by orionontv | Apr 3, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Wednesday March 29th at 9:30 AM
Here are the early thoughts for the Girls Soccer districts this season.
District 6 at Clarkston
CLARKSTON
OXFORD
Lapeer
Davison
Grand Blanc
Flushing
Swartz Creek
EARLY THOUGHTS: This should be a very interesting district at Clarkston. Three teams standout with Clarkston, Oxford, and Grand Blanc being the favorites. Davison is the wildcard. Flushing could also play spoiler if things go right. The Wildcats, Wolves, and Bobcats have great chances to get to the regionals.
District 7 at Lakeland
WEST BLOOMFIELD
NORTH FARMINGTON
Milford
Lakeland
Waterford Mott
Walled Lake Central
Walled Lake Northern
EARLY THOUGHTS: This should be a very interesting district in White Lake. Lakeland stands as the early favorite but Waterford Mott, Walled Lake Northern, and Walled Lake Central stands out. Milford is the wildcard. North Farmington and West Bloomfield could surprise some people. When I see this on paper, when in doubt go with the hosts.
District 8 at Novi
FARMINGTON
Farmington Hills Mercy
Livonia Stevenson
Northville
Novi
South Lyon
South Lyon East
EARLY THOUGHTS: This should be a very tough regional at Novi. Northville looks like they are the favorite but can’t count out Livonia Stevenson, Novi, South Lyon, or South Lyon East. Farmington looks like the wildcard and Farmington Hills Mercy is more than capable of beating anyone. The Mustangs should be the favorite but like some said “Anyone can be beat on any given day.”
District 12 at Grosse Pointe South
HARPER WOODS
Grosse Pointe South
Dearborn
Dearborn Fordson
Detroit Cass Tech
Dearborn Heights Crestwood
Detroit Western
EARLY THOUGHTS: This is going to be a very tough district for Harper Woods. Grosse Pointe South is solid as is Dearborn and Dearborn Heights Crestwood. This district right now looks like it favors the Blue Devils to advance to the regional.
District 13 at Royal Oak
BERKLEY
GROVES
SEAHOLM
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
ROYAL OAK
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH
TROY
EARLY THOUGHTS: This is an all OAA district. Troy looks to be the early favorite but Bloomfield Hills is the defending Division One State Champs. Seaholm, Berkley, and Groves should be big time players as well. Royal Oak has home field which helps and they are more than capable of springing an upset. This should be a very interesting district to watch at Royal Oak.
District 14 at Utica
LAKE ORION
ROCHESTER
ADAMS
STONEY CREEK
Romeo
Utica
Utica Eisenhower
EARLY THOUGHTS: This is a very tough district at Swienhart Field. Whomever wins this district should have a great chance to get to the Final Four. Rochester is the early favorite, they have a lot of proven talent coming back. Stoney Creek has their fair share as does Adams. Lake Orion is the wildcard in all of this with their defensive first mindset. Utica Eisenhower is also solid as is Romeo. Utica is not bad as well. As mentioned whoever wins this district is more than capable to get to the Final Four.
District 15 at Troy Athens
TROY ATHENS
Chippewa Valley
Fraser
Sterling Heights
Sterling Heights Stevenson
Utica Ford II
Warren Cousino
Warren Mott
EARLY THOUGHTS: This is a very interesting district. Troy Athens should be the favorite with home field but keep an eye on Utica Ford II. The Falcons are more than capable of winning this district. Chippewa Valley and Fraser are dark horses in this district and could upset some people as well. This should be a fun district.
District 24 at TBA
FERNDALE
Walled Lake Western
Livonia Clarenceville
Detroit Renaissance
Birmingham Marian
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
EARLY THOUGHTS: This district should be very interesting. It looks like this is Birmingham Marian’s to lose but Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood could have a say in this district and give them some problems but early indications look like this district is all Mustangs.
District 26 at Goodrich
AVONDALE
PONTIAC
Goodrich
Holly
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Brandon
Waterford Kettering
EARLY THOUGHTS: This should be a very interesting district. Orchard Lake St. Marys, Brandon, and Goodrich look like they are the strong contenders in this district. Avondale looks to be the wildcard. They can beat anyone in this district. This looks like the Catholic League and Flint Metro League reign supreme for now.
by orionontv | Apr 3, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Wednesday March 29th at 9:30 AM
Here is my early thoughts heading into the softball districts.
District 20 at Farmington Hills Mercy
FARMINGTON
NORTH FARMINGTON
WEST BLOOMFIELD
Farmington Hills Mercy
EARLY THOUGHTS: This looks like it will be a very tough district. North Farmington should be a player as will Farmington. Farmington Hills Mercy looks like they are the team to beat but also never count West Bloomfield out, they could surprise some people.
