Written Wednesday November 19th at 1:43 PM

The Berkley Bears will have a new football coach next season

According to Inside the OAA, Bears Coach Casey Humes has stepped down coaching the program.

Humes went 6-12 in his two years with Berkley which included two wins over Royal Oak along with a win over Avondale. He went 4-5 this past season but didn’t make the postseason.

Humes before taking the varsity coaching job was the junior varsity coach and worked his way up to become the varsity coach in 2023 and has turned the program around.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with the Bears next season and who takes over the program.

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

Here is the tweet from Inside the OAA

https://x.com/InsideTheOAA/status/1991213458369454417

Written Thursday November 13th at 8:15 AM

Here is a preview of the games at Rochester for the OAA/MAC Boys Basketball Challenge on December 6th at Rochester.

This will be updated with times and more information.

STONEY CREEK vs Utica Eisenhower:

This could be a district preview between two neighbors who played in the football postseason recently (Stoney Creek 35-31 first round.) Both teams have young coaches (Stoney Creek-Marco Tomich, Utica Eisenhower-Anthony Muscat.) Both teams have proven guards and are looking to have bounce back years. The Cougars have experience but they need to overcome the losing mindset from the past. This should be a very interesting game.

ADAMS vs Macomb Dakota:

This looks to be a heavyweight fight of two teams that should make noise in their respective leagues this season. The Cougars are always loaded under Coach Paul Tocco while the Highlanders have Cannon Flynn for Coach Isiah Novak. Adams supporting cast will need to be huge in this game if they want to beat Macomb Dakota.

ROCHESTER vs Chippewa Valley

This is a very interesting matchup of two teams that can go up and down and score in bunches. The Falcons have experience but so does the Big Reds. Chippewa Valley is very athletic but there are some questions in the interior. Rochester is team oriented which is the most dangerous. It’s which style of play decides this game.

TROY vs Utica

These are two teams that are very young and scrappy. The Colts lost a lot of experience from last season. The Chieftains were very young and should be much improved. This could be a low scoring game between two teams that preaches defense.

TROY ATHENS vs Macomb Lutheran North

The Red Hawks have a lot of experience from winning a district crown last season. The Crusaders are a very proven program which should challenge Troy Athens. Macomb Lutheran North has been a proven power and has had deep postseason runs. This is an opportunity to show everyone what the Red Hawks are made of.

OXFORD vs Fraser:

The coaching matchup between Coaches Joe Fedorchik and former Stoney Creek Coach Steve Norgrove is a really fun coaching matchup. The Ramblers have been improving as a program under Norgrove. The Wildcats lost a lot of talent but Oxford still is a force to be a recon with. This should be a fun and competitive game.

Written Wednesday November 12th at 11:35 PM

The Eagles have a new girls basketball coach.

Ferndale named April Johnson as their new head coach. The MHSAA website confirmed the hire.

Johnson played at Detroit Renaissance and played at Bethune Cookham University. She played point guard and brings experience into the program.

Johnson takes over a program that has a ton of questions. Program strength is a serious concern and will be something to watch. Ferndale won ten games and a district crown last season but the Eagles saw a mass exit leave the school and head elsewhere. Johnson will be tasked into rebuilding the program and also getting non conference games for her new program.

Ferndale will be in the Blue with Adams, Southfield Arts and Tech, Harper Woods, Troy, and Troy Athens this season. They are in a tough district which has Ferndale University, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, Madison Heights Lamphere, Center Line, and Hazel Park which could be at Birmingham Detroit Country Day but it’s not confirmed yet.

The Eagles have only two players according to my notes coming back in Zahra Richardson and JaNiya Larry but it’s unknown if they are in the program. Ferndale was not at Media Day on Tuesday at Groves.

The first day for girls basketball tryouts is November 19th.

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

MHSAA website confirming the hire.

Written Sunday November 9th at 1:15 PM

This will be updated later today for Groves game against either St. Clair Shores Lakeview or Grosse Pointe South.

