Written Wednesday February 19th at 1:50 PM

The Yellow Jackets have their new football coach.

Avondale has named Jim Carlisle as their new football coach according to an accurate source and the MHSAA website. Carlisle takes over for Coach Bob Meyer who stepped down at the end of the season.

Carlisle has coached 36 years most recently he coached at Vassar from 2022 until this season. He also had a stint at Imlay City which he was the coach from 2018 until 2022.

The Yellow Jackets will be in line for another change in offense. Carlisle likes to run the spread offense, it will be a much in line to past Avondale coaches Steve Duestch and Ed Coutrier when they were in Auburn Hills.

Carlisle will be tasked of keeping the tradition alive in Auburn Hills. Avondale will be in the Gold with Berkley, Royal Oak, Pontiac, and Ferndale this season.

My Thoughts.

Carlisle is a really interesting hire coming from the thumb area. Carlisle brings experience and the spread to a program that has seen a ton of experience in this offense. I don’t know if he is familiar with the OAA when it comes to the teams. What helps is the majority of the division has new coaches if you include Casey Humes who was at Berkley last season. It will be very interesting to see what happens.

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

MHSAA Website

https://www.mhsaa.com/schools/avondale/boys/varsity/football/2025

Written Monday February 17th at 9:05 PM

Bloomfield Hills has their new varsity football coach.

The Blackhawks have named Scott Merchant as their new varsity football coach. He takes over for Dan Loria who stepped down this past offseason.

Two very accurate sources confirmed to me the news.

Merchant was at Chippewa Valley from 2007-2023 before going to Lawrence Tech for a season. Merchant stepped down on Monday from Lawrence Tech and returned to High School football accepting the Blackhawks job. What attracted Merchant to the job according to sources was that his son was in the Bloomfield Hills program and that he wanted to coach his son.

Merchant is a game changer for a program that is in need of a reboot. He brings a ton of proven experience to a program that needs it. The Blackhawks were 5-22 in their last three seasons with no postseason appearances.

Loria was at Bloomfield Hills Lahser before they merged with Bloomfield Hills Andover to become Bloomfield Hills in 2013. Loria went 42-67 with four postseason appearances in his 11 years with the program.

Merchant will have a ton of challenges ahead of him. He will have to build the program which starts with program strength. Bloomfield Hills has not fielded a freshman program on a consistent basis. With Merchant expect the Blackhawks to have three programs.

The Blackhawks are in the Blue and will be with Seaholm, North Farmington, Farmington, Oak Park, Troy Athens, and Troy this season. Bloomfield Hills could be a possible sleeper in the division with Merchant coaching the program.

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

Written Saturday Februray 15th at 10:25 AM

Boys

1. Groves 15-5: Falcons locked into the two seed, on a collision course with Birmingham Brother Rice.

2. Avondale 14-7: Holding Clarkston to 33 points is impressive, always hard to beat a team three times.

3. Oxford 19-1: Wildcats are on a collision course with Grand Blanc.

4. Farmington 15-5: Falcons could see arch rival North Farmington in the future.

5. Clarkston 14-6: Wolves are in deep trouble heading into the postseason.

6. Lake Orion 13-7: Dragons got the best draw with the Waterford schools looming.

7. Rochester 16-5: Falcons have home court and locked into the top seed.

8. Royal Oak 12-7: Ravens look poised to take the top seed but beware of Berkley.

9. Troy 10-11: Colts looking at rematch with arch rival Troy Athens.

10. North Farmington 11-9: Raiders fortunate to get the two seed.

11. Ferndale 8-13: Eagles staring at Detroit Pershing before Warren Lincoln.

12. Adams 6-14: Could the Highlanders get the two seed with all the struggles they had.

13. Bloomfield Hills 11-9: Blackhawks/Maples rematch should be really interesting.

14. West Bloomfield 5-14: Lakers on a collision course with Walled Lake Central, if they win it’s Orchard Lake St. Marys.

15. Stoney Creek 9-10: Cougars are in a very delicate situation with the two seed in the balance.

16. Troy Athens 6-14: Red Hawks/Colts part three, neutral site could be really interesting.

17. Pontiac 11-8: Phoenix have to go through Birmingham Detroit Country Day and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep at some point this postseason.

