by Becky Andrus | Dec 21, 2020 | Feature Writers
Covering all 22 OAA teams with insight and thoughts on each team from Northern Oakland County to Southern Oakland County.
Friday, December 18, 2020
Most Winter Sports Paused for Now but Fall Sports Can Proceed.
Written Friday December 18th at 3:00 PM
Well most Winter Sports are still paused for now.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Medical Executive Joniah Khaldun, and Director Robert Gordon announced that indoor contact sports are still banned for now in a new order that is effective until January 15th.
That could change if trends improve which they have been lately.
Gordon mentioned that fall sports like football, volleyball, and swimming and diving can end their seasons. Excluding them from the order.
Football will be played on January 2nd with the semifinals on January 9th at home sites though it is possible for those games to held at neutral sites. The State Finals on January 15th and 16th at Ford Field.
Volleyball quarterfinals will start on January 5th while the State Semifinals and Finals will be played at the Kellogg Center in Battle Creek.
Girls Swimming and Diving will be held on January 15th and 16th at the three host sites.
There will be no spectators and all safety protocols will be in place.
The OAA currently has North Farmington, Oak Park, and West Bloomfield still playing in football while Clarkston is the only school left in volleyball. North Farmington heads to Traverse City Central, Oak Park goes to Livonia Churchill, while West Bloomfield hosts Romeo. Clarkston volleyball will play Grand Blanc at Lapeer in the State Quarterfinals.
The new order is not good for the indoor winter sports except for skiing which is outdoors. It’s possible they could go to the spring. It is possible that the MHSAA could extend the seasons past June.
The MHSAA Representative Council will meet again on December 22nd to address the rest of winter sports. The spring sports remain unchanged for now.
Gordon announced a new antigen testing program that can be implemented for fall sports. Wonder if it could be addressed for winter and spring sports???
“With respect to sports, outdoor and non-contact sports are reopening. We will also be offering a new pilot program for fall sports, including contact sports that use antigen tests in order to ensure safety as students complete high school fall championships. This is a very limited number of schools that had seasons interrupted and this will be a chance to do two things, it will let students complete a season that is, of course very important to them. And it will allow schools and the State of Michigan to work together to learn how these antigen tests to encourage safe reopening in January” said Gordon.
It will be very interesting to see what happens with winter sports. It will be something to keep an eye on.
Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story.
Here is the MHSAA’s Statement.
https://www.mhsaa.com/News/Press-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9455/MHSAA-Fall-Tournaments-to-Resume-Updated-Winter-Tournament-Schedules-Forthcoming
Here is the Tweet from State Champs from MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl
https://twitter.com/statechampsmich/status/1340041028125020164
Posted by Saginaw Bay at 12:00 PM
by Becky Andrus | Dec 14, 2020 | Feature Writers
Covering all 22 OAA teams with insight and thoughts on each team from Northern Oakland County to Southern Oakland County.
Monday, December 14, 2020
Why Everyone Making the Football Playoffs is a Good Thing.
Written Monday December 14th at 2:00 PM
Why everyone making the playoffs is a good thing.
In other sports everyone makes the playoffs. In football it was done this season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Could this be the norm???
This pandemic playoff format where everyone makes the playoffs has been a success. This is something that the MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl and the MHSAA Representative Council need to seriously look at.
You had some great and intriguing matchups in the postseason that no one would had thought off like Lake Orion/Grand Blanc, West Bloomfield/Sterling Heights Stevenson, Stoney Creek/Chippewa Valley etc.
Oak Park would have not made the playoffs under the old format which is based on strength of schedule and playoff points. In 2019, you needed six wins to make the playoffs. The Knights went 0-6 this season but right now they would be still playing if not for this pause.
How it would work is that everyone plays eight games and expand the playoffs like this year. It would create very interesting storylines.
There are coaches and some fans that are against this model because it rewards bad teams and that everyone makes the postseason. On the flip side if you have played a brutal schedule and don’t have a winning record and you see a team that has an easier schedule make the playoffs then you’ll be up at arms.
OAA 2017 rings that bell.
As a former player and current blogger and podcaster I think this is an awesome format to look at in the future and it creates surprising matchups and teams like we have seen in this postseason.
The pandemic playoff format tells where several schools particularly in the OAA have to be in the conversation.
We know about West Bloomfield, Lake Orion, Clarkston, Oxford, Adams, Oak Park, Southfield Arts and Tech, Groves, Seaholm, North Farmington, Farmington, and Stoney Creek. They have been there and done that. They have won State titles or have had deep playoff runs but there are several schools that have been underachieving programs that could use this experience to reshape their brand.