HARPER WOODS vs Dearborn Divine Child at Westland John Glenn: Saturday 1 PM

The Pioneers really haven’t been tested in the first two weeks of the postseason (Macomb Lutheran North, Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy) but this week that changes when Dearborn Divine Child comes back to Beaconsfield Street to play Harper Woods in a rematch that was won by Harper Woods in the district finals 40-21 last season. The Pioneers have a ton of proven stars as mentioned in the blog. The Falcons have a proven quarterback in Drew Sheridan, who is the brother of former Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan along with running back Marcello Vitti. Both have been very instrumental in their postseason success. This should be a very interesting matchup on Saturday afternoon with the winner likely seeing Goodrich pending if they get by Williamson in the Division Four State Semifinals.

GROVES at St. Clair Shores Lakeview: Friday 7 PM

The Jeremiah Whitley show has taken over the Falcons along with a timely defense (Warren Cousino 36-22 in the district finals.) Whitley has had nine touchdowns in two games in the postseason but lets see how this young Groves squad handle going into Macomb County. The Falcons will get the Huskies in a very interesting matchup of two teams with different styles. Groves likes to balance things out while St. Clair Shores Lakeview likes to run the Wing T offense which is a time possession offense. The Huskies will rotate seven different running backs (including Brennan Johnson, Logan Grubb, and Dallas Harris who combined for over 180 rushing yards against Grosse Pointe South) plus they have a quarterback in Gavin McGee who is also very efficient as a runner in the Wing T offense. St. Clair Shores Lakeview has wins over Utica Eisenhower (30-27), Lapeer (21-7), and Port Huron Northern (21-14). They beaten Grosse Pointe South twice including a 25-22 win in week seven and a 24-7 win in the district finals with both games in Grosse Pointe and it was their first district crown in school history. The key to this game is possessions for both teams as mentioned. The Huskies like to limit the opposing team’s possessions and play time possession football while the Falcons want to play balanced football. The winner will get Gibraltar Carlson or Dexter in the Division Two State Semifinals.

ADAMS vs Romeo: Friday 7 PM

The Highlanders have been rolling through their city rivals (Rochester, Stoney Creek) this postseason. They will have a rematch with Romeo in the regional finals at Highlander Stadium. Adams beat the Bulldogs 39-7 in week one but Romeo is a much different team than they were from week one. The Bulldogs won the Macomb Area Conference Red crown and is coming off a 56-0 blowout of bitter Macomb Area Conference Red rival Macomb Dakota at Dan Barnabo Field. The Highlanders present a lot of challenges for Romeo. This should be a very interesting game on Adams and Tienken Roads. Whoever wins this game will get Saline or Detroit Cass Tech in the Division One State Semifinals.

CLARKSTON vs Novi Detroit Catholic Central: Friday 7 PM

The Wolves and Shamrocks are no strangers to one another, it was Clarkston that won the Division One State crown at Novi Detroit Catholic Central’s expense in 2013 and 2017 at Ford Field. The Wolves have been rolling since the Harper Woods game (lost 27-21) but this will be Clarkston’s gravest challenge in form of who the Shamrocks have with multiple players that are Division One bound talents. Novi Detroit Catholic Central has a set of brothers in Samson Gash and Gideon Gash whom both have been dominant this postseason along with an experienced quarterback in Duke Banta. They also have Cedrick Williams who has also made some noise at running back. Novi Detroit Catholic Central has a huge offensive line along with a solid defense. The Shamrocks really haven’t been tested this postseason with two blowout wins over Hartland and Brighton. Clarkston has a very experienced team and it’s defense has seen quarterbacks in Jaxson Dosh (Davison) and Jake Murrow (Grand Blanc) this postseason. This will be the Wolves gravest challenge but the good news for Clarkston is they have athletes too and the game is at Clarkston not at Novi.

Written Saturday October 4th at 8:05 AM

Here are the rankings and ranking explanation this week.