18. Ferndale University 9-10: Eagles looking at Hazel Park before Warren Lincoln looms.

19. Oak Park 5-9: Knights looking at Southfield Arts and Tech if they win Birmingham Brother Rice looms.

20. Southfield Arts and Tech 6-14: Warriors looking at Oak Park if they win Birmingham Brother Rice looms.

21. Seaholm 2-17: Maples could make amends in the postseason.

22. Berkley 4-15: Bears have a tough stretch looming.

23. Harper Woods 3-13: Pioneers looking at Eastpointe before seeing Center Line if they win.

Girls

1. Clarkston 13-6: Wolves depth being displayed as we speak.

2. Rochester 15-3: Alice Max has really carried the Falcons to the White crown.

3. Avondale 15-3: Amaria Daniel has been playing really good basketball lately.

4. Stoney Creek 12-5: Cougars need to put Clarkston loss behind them and move on.

5. West Bloomfield 11-7: Lakers bouncing back after a tough one to Stoney Creek.

6. Lake Orion 11-9: Dragons need a break after a rough week.

7. Oxford 6-13: Wildcats playing hard despite record.

8. Southfield Arts and Tech 11-7: Warriors have not been consistent lately.

9. Berkley 12-7: Bears looking forward to the postseason.

10. Ferndale 6-12: Eagles balance is the key if they want to make a run.

11. Seaholm 11-8: Maples are 2-6 since their loss to Rochester on January 23rd, not good.

12. Bloomfield Hills 7-9: Brianna Young has been playing well lately.

13. Groves 5-12: Harlem Simpson is the real deal enough said.

14. Royal Oak 8-9: Ravens are a Jekyll and Hyde right now.

15. Troy 6-11: Colts have been a Jekyll and Hyde lately.

16. Harper Woods 7-7: Pioneers starting to bounce back after rough start.

17. Adams 7-10: Highlanders injuries starting to catch up on them.

18. Troy Athens 7-11: Red Hawks have been competitive.

19. Farmington 7-11: Falcons well on their way to win the Gold.

20. North Farmington 5-12: 20 point win over Hazel Park is a start.

21. Pontiac 8-5: Phoenix getting ready for the postseason.

22. Ferndale University 7-7: It wasn’t a good week for the Eagles.

23. Oak Park 0-11: 18 points in two games is not a good sign.

Written Saturday February 1st at 2:35 PM

Boys

1. Clarkston 14-3: Quinn Rosenburg had an impressive dunk and Cole Charter had a nice game on Friday.

2. Avondale 11-6: Thursday was probably the best defensive performance I’ve seen in the history of Yellow Jackets basketball.

3. Oxford 16-0: Jake Champagne had another monster outing against Troy.

4. Lake Orion 13-5: Ryan Rocheleau back makes the Dragons a much different team.

5. Groves 12-5: Falcons are 3-3 in their last six games, not good heading into the postseason.

6. Farmington 13-4: Falcons going along with their business.

7. Rochester 13-4: Welcome back Max Muhl.

8. North Farmington 8-8: Raiders have been a hard team to figure out.

9. Royal Oak 10-7: CJ Hairston and Sam Zeller could be a scary duo come postseason time.

10. Troy 8-9: Leo Penoza is the real deal.

11.West Bloomfield 5-11: Lakers defense is a serious issue.

