Week One Picks

by orionontv | Aug 24, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports

Week One Picks

Written Monday August 21st at 6:45 PM

Picks will be updated. We’ll get Sticks picks or Tim’s when we can.

Welcome to the 2023 football season, here are our pickers for the season. Here are everyone who is doing picks this season.

SANDY DUNES is Sammy Taormina, OAA Now host and blogger.

COTTER is Sean Cotter, Walled Lake Western football and North Farmington basketball video coordinator

DUNLAP is Keith Dunlap, WDIV freelance writer

STICK is Dan Stickradt, North Oakland Sports writer

BURNEY is Scott Burnstein, MIPrepZone and State Champs sports writer.

TIM is Tim English, writer, High School Sports Historian, and blogger.

SANDY DUNES 0-0

COTTER 0-0

BURNEY 0-0

DUNLAP 0-0

STICK 0-0

TIM 0-0

1. West Bloomfield vs Chippewa Valley at Wayne State: The Lakers have a new coach, new system, but the same expectations. The quarterback battle takes center stage between Requan Nance and Andrew Schuster in this matchup. Both teams have speed, quickness, and size. If I had to trust someone right now it’s Kari Jackson, Jamir Benjamin, Brandon Davis-Swain and that high powered Lakers proven defense in this game, only question is will West Bloomfield wear green or black uniforms???

SANDY DUNES: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 14.

COTTER: WEST BLOOMFIELD 38, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 28.

DUNLAP: CHIPPEWA VALLEY 35, WEST BLOOMFIELD 30.

STICK:

BURNEY: WEST BLOOMFIELD 30, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 29.

TIM: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 31.

2. Southfield Arts and Tech vs Detroit Cass Tech at Wayne State: This will be the fourth meeting in two years between the Technicians and the Warriors. Southfield Arts and Tech won the regular season matchup that went two days 56-54 but Detroit Cass Tech won the district final 25-14 last season. Both teams have athletes, it could be a shootout again but the Warriors defense still has me worried heading into this matchup at Wayne State.

SANDY DUNES: DETROIT CASS TECH 48, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 42.

COTTER: DETROIT CASS TECH 42, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 40.

DUNLAP: DETROIT CASS TECH 45, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 42.

STICK:

BURNEY: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 31, DETROIT CASS TECH 28.

TIM: DETROIT CASS TECH 35, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 28.

3. Lake Orion vs Livonia Stevenson at Michigan: This should be a very interesting matchup between the Dragons and the Spartans. Livonia Stevenson has quarterback Ari’John Thompson along with Richardo Warman on the offensive and defensive lines and Aiden Nolan at wide receiver and free safety. The Dragons might be the most dangerous team in the league with their proven experience. It should be a very interesting matchup in Ann Arbor.

SANDY DUNES: LAKE ORION 56, LIVONIA STEVENSON 14.

COTTER: LAKE ORION 35, LIVONIA STEVENSON 21.

DUNLAP: LAKE ORION 30, LIVONIA STEVENSON 27.

STICK:

BURNEY: LAKE ORION 35, LIVONIA STEVENSON 20.

TIM: LIVONIA STEVENSON 28, LAKE ORION 21.

4. Harper Woods at Stoney Creek: This should be a very interesting matchup of two teams that have two different styles. It was an off year for the Pioneers after struggling with injuries in their first season in the OAA. Harper Woods has a ton of proven experience coming back. Stoney Creek is coming off a very disappointing first round loss to Rochester. Both teams want to start the season very strong with very tough schedules looming ahead. This is a big one to get for both teams.

SANDY DUNES: HARPER WOODS 30, STONEY CREEK 20.

COTTER: HARPER WOODS 20, STONEY CREEK 14.

DUNLAP: HARPER WOODS 23, STONEY CREEK 20.

STICK:

BURNEY: HARPER WOODS 27, STONEY CREEK 7.

TIM: HARPER WOODS 35, STONEY CREEK 14.

5. Clarkston vs Northville at Michigan: The Wolves have a ton of changes especially at quarterback and running back. Clarkston is back at Michigan Stadium for the fifth straight season but the opponent is very interesting. The Wolves go up against a very experienced Mustangs team. Northville has a new coach in Bret Luplow taking over the program. Luplow has a ton of proven experience in running back Caleb Moore, halfback Kayden Beschill, wide receiver Nick Hellinger among others. The Mustangs have 15 returning starters. Clarkston has questions at quarterback, hopefully they get answered before this game.

SANDY DUNES: NORTHVILLE 35, CLARKSTON 21.

COTTER: CLARKSTON 31, NORTHVILLE 28.

DUNLAP: CLARKSTON 35, NORTHVILLE 27.

STICK:

BURNEY: CLARKSTON 40, NORTHVILLE 39.

TIM: CLARKSTON 28, NORTHVILLE 21.

6. Adams at Orchard Lake St. Marys: This is shaping up to be a very interesting matchup on the red turf in Orchard Lake. The Highlanders won 42-14 in Rochester last season. Adams is very young this season while the Eaglets are much improved and added a transfer in Lake Orion running back Darrin Jones. It’s going to be a tough matchup for Brady Prieskorn and company against Orchard Lake St. Marys.

SANDY DUNES: ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 49, ADAMS 7.

COTTER: ADAMS 24, ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 21.

DUNLAP: ADAMS 17, ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 13.

STICK:

BURNEY: ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 33, ADAMS 23.

TIM: ADAMS 35, ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS 31.

7. Groves at North Farmington: These two teams are no strangers to one another. The Falcons won 34-19 last season over the Raiders in Beverly Hills but North Farmington has gotten the best of Groves the previous two years. Ryan Shelby vs Cayden Hardy should be the matchup to watch. It’s Special Olympics Night at Ron Holland Field which makes things really interesting. This game should be tight.

SANDY DUNES: NORTH FARMINGTON 28, GROVES 24.

COTTER: GROVES 35, NORTH FARMINGTON 14.

DUNLAP: GROVES 27, NORTH FARMINGTON 24.

STICK:

BURNEY: GROVES 33, NORTH FARMINGTON 17.

TIM: GROVES 42, NORTH FARMINGTON 28.

Bloomfield Hills at 8. Seaholm: This is a rematch of a 38-21 Maples win over the Blackhawks last season. Seaholm and Bloomfield Hills are no strangers to each other and especially coaches Jim DeWald and Dan Loria. Both of them coached at Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Bloomfield Hills Andover and in their current schools as well. This should be a very interesting matchup to say the least.

SANDY DUNES: SEAHOLM 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 6.

COTTER: SEAHOLM 35, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

DUNLAP: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21, SEAHOLM 20.

STICK:

BURNEY: SEAHOLM 34, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21.

TIM: SEAHOLM 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

Macomb L’Anse Creuse at 9. Ferndale: This is a rematch of a 27-26 Lancers win over the Eagles last season in Macomb. Macomb L’Anse Creuse has a new coach and a new system. Ferndale is a much different team than they were last season. They have a new quarterback in Cullen Hock and Coach Eric Royal brought in two new coordinators who came from Croswell-Lexington. This might be a different game than it was last season. Macomb L’Anse Creuse has a new coach taking over the program.

SANDY DUNES: FERNDALE 35, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 6.

COTTER: FERNDALE 38, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 28.

DUNLAP: FERNDALE 24, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 20.

STICK:

BURNEY: FERNDALE 38, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE 28.

TIM: FERNDALE 35, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 21.