District 22 at Royal Oak
ROYAL OAK
BERKLEY
GROVES
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH
EARLY THOUGHTS: This district looks like it could be either Berkley or Groves that wins it. Royal Oak is the wildcard. It should be very interesting to see how this district goes.
District 23 at TBA
FERNDALE
OAK PARK
Detroit Mumford
Detroit Renaissance
EARLY THOUGHTS: This is not a strong district. Ferndale and Detroit Renaissance look like they are the two teams that could come out of this district.
District 24 at Grosse Pointe North
HARPER WOODS
Grosse Pointe North
Grosse Pointe South
Detroit Cass Tech
Detroit Western
EARLY THOUGHTS: This district looks like it could be a battle of Grosse Pointe’s between the Norsemen and the Blue Devils. Harper Woods is in Division One which they could surprise some people. Detroit Cass Tech and Detroit Western are solid teams as well. I think this district looks like it will be a Grosse Pointe school that moves on.
District 25 at Avondale
AVONDALE
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
SEAHOLM
TROY
EARLY THOUGHTS: This district looks like it is anyone’s to win. Bloomfield Hills looks like they are the early favorite but Seaholm, Troy, and Avondale will have strong says. This is a wide open district on paper.
District 26 at Utica
TROY ATHENS
Sterling Heights Stevenson
Utica Ford II
Utica
EARLY THOUGHTS: This district looks like it is a three team district. Utica looks like they are the favorite but keep an eye on Troy Athens and Utica Ford II. They could make some noise once the postseason comes.
District 29 at Oxford
OXFORD
Lapeer
Davison
Port Huron
Port Huron Northern
EARLY THOUGHTS: This could be a very interesting district. Oxford has a great chance to win this district. Davison and Lapeer could have very strong says. Three teams have a shot to win this district.
District 30 at Lake Orion
LAKE ORION
CLARKSTON
ADAMS
Waterford Kettering
Waterford Mott
EARLY THOUGHTS: This has the makings of a very tough district. Adams shocked everyone last season but Lake Orion and Clarkston are in this district. They could pose some problems for the Highlanders. I don’t see the Waterford schools competing. Three teams have a great chance to win this district.
District 31 at Romeo
ROCHESTER
STONEY CREEK
Romeo
Utica Eisenhower
EARLY THOUGHTS: This should be a very interesting district. Utica Eisenhower should be the favorite to come out of this district. Rochester should be very interesting as will be Stoney Creek. Romeo could surprise some people as well but this district should be the Eagles to lose.
by orionontv | Mar 27, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Saturday March 25th at 9:15 PM
I guess it’s time to owe apologizes.
The Ferndale Eagles won the Division Two State Championship and their first crown since 1966 with a 44-38 win over Grand Rapids South Christian on Saturday night at the Breslin Center.
The Eagles started the season at 1-5 and went on to win 16 of their last 17 games to win the crown. They play in one of the toughest conferences in the State in the Red and have played a very tough non conference schedule.
This is the same program that lost to Grand Rapids Catholic Central twice in the last two years.
Ferndale loses seven seniors next season including Cameron Reed, Caleb Renfroe, Noah Blocker, Chris Williams, Jaydon Hardiman, and Jakoby Jackson.
They have Trenton Ruth and Markiese Young coming back next season.
Williams had 16 points, Blocker had seven points, and Reed had four points.
Ferndale kept the Sailors top scorers in check limiting Jake DeHann and Jake Vermaas to 28 combined points (14 points each.)
Also congrats to Juan Rickman for getting the Eagles to the promise land in five years coaching the program.
Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story.
by orionontv | Mar 27, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Saturday March 25th at 9:30 PM
Here are the shortcomings for the 2022-2023 boys basketball season.
Pontiac: It was a rough season for the Phoenix which saw a 65-48 loss to Waterford Kettering in the first round. Pontiac has some questions this offseason to really watch. Coach Dameon O’Neill has to build program strength. This is an area that the Phoenix need to address this offseason.
Ferndale University: The Eagles had an up and down year this season. Ferndale University fell 98-46 to Ferndale in the district semifinals. They lose several talented players to graduation but Coach Josh Nicks has built the program and is developing on program strength. The best is yet to come for the Eagles.
Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a struggle in Coach Terrance Porter’s first season with the program. Southfield Arts and Tech was no match for North Farmington falling 73-22 in the district semifinals. They lose a lot of proven talent to graduation but they have Xavier Bowman coming back. The Warriors should be a very interesting to watch this offseason.