For teams that were in the Blue this season, it pretty much tells the whole story.
Rochester was the division champ going unbeaten for the first time since 1991 but they were blown out by Adams. Avondale lost to Groves. Troy Athens was blown out by Southfield Arts and Tech. Those three schools lost to OAA schools that were either in the Red or in the White which of course is much tougher competition all in the first round. Ferndale lost to Detroit Renaissance which I’ll mention below about them because their problem seems to be out of league. Pontiac was blown out which I also mention below. Troy and Berkley both won their first round games over Bloomfield Hills and Royal Oak respectably but were blown out by West Bloomfield and Warren Mott in the district semifinals.
Ferndale is the perfect example of a program needing this pandemic playoff format. The Eagles have the smallest enrollment in the OAA but they have a Co-Op program with Ferndale University which puts them in Division Two for the postseason. My biggest issue with Ferndale is that the Eagles have proven they are a league contender in the Blue but it’s when they go out of the OAA and face bigger schools like Detroit Renaissance this is where they struggle. This is something that Coach Eric Royal needs to address this offseason, it’s not the in league but the out of league they need to address.
I was very happy for Pontiac and their student athletes. A football program that has had a very difficult nine years (5-72 since.) Let’s be fair the Phoenix are the only Division Three school in the OAA. For them to experience what it’s like in the postseason is a huge accomplishment. Pontiac had to go to Bay City and got blown out 64-0 by Bay City Central in the first round. The league seriously need to help Pontiac big time especially with what they have been going through maybe give them some open dates not have them go through that gauntlet. I wrote a separate column surrounding this issue.
Should teams be rewarded for the tough schedules they play sure but it’s up to those teams as mentioned in the Blue that need to step up and show results.
At the end of the day this pandemic format gave everyone a chance to play. Should the MHSAA and the Representative Council make this permanent it would be very interesting. It could create a Cinderella story and it gives teams a fresh start from the regular season and into the postseason.
Posted by Saginaw Bay at 10:50 AM
by Becky Andrus | Dec 14, 2020 | Feature Writers
Covering all 22 OAA teams with insight and thoughts on each team from Northern Oakland County to Southern Oakland County.
Monday, December 14, 2020
It’s time for the OAA to help Pontiac Football.
Written Monday December 14th at 2:00 PM
It’s time to help Pontiac Football out.
It has been a rough ride for the Phoenix and Athletic Director Lee Montgomery and Coach Charles White.
Pontiac has had to go through numerous coaching changes. Uncertainties regarding their program. State intervention, you name it.
The Phoenix are 5-72 since 2011. 2011 was the last time they made the playoffs. They are 3-20 combined against Avondale, Berkley, and Ferndale. If you include Royal Oak its 5-25.
Pontiac did make the playoffs this season as part of the pandemic postseason. They were in Division Three and played Bay City Central where they were blown out 64-0.
Should the league allow the Phoenix to go out of league and find more open dates???
It would help them with their confidence and develop their program.
Pontiac has had a ton of problems with a lot of things out of their control. Playing in the OAA has some advantages but every week they are playing a tough opponent and are getting blown out in each game.
That impacts player confidence.
I know it takes time to develop a program but if the league can help the Phoenix out by giving them open dates so they can find winnable games, it would go a long way to building their program back up so they can be at a better position where they can compete in the OAA.
This is not a knock on their players, staff, athletic department, and program. They are working really hard and getting better each day.
Help from the league would go a long way to help them move forward.
Posted by Saginaw Bay at 10:46 AM
by Becky Andrus | Nov 19, 2020 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Covering all 22 OAA teams with insight and thoughts on each team from Northern Oakland County to Southern Oakland County.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Mental Health Aspect-Opinion Piece.
Written Wednesday November 18th at 9:10 PM
What I’ve been hearing with coronavirus cases rising in the State. The State decided that a three week pause could help things however something else is brewing underneath everything that the media, state officials, or medical experts should look at.
The mental health and emotional component.
The mental health of student athletes is seriously at risk and that is a serious problem.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services medical executive Joneigh Khaldun, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer put a pause in school sports among other things for three weeks on Sunday night.
I thought about what more mental anguish and sadness that these student athletes have to suffer thanks to these three.
Gordon said in the press conference that the reason why school sports were paused was because of contact risks. “We are suspending organized sports for three weeks because they bring together people in setting that often involve high levels of contact and exhalation and where individuals move from outdoors to indoors.”