Warren Cousino at 10. Avondale: This is a rematch of a 36-6 Yellow Jackets win in Warren last season. Avondale has a new coach and a new system in Bob Meyer. The Patriots were a playoff team last season. The Yellow Jackets have almost everyone back and a new coach in Meyer who is a proven winner himself running the program, it could be a long evening for Warren Cousino at Dick Bye Field.

SANDY DUNES: AVONDALE 34, WARREN COUSINO 14.

COTTER: AVONDALE 35, WARREN COUSINO 6.

DUNLAP: WARREN COUSINO 17, AVONDALE 14.

STICK:

BURNEY: AVONDALE 35, WARREN COUSINO 13.

TIM: AVONDALE 28, WARREN COUSINO 7.

Utica Eisenhower at Oxford: The Wildcats is the great unknown heading into this season. This game has the makings of two teams with different styles of play. Oxford likes to slow the game down while Utica Eisenhower has a ton of proven playmakers and a four year quarterback in Preston Crumm. Whoever style wins out wins this game.

SANDY DUNES: OXFORD 24, UTICA EISENHOWER 20.

COTTER: UTICA EISENHOWER 28, OXFORD 7.

DUNLAP: UTICA EISENHOWER 31, OXFORD 20.

STICK:

BURNEY: UTICA EISENHOWER 36, OXFORD 28.

TIM: UTICA EISENHOWER 35, OXFORD 14.

Rochester at Utica: The Falcons did a ton of great things. They made the postseason for the first time since 2010 (2020 doesn’t count) and won their first playoff game in school history by beating Stoney Creek but they were upset in week one by Utica. The Chieftains went into Rochester and scored on the last play of the game stunning the Falcons 27-24 last season. Utica won two games last season but they were against OAA teams. The Chieftains are experienced and are at Sweinhart while Rochester is very young this season, you never know what could happen in this game.

SANDY DUNES: UTICA 28, ROCHESTER 7.

COTTER: UTICA 24, ROCHESTER 14.

DUNLAP: ROCHESTER 27, UTICA 17.

STICK:

BURNEY: ROCHESTER 23, UTICA 21.

TIM: ROCHESTER 35, UTICA 24.

Detroit Henry Ford at Farmington: The Falcons are coming off a strong year last season. They still have some experience coming back which helps. The Trojans are 19-16 since 2019 which could be a very interesting matchup at Falcon Field. This should be very interesting to say the least.

SANDY DUNES: FARMINGTON 42, DETROIT HENRY FORD 28.

COTTER: FARMINGTON 41, DETROIT HENRY FORD 6.

DUNLAP: FARMINGTON 35, DETROIT HENRY FORD 14.

STICK:

BURNEY: FARMINGTON 32, DETROIT HENRY FORD 18.

TIM: FARMINGTON 35, DETROIT HENRY FORD 14.

Macomb L’Anse Creuse North at Troy: This is a rematch of a 14-3 Colts win in Macomb County last season. Troy opens their new football field against a Crusaders team that should be much improved after being very young last season. It should be a very interesting matchup between these two teams.

SANDY DUNES: TROY 20, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 17.

COTTER: TROY 17, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 7.

DUNLAP: MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 20, TROY 17.

STICK:

BURNEY: TROY 23, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 20.

TIM: TROY 42, MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 7.

Fraser at Troy Athens: The Red Hawks are a solid team this season but the non league schedule is very interesting. The Ramblers went 1-8 last season. They missed the postseason last season but they lost to Troy Athens 28-21 in Fraser last season. Fraser should be better this season. This looks like it could be a trap game for the Red Hawks.

SANDY DUNES: TROY ATHENS 35, FRASER 28.

COTTER: TROY ATHENS 35, FRASER 7.

DUNLAP: TROY ATHENS 31, FRASER 7.

STICK:

BURNEY: TROY ATHENS 25, FRASER 22.

TIM: TROY ATHENS 35, FRASER 10.

Oak Park vs Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit @ Hazel Park: This is the sixth meeting between these two close rivals in the Knights and the Cubs. Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit won 20-0 in Knight Valley last season. Oak Park has a lot of questions coming into this season. This will be a big one for the Knights against a neighborhood rival that is close by and also very good as well and to make matters worse Oak Park Coach Greg Carter is out for week one because of having joint practices with three other teams.

SANDY DUNES: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 28, OAK PARK 18.

COTTER: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 35, OAK PARK 6.

DUNLAP: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 31, OAK PARK 18.

STICK:

BURNEY: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 40, OAK PARK 27.

TIM: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT 42, OAK PARK 7.

Holly at Royal Oak: This is a rematch of a 49-0 Bronchos blowout of the Ravens last season. Holly has been a well-oiled machine under former Troy Athens and Berkley coach Billy Keenest and former Lake Orion defensive coordinator Dave Tooley. Royal Oak is rebuilding under new coach Collin Campbell. This does not look good on paper for the Ravens, Holly has a proven program heading in the right direction.

SANDY DUNES: HOLLY 63, ROYAL OAK 0.

COTTER: HOLLY 56, ROYAL OAK 0.

DUNLAP: HOLLY 28, ROYAL OAK 10.

STICK:

BURNEY: HOLLY 36, ROYAL OAK 23.

TIM: HOLLY 70, ROYAL OAK 0.

Pontiac at Madison Heights Bishop Foley: The Phoenix have seen some strides with a new coaching staff. Kayne Donaldson has taken the reigns and looks to snap the State’s longest losing streak. The Ventures are a very good team and they beat Pontiac 57-12 last season. It’s going to be a tough task for the Phoenix.

SANDY DUNES: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 21, PONTIAC 20.

COTTER: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 34, PONTIAC 6.

DUNLAP: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 21, PONTIAC 6.

STICK:

BURNEY: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 34, PONTIAC 14.

TIM: MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY 84, PONTIAC 0.

Walled Lake Central at Berkley: The Bears are coming off a very disappointing season. Berkley needs a bounce back year instead of the “Me over We” culture they went through last season. The Vikings are much improved. They were young last season. It should be a really good test at Hurley that is for sure.

SANDY DUNES: BERKLEY 27, WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 24.

COTTER: WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 21, BERKLEY 14.

DUNLAP: BERKLEY 24, WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 21.

STICK:

BURNEY: BERKLEY 24, WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 20.

TIM: WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 28, BERKLEY 14.

White Division Preview

by orionontv | Aug 24, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports

White Division Preview

Written Monday August 21st at 6:25 PM

This is the 2023 Football Preview. This will be updated with various podcasts and information from Media Day along with our special podcast with Civic Center TV’s Tyler Kieft and MIPrepZone’s Scott Burnstein.

ONTV News Media Day-Report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpC83I_1MZg

Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPxPxsHa_l0

Preview Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hXnjZaV0MY

AROUND THE OAA TOP 10

1. West Bloomfield
2. Southfield Arts and Tech
3. Lake Orion
4. Harper Woods
5. Clarkston
6. Adams
7. Groves
8. Seaholm
9. Ferndale
10. Avondale

DIVISION RECAP/STORYLINES:

MANAGEABLE SCHEDULE: Farmington: The Falcons have a very manageable schedule to get to the postseason. It’s unfortunate that they won’t be playing their arch rivals North Farmington this season. They have Muskegon Reeths Puffer, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Harper Woods coming to Falcon Field. Farmington has Lake Orion, Sweinhart, and Beverly Hills on the road which are tough games. The Falcons could be in line for a strong year if things go right.

NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors are a senior heavy team this season. Their first five games looks very lovely on paper with Detroit Cass Tech at Wayne State to open the season then follow that with Clarkston, then Harper Woods, then Groves, and Farmington with the Wolves and Pioneers at home, that’s brutal and that’s not mentioning a trip to “The Swamp” in week eight either. Southfield Arts and Tech could have six losses and still get into the postseason with that schedule, my goodness gracious.

TEAM THAT’S ON THE RISE: Harper Woods: It was a very rough first year in the OAA for the Pioneers but with them getting use to OAA life, Harper Woods is ready to make some noise and make a return to the postseason which they are in Division Four. The Pioneers are well coached under Coach Rob Oden. Depth will be something to watch despite the experience they have back. They have Lake Orion, Roseville, and Groves coming to Wayne County. The Pioneers have Farmington, Clarkston, and Southfield Arts and Tech on the road. This is a program that is on the rise.

TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: Rochester: The Falcons made a ton of history by winning their first ever playoff game by beating Stoney Creek last season but the honeymoon could be over. Rochester goes to Sweinhart to open the season and have road trips to Adams, Groves, and Harper Woods. The final four games are at home but they are against Walled Lake Northern, Farmington, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Stoney Creek. It could be a long season for Coach Eric Vernon and company with the schedule they have this season.

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 8-3 (7-2), 5-0 White. Lost 25-14 to Detroit Cass Tech in District Finals.

POINTS SCORED: 442 (40.1 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 273 (24.8 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Isiah Marshall-Quarterback.

STRENGTH: Proven Experience, Proven Skill Players.

WEAKNESS: Both Lines, Special Teams, Depth, Program Strength.

GAME OF THE YEAR: August 26 vs Detroit Cass Tech at Wayne State

PROJECTED RECORD: 7-2, 5-0 White

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

The Warriors haven’t been able to get over the postseason hump especially with a disappointing loss to Detroit Cass Tech in the district finals. “Its a good challenge, I like opening up with them because it will tell us where we are. We learned a lot from that game last year both of them so playing a game like that of that caliper, it is very good for our program, so we got our work cut out” said Coach Aaron Marshall  Southfield Arts and Tech is putting everything into this season if they want to make a deep postseason run. They scored the most points in school history with 442 points last season but they haven’t made it past the regional since their first season as a merged school.

Southfield Arts and Tech has a very talented offense coming back. They had the most points scored in school history last season and a boatload of experience coming back for Marshall.”We’re excited we got 28-29 seniors, we got a lot of experience, a lot of those guys played as sophomores. They have been part of good seasons and part of bad seasons and have been battle tested, really excited for their leadership this year and we’ll see what they are going to do” Marshall said. Marshall has his nephew Isiah Marshall at quarterback coming back. Marshall has a ton of very talented and also proven wide receivers in Xavier Bowman, Juwan Jarrett, Tashi Braceful, and Parker Kennedy coming back. They also have Davier Burt at running back coming back. The offensive and defensive lines are question marks despite having Reggie Gardner and Carlio Pickett on both sides of the football coming back. The defensive side of the football could be the Warriors biggest issues this season despite having Mathais Davis, James Panagos, and Maurcio Clayton coming back at linebacker. They have Wendall Smith, Shamarrion Flemming, Jordan Melton, and Jalen Todd in the defensive secondary coming back. Southfield Arts and Tech has the makings of a Division One State title contender.

The Warriors have the makings of a special season with the proven skill players but depth, program strength, and both lines make this very challenging. Program strength looks very concerning in the future for Southfield Arts and Tech. The schedule is very challenging early with Detroit Cass Tech at Wayne State followed by three home games against Clarkston, Harper Woods, and Groves. They also have to go to Farmington and West Bloomfield which should be very tough tests. “We want to win our league and our goal is to win the State championship” Marshall concluded. The window is closing for the Warriors, it’s now for never for them this season.

HARPER WOODS PIONEERS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 3-6, 2-3 White. Didn’t Make Postseason.

POINTS SCORED: 175 (19.4 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 203 (22.5 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Stephone Buford-Quarterback, Wide Receiver.

STRENGTH: Proven Skill Players, Depth, Proven Experience.

WEAKNESS: Kicking Game.

GAME OF THE YEAR: August 24th at Stoney Creek

PROJECTED RECORD: 6-3, 4-1 White

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

It was a rough first season in the OAA for the Pioneers which saw them go 1-4 in their final five games which was very unusual. They lost two of those games by a combined nine points. Harper Woods had made the playoffs four straight years prior to coming into the league and was 22-16 in that span. “It was very unusual in my 23 years of coaching not to make the postseason with that being a driving force this offseason. The team is kind of taking it personal and are taking the necessary steps so that doesn’t happen again so definitely a different kind of experience for us not being in the tournament” said Coach Rob Oden. The Pioneers could be in line for a strong bounce back season.

Harper Woods was a very young team last season playing in a new league. They should be a much better team this season for Oden. The offense wasn’t themselves in their first season in the OAA. It should be very interesting to see how they do in year two in the league. The Pioneers could have a quarterback competition between Stephone Buford and Nate Rocheleau coming back at quarterback but in talking to Oden, Buford is the starter but Rocheleau has adopted very well to American football coming in from Canada. “Stephone is a returning starter, he’s a program kid, been in the program four years. He has a very distinct skill set, he’s probably considered to be a duel threat athlete, I think away from the ball he’s one of our best two or three wide receivers as well so when Nate does play he’s not out of the game, he’s at a different position. Nate is the young gunslinger, he’s a quarterback by trade. He’s been born to be a QB, he’s the first to arrive and the last to leave, he’s a student of the game, he’s very meticulous, he’s a Canadian, so you know he had to make the adjustments as a freshman to American football, field is not as wide, it’s not as long, its four downs not three and so on and so fourth so he spent his freshman year trying to make those adjustments to American football and I think he’s hitting the ground running right now so having them both has kind of iron sharpens iron type of thing, they push each other and their relationship is great and I think whoever comes out the battle, both guys will be better off for it” Oden added. The Pioneers have two proven runners in Kobe Bailey and Dwight Houston at running back coming back. “Last year both of them fed off each other, inside/outside, thunder and lightning kind of approach. Kobe is more of the scat back, he does a lot of the perimeter stuff, the outside zones and those runs, he’s a threat to you know to take the ball to the distance everytime he touches it and Dwight is more of the downhill thumper, he’s the in between the tackles guy, he’s a lot you know, he’s heavily involved in our screen game and he’s heavily involved in our interior run game so depending on the play and situation and those things you may get a little bit of both or whoever has the hot hand in the second half, may be the featured guy so they kind of do a great job feeding off of each other” Oden added. Whoever the quarterback is will have proven pass catchers in Ramonty House, Jacob Oden (Oden’s son), Dakota Guerrant (Oden’s nephew), Josh Peak, Yasin Milton, Jordan McLemoure along with tight end Nigel Robinson coming back.”Our wide receivers are very explosive, I think it’s one of the best units of our team, we got Jacob Oden, my son he plays our X wide receiver, he’s a stretch the field guy then you have Ramonty House, our slot wide receiver, heavily involved in our kicking and punt return game. He had nine special teams touchdowns last year, he’s explosive, he’s a 4.340 guy, 200 meter guy, track kid through and through so he’s a lightning in a bottle kind of kid and then we have the incoming freshman my nephew Dakota Guerrant, who is going to take the world by storm now that he’s here, he’ll play in the slot and then we have a combination of guys, we have Josh Peak, as a rising senior, big frame, big body kid, 6.2 280 lbs, we got Yasin Milton another slot receiver, very dynamic with the football as well and then we have a big tight end in Nigel Robinson. Nigel will do the short and immediate and work box guys out and set the edge in the run game. I think our wide receiving core is one of our strengths, it’s kind of shown this summer in the passing leagues and they were performing very well” Oden said. The offensive and defensive lines should be solid with Bryant Witherspoon, Jessten Johnson, Elron Beaman, Javon Jones, Justin Thawsen, and Trevon Mendenhall coming back. The defense really struggled adjusting to life in the OAA. They have a lot of proven experience especially in the defensive secondary with Anthony Sims, Johnny Nelson, Jaylen Wilkerson, Oden, Keonte Wilson, Deante Wilson, and Brandon Houston coming back.”Our back seven is looking polished, we have 19 starters returning 10 on defense. Bryant Robinson will be one of our edge rushers, our best inside tackle is Javon Jones, he’s a started as a sophomore last year, he’ll be a junior this year, he’ll handle the duties of stopping the run inside, those are our two best defensive lineman” Oden added. They have Cailin Scott, Matthew McGraw, and Willie Powell at linebacker coming back.”Our backers all return from a year ago we got four year starting captain Willie Powell in there with junior Matthew McGraw, both of them are downhill thumpers and are about six foot, six one 220 lbs in there so they are solid run fitters and develop into the past as well dropping into coverage and our secondary all returns so like I said with Jacob at free safety and Keonte Wilson and Brandon Houston and all of those guys back there, they’ve been together three years so you know their communication and camaraderie is through the roof right now, that defense is right now, they are humming they’re performing at all cylinders. The biggest thing for us is to avoid the injury bug and kind of stay healthy” Oden mentioned. There is a ton of proven experience for Oden and his program coming back.