Avondale: It was a very interesting season for the Yellow Jackets. They went through a coaching change midseason and had to have that transition period during the season. Avondale won 10 games but fell 59-47 to Waterford Mott in the district semifinals. They lose four seniors including Malik Adams, and Jeremiah Phillips to graduation. Avondale has Justin Sykes and Dequarius White coming back for Coach Aaron Fox. Program strength looks solid but they will be a team to watch this offseason that is for sure.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers had a great year. They won the Gold and made a ton of noise in Division One. Harper Woods fell 68-45 to Grosse Pointe South in the district finals. They lose DeAndre Williams to graduation. The Pioneers have have Juilan Young, Isiah Lewis, Colby Bailey, Tyler Lowry, and Stephone Buford coming back for Coach TaJuan Porter. Program strength looks solid for Harper Woods. The Pioneers should be a program to watch this offseason.
Royal Oak: It was a very interesting year for the Ravens which saw a ton of ups and downs. They had a 5-0 start to the season but struggled a little in 2023. Royal Oak fell 59-46 to Detroit Renaissance in the first round. They lose Dylan Hoffman, Davis Arbeiter, and Rashad Wilson to graduation. Royal Oak has Nick Hoffman and Camden Clark coming back for Coach Aaron Smith. Program strength is solid for Smith. The Ravens should be a team to watch this offseason.
Troy Athens: It was a very interesting year for the Red Hawks. Troy Athens had a tough 61-60 loss to Sterling Heights Stevenson in the district semifinals. They lose seven seniors to graduation including Kyree Harper, Douglas Mersier, Brock Thornton, Evan Colquhoun, Alex Profke, and Brogan Withun. The Red Hawks have Emmanuel Robinson, Luke DiGiovanni, Hayden Crum, and Eli Garvin coming back for Coach Dave Scott. Program strength looks solid for the Red Hawks. Troy Athens should be a team to watch this offseason.
Berkley: The Bears had a very interesting year which saw them battle for the Blue crown on more than one occasion. Berkley fell 77-23 to Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit in the district semifinals. They lose six seniors to graduation including Hunter Robinson and Tamir Runkenvich. Berkley has Donovan Powell and Michael Onuoha coming back. Program strength looks to be solid for Coach Joe Sermo. The Bears will be back for sure next season.
Rochester: The Falcons had a ton of ups and downs this season. They fell 64-54 to Lake Orion in the first round. Rochester loses Grant Calcagno, Elijah Kalaj, Rex Maltoid, and Khamanni Potts to graduation. Their future is bright with Max Mohl, Noah Kim, Logan Pleasant, and Jake Tandy coming back for Coach Nick Evola. Program strength looks solid for the Falcons. Rochester should be very interesting to watch this offseason.
Stoney Creek: It was a very tough season for the Cougars. The coaching transition was a big challenge throughout the season. Stoney Creek fell 66-63 to Romeo in the first round. The Cougars lose Leo Kent, Jake Fulkerson, Aiden Grotszko, Jonah McCay, Emillo Villafuerte, Peyton Rummler, Jacob Watson, and Brock Cavanaugh to graduation. Stoney Creek has Tre Walker and Tomaaso Sinacola coming back for Coach Jeff Olind. Program strength look solid in the future. The future looks bright for Stoney Creek as mentioned but this senior class left their mark on the program.
Oxford: It was a very interesting year for the Wildcats which saw a ton of ups and downs. They won 13 games this season. Oxford fell 64-48 to Grand Blanc in the district semifinals. They lose four seniors including Lucas Bottente, Dylan Stone, and Kyle DiMalanta to graduation. The Wildcats have Jake Champagne, Dominic Casissee, Drew Cady, Jay Cady, and Luke Stoffan coming back for Coach Steve Laidlaw. Program strength looks solid for Oxford. The Wildcats should be a program to watch this offseason.
Seaholm: The Maples were a completely different team in 2023. Seaholm struggled in 2022 going 0-5 to start the season but the Maples turned things around after several players returned from suspension and won the Blue on the final shot over Troy Athens. They beat their arch rival Groves 55-48 in the first round but fell 52-34 to Birmingham Brother Rice in the district semifinals. Seaholm loses seven seniors including Ricky Sparby, Jeff Sheldon, and Ben Diskin to graduation. They have Findlay Sparby coming back for Coach Mike DeGetter. Program strength looks solid for the Maples. Seaholm should be a team to watch this offseason and next season as well.