I’m not buying what Gordon is saying at all. All schools do temperature checks and have “clear to go apps” even before they enter the building. Schools have done a great job keeping students and staff safe, I’ve seen it. This was all done behind MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl’s back. He wasn’t even consulted when the new restrictions came out.
Most health experts say that school sports can create “super-spreader events” because of the mixing but there is evidence out there that that is not the case. According to the MHSAA there was no evidence that the virus was spread at their events. Also there was no evidence that the virus spread through AAU events or any community wide outbreaks in those settings. Now there have been student athletes that have gone into quarantine don’t get me wrong because they were exposed or came close to someone who was exposed but there hasn’t been really any evidence of a community wide outbreak surrounding school sports.
It makes you think that Gordon was behind all of this all along.
In Ohio with their winter sports, they are going with everything as planned.
Whitmer forced the MHSAA’s hand in the spring as she shut spring sports down through executive orders which caused mental anguish for kids.
The MHSAA Executive Council and Uyl put together a plan that once the order was lifted they would resume all practices starting December 9th. Volleyball would have quarterfinals play on December 15th and would have the semifinals and finals on December 17th thru 19th at the Kellogg Center in Battle Creek. Girls Swimming and Diving would be conducted on December 22nd and 23rd with three high schools hosting one meet. Football regionals would be played December 15th and 16th followed by the State semifinals on December 21st and 22nd and the State Finals at Ford Field on December 28th and 29th.
Girls Basketball has already been in practice while the rest of winter sports haven’t started tryouts yet.
All of this could change if coronavirus case numbers don’t go down which would make this decision by Whitmer, Gordon, and Khaldun that much more heartbreaking and if they were to extend the epidemic order past December 8th.
I read an article about high school sports and mental health and it was a very interesting read. Mental health is not a one size fits all approach. As I read this article in the Indianapolis Star, there was a study out that said that 65 percent reported symptoms of depression and 36 percent showed that student athletes having moderate or severe anxiety.
Indiana assistant director for school mental health Kristy Eaton said in the article that “We need to be aware that depression and anxiety and feelings of isolation our kids and student-athletes are very much at risk right now. Research tells us that about one out of every five kids sitting in a classroom has a diagnosed or a diagonosable mental health condition. Add the stressors of the unknowns about COVID and you have a recipe for kids that may really start struggling with their own mental health.”
Mental health is not a one size fits all approach. Some kids respond to it differently than others but it can be very dangerous if something is taken away. “It can manifest in moodiness and irritability or an angry outburst often underlying that is fear. I don’t know what is going to happen next with this COVID thing. Sleep and hygiene issues can crop up. Same thing with eating issues, overeating-refusing to eat. You might see substance abuse. You might see or hear talk of suicide. Those are some of the warning signs that kids have gotten into a situation where it’s likely that they’re going to need some professional help” Eaton concluded.
Playing school sports helps the mental mind and has given student athletes a sense of normalcy but if sports were taken away it could lead to more bad than good. Playing sports also helps develop time management skills and team bonding.
I noticed that in Uyl and the MHSAA Executive Council. They looked at the mental health aspect of student athletes which is why they went ahead and kept things as normal as possible in August with no changes along with mask wearing and social distancing. Most student athletes are doing the right thing. I have a lot more questions for Whitmer, Gordon, and Khaldun. If they (Whitmer, Gordon, or Khaldun) want on my podcast, I’ll let them on or if they want to have a conversation, I have an email if they want to explain why school sports were paused and the mental health aspects that student athletes face, I’m at [email protected]
It is no doubt that student athletes belong in a school setting building relationships and bonds. Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit boys basketball coach Pat Donnelly wrote on Twitter a very interesting tweet that I really hope Gordon, Khaldun, and Whitmer read. “OPEN, Gyms for individual exercise. CLOSED, Organized sports, and fitness centers so why is it that we can’t host individual workouts for HS (high school) athletes??? Physical health, mental health, future opportunities (college.) And yes they can wear a mask and be socially distant.”
That’s a very good question. The MHSAA and State put the mask and social distancing guidelines in the fall. Schools and student-athletes have followed them to the bone to keep their seasons intact.
Maybe Whitmer, Gordon, and Khaldun didn’t think it through before deciding to shut sports down for three weeks or maybe they don’t care about the student athlete or their mental and emotional well being.
