Football Picks- Week Six.

Written Wednesday September 30th at 12:05 AM.

Records:

Keith 54-14

Sammy 50-18

Ant 48-20

Dan 47-21

Sean 46-22

1. West Bloomfield at Bloomfield Hills:

The Lakers looked like a State Championship team with their 27-0 win over Orion last week. West Bloomfield will go on their final road game of the regular season against the Blackhawks. Bloomfield Hills still has issues stopping people, they allowed 26 to Troy Athens last week but the Red Hawks are no West Bloomfield. The Lakers are a force to be recon with especially knowing that the Blackhawks even at home on its new campus won’t be able to stop them.

SAMMY PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 38, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

ANT PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

KEITH PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 0.

DAN PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

SEAN PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 42, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 7.

6. Troy Athens at 5. Clarkston:

This is a huge matchup for both teams as they have two losses. The Red Hawks already have wins over Orion and Oxford during the season. The Wolves used a strong fourth quarter to beat Oxford last week 44-24, Troy Athens won 26-8 over Bloomfield Hills last week. Clarkston has experience in these big games and haven’t lost a home game since Rockford 25-14 in 2012 or their homecoming game since 2008 when they lost 46-45 to Lathrup. This will be a heck of a game to watch, winner is in great shape, loser has to win out.

SAMMY PICK: TROY ATHENS 27, CLARKSTON 24.

ANT PICK: CLARKSTON 24, TROY ATHENS 21.

KEITH PICK: CLARKSTON 24, TROY ATHENS 21.

DAN PICK: CLARKSTON 24, TROY ATHENS 21.

SEAN PICK: CLARKSTON 28, TROY ATHENS 21.

Troy at Oxford:

The Wildcats finally found some offense against Clarkston scoring 24 points and being in the game for three quarters before falling 44-24 last week. Oxford previously was shutout three times this season. The Wildcats returns home for their homecoming and will face a Colts team desperate for a win. Troy lost 47-0 to Stoney Creek last week. It could be an interesting game as both teams know playoffs aren’t likely this season but it could be a good way for them to finish the season strong.

SAMMY PICK: OXFORD 28, TROY 7.

ANT PICK: OXFORD 35, TROY 17.

KEITH PICK: OXFORD 21, TROY 17.

DAN PICK: OXFORD 21, TROY 14.

SEAN PICK: OXFORD 42, TROY 0.

Stoney Creek at Orion:

The Mother’s Wish game at Orion put two desperate teams on the brink as both teams sit at 2-3. The Cougars beat Troy 47-0 last week setting up this matchup with Orion. The Dragons were shutout by West Bloomfield 27-0 last week but the last time they were at home, they shutout Oxford. The schedules are still tough for both teams as Stoney Creek still has to go to West Bloomfield while Orion has to go to Clarkston. The winner will survive another week.

SAMMY PICK: ORION 35, STONEY CREEK 7.

ANT PICK: ORION 35, STONEY CREEK 7.

KEITH PICK: ORION 35, STONEY CREEK 14.

DAN PICK: ORION 28, STONEY CREEK 20.

SEAN PICK: ORION 35, STONEY CREEK 21.

2. Harrison at Adams:

The Highlanders are a questionable team to figure out after two bad home losses to Farmington and Oak Park. Adams lost their last home games by a combined seven points and is now desperate to save its season at 2-3. They will face a Hawks team leading the White and is riding high after beating Southfield 17-14. Harrison has improved since losing to East Kentwood week one. This could be a trap game for the Hawks.

SAMMY PICK: HARRISON 28, ADAMS 14.

ANT PICK: HARRISON 20, ADAMS 17.

KEITH PICK: HARRISON 28, ADAMS 21.

DAN PICK: HARRISON 28, ADAMS 21.

SEAN PICK: HARRISON 28, ADAMS 7.

Seaholm at 3. Southfield:

The Blue Jays had a disappointing 17-14 loss to Harrison last week but they do remain in good shape to make the playoffs despite it’s two losses. The Maples won 34-28 over Rochester but it’s defense will certainly get a major test against an athletic Southfield offense whom can score on anyone. Seaholm is desperate and they must win this game if it wants to make the playoffs.