Farmington: The Falcons had a rough year this season which resulted in a 56-41 loss to Detroit Henry Ford. Farmington loses six seniors including Tony Tolbert and Chris Boyd to graduation but does have Greg Grays, Jordan Turner, Darrell Cochrane, Quintez Salter, and Anthony Bailey coming back for Coach Derrick McDowell. Program strength is a concern for Farmington. The Falcons should be improved next season.
Lake Orion: The Dragons had a very interesting season which saw them finish with a 500 record (12-12.) Lake Orion fell to Adams 50-42 in a hard fought district semifinals. They lose five seniors in DJ Morrow, Blake Liddell, Nate Havrilla, Kevin Tobe, and Matteo Decio. The Dragons have Quay Fly, Ethan Sharkey, Hayden Armstrong, Sam Blakeley, Nick Galben, Gabe Scott, and maybe Kaydon DeGraffenreid coming back for Coach Jose Andreadas. Program strength looks to be solid especially at the younger levels for Andreadas. Lake Orion will be a very interesting team to watch this offseason as they have some questions heading into next season.
Groves: The Falcons had a very good season but was upset 55-48 by Seaholm in the first round. Groves loses seven seniors to graduation including Jack Abbot, Max Kramer, and Paige Williams. They have John Simpson, Josh Gibson, Brody Tushman, and Elijah Yelder coming back for Coach Marc West. Groves has two players in Paul Hubbard, and Landon McKinney that could make some noise next season. Program strength looks strong. The Falcons could be right back in the mix next season.
Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks had a ton of ups and downs in a transition year but they won 15 games this season. Bloomfield Hills fell 62-56 to West Bloomfield in the first round. The Blackhawks lose five seniors including 1,000 career point scorer Noah Adamcyzk along with CJ Jackson, Ahmad Taylor, and Dominic Shenna to graduation. The Blackhawks have Drew Wilson and Brendan Newland coming back for Coach Brian Canfield. Program strength looks solid as well. Bloomfield Hills will be a very interesting team to watch this offseason.
Troy: The Colts had a great season overcoming a ton of adversity. Troy won a district crown with their win over Sterling Heights Stevenson. They didn’t give up or quit with everything against them despite having home court. The Colts fell 54-48 in the regional semifinals to North Farmington. Troy loses a ton of proven experience including Darrius Whiteside, Zach Penoza, Bryce Parker, and Carter Cusmano to graduation. The Colts have three proven starters in Mason Parker, Jon Whiteside, and Chase Kuiper coming back for Coach Gary Fralick. Program strength is a bit of a concern despite having Greg Tester, Jaiden Peacock, along with the younger Cusmano, and younger Penoza to watch in the wings. Troy should be back in the mix next season no matter what division they are in.
West Bloomfield: The Lakers had a very successful year this season. They had a 12 win turnaround from last season. West Bloomfield earned their first playoff win since 2017 with a 62-56 win over Bloomfield Hills in the first round but they had a very tough 57-47 loss to Orchard Lake St. Marys in the district semifinals. West Bloomfield loses Evan Ammori, DeJuan Moore, Andrew Shewcraft, Terrance Curry, Mitchell Seay and Jayden Jones to graduation. They have Chris Britton, Corey Pittman, Donnie Watts, Caleb Caudle, and Dyoni Edwards coming back for Coach Arnette Jordan. Program strength is very strong for Jordan and the Lakers. West Bloomfield should be a force to be a recon with next season.
Adams: It was a great season for the Highlanders. They won their first regional crown in school history with a win over Clarkston. Adams had a rough matchup with Grand Blanc in the State Quarterfinals falling 64-44 to the Bobcats. They lose Nathan Kim, Jack Donohoe, Broder Kawa, Drew Blackmer, and Ozan Kesici to graduation. The Highlanders have William Dee, Peter Karadasis, Trenton Lagarde, Chan Yang, Gavin Farris, Luke Marcial, Jake Andrzejak, Aaron Troxell, and maybe Brady Prieskorn coming back for Coach Jaret Thomas. Thomas has done an awesome job with program strength. His program is very strong for Adams. The Highlanders will be a force next season.
Clarkston: The Wolves had a good season despite everything they had to overcome from the Red, a not as strong district, to a game of the ages in a double overtime win over Fenton. Clarkston fell 58-48 to Adams in the regional finals. They lose three seniors in Brayden Wiley, Frank Schuster, and Cavanaugh Diton to graduation. The Wolves have Matt Pfliger, Brody Kosin, Desman Stephens, and John Kaul coming back for Coach Tim Waslik. Program strength looks solid for Clarkston next season. The Wolves should be back right in the thick of things.