It will be very interesting to see what the Pioneers have in year two. Harper Woods is back in Division Four for the postseason. Program strength and depth are big question marks for Oden and his program but Oden sees things very differently.”The strength of our program is our culture, guys come here to be blue collared. They want to work hard, they want to be coached hard, they want to be told the truth, they want to be great in the classroom, and they want to be a leader on the field so the culture we’ve created the last few years is what sustains us. The junior varsity has grown, we have about 50 kids and they’ve been strong averaging seven wins the last few years and they’ll be a strong unit this year as well. Our middle school program hasn’t lost a game in three years so they are a solid bunch that will be coming to us in the future years, so all in all I think the program is really trending upward but the culture that has been created is a player led program and those guys kind of feed off each other so establishing that is priority number one for us and building depth will probably be behind that so those are things I look at when it comes to program strength” Oden said. Harper Woods should be better this season. The schedule is very challenging especially the non league. They have Stoney Creek, Lake Orion, Clarkston, and Roseville. The Pioneers have Southfield Arts and Tech, Bloomfield Hills, and Farmington on the road and Groves and Rochester come to Wayne County. Harper Woods should be a postseason team with the move to Division Four, they could be a force to watch.

Harper Woods Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-TDvB97-j8

GROVES FALCONS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 9-4 (6-3), 3-2 White. Lost 43-15 to Warren DeLaSalle in State Semifinals.

POINTS SCORED: 320 (24.6 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 247 (19 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Avery Gach-Offensive/Defensive Lineman.

STRENGTH: Proven Linemen, Defensive Secondary.

WEAKNESS: Rushing Attack, Program Strength, Wide Receivers, Depth.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 23 at Southfield Arts and Tech

PROJECTED RECORD: 6-3, 3-2 White

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

The Falcons have had surprising postseason runs in the past. They made a ton of noise getting to the Division Two State Semifinals despite having a 6-3 record last season. “Last year we battled through some stuff, grew up and made it to the playoffs and made it to the semis” Coach Brendan Flaherty said. Groves has made the postseason 10 of the last 12 years for Flaherty. The offense has scored over 300 points in each of their postseason appearances and under 200 points when they haven’t made the postseason. Flaherty has some questions when it comes to program strength.

Everything starts and ends with the offensive and defensive line for the Falcons this season. “So far so good, everyone is working hard and getting after it” Flaherty said. Groves has several proven linemen in Avery Gach, Carter Hladki, Henry Bob-Lovett, Nathan Brodjeski, Aiden Wahn, Mohammad Biet, and Brayden Hall coming back. Gach has been getting a ton of attention but Hladki, Brodjeski, Bob-Lovett, Biet, and Hall are very solid players The Falcons got a better season from Cayden Hardy at quarterback. Hardy is expected to have a big year for Groves this season. The rushing and passing attacks have some question marks. They have Zach Rogers, Nick Hardy, Anthony Cameron, Rylie Armbrustmacher at wide receiver and Noah Woods at tight end coming back. Groves has a solid rushing attack with Mario Lavisco and Noah Sanders coming back at running back. Flaherty could have some defensive secondary players also play wide receiver as well. The defense was very good last season especially the defensive secondary. They have Jalen Brooks, Anthony Cameron, Rogers, Aiden Leuing, and Chris Little coming back. Little had ten interceptions last season. Groves has Ivan Beleau, Aiden Leung, and Bryce Lattimore coming back at linebacker. The Falcons have a ton of proven experience with this team coming back.

The Falcons have the makings of a very good team with the proven experience they have this season. It comes down to program strength and depth when looking at Groves. “You have to work your tail off just to have a chance” Flaherty added. The schedule is very challenging especially with five of their last six games on the road which includes North Farmington, Southfield Arts and Tech, Harper Woods, and Seaholm. “We want to win our league and beat our rival, everything will take care of itself” Flaherty concluded. The Falcons are more than capable of having another deep postseason run but they haven’t been able to take that next step to get to Ford Field, could this be the year??? We’ll find out.

FARMINGTON FALCONS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 6-4 (6-3), 3-1 Blue. Lost 41-28 to Temperance Bedford in First Round.

POINTS SCORED: 311 (31.1 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 194 (19.4 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Cam Pettaway-Running Back/Defensive Back.

STRENGTH: Proven Linemen, Proven Wide Receivers/Secondary, Linebackers.

WEAKNESS: Quarterback, Depth.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 23 vs Southfield Arts and Tech

PROJECTED RECORD: 4-5, 2-3 White

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

The Falcons are coming off a season where they made a ton of noise. “We had a great group of seniors that I got to know as sophomores, our quarterback Dominic Peshel threw for 1300 to 1500 yards. We had a special group, playing North is an emotional battle, its a rivalry game, blocked an extra point to get it to overtime. It was great to get the Jug back in Shiawassee. It was great to beat Seaholm, ultimately we shared the title, looking at the numbers we could have won out but we could have been third, having to travel to Bedford. We were down early, tying it up in the third and had a penalty called back in that game” said Coach Jason Albright. Farmington went into Monroe County and had the lead at one point against Temperance Bedford but ran out of gas and fell 41-28.”We did a cool thing that we got some charter busses, it took us an hour to get down US-23″ Albright said about the bus ride into Monroe County. They won the Blue and moved up to the White this season. Albright should be solid this season despite quarterback issues.