SAMMY PICK: SOUTHFIELD 35, SEAHOLM 14.

ANT PICK:  SOUTHFIELD 38, SEAHOLM 12.

KEITH PICK: SOUTHFIELD 24, SEAHOLM 10.

DAN PICK: SOUTHFIELD 35, SEAHOLM 21.

SEAN PICK: SOUTHFIELD 35, SEAHOLM 7.

8. North Farmington at 10. Oak Park:

The Raiders had a huge victory last week at Farmington after overcoming a 21-7 deficit and stun the Falcons 26-21. North Farmington went deep with their passing game and scored three times in their upset in Farmington. This week the Raiders travel to Knight Valley to face the Knights. Oak Park is still desperate after beating Adams 20-14 on the road. This is a dangerous game for the Knights as North Farmington has gotten better in the past few weeks. Oak Park lost to Farmington and the Raiders beat Farmington. The Knights better be careful in this matchup or North Farmington will upset them just like they did with Farmington last week.

SAMMY PICK: OAK PARK 28, NORTH FARMINGTON 21.

ANT PICK: OAK PARK 17, NORTH FARMINGTON 13.

KEITH PICK: OAK PARK 16, NORTH FARMINGTON 14.

DAN PICK: OAK PARK 27, NORTH FARMINGTON 21.

SEAN PICK: OAK PARK 26, NORTH FARMINGTON 14.

Farmington at Rochester:

Perhaps there is no team that was more disappointing as the Falcons were last week in the Farmington Jug with North Farmington. The Falcons were up 21-7 heading into the fourth quarter only to get beat deep by the Raiders three times and lose 26-21 on their homecoming. Farmington no longer has the jug and must move on from this defeat. They play the Falcons who is 1-13 in their last 14 games. Rochester lost 34-28 to Seaholm last week but is getting better. This will be homecoming for the Falcons and they hope to pull off what would be a major upset if they can beat Farmington.

SAMMY PICK: FARMINGTON 28, ROCHESTER 7.

ANT PICK: FARMINGTON 28, ROCHESTER 3.

KEITH PICK: FARMINGTON 21, ROCHESTER 7.

DAN PICK:  FARMINGTON 24, ROCHESTER 21.

SEAN PICK: FARMINGTON 28, ROCHESTER 14.

4. Groves at Avondale:

This will be homecoming for the Yellow Jackets and homecoming hasn’t been kind to Avondale the last three seasons. Avondale also has struggled losing two straight and allowing 52 points to Berkley last week. The Falcons meanwhile allowed 22 points to Hazel Park last week, which was the most they have allowed all season but managed to put 54 on them. Groves has been rolling and hasn’t lost yet. People have been talking that this could be the game where the Falcons could lose, I’m not sure if that is the case now.

SAMMY PICK: GROVES 35, AVONDALE 28.

ANT PICK: GROVES 28, AVONDALE 14.

KEITH PICK: GROVES 42, AVONDALE 7.

DAN PICK:  GROVES 35, AVONDALE 14.

SEAN PICK: GROVES 35, AVONDALE 13.

9. Royal Oak at 7. Berkley:

Ravens coach Ray McMann will get his first major test of this rivalry with the Bears. This will be the first meeting since 2013 when Royal Oak won 20-18 over Berkley. The Ravens are 1-1 all-time against the Bears but remember Royal Oak was two schools as Kimball and Dondero and Berkley has rivalries with both of them. The Bears have won four straight games since losing to Holly in week one while the Ravens have won three of four so far. This will be an interesting matchup in this rivalry game.

SAMMY PICK: ROYAL OAK 27, BERKLEY 24.

ANT PICK: BERKLEY 24, ROYAL OAK 21.

KEITH PICK: BERKLEY 24, ROYAL OAK 20.

DAN PICK: BERKLEY 21, ROYAL OAