PARK 6.
KEITH: SEAHOLM 28, OAK PARK 23.
SCOTT: SEAHOLM 27, OAK PARK 25.
Southfield Arts and Tech at 7. West Bloomfield: These are two rivals that know each other really well and it’s West Bloomfield’s homecoming this week. The Lakers have not been themselves as of late to their defense they played two really good teams in Adams and Groves on the road. West Bloomfield will head a little closer to campus when they play Southfield Arts and Tech. The Warriors have not been the same team since their 46-0 win over Flint Beecher. They have been outscored by Clarkston and Rochester by a combined 81-14 since that game. Also West Bloomfield is motivated after losing to Southfield Arts and Tech 40-35 in the Division One State semifinals last season but this is a different Warriors team. It could get really ugly in the Swamp this week.
SANDY DUNES: WEST BLOOMFIELD 63, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 0.
TIM: WEST BLOOMFIELD 9 TRILLION, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 0.
COTTER: WEST BLOOMFIELD 49, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 6.
KEITH: WEST BLOOMFIELD 34, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 17.
SCOTT: WEST BLOOMFIELD 36, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 28.
Berkley at 8. Ferndale: Bears coach Casey Humes got his first win of the season and Berkley snapped a 14 game losing streak after a 41-6 win over Pontiac last week. This week it’s going to be a little more challenging to get win number two. The Bears have not fared well against their neighbors to the south getting outscored 81-19 which included a 61-8 blowout at Hurley Field to the Eagles last season. Ferndale has turned things around since losing 27-18 to Madison Heights Lamphere three weeks ago outscoring both North Farmington and Royal Oak by a combined 55-12 in the last two weeks. It looks like Coach Eric Royal has this team turned around which is a good sign going forward.
SANDY DUNES: FERNDALE 28, BERKLEY 7.
TIM: FERNDALE 28, BERKLEY 7.
COTTER: FERNDALE 35, BERKLEY 7.
KEITH: FERNDALE 24, BERKLEY 6.
SCOTT: FERNDALE 33, BERKLEY 21.
Troy Athens at 10. Farmington: The Red Hawks just can’t seem to catch a break this season but things have been better in the last two weeks since the 40-0 loss to Seaholm in week one. Troy Athens has played much better despite the results. The Red Hawks will be tested by a Falcons team that is coming off a really difficult 20-7 loss to arch rival North Farmington last week. The defense has been really good for Farmington despite the loss last week. Troy Athens has been a really hard team to figure out as of late.
SANDY DUNES: FARMINGTON 28, TROY ATHENS 14.
TIM: FARMINGTON 35, TROY ATHENS 0.
COTTER: FARMINGTON 21, TROY ATHENS 7.
KEITH: TROY ATHENS 24, FARMINGTON 21.
SCOTT: FARMINGTON 22, TROY ATHENS 19.
Stoney Creek at Harper Woods: These are two teams that are having it really rough for different reasons. The Cougars are going through a tough transition period which has to happen during the season. They have lost their last two games to Lake Orion and Groves by a combined 76-19. The Pioneers have had things much worse. Harper Woods has been outscored by Novi Detroit Catholic Central and Oxford by a combined 83-12 in the last two weeks. Also the Pioneers might be without Nate Rocheleau who got hurt against Novi Detroit Catholic Central last week. Harper Woods won 34-21 at Stoney Creek last season but these are two teams that are going through a rough patch right now.
SANDY DUNES: HARPER WOODS 31, STONEY CREEK 14.
TIM: HARPER WOODS 28, STONEY CREEK 21.
COTTER: HARPER WOODS 36, STONEY CREEK 13.
KEITH: HARPER WOODS 25, STONEY CREEK 17.
SCOTT: STONEY CREEK 40, HARPER WOODS 28.
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep at Troy: This is the second major test for the Colts in two weeks. Troy had outscored Bloomfield Hills and Pontiac by a combined 70-7 but they fell 32-0 to Lake Orion last week. They have a huge game at Don Hill Stadium when Pontiac Notre Dame Prep comes a calling. The Irish have been really impressive in the last three weeks outscoring Detroit Central, Jackson Lumen Christi, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central by a combined 119-38 including a stunning 42-0 win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central last week. This is going to be a really difficult matchup for Troy especially with Pontiac Notre Dame Prep being the top team in Division Five and if they can’t overcome what happened to them last week.
SANDY DUNES: PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP 35, TROY 14.
TIM: PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP 42, TROY 7.
COTTER: PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP 28, TROY 0.
KEITH: PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP 21, TROY 20.
SCOTT: PONTIAC NOTRE DAME 35, TROY 25.
North Farmington at Bloomfield Hills: This is a rematch of a 50-49 Blackhawks victory over the Raiders which cost them a trip to the postseason last season. These are two teams that have had a ton of rough patches. North Farmington is coming off an emotional 20-7 win at Ron Holland Field over Farmington last week behind their rushing attack of Duke Blanch and quarterback Terrance James. Bloomfield Hills has been really bad allowing 114 points in the last three weeks. The Raiders are motivated to get back at the Blackhawks after what happened last season when it was Bloomfield Hills that took them out of the postseason but they better be careful about a let down and it could happen here.
SANDY DUNES: NORTH FARMINGTON 27, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.
TIM: NORTH FARMINGTON 56, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.
COTTER: NORTH FARMINGTON 26, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.
KEITH: NORTH FARMINGTON 17, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 14.
SCOTT: NORTH FARMINGTON 30, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 20.
Avondale at Pontiac: It has been a rough two weeks for the Phoenix. Pontiac won 40-0 over Detroit Fredrick Douglass three weeks ago but has been outscored 76-6 since that game including a 41-6 loss to Berkley. The Yellow Jackets got back on track after two tough losses with a 34-13 win over Macomb Lutheran North last week. This should be a really interesting matchup between these two teams.
SANDY DUNES: AVONDALE 51, PONTIAC 12.
TIM: AVONDALE 63, PONTIAC 14.
COTTER: AVONDALE 49, PONTIAC 6.
KEITH: AVONDALE 34, PONTIAC 8.
SCOTT: AVONDALE 34, PONTIAC 15.
Royal Oak at Livonia Clarenceville: This is the first meeting between the Ravens and the Trojans. Royal Oak has really struggled especially in the last two weeks getting outscored 54-7 which included a 35-0 loss to Ferndale last week. Livonia Clarenceville has not been the same since the Melvindale game when they won 14-0. They have been outscored 91-28 since that game which also included a 42-22 loss to Southgate Anderson last week. These are two programs that are really struggling right now that needs to turn things around and fast.
SANDY DUNES: LIVONIA CLARENCEVILLE 28, ROYAL OAK 7.
TIM: LIVONIA CLARENCEVILLE 42, ROYAL OAK 7.
COTTER: LIVONIA CLARENCEVILLE 21, ROYAL OAK 14.
KEITH: ROYAL OAK 21, LIVONIA CLARENCEVILLE 17.
SCOTT: ROYAL OAK 23, LIVONIA CLARENCEVILLE 20.
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