Farmington has the proven playmakers but they need to find a quarterback to run their multiple offense. There is a quarterback competition that might not be decided until they get the pads on. “We got a junior and a senior battling it out, I always joke about seven on seven being that it’s not real football, you kind of get an idea on their decision making. It won’t be decided until they are in pads and after the scrimmages” Albright added. They have Cam Pettaway coming back at running back. “Cam has been great this season, he’s been there working and leading, been to seven on sevens and excelled there. He’s a hard working kid, focusing more on football than he has in the past because he is a multi sport athlete. He’s been really that guy who kids can watch and see what happens when you put hard work in the offseason ” Albright said about Pettaway. The Falcons have proven pass catchers in Michael Woods, Joe Stevens, and Owen Mattison coming back. “We’ve been doing great this offseason, the conditioning and lifting program that we carried through the offseason” The Falcons have Sammy Ramsey, Jacob Braswell, Steven Krager, Christian Jackson, and Ashwin Sureshbabbu coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The defense should keep them in most games this season. “We have a lot of guys coming back on defense and we do a good job of rotating guys on defense” Albright mentioned. Farmington has Trenton Dardon, Josh Walker, and Cooper Williams coming back at linebacker. They have Cam Hughes, Jaden Vance, Woods, and Mattison in the defensive secondary. This should be a very good team this season.

Farmington as mentioned needs to find their quarterback before their first game. Program strength is a bit of a concern for Albright with a small sophomore and junior class. “The biggest thing I want for my JV is to have kids to have a good experience and prepare them to be a varsity football player. Our staff down there do a great job of breaking down and teach so they know what they’re doing. This year it’s always a crap shoot because you have kids sign up and we end up not seeing every kid that signs up and maybe changes their mind We have a large freshmen class coming in but our sophomore and junior class is not huge to a point where I’m comfortable right now doing a three straight programs because we had some of those freshman start on JV and some of those kids are probably going to be with us this year and with the schedule we got put with this year. In the league I can’t say that I’m going to put together a team of 22 kids that are going to play a JV schedule and play Lake Orion or play Southfield and Harper Woods and Rochester and Groves you know that and Bloomfield Hills that I don’t want kids to get banged up to the point that we don’t have any depth there so we’re going to try to do a freshman game or two only just to see because it’s not always easy to get schedules fit but it will primarily be a JV team” Albright added. The schedule is very interesting, they won’t play arch rival North Farmington this season which is very unfortunate. “The kids are disappointed, it’s kind of a weird thing like no other city rivalry game is being played this year but not ours though” Albright concluded. The Falcons have Detroit Henry Ford, Muskegon-Reefs Puffer, Bloomfield Hills, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Harper Woods coming to Falcon Field. They have Sweinhart (Utica), Lake Orion, Groves, and Rochester on the road. Farmington should be good this season with the strength of schedule component the postseason looks possible for the Falcons.

Farmington Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQCCjxxPYu4&t=657s

BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 3-6, 1-4. Didn’t Make Postseason.

POINTS SCORED: 157 (17.4 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 305 (33.8 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Kieran Crosley-Quarterback/Defensive Lineman/Kicker

STRENGTH: Proven Lines, Rushing attack.

WEAKNESS: Quarterback, Program Strength, Special Teams, Defensive Secondary, Depth.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 1 vs Stoney Creek

PROJECTED RECORD: 1-8, 1-4 White

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

The Blackhawks took a bit of a step back last season on both sides of the football. People could say that Bloomfield Hills best success was when they were in the Blue. When they went up to the White or Red they have struggled. The defense was out there way too long while the offense struggled as the stats showed. Bloomfield Hills won three games by a combined 15 points including their final two games by a combined 11 points. The Blackhawks have a ton of questions coming into the season. They haven’t scored over 200 points in four of the last five seasons.

Bloomfield Hills will have some changes this season. They need to find a quarterback for Coach Dan Loria. Sawyer Cooney could be a name to watch at quarterback. Cooney played junior varsity last season and could be in line to be quarterback unless Loria goes another direction which he could with Kieran Crosley. Crosley played multiple positions last season and could be called on to do so again this season. The Blackhawks have been well known for their high octane spread offense. They have Gavin Cote, Richard Frankfurt, Mason Miller coming back at wide receiver and Nicholas Guettar at tight end. Bloomfield Hills should have a three headed monster at running back with Jace Reed, Evan Becker, Connor Baggett coming back. The offensive and defensive lines should be very interesting. They have Jack Holton, Neenor Razoky, Aaron Robinson, Jack Shaffer, Brayden Brodsky, Ranuck Doshi, Jonah Jacob, and Max Gripton coming back to anchor both lines. Stevon White could be a player to watch on both lines as well. The defense is where they really struggled last season. They will have Crosley on the defensive line. The Blackhawks have Guettar, Bryan Transou, Parker Ng, Anthony Doria, Becker, and Blake Nagy coming back at linebacker. Bloomfield Hills has Cote and Chris Edwards coming back in the defensive secondary. Crosley should handle the kicking duties. Special teams will also be a question mark as will be the rest of the defensive secondary. It will be very interesting to see what happens with Loria and his program.

The Blackhawks have a ton of questions as mentioned this season. Program strength is a huge concern with Bloomfield Hills. The Blackhawks have a very tough schedule that is looming. They have Stoney Creek, Harper Woods, North Farmington, and Groves coming to Bloomfield Hills. The Blackhawks have Southfield Arts and Tech, Seaholm, Rochester, Adams, and Farmington on the road. It could be a very long season for Loria and company this season.

ROCHESTER FALCONS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 6-5 (5-4), 4-1 White. Lost 28-14 to Adams in District Finals.

POINTS SCORED: 250 (27.7 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 265 (29.4 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Issac Putts-Offensive/Defensive Lineman.

STRENGTH: Linebackers, Proven Linemen.

WEAKNESS: Proven Skill Players.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 9 vs Bloomfield Hills

PROJECTED RECORD: 1-8, 0-5 White

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

It was a very interesting year for Rochester last season. The Falcons made the postseason for the first time since 2010 (2020 doesn’t count) and won their first ever playoff game by beating Stoney Creek 21-20 on a last second touchdown and extra point. Rochester allowed more points than scored which was very alarming. “It was a big proponent to the culture in terms of expectations, the expectations were a little bit lower building that expectation to win playoff games and that goes a long way into building up the program. You believe you can do it then you can achieve a lot of great things” said Coach Eric Vernon. Vernon will have a ton of address this season.

Rochester lost a lot of proven experience from last season which included Alex Bueno, Khammani Potts, and Grant Calcagno whom they lost to graduation. They will have a quarterback competition which could have Jake Tandy in the mix.”That is the big question, we lost Alex Bueno a four year starter last year, losing Grant Calcagno, we’re losing every touchdown we scored last year. Quarterback situation is up in the air, we got a couple guys who can step up and go from there” Vernon said. Whoever the quarterback will be will have Bassem Yousseff and Jacob Vancoille at wide receiver coming back. If Tandy loses the quarterback battle then he could play at wide receiver as well. The Falcons have Issac Puttus, Josh Harmon, Adam Glinski, Cameron Williams, and Casey Burke coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The rushing attack will be a question mark for Vernon despite having Marco Leyva coming back. The defense have had their fair share of issues last season. Rochester has Bodie Therkildsen, Jack Lower, and Daniel Kable coming back at linebacker. It is possible that Vancoille, Yousseff, and Tandy could also see some time in the defensive secondary with the lack of depth.

The Falcons will have to replace a ton of talent. Program strength is very concerning for Vernon. The schedule will very tough. Rochester goes to Swienhart (Utica) and Adams early and they have to go to Harper Woods and Groves which will also be tough games. They have their final four games at Falcon Stadium with Farmington, Southfield Arts and Tech, Stoney Creek, and Walled Lake Northern. They also have Bloomfield Hills at home as well. It could be a long season for the Falcons if things don’t go right.

Blue Division Preview

by Becky Andrus | Aug 21, 2023 | Feature Writers, High School Sports

Blue Division Preview

Written Monday August 14th at 6:00 PM

This is the 2023 Football Preview. This will be updated with various podcasts and information from Media Day along with our special podcast with Civic Center TV’s Tyler Kieft and MIPrepZone’s Scott Burnstein.

ONTV News Media Day-Report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpC83I_1MZg

Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPxPxsHa_l0

Blue Division Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltML9TGn5Vk

AROUND THE OAA TOP 10

1. West Bloomfield
2. Southfield Arts and Tech
3. Lake Orion
4. Harper Woods
5. Clarkston
6. Adams
7. Groves
8. Seaholm
9. Ferndale
10. Avondale

DIVISION RECAP/STORYLINES:

MANAGEABLE SCHEDULE: Troy: The Colts schedule has been really criticized the last few years but they have found a way to make the postseason. The schedule is still not tough enough. Troy has a non conference schedule where they are playing teams that went a combined 8-37 last season. They have Macomb L’Anse Creuse North (3-6), Detroit Mumford (1-8), Berkley (2-7), Royal Oak (1-8), and Fraser (1-8) for their non conference. The Colts have most of their tough opponents with the exception of Troy Athens and Oak Park coming to Troy. The schedule makers gave the Colts a ton of favors but can it be enough to get them in the postseason is the question???

NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Oak Park: The Knights are used to playing brutal schedules and this season is no different. They have Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit, Oxford, and West Bloomfield for their non conference along with road trips to Dick Bye Field, Ron Holland Field, and the Maple Forest. Oak Park is in a new division but the schedule didn’t give them a break.

TEAM THAT’S ON THE RISE: Seaholm: The Maples have the talent for a deep postseason run and the proven playmakers. The lines are a question mark. The schedule looks daunting with four of their first five games on the road but they close out the season with three home games including their arch rival Groves where they have not fared well against. Things are looking up for Coach Jim DeWald’s team and Seaholm.

TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: North Farmington: It was a disaster for the Raiders last season with injuries and inexperience. Coach Jon Herstein needs to address depth and program strength in a big way. The schedule makers didn’t do them any favors. North Farmington has Groves and Bloomfield Hills along with a trips to Caledonia and Oxford which are never fun along with road games at the Maple Forest and Don Colt Stadium to boot is never easy. The Raiders have a ton of work ahead of them if they want to forget about last season in a big way.

SEAHOLM MAPLES:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 8-3 (7-2), 3-1 Blue. Lost 26-12 to Groves in District Finals.

POINTS SCORED: 380 (34.5 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 177 (16 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Colton Kinnie-Quarterback.

STRENGTH: Quarterback, Proven Rushing Attack, Proven Playmakers.

WEAKNESS: Proven Linemen, Depth.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 1 at Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit.

PROJECTED RECORD: 8-1, 4-0 Blue

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

The Maples have had a ton of success as of late my making the postseason four of the last five years with a lot of credit going to Coach Jim DeWald’s veer attack which had put over 300 points in three of the last five years. Seaholm has had some issues against their crosstown rivals. Seaholm has lost 12 of the last 14 meetings including three postseason meetings to Groves. If the Maples want to change this, they need to start winning games against the arch rival on a consistent basis. “Coach Flaherty does a good job, really well coached. I imagine their offseason is just as good as ours, I know he’s got a good coaching staff. I know they work hard and it’s really really frustrating watching kids that belong at our school who at their school and scoring against us so they got our number, we got to beat them and they are doing a really good job beating us right now” said DeWald.

Seaholm has a ton of two way players which means a ton of playing time but concerns with attrition. The offense was very good for Maples last season. Seaholm was 7-0 but the loss to Farmington really changed things and they went 1-3 in their last four games. The Maples have proven athletes in Colton Kinnie coming back at quarterback.”They are extremely smart football players, fun to coach, like having a coach on the field” DeWald said of the Kinnie brothers. They have Sean Emerson at running back while Kyle Robbins and Jack Lewis are at wide receiver coming back. The offensive and defensive linemen will be a major concern for DeWald and the Maples this season despite having Luke Thurstwell, Blake Baldner, Andrew Fedor, and Akram Elsharnoby coming back  “We lost a lot up front, I’m not going to lie from last year so we’ll have our work cut out for us to fill those positions out. The defense should be solid even though depth could be a major challenge as mentioned. Seaholm has Granden Kinnie, Penn Roberts, and Luke Johnson at linebacker along with Robbins, Emerson, and Lewis in the defensive secondary. If the numbers come back up for the Maples then they should be a team to watch.

Program strength is a concern for DeWald along with proven linemen and depth this season but talking to DeWald he’s very optimistic when it came to program strength.”I think our offseason has been great, its been second to none, it depends how much kids we get, some choose to come here while some get recruited out of here, our kids work very hard, they are accountable, truth is we get kids that get recruited out of here, that’s a fact” DeWald said. The schedule is very interesting. Seaholm has Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit, Berkley, Troy, and Troy Athens on the road. They have North Farmington, Bloomfield Hills, Avondale, Oak Park, and Groves coming to the Maple Forest. If DeWald can find proven linemen with the Maples then Seaholm should be fine going forward.

Seaholm Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQCCjxxPYu4&t=657s

NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 2-7, 2-2 Blue. Didn’t Make Postseason.

POINTS SCORED: 171 (19 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 268 (29.7 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Ryan Shelby-Quarterback.

STRENGTH: Quarterback, Proven Wide Receivers.

WEAKNESS: Rushing Attack, Defensive Secondary, Depth, Program Strength.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 16 at Seaholm

PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 3-1 Blue

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

It was a very tough season for the Raiders which saw a ton of injuries especially to quarterback Ryan Shelby. North Farmington really struggled with depth and program strength which are still going to be areas of concern for them this season. North Farmington is 5-13 since 2021 which is un Raider like. They made the postseason the last two years when Coach Jon Herstein arrived from Harrison in 2019. “We lost some kids coming out with COVID, two years ago I thought we were a pretty good team with a pretty tough schedule. The OAA can be super difficult, we took Adams to overtime, lost to West Bloomfield. We lost a lot of close games, we haven’t been able to find a way to finish, we were a very young football team” said Herstein.