Rankings

1. Harper Woods: Pioneers are rolling right now.

2. Clarkston: Wolves senior experience is showing right now.

3. Farmington: Falcons have turned things around since their week two loss to Holly.

4. Adams: Brady Lindstrom has been a huge addition for the Highlanders.

5. Stoney Creek: Cougars will be fine despite tough loss to Adams.

6. West Bloomfield: Lakers defense has a lot to explain after what happened against Oxford.7. Ferndale: We’ll see what the Eagles are when they have the Wayne County gauntlet.

8. Oxford: No one will ever question the Wildcats resiliency.

9. North Farmington: Elijah Cobb is the answer at quarterback for the Raiders.

10. Berkley: Bears are a completely different team since their 0-2 start.

Rankings Explanation

Not much change at the top two spots with Clarkston and Harper Woods. Farmington has been red hot lately which is why they are at three. Adams with their win over Stoney Creek goes to four. I decided to keep Stoney Creek at five despite their tough overtime loss to Adams. West Bloomfield went down three spots to six, I have concerns about their defense going forward. I thought of moving Oxford to seven but Ferndale has managed to play well and win the Gold which is why they are at seven while the Wildcats are at eight. North Farmington goes down to nine despite winning over Seaholm. Berkley enters the top ten after their big 37-30 win over Jackson Northwest, I’ve liked the way the Bears are playing right now. Groves I kept on the outside looking in despite being 3-3 at the moment but that could all change soon enough.

Written Saturday October 4th at 7:50 AM

Here are my thoughts on each team after week six.

Waterford Kettering: The Captains had it rough with Walled Lake Western which was to be expected falling 56-8 on Friday night. The defense needs to be shored up heading into the offseason along with certain questions Kettering will face in what could be another turnover within the program before they enter the OAA.

Waterford Mott: The Corsairs seen their Lakes Valley Conference title hopes take a big hit falling 21-20 to South Lyon on Friday night. Mott had a 14-0 lead at one point but the Lions bounced back and stunned the Corsairs keeping their hopes alive in the Lakes Valley Conference. The focus for the Corsairs should be is get to the postseason.

Pontiac: The Phoenix have been making progress in what is a very difficult season falling 31-6 to Ferndale on Friday night. Pontiac has made a lot of progress despite the record but there is still a ways to go for Coach Wendall Jefferson if they want to turn things around.

Avondale: The Yellow Jackets are really struggling to adjust to Coach Jim Carlisle’s system. It was shocking when they fell 35-6 to Royal Oak on Friday night. Avondale is a mess right now on both sides of the football. There is going to be a lot of questions for Carlisle heading into the offseason.

Berkley: The Bears got a measure of revenge heading into Jackson and stunning Jackson Northwest 37-30 on Friday night. Berkley got a measure of revenge against the Mounties after what happened to them at Hurley Field last season. This is a big win for Coach Casey Humes and the Bears. Things could be changing really quickly.

Royal Oak: The Ravens are the ultimate Scooby Doo team and it showed in a stunning 35-6 win over Avondale. Royal Oak was on all night against a Yellow Jackets defense that has really struggled all season long. The Ravens have seem to be making progress which is a good sign for Coach Colin Campbell.

Ferndale: The Eagles won the Gold with an impressive 31-6 win over Pontiac on Friday night. Now the test begins for Coach Donovan Jackson and Ferndale as they have the Wayne County gauntlet that is looming. Win two of these next three games and the postseason could be a possibility.

Troy: The Colts are in a rough spot after a 42-0 loss to Farmington on Friday night. The defense which has been the story allowing 107 points in the last three games albeit was against Clarkston, Farmington, and Oak Park. If the defense is allowing points in bunches that’s not a good sign going forward. This is something Coach Chris Frasier and Troy needs to fix.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks needed a win and got it in a 35-21 win over Bloomfield Hills on Friday night. The defense played better against Bloomfield Hills which needs to be the normal if Coach Tom Cook wants to turn things around and quick. It will be very interesting to see what happens with Troy Athens going forward.

Bloomfield Hills: The Black Hawks had a rough time with Troy Athens falling 35-21 on Friday night. Bloomfield Hills has made some progress but there is still a long way to go for Coach Scott Merchant and the Black Hawks.