Maybe it’s time for Whitmer, Gordon, and Khaldun to explain the emotional and mental aspect that this is taking its toll on our student athletes. I would like to see more of that in the future.
The Indy Star article.
https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/09/01/how-covid-can-affect-high-school-athletes-mental-health-and-how-they-can-get-help/3405045001/
MHSAA Restart article.
https://www.mhsaa.com/News/Press-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9444/MHSAA-Representative-Council-Announces-Schedule-to-Complete-Fall-Sports-Resume-Winter
Posted by Saginaw Bay at 6:07 PM
by Becky Andrus | Nov 9, 2020 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Top Five Games:
By Sammy Taormina
Romeo at Stoney Creek: The Cougars are having a special season and made everyone in the State know who they were after pulling off a huge 28-21 victory over Chippewa Valley last week behind a 250 yards and three scores off 44 carries for running back Cam Burford. Burford also got an interception last week as well. Ryan Echout has been outstanding at quarterback as well for the Cougars and the Stoney Creek defense has been stout under defensive coordinator Gary Griffith. This will be the first meeting between these two neighborhood schools. Romeo has been a weird team to figure out this season but they are peaking at the right time. The Bulldogs has won three straight games including a controversial 15-14 upset win at Macomb Dakota last week behind a controversial fourth and goal by running back Brian St. Clair that according to the replays that I saw was that he threw the football into the end zone when his forward progress should had been stopped but the football was recovered by wide receiver Luke Rolfs in the end zone. The officials gave the touchdown to Romeo which upset many Macomb Dakota players, coaches, and fans and thus putting Romeo in the district finals. The Bulldogs are a hardworking team very similar to the Cougars but they are riding a ton of momentum but so is Stoney Creek. The running back battle should be very interesting between Burford and St. Clair. The quarterback matchup between Logan Rolfs and Echout is also going to be interesting as well. The coaching matchup is not too bad as well between Curt Rienas and Nick Merlo. This should be a very interesting matchup at Stoney Creek.
Groves at Warren Mott: This is going to be the first meeting between the Falcons and the Marauders. Warren Mott is coming off a 49-14 beat down of Berkley behind wide receiver KJ Allen whom had five catches for 128 yards and three touchdowns while running back N Christian Gilbert had six carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears. They also have a very good quarterback throwing to them as well in James Chaney. He had three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns himself against Berkley. Chaney is more than capable of putting numbers himself in the zone read. He had 29 carries for 188 yards and two rushing touchdowns and was five for nine for 46 yards and a passing score earlier in the season against Utica. Groves is coming off a 30-21 victory over arch rival Seaholm behind the play of quarterback Kaleb Garner threw for two touchdown passes both to wide receiver Orion Kendra. The Falcons also have Jaden Mangham for Warren Mott to deal with as well. The coaching matchup is very interesting between Brendan Flaherty and Tom Milonov. This is going to be a very interesting district finals.
Oak Park at Wyandotte: The Knights have earned their first two game winning streak of the season after beating Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit 27-21 last week. This is going to be the first meeting since 2012 with Wyandotte. The Bears beat Oak Park 10-6 in the 2012 regional finals which motivates Coach Greg Carter. Wyandotte has been rolling people. They earned a 38-13 victory over Detroit Renaissance last week. The Bears feature a very good quarterback in Jalen Pitchford. Pitchford has had a monster year this season on both sides of the football (also plays on defense.) Wyandotte also has a ton of talented players as well in running back Logan McGraw and wide receivers/defensive backs Donavan Canterbury and Richard Clark. They are well coached under Coach Ron Adams. Oak Park is back healthy and they has their fair share of athletes as well in running back Davion Primm along with quarterback James Burnley and linemen Rayshawn Benny, among others. This should be very interesting in Wyandotte on Friday night.
North Farmington at South Lyon: North Farmington made a huge statement last week behind the play of quarterback Jacob Bousamra and running back Justus Whitehorn whom were both very impressive combining for five touchdowns in their 44-28 victory over Fenton last week. South Lyon is coming off an impressive 42-37 home victory over Walled Lake Western. The Lions are a very young team which they weren’t expected to do much but they have grown up in a hurry. This will be the seventh meeting all time between these two teams with South Lyon holding a 4-2 season series edge and the first meeting since 1995 when both teams were in the Western Lakes Activities Association. It is shaping up to be a very interesting game in South Lyon.