The Raiders were decimated by injuries last season. They lost Will Coleman who transferred to Grand Rapids Catholic Central this offseason. North Farmington has Shelby at quarterback coming back. “He’s been fantastic, he torn his ACL last year Ryan with the rehab, he made a really quick recovery to the point where the doctors had cold feet and he wasn’t able to be cleared until the time he thought it was so it was a back and fourth he would but credit the kid, he did everything to get back out there last year and this year between football and baseball and the training he’s done a phenomenal job getting into shape, strengthening his knee and being a leader for our team” Herstein added. They have proven pass catchers in Prentice Gardner and TJ Alexander coming back. “PJ (Gardner) is third year playing football you know back to the inexperience part, he was on varsity the last three years and has done a good job learning the game and developing, really phenomenal athlete, all state long jumper, you know 22 feet or so and really great athlete, has good hands, excited to see how he can really come into his own this season and take control of the offense and play multiple positions” Herstein added. Herstein mentioned that Robert Brydges could be another impact player to watch. “Robert Brydges was a split end last year, did a good job and played defensive end, he’s really grown up” Herstein mentioned. All three could see time in the defensive secondary as well with the depth issues. The offensive and defensive lines should be solid with Brendon Rice and Willie Harrison coming back. “Brendan Rice, he’s probably the one that gets the most publicity of our team, he will be a junior, he’ll play O-Line/D-Line. This will be his third year on varsity, he played for us as a freshmen on varsity, starting to really develop the game, develop his knowledge of the game, he’s always been a good student but just kind of trusting himself and having confidence in what he does. He has done a good job this offseason, did a really great job actually but this would be kind of a coming out year for him and I’m excited” Herstein said of Rice. The rest of defense should be the question mark for Herstein despite having Garnder, Duke Blanch and Brydges in the defensive secondary. “We got a couple of guys returning and Robert being a senior but another junior is Duke Blanch. He started at safety or Monster last year, good hitter, good abilities. He also plays running back for us and probably be one of the guys who will be the most steady guys for us on the defense. Last year he was very steady as a sophomore and I think this year his play making capability on the defensive side will be good” Herstein said about Blanch.”We got a sophomore that is coming up, Terrance James whom has some flashes of great ability, reminds me of some of the old guys at Harrison with the likes of Rod Heard and Jake Vento, you know those type of guys that come into mind. Guys that have a knack for the football and guys that can explode, he’s a good receiver and good running back, I think he’ll be competing to start in the secondary with PJ and Robert and Duke and several others” Herstein said about James. The linebackers should be something to watch despite having Thomas Thakady coming back.

Program strength should be very interesting to watch with the Raiders this season. “We’re starting to get back there so our roster kind of breaks down that of a smaller not necessarily not talented but a smaller senior class but the other two levels are more normal size, you know 20 kids or 25 kids or so per level which is right for a school of our size obviously we always want more but our goal is about 120 in the program, I think last year we had 80 something so we got some work to do there but it’s starting to come back on, you’re getting more and more kids coming back to sports especially coming out of the pandemic as that kind of winds down so our middle school numbers are doing good, they got you know solid numbers, I’m really excited about our relationship with the NFWB Vikings, their numbers have gone up tremendously, I think they had a waiting list as a matter of fact, this year so that’s encouraging for the sport of football when you think of the bigger picture you know not just about North Farmington but the bigger picture of football and kids playing the sport and believing it and trusting the coaches and trusting that we can do this safely and you can play and have so much fun and you can learn so much about yourself and becoming tougher and in the team aspect and all those great things that come from sports and particularly from football, that brotherhood or sorts. You start seeing more and more kids getting back into it and get excited about it” Herstein mentioned. North Farmington has a ton of questions coming into the season and a very tough schedule. They won’t play arch rival Farmington this season which was very unfortunate especially falling to the Falcons in overtime last season. “It’s unfortunate that we aren’t playing them, it brings the community out” Herstein mentioned. They have a Division One State Finalist on the road in week two in Caledonia whom put 68 points on the Raiders last season and Groves at Ron Holland Field in week one. They have Troy Athens, Oak Park, Bloomfield Hills, and Pontiac also coming to Ron Holland Field but have Troy, Seaholm, and Oxford on the road. It won’t be an easy stretch for the Raiders by any means.

North Farmington Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAIROTuqwoA

OAK PARK KNIGHTS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 0-9, 0-5 White. Didn’t Make Postseason.

POINTS SCORED: 146 (16.2 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 322 (35.7 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: A’Jaylen King-Wide Receiver/Defensive Secondary.

STRENGTH: Skill Players.

WEAKNESS: Rushing Attack, Quarterback, Proven Linemen, Depth.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 9 vs Troy Athens

PROJECTED RECORD: 4-5, 2-2 Blue

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

It has been a very rough two years for the Knights which saw them go to 3-15 which included an 0-9 year last season. They haven’t been the same program since falling in overtime to Warren DeLaSalle in the Division Two State semifinals in 2020. Oak Park will look to have a very strong year in a new division this season.

The Knights have had things very rough as of late as mentioned. The defense has really struggled which was un Oak Park like last season along with the offense. Coach Greg Carter should have a very strong defensive secondary despite program strength and depth issues. “We’ve been working extremely hard, we got great kids, we’re excited, we’re trying to rebuild our program to where it once was we got a lot of work ahead and we have a lot of great kids to do it” Carter said. They have proven players in A’Jaylen King, Jalen Todd, Deon Cleary, Austin Smith, Candice Fityoumouth, Amarie Hancock, and Artell Guyton coming back in the defensive secondary. They also have Ja’Vion O’Bryant coming back at linebacker. Oak Park has some experience in Camari Bargineer, Dorain McFoley, Mark Bonney, Rashad Lewis, DeMarris Harris, Will Lee, and Norman Adams coming back on the offensive and defensive lines. The Knights should be much improved on offense this season. They have Rondre Austin, Isiah Jones, Kevin Tolliver, and Guyton at wide receiver and Quinton Blakely and O’Bryant at running back coming back. Austin and Blakely could also see some time in the defensive secondary. Bishop James should be the starting quarterback for Carter. Oak Park has a ton of other issues elsewhere they will need to address and soon.

The division change should help the Knights big time. Program strength is a big concern for Oak Park this season. They have a very favorable home schedule looming. Oak Park has three of their first four games in Knight Valley with Detroit University-Jesuit, Troy, and Troy Athens visiting. They also have Ferndale and West Bloomfield also coming to Knight Valley as well. The Knights have to go to Oxford, North Farmington, Seaholm, and Avondale. “We’ll be competitive in every game” Carter concluded. It won’t be an easy stretch for Oak Park but they could surprise some people, they’ve done it before.

TROY COLTS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 7-3 (7-2) 2-2 Blue. Lost 58-0 to Southfield Arts and Tech in First Round.

POINTS SCORED: 174 (17.4 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 154 (15.4 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Lucas Tic-Offensive/Defensive Lineman.

STRENGTH: Quarterback, Rushing Attack, Proven Linemen, Proven Athletes.

WEAKNESS:  Wide Receivers, Linebackers, Depth.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 16 at Oak Park

PROJECTED RECORD: 6-3, 1-3 Blue

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

The Colts have had a ton of success going 19-9 in the last three years with three straight postseason appearances. Troy has made the postseason four of the last six years. They haven’t gotten past the first round in each of those postseason appearances. Many in the media have questioned Troy despite the success because the school is the biggest enrollment school (2,298 students) in the OAA but the Colts are playing in a lower division.