Oak Park: The Knights had a very good season but they could not overcome Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit for the third straight year by falling 62-47 in the district finals. They have Geon Hutchins coming back for Coach Durand Sheppard. Program strength looks solid for Oak Park. The Knights until they can overcome their Cubs problem they aren’t expected to have deep postseason runs until they can solve their Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit problem.
Ferndale: It was a tale of two seasons for the Eagles. Ferndale started the season 1-5 after playing a really difficult non conference schedule. They managed to get through it and won 16 of their last 17 games to get back to the Breslin Center for the third straight year. The Eagles won the Division Two State Crown and their first State title since 1966 with a 44-38 win over Grand Rapids South Christian They lose six seniors including Cameron Reed, Caleb Renfroe, Noah Blocker, Chris Williams, Jacoby Jackson, and Jayden Hardiman to graduation. The Eagles have Trenton Ruth, Mishawn Hereford, Julian Cardenas, Kendall Mayes, Markiese Young, Kaden Hutson, and Darion Johnson coming back for Coach Juan Rickman. Program strength is a bit of a concern this offseason. Ferndale should be a very interesting to watch next season.
North Farmington: The Raiders had a very strong season but they had a very tough fourth quarter where they were outscored 22-10 which resulted in a very disappointing 56-44 loss to Orchard Lake St. Marys in the regional semifinals. North Farmington loses a lot of proven talent in Ryan Hurst, Malaki Jackson, and Lee Hardy to graduation. They have Tyler Spratt and Landon Williams coming back for Coach Todd Negoshian. Program strength looks solid for the Raiders. It was a tough outcome for North Farmington. The Raiders will be a team to watch this offseason. They should be back next season.
by orionontv | Mar 20, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Saturday March 18th at 3:00 PM
With the Girls Basketball season done, here is a recap of the season and what the future lies for each team in the OAA.
Pontiac: It was a very rough season for the Phoenix. Pontiac fell 64-22 to Waterford Kettering in the first round. They had seven freshmen in the program this season. The future looks bright even though there will still be some growing pains. Program strength will be a major concern for Coach Corray Lett. It will take some time for the Phoenix to develop their program.
Oak Park: It was a tale of two seasons for the Knights this year. They struggled early but really picked things up late. Oak Park fell 48-19 to Berkley in the first round. Coach Chantelle Corson should be better next season. It will be very interesting to see what happens this offseason with the Knights.
Ferndale: The Eagles made some strides winning eight games this season which did include an upset win over Avondale. They beat arch rival Ferndale University 58-17 in the first round but fell 68-35 to Warren Fitzgerald in the district semifinals. Coach Keith Paris needs to be at Ferndale long term for this to work. They need coaching stability to build this program. Program strength is a big time concern for the Eagles. Everything starts and ends with coaching stability when it comes to the Eagles.
Ferndale University: It was a very rough season for Coach Brianna Rowe and the Eagles. Ferndale University won two games (both were over Pontiac) and fell to Ferndale 58-17 in the first round. The Eagles should be much improved next season with the talent pool. Program strength is a concern for Rowe next season. It will be very interesting to see how Rowe does this offseason with her team.
Avondale: The Yellow Jackets had a very rough season which saw some very high expectations for them despite losing their two top players from last season. Avondale started 0-5 on the season but won three straight before going 4-11 the rest of the way. They won seven games this season. The Yellow Jackets beat Sterling Heights Stevenson 53-47 in a very competitive first round. They fell 59-17 to a very good Utica Ford II program in the district semifinals. Avondale loses Kaliyah Carroll and Kendall Cabot to graduation. They have Madison Manyweathers, Arielle Dudley, and Trenitee Carroll coming back for Coach Roy Christmon. Program strength is a concern this offseason. The Yellow Jackets should be a very interesting team to watch.
Farmington: The Falcons have done very well against the Blue but they have not fared well in the non-conference. This is something that Coach Laura Guzman needs to improve on heading into next season. Farmington beat Detroit Henry Ford 90-7 in the first round however they fell 68-33 to Farmington Hills Mercy in the district semifinals. The Falcons lose six seniors including Kennedi Jones, Clarissa Hankins, Deserre Green, Zipporah Johnson, and Yasmine Thorpe. They have EdiMari King, Anna Tornachuk, and Jayla Silver coming back. Farmington should be a team to watch this offseason.
Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks had an incredible season winning their first ever division crown in the Blue. Bloomfield Hills fell to Groves 54-45 in overtime in the first round. The Blackhawks lose five seniors including Makayla Paulateer to graduation but Ashley Forner, Ruby Smith, Brianna Young, and Michelle Barnett come back for Coach Kristen Massey. Program strength looks very good for the Blackhawks. Bloomfield Hills will be a team to watch next season.
Adams: The Highlanders took a lot of ups and downs this season. They were a very young team. Adams trailed 20-18 at halftime but had a rough second half and fell 57-29 to Stoney Creek in the first round. They lose four seniors to graduation including Aujuyna Howard and Taylor Green. The Highlanders have Samantha Blaine, Morgan McPherson, and Faith Zolhus coming back for Coach Joe Malburg. Program strength looks to be up and coming for Adams. They should be a team to watch this offseason.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks had a very interesting season. Troy Athens started hot at 4-0 but they really struggled going 3-14. They fell 46-44 to Utica in the district semifinals. Injuries is what really hurt the Red Hawks this season. They lose six seniors in Skyler Emerson, Ellie Musko, Rebekah Delia, Fiona Wingblad, and Gabby Leonard. The Red Hawks have Abby Malone, Kayci Mersier, Alex Link, Ava Laurer, and Katy Keller coming back for Coach Stacie Klumpp. Program strength will be very interesting to watch next season. Troy Athens should be a team to watch this offseason.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers had a very interesting season in the White. They won 12 games but had a very tough district ahead of them. Harper Woods fell to St. Clair Shores Lakeview 50-41 in the district semifinals. They don’t really lose anyone to graduation this offseason. Harper Woods has Clearia Peterson, Kendall Kelsey, Tamina Montgomery, Mikyra Kelly, Autumn Trotter, and Laniyah West coming back for Coach Anthony Brown. Program strength is a concern for the Pioneers and it will be something to watch this offseason.
Royal Oak: The Ravens had a bounce back season. They won 13 games and was a serious player in the White. Royal Oak fell 45-42 to Detroit Mumford in the district semifinals. The Ravens have everyone coming back including Emilee Austin, Lydia Dickens, Anna Waterstredt, Lucy Freytag, Megan Hahn, and Maddie Lawrence for Coach Brian Sopota. Program strength looks to be on the upward swing for Royal Oak. The Ravens will be a force next season.
Berkley: The Bears had a tale of two teams this season. They struggled early but improved late in the season. Berkley fell to Detroit Renaissance 56-29 in the district semifinals after winning 48-19 in the first round over Oak Park. They lose Jillian Gomes, Sammi Withrow, Mya Jones, and Ava Beard to graduation. The Bears have Maleve Nolan, Avery Wintergarden, Haley Kirkwood, and Nadia Watt coming back. According to a very accurate source is that Coach Cody Feltner has stepped down the program. It will be very interesting to see how Berkley does this offseason especially with a new coach.
Seaholm: The Maples had a very young team that had some great moments especially in the postseason. Seaholm beat Troy 62-34 in the district semifinals at Birmingham Marian. They had a home game against Birmingham Marian because Birmingham Marian had a power outage thanks to a heavy wet snowstorm. The Maples fell 47-31 to the Mustangs in the district finals. They lose four seniors including Shay Manchester, Lola Weber, and Anne Boogerian to graduation. Seaholm has Addy Flynn, Mary Gumbis, Clara Guffey, Addy Kitzman, Emma Weber, Taylor Hartwig, and Mary Wiltgen coming back for Coach Chris Manchester. Program strength is a concern for Manchester. The Maples will be a team to watch this offseason.
Oxford: The Wildcats had a very good season for a very young team that made a ton of strides. They won 18 games which included beating Birmingham Marian and Clarkston. Their four losses were to Lake Orion and North Farmington twice. Oxford beat Lapeer 61-41 in the district semifinals but fell 66-30 to Grand Blanc in the district finals which was the third straight year the Wildcats have fallen to the Bobcats. Oxford loses Myranda Wynemeko to graduation. They have four starters in Sophie Rabb, Alison Hufsteddler, Peyton Ritcher, and Nevaeh Wood along with Braydee Elling coming back for Coach Rachel Bryer. Wood suffered an ACL injury and was out for the second half of the season. Program strength looks solid for Oxford. This is a program that is ready for the Red. They will be a team to watch this offseason.