West Bloomfield at Sterling Heights Stevenson: This is going to be one of the most hyped matchups in the State on Friday night. Who doesn’t love a good OAA Red vs MAC Red matchup??? It will be the first meeting between these two teams. The Titans have a ton of experience back from a team that made the Division One State Semifinals last season. We don’t know about the health of Jordan Ramsey. Ramsey did not play in their 19-14 victory over Southfield Arts and Tech. He hasn’t played in a few weeks due to injury but Sterling Heights Stevenson has some very talented players to fill the void for Ramsey in Jordan Kwaitkowski, Tony Schumate, and quarterback Biagio Madonna. Kwaitkowski and Schumate combined for 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Warriors. Kwaitkowski caught a pass for a score in that game as well. The Titans have heard a ton about the Lakers and especially running back Donovan Edwards. Edwards had two scores in a 56-3 blowout of Troy on Friday night in the Swamp but they saw their four game shutout streak snapped with a Ryan Peluso field goal. The quarterback matchup is going to be very interesting between Alex Short and Madonna. The running back battle should be the key matchup between Edwards, Dillion Tatum, and Mekhi Elam. The battle in the trenches are also going to be interesting between Michigan commit Giovanni El-Hadi going up against one of the best defensive lines in the State led by Amir Herring and Brandon Davis-Swan. The coaching matchup is also going to be very interesting as well between Coach Ron Bellamy and Coach Justin Newcomb. There are going to be a ton of storylines heading into this game at Runkel Field on Friday night.
by Becky Andrus | Nov 2, 2020 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Top Five Games:
By Sammy Taormina
Chippewa Valley at Stoney Creek: This is going to be the Cougars biggest challenge of the season when they host Chippewa Valley on Friday night. The Big Reds come into this game riding a ton of confidence after coming back from 14-0 down to beat a very good Utica Eisenhower squad 21-14. They have a ton of experience led by quarterback Ryan Schuester along with running back Ryan Hawkins and top wide receiver Cephas Harris. Also Chippewa Valley is well coached under Coach Scott Merchant. Stoney Creek features their fair share of experience as well in quarterback Ryan Echout, running back Cam Buford, and running back Jon Fogler. They too have a proven coach in Nick Merlo. This is a perfect opportunity for the Cougars to show that they mean business especially against a proven MAC Red opponent like Chippewa Valley.
Groves at Seaholm: This is the Battle of Birmingham Part II. Think of what Caleb Knoer did against Jaden Mangham a few weeks ago stripping him of the football in the endzone in a 21-21 game in the fourth quarter and forcing a touchback. The next drive the Maples scored and earned a 35-28 victory over the Falcons in Beverly Hills on one pass attempt no less. Groves has long been waiting for revenge against Seaholm. The Maples have won the last two in this rivalry. It’s going to be very interesting in the Maple Forest.
Oak Park at Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit: The Knights picked up their first win of the season going into Grosse Pointe South and stunning the Blue Devils 35-27 last week. I think the return of ReShawn Benny has been huge for Coach Greg Carter’s team along with the improved play of quarterback James Burnley. Oak Park has played a brutal schedule playing the likes of West Bloomfield, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Southfield Arts and Tech, Oxford, and Groves and to do that against a MAC Red team in Grosse Pointe South is a statement. Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit does have some athletes as well and they played Lake Orion tough losing 7-6 in week three. The Cubs beat Grosse Pointe North 28-14 last week in Grosse Pointe. It’s shaping up to be a very interesting game between two schools that know each other well.
Grand Blanc at Clarkston: The Wolves have been rolling all season long but they were tested last week by Oxford and their time possession game. Clarkston had to survive 21-7 last week. Grand Blanc needed a double reverse, a fake punt for a touchdown, and a bad snap to earn a 28-14 victory over Lake Orion last week. The Bobcats have a prolific offense of balance and speed. The Wolves are huge up front and can beat you in different ways. Clarkston’s pass defense should be tested in this game.
Southfield Arts and Tech at Sterling Heights Stevenson: I wonder how the latest episode of “The MAC Attack with Zach and Zack” is going to feel about how Oak Park stunned Grosse Pointe South. Could it happen again with another OAA Red team beating another MAC Red team on the road??? It’s possible. The Titans have playoff experience but the Warriors have been a Jekyll and Hyde team. Southfield Arts and Tech has athletes like quarterback Isiah Marshall, running back RaeQuan Lee, wide receivers Jeff Bowens and Robert Army. Sterling Heights Stevenson has size up front and proven playmakers. With what happened to Grosse Pointe South the Titans needs to be on upset alert. Southfield Arts and Tech should come into this game playing with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