Troy’s defense despite the disasters against Southfield Arts and Tech (58) and Seaholm (52) was solid defensively (44 points allowed besides the two top teams.) They lost some key players to graduation including Darius Whiteside. Coach Chris Fraser should rely heavily on this unit this season.”We had a pretty solid defense, Coach Tom (Calhen) does a great job of getting the boys ready to play and try to stop the opponents best thing they do and offensively we were blessed to have Darius Whiteside, he was a pretty good player for us for three years. We took advantages of some situations, we’ve made some big plays at the end of games and we’ve pulled some close games out which helped us get those seven wins” Fraser said. The Colts defense should be relied on again this season. “The defense has been really good, we do some things and you know Troy has it’s limitations, we’re never going to have 30 big linemen that are 250/300 lbs so we have to do some things that takes advantage of what we have, we try to tailor of defense to fit a kind of quicker, undersized kids so we take advantage of that uh you know we can’t sit still and sit there because at the end it’s physics, if our kids are 180 lbs and the offense is 300 lbs you know if we stand there and don’t move then we’re probably going to get blown backwards so we try to do some things that move our guys around and make them moving targets, we’ve been lucky enough to have some kids in the back end at corner that can take away the other team’s receivers like Daruis like what I said before, a great athlete that can match up against the best receiver and then we were lucky to get a freshman in Jalen Peacock who could do the same thing on the other side, so we really didn’t need to worry about the corners as much because they could do their own thing” Fraser added. Troy does have Peacock coming back in the defensive secondary. Peacock has been compared to Whiteside when it comes to his athleticism but he could see some time at wide receiver as well. “I think Jalen has had a pretty good role model in Darius, the biggest thing about Darius was that he didn’t care about being the man, he didn’t care about the image or anything like that, he did his work in practice everyday and Jalen kind of saw that and kind of took some of those lessons from Darius and you know he had to learn that he had to grind everyday so Jalen is going to kind of hopefully fit into those maybe leadership by example kind of person where he can lock down his side of the field and the younger kids can learn from him so it’s kind of like that pay it forward mentality where one person teaches one and the next teaches the next so we’re looking for Jalen to step up in his junior year to be more of a leader and to be the one that is pushing the kids to work harder” Fraser said of Peacock. They have besides Peacock, Jhonny Phan, and De’Niro Prince coming back in the defensive secondary. The linemen should be the strength of the Colts with proven linemen in Lucas Tic, Nick Stromberg, Kevin Cekaj, CJ Black, Amman Khawaja, Connor Miller, Tristian Ludenman, John Spreitzer, Noah Oury, Daniel Princeton, and Ben Duda coming back. The linebacking spot is a concern for Fraser, Christan Johnson should be a player to watch this season for Fraser along with several young guys. The offense was a big problem last season for the Colts. They have Parker Brandenberg at quarterback coming back.”Parker has been doing his part, he shows up to everything, he’s been voted captain by his teammates, he’s very athletic. He went from being heistant to run when plays broke down to being very important for us as the year went on just making those plays out of the backfield that weren’t scripted. If the pocket were collasping he would go and pick up six yards, get the first down and move the chains. Those are the kind of big plays during the season” Fraser added on Brandenberg. Fraser also has a four year running back in Nolan Block coming back as well. “Having Nolan, it’s his fourth year on varsity when he was a freshmen back in the playoffs against Bloomfield Hills, he scored three touchdowns, you know from there he’s just kind of taken off, he was lucky enough to play with his brother (Ethan) for two years and last year was his first year alone so he got named captain last year so you know the kids kind of value his leadership skills as a junior and you know being his senior year, I can’t believe it’s already been four years together but he’s just one of those kids that you can line him up anywhere, offensively, defensively, he’ll give you everything he has. He works out, shows up to everything all the time, he does everything a coach asks, he’s smart, he has an over 4.0 GPA in the classroom, he just one of those kids that your lucky to have” Fraser on Block. Troy also added Drew Oliver to backup Block at times at running back. Omar Atasi should handle the kicking duties.

The Colts have a ton of questions especially with depth and program strength. “We got a lot of kids at Troy but we have kids that are interested in other things which is fine so we’ve been lucky the last couple of years to get classes of 25 kids and kind of what I said before, our kids aren’t the biggest kids in the world but we’re lucky in the last couple of years to have a bunch of athletes into the program so you we just got to do with what we have and got to make do with what we got” Fraser added. The schedule has been heavily criticized in the media and for good reason. They have Macomb L’Anse Creuse North, Detroit Mumford, Berkley, and Fraser for their non league games which isn’t really impressive. Troy has North Farmington, Seaholm, Berkley, Macomb L’Anse Creuse North, and Detroit Mumford coming to Don Colt Stadium. They have Fraser, Royal Oak, Oak Park, and Troy Athens on the road. Fraser talked about Troy Athens and playing the Red Hawks. “Every year when I get evaluated at the end of the season, they always ask me things and I tell them simply it’s more fun to beat Athens then lose to Athens so you know the last couple of years we won and it makes for better nights and a better year and a better time walking through Kroger and seeing people and when you lose to Athens it makes for a less fun year so you know Athens is going to be talented, so Coach Cook’s first year last year so I guarantee that the kids are going to be even more ingrained into his system and his kids play hard and fair so we’re looking forward to a fun and eventful night, usually the stands are packed, doesn’t matter if it’s at Athens or at Troy and we’re looking forward to a contest where the kids are playing hard but also playing fair” Fraser added. This schedule is not the greatest going against non conference teams that have a combined 8-37 record. This could be a team that might be sweating heading into Selection Sunday.

Troy Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-TDvB97-j8

TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS:

LAST SEASON RECORD: 5-4, 0-4 Blue. Didn’t Make Postseason.

POINTS SCORED: 192 (21.3 ppg)

POINTS AGAINST: 180 (20 ppg)

KEY PLAYER: Anthony Ashor-Running Back.

STRENGTH: Quarterback, Rushing Attack, Depth.

WEAKNESS: Wide Receivers, Linebackers.

GAME OF THE YEAR: September 9 at Oak Park

PROJECTED RECORD: 5-4, 0-4 Blue

STORYLINES AND PLAYERS TO WATCH:

The Red Hawks have had a ton of bad luck in the last two years. They went 10-8 and have scored more points than allowed in each of those seasons. This is clearly a program that has been on the rise and that’s a credit to the players and Coach Tom Cook. Troy Athens has a chance to break through this season with a favorable schedule and a ton of proven experience coming back.

Troy Athens should be very interesting to keep an eye on this season. “Some of the work that we put in especially our seniors. It boils down to is that we play a tough schedule and in those tough games its how we respond to adversity, our guys have put in a lot of work and I think we have a solid senior core this year that will hopefully lead us to a successful season” Cook said. They have a very good rushing attack with Anthony Ashor and Charles Robinson coming back. Robinson also plays in the defensive secondary. Troy Athens has Parker Ciuria at quarterback coming back. They have Elliot Booth coming back at wide receiver. The offensive and defensive lines were very young last season but they could be in line for a breakout season. The Red Hawks have Micah Pobursky, Hayden Crum, Andrzej Olszewski, Benjamin Swales, and John Gergis coming back. The linebackers should be very interesting to watch with Dominic Roehl coming back. The defensive secondary should be solid with Robinson, Travon Winn, Blake Vegas, Josh Lalik, Booth, and Evan Watson coming back. Troy Athens should be a team to watch this season.

The Red Hawks are a very interesting program. Program strength is starting to come back which is a great thing. Cook has done a great job since taking over the program. Wide receivers and linebackers are big question marks. Troy Athens non-conference is not really that strong. It could be a big concern when it comes to the postseason. They are playing teams that went a combined 5-40 last season. The Red Hawks have three games that could decide their season with two on the road. The Red Hawks have Fraser, Berkley, Seaholm, Royal Oak, and Troy coming to John R Road. They have Oak Park, North Farmington, Pontiac, and Runkel to play Utica Ford II on the road. Troy Athens if things go right could be in line for a special season.