North Farmington: The Raiders had an incredible and historic season. They won the White and went undefeated for the first time in school history going 22-0 and gained some very impressive wins throughout the season. North Farmington earned a hard fought 66-56 win over Southfield Arts and Tech in the district semifinals at home but because of a power outage the district finals was moved to Farmington where they fell 59-23 to Farmington Hills Mercy. The Raiders lose a ton of proven experience with Sela Lefler, Penelope Creary, Eliza Muller, Ashiya Jahad, Hallie Rogers, and Kelly Simpson to graduation. North Farmington has Hannah Hart coming back for Coach Jeff Simpson. Program strength is a big concern heading into the offseason. The Raiders should be a team to watch this offseason.
Troy: It was a very rough season for the Colts. Troy really struggled losing 18 straight games to close the year. They fell 62-34 to Seaholm in the district semifinals. The Colts lose Avery Allen, Katelyn Morris, and Charlotte Guillon to graduation. They have Regan Zeiter, Olivia Sprangler, and Diamond Prince coming back at the guards along with Carly Higginbottom in the interior for Coach Julius Porter. Strangler and Higginbottom were five quarter players this season. They could likely be full time next season. Program strength will be very interesting this offseason. The Colts might need a year in the White especially with Macey Zeiter coming into the program in a few years.
Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a very interesting season which saw a ton of ups and downs. They fell 66-56 to North Farmington in the district semifinals. Southfield Arts and Tech lose Jaylin Austin to graduation. They have Kamaria Page, Christen Banks, Jordyn Ushery, and Jamyra Fritz coming back for Coach Shaquita Coltrane. Program strength is a major concern for the Warriors. They should be a team to watch this offseason.
Groves: The Falcons had a very interesting season which saw a ton of ups and downs Groves fell 30-29 to Birmingham Marian in the district semifinals after dominating the game throughout but they let the Mustangs hang around and that happened. The Falcons lose seven seniors including Lilly Gallagher and Kaitlyn Sanders to graduation. They have Jacey Roy, Nevaeh Cochran-McCay, Cameron Little, and Cira Racco coming back for Coach Allison Hidey. Program strength is a major concern next season for Hidey. The offseason will be very interesting to watch.
Clarkston: The Wolves had a very young team that saw a ton of ups and downs this season. They won 13 games which included wins over Stoney Creek and Rochester and were very competitive in most others. Clarkston blew out Waterford Mott 59-25 in the district semifinals but fell 54-52 to Lake Orion in the district finals. They lose five seniors in Ava Hernandez, Anna Thomas, Mia Zorski, Eleonoro Spano, and Kierra Tolmie to graduation. The Wolves have Emily Valencia, Kierra Zorski, Lauren Fishtaller, Ella Morgner, Ellery Hernandez, Marley Mazur, Claire Walker, and Elliana Robak coming back for Coach Aaron Goodnough. Program strength looks to be solid. Clarkston should be a force to be a recon with next season.
Stoney Creek: The Cougars had a very young team in the always tough and competitive Red this season. They won 17 games which included wins over Lake Orion, Clarkston, and Rochester. Stoney Creek beat Adams 57-29 in the first round but they fell 43-39 to Rochester in the district semifinals. The Cougars lose Lily Solek, Kaeli Butcher, and Mia Carson to graduation. They have Merrick Schlawbach, Sarah LaPrarie, Erin Flynn, and Izzy Ivezaj coming back for Coach Kellen James. Program strength looks solid for Stoney Creek. The offseason will be very interesting to watch for the Cougars. They should be very good next season.
Rochester: It was a very strong year for the Falcons which saw them back to the Red after a few years away from it. Rochester was an honorable mention in Division One and won 18 games this season which included wins over Macomb Dakota, Clarkston, Stoney Creek, and Lake Orion. The Falcons beat Stoney Creek 43-39 in the district semifinals and snapped their four year district final drought by beating Utica Eisenhower 44-33 for the second straight year on their home floor. It was their first district crown since 2008. They battled tough but fell 61-41 to West Bloomfield in the regional semifinals. Rochester loses Ava Williams, Stevie Norgrove, Abbey Pleasant, Alana Webb, and Sammi Glover to graduation. The Falcons have their two top interior players in Alice Max and Kylie Robinson coming back. Watch for Lucy Cook to make some noise next season for Coach Bill Thurston. Program strength looks solid as well. Rochester’s size will be a problem for everyone next season. They will be back that is for sure.