Farmington: The Falcons went off for 42 points in a 42-0 win over Troy on Friday night. Farmington is a completely different team after what happened against Holly in week two. We’ll know a lot about Coach Jason Albrecht’s team when they head to Clarkston in two weeks.

North Farmington: The Raiders have seemed to turn things around with a huge 28-20 win over Seaholm. Elijah Cobb has played well for North Farmington and seems to be the quarterback of the future for Coach Jon Herstein. Terrance James has been solid on both sides of the football as well. The Raiders are in a good spot right now.

Seaholm: The Maples have lost two straight which is very concerning after a 28-20 loss to North Farmington on Friday night. Seaholm’s defense has to be a concern going forward after getting exposed by Farmington last week and now North Farmington. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Coach Jim DeWald which has Adams and Groves looming.

Oak Park: The Knights had a really tough loss to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep falling 20-19 on Friday night. Oak Park has been playing well lately but they still have some games where they have been inconsistent. It will be very interesting to see what Coach Greg Carter’s Knights do to finish out the season.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors have had a rough season falling 43-22 to Groves on Friday night however they are making progress. 22 points against a good program is progress for Coach Keith McKenzie. If the Warriors keep making progress then they could finish the season strong and look ahead to next season.

Groves: The Falcons got a big win on Friday night against Southfield Arts and Tech winning 43-22 in Beverly Hills. Groves has been up and down which is a sign of a young team. It will be very interesting to see what the Falcons will look like going forward and if they can make the postseason in a tough Division Two.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars took a very tough 26-20 overtime loss to Adams on Friday night. It was a back and fourth game between the two teams but Stoney Creek couldn’t get the stop they needed. It is possible that these two teams could meet again in the postseason. Despite the loss the Cougars are fine going forward.

Rochester: The Falcons have not been the same team since upsetting Lake Orion 23-21 three weeks ago falling 41-7 to Harper Woods on Friday night. Rochester has been outscored 117-14 in the last three weeks. The Falcons used a lot of energy in their upset of the Dragons but they have not been able to figure it out which is not a good sign for Coach Eric Vernon and the Falcons.

Harper Woods: The Pioneers showed their dominance against Rochester winning 41-7 on Friday night. Harper Woods has been very consistent all season which has showed in why they have been winning games. It should be very interesting to see what the Pioneers do heading into the postseason.

Adams: The Highlanders had to survive Stoney Creek winning 26-20 on Friday night in overtime. Adams got big plays from quarterback Brady Lindstrom and also Ryland Watters was huge as well. The Highlanders defense played well despite allowing 20 points. It is possible they could see Stoney Creek again in the postseason

Clarkston: The Wolves were ready from the get go on Friday night against Lake Orion winning 42-21 on their homecoming night. Clarkston stormed out early scoring 21 first quarter points and never looked back. The experience of the Wolves has shown all season. It will be interesting to see what happens for Coach Justin Pintar’s team going forward.

West Bloomfield: What happened to the Lakers very strong defense in their stunning 34-33 loss to Oxford on Friday night??? West Bloomfield had been allowing under ten points coming into this game but allowing 34 points which has star lineman Jeremiah Benson and Will Espy in the secondary is inexcusable. Espy had two touchdowns and Jamal Shakespear added another touchdown. If your Coach Zack Hilbers you got to figure things out and quick if you want to turn things around.

Oxford: The Wildcats system and belief in each other was a big difference in a 34-33 upset win over West Bloomfield on Friday night. Jack Hendrix found Brady Hasselbring in the endzone with 26 seconds left which sealed the win on homecoming night. Seth Tabert had three touchdowns while Oxford found a running back in Chris Pullman who added a touchdown. This win likely got the Wildcats to the postseason

Lake Orion: The Dragons have been going through a storm which hasn’t gone through yet in a 42-21 loss to Clarkston on Friday night. Anderson Adams looks to be the quarterback of the future rushing and scoring a touchdown. Lake Orion needs to address the defense heading into the offseason after allowing their second straight 40 point game. The Dragons need to finish the season strong and reevaluate a lot of things this offseason.