12. Adams 4-13: Trenton LaGardge has been lights out lately.

13. Ferndale 6-12: Hopefully what happened Thursday is not a sign of things to come???

14. Pontiac 9-7: Phoenix no longer control it’s destiny in the Blue.

15. Bloomfield Hills 9-7: Blackhawks Blue hopes took a hit with loss to Royal Oak.

16. Ferndale University 8-8: Eagles playing team ball is a great sign.

17. Southfield Arts and Tech 6-12: Warriors have had moments where they’ve been great.

18. Troy Athens 4-13: Stay patient, Red Hawks are fine.

19. Seaholm 2-15: Maples getting better despite their record.

20. Stoney Creek 7-9: It might be time to question some things.

21. Oak Park 4-7: Knights shooting determines their success.

22. Berkley 3-13: Bears can’t seem to overcome the injuries.

23. Harper Woods 3-10: Pioneers going through it right now.

Girls

1. Clarkston 11-5: Wolves control their destiny in the Red.

2. Avondale 12-2: Yellow Jackets firmly control the Blue.

3. Rochester 10-3: Falcons firmly control the White.

4. West Bloomfield 8-6: Lakers will be fine after tough loss to Clarkston.

5. Stoney Creek 10-3: Cougars have had to survive games as of late.

6. Lake Orion 9-7: Charlotte Peplowski is the key to the Dragons season.

7. Adams 7-6: Highlanders have adjusted well with the injuries.

8. Oxford 4-10: Wildcats hung tough with Clarkston, could that help come postseason time???

9. Southfield Arts and Tech 9-5: Could overtime win over Berkley be a turning point for the Warriors???

10. Berkley 10-5: Bears will be fine after tough loss to Southfield Arts and Tech.

11. Royal Oak 6-7: Could the win over Seaholm be a turning point for the Ravens???

12. Seaholm 9-5: Maples are 2-4 in their last six games, that’s not a good sign.

13. Ferndale 5-8: Eagles going through a rough patch right now.

14. Troy Athens 7-8: Red Hawks are still a Scooby Doo team.

15. Troy 4-9: Maci Zeiter has been getting use to life on varsity.

16. Bloomfield Hills 4-7: Brianna Young is making a name for herself.

17. Groves 3-10: Harlem Simpson has been a difference maker ask the arch rival.

18. Pontiac 6-4: Phoenix got a huge win over Oak Park but loss to River Rouge has me wondering???

19. Ferndale University 7-5: Eagles had a tough loss to Farmington which is not good.

20. Farmington 4-10: Falcons could do very well in the Gold.

21. Harper Woods 5-6: Pioneers are a hard team to figure out.

22. North Farmington 4-11: Raiders going through it right now.

23. Oak Park 0-8: Knights have found ways to score but defending has been an issue.

Written Saturday January 25 at 8:45 AM

Boys

1. Clarkston 12-3: When Quinn Rosenburg shoots threes look out.

2. Avondale 10-6: What happened against North Farmington, Yellow Jackets???

3. Groves 11-4: Falcons still not a finished product, trying to figure out the Summit Academy loss.

4. Oxford 14-0: Wildcats have been rolling but they haven’t had a close game yet.

5. Lake Orion 11-5: Dragons didn’t have their best against Troy, good teams finds ways to win.

6. Farmington 12-4: Falcons have responded nicely since the M-24 trips.

7. Rochester 11-4: Falcons have been really impressing me lately.

8. Pontiac 8-5: Phoenix have their biggest test looming.

9. Ferndale 6-10: Eden Vinyard has been on a tear lately.

10. North Farmington 7-8: Raiders have been up and down lately.

11. Troy 7-8: Colts have been playing much better basketball lately.

12. Royal Oak 7-7: Something feels different about this Ravens team.

13. West Bloomfield 5-9: Lakers defense is still a major concern.

14. Bloomfield Hills 9-5: Blackhawks starting to turn things around.

15. Stoney Creek 7-7: Cougars haven’t been able to put it together yet.

16. Adams 3-12: Highlanders have played a tough schedule, better than their record indicates.

17. Troy Athens 4-11: When Nate Appledorn shoots threes look out.

18. Ferndale University 7-8: Eagles will be fine despite tough loss.

19. Southfield Arts and Tech 5-11: Warriors have been an odd team to figure out.

20. Seaholm 1-13: This article by Hometown Life’s Brandon Folsom explains the Maples. https://www.hometownlife.com/story/sports/2025/01/23/birmingham-seaholm-boys-basketball-loses-to-lake-orion-65-46/77830883007/

21. Oak Park 4-5: Knights have been struggling lately.

22. Berkley 3-12: Bears are going through it right now.

23. Harper Woods 3-9: Andre Cast has a lot of potential for the Pioneers.

Girls

1. Clarkston 9-5: Brooklyn Covert is the key to the Wolves season.

2. Avondale 10-2: Sasha McClellan has been on a tear lately.

3. West Bloomfield 7-5: Sheridan Beal has been on a tear lately.

4. Rochester 8-3: Falcons may have found that guard in Taylor Parsons.

5. Stoney Creek 8-3: Merrick Schlawbach is the key to the Cougars season.

6. Lake Orion 9-5: Even when under the weather Izzy Wotlinski finds ways to score.

7. Seaholm 9-3: Maples no longer control their destiny right now.

8. Berkley 9-4: 74 points after a tough loss to Lake Orion, jeez.

9. Ferndale 5-7: Eagles lack of depth starting to become an issue.

10. Adams 6-6: Jordan Jarrell has been the key to the Highlanders success.

11. Oxford 4-9: Wildcats have been up and down lately.

12. Royal Oak 5-6: Ravens have lost a ton of close games lately.

13. Southfield Arts and Tech 7-5: Warriors defense is still an issue.

14. Ferndale University 7-4; Eagles clearly a better team than last season.

15. Troy Athens 6-7: Red Hawks are a classic Scooby Doo team.

16. Troy 3-8: Nadia Auger has been making an impact lately.

17. Bloomfield Hills 3-6: Brianna Young really carrying Blackhawks right now.

18. Groves 2-9: Falcons are really struggling right now.

19. Pontiac 5-3: Getting a week off should help the Phoenix.

20. Harper Woods 5-4: Can’t really figure the Pioneers out right now.

21. North Farmington 4-9: Raiders got a nice win over Corunna.

22. Farmington 3-9: Falcons haven’t been themselves as of late.

23. Oak Park 0-6: Knights really struggling right now.

Written Thursday January 23rd at 4:25 PM

Clarkston softball will have a new softball coach this spring.

The Wolves named Melissa Smythe as their new coach, she takes over for Coach Katie Smith who stepped down after going 7-25 last season.

Clarkston has not been the same softball program since the pandemic. The Wolves are 21-44 in three seasons, something that Smythe needs to turn around.

Smythe was the junior varsity coach at Clarkston for two years and has been coaching softball for 12 years according to the press release.

“Melissa is looking forward to coaching Clarkston student athletes at the Varsity level and continuing  the growth and development of the softball program while fostering a positive and supportive team culture” the press release said.

The Wolves will be in the Red with Division One runner up and arch rival Lake Orion, along with Oxford, North Farmington, Stoney Creek, Adams, Bloomfield Hills, and West Bloomfield. They will be in a district at Oxford that has Lake Orion, Oxford, Waterford Kettering, and Waterford Mott as well.

It will be really interesting to see what Smythe brings to Clarkston and can she be the one that turns the program around???

Here is the press release from X

https://x.com/CTownAthletic/status/1882491729582174457/photo/1