Lake Orion: The Dragons had an incredible season with a ton of ups. They made a ton of noise in their first season back in the Red for the first time since 2017 and was an honorable mention in Division One. Lake Orion won 20 games and made the regional finals for the first time since 2009. They beat Oxford twice, Clarkston three times including a 54-52 victory in the district finals, Rochester, Stoney Creek, and Howell. The Dragons also won back to back district crowns for the first time since 2010 and won their first regional game since 2009 when they beat Howell in that epic 47-44 win in the regional semifinals. They fell to West Bloomfield 48-30 in the regional finals. That game was closer than the score indicated. Lake Orion loses nine seniors in Maddie Ebbert, Chloe Wiegers, Grace Sullivan, Taylor Dinda, Jodie McCaffery, Kylie Heck, Alison May, Fontana Blackney, and Audrey Wischmeyer to graduation. They also lose Rocco Garcia and Carmen Huetras as they were foreign exchange students. The Dragons will be a different team next season but they have Izzy Wotlinski, Charlotte Peplowski, Alana McGinnis, and Ryan Pawlacyzk coming back for Coach Bob Brydges. Wotlinski missed most of the season with an ACL injury while Peplowski had an ankle injury which kept her out of the postseason. Program strength is strong for Brydges. The Dragons should be a very interesting program to watch this offseason.
West Bloomfield: It has been an incredible season for the Lakers. West Bloomfield had two very tough losses to South Bend Washington, Indiana and Ypsilanti Arbor. They managed to overcome a lot to make it back to the Division One State title game. They fell 40-36 to Rockford in a very low scoring defensive game to the Rams. The Lakers have been dominant this postseason winning by an average of 29.5 points which held until the Rockford game. West Bloomfield loses two proven seniors in Sydney Hendrix and Jada Vaughn to graduation. They have Kendall Hendrix, Destiny Washington, Indya Davis, and Summer Davis. Ava Lord, Gabrielle Hale, or Sheridan Beal coming back for Coach Darrin McAllister next season. Depth will be a concern for the Lakers next season. Program strength is also a concern in the future for McAllister. West Bloomfield should be very good next season but the next few years looks very concerning.
by orionontv | Mar 20, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Saturday March 18th at 2:45 PM
Updated Sunday March 19th at 11:00 AM
The Rockford Rams were on a mission to not make the same mistake that happened last season to them. In a tight defensive game, the Rams held West Bloomfield, a team that had won their postseason games by 29.5 points per game to their lowest point total of the season as Rockford stunned the Lakers 40-36 on Saturday afternoon in the Division One State Finals at Michigan State.
West Bloomfield won 66-63 over Rockford in the Division One State Semifinals which led them to the Division One State crown last season but the Rams had a very good game plan to play at their pace and not West Bloomfield’s.
The Rams took advantage of West Bloomfield’s foul situation and lack of depth. They got the Hendrix sisters into foul trouble. The foul trouble allowed Rockford to pay more attention toward the Davis twins.
Kendall Hendrix had 12 points while Sydney Hendrix had 10 points. The Rams held the Davis twins to 12 total combined points (Indya had eight while Summer had four points.)
The Lakers held Grace Lyons whom torched them with 21 points (five threes) last season to five points but those five points were in very critical moments and in the fourth quarter.
She got a steal and then hit a contested three pointer off very good ball movement from the Wypych sisters causing the defense to collapse leading to the three with 40 seconds left. The three by Lyons proved to be the dagger in the fourth quarter which gave Rockford the 38-36 lead. West Bloomfield would try to get the ball up the court but turned the ball over with 33 seconds left giving it back to the Rams.
West Bloomfield still had a chance to tie the game after a free throw miss by Rockford. They got the ball to Summer Davis whom was fouled. Davis missed both free throws which the second was missed intentionally but was wiped off by a lane violation giving the ball to the Rams and Lyons sealed it with with two free throws.
“We came up short a few plays and Rockford is a great team, great coached team and they made plays when it counted and they walked away. And I’ll say this, today they were the better team, today. They were the better team, they walked away. And they are champions. And I respect that” said Coach Darrin McAllister during his press conference to MIPrepZone and the Oakland Press’s Matt Mowery.
Anna Wypych had 20 points (five threes) while Alyssa Wypych had nine points for Rockford. The big three for the Rams combined for 34 of Rockford’s 40 points on the night.
The 36 points were the lowest the Lakers had scored this season. They scored 48 against Lake Orion which was their previous lowest prior to the game.
West Bloomfield finished the season with a 26-3 record. They lose Sydney Hendrix and Jada Vaughn to graduation but they have both Davis twins, Kendall Hendrix, Gabrielle Hale, Ava Lord, Sheridan Beal, and Destiny Washington coming back.
The Lakers should be motivated to get the Division One State crown back and they should be with four starters coming back plus two more off the bench. They do have a few questions to address particularly program strength.
More will be talked about this game on the podcast on Monday so stay tuned to OAA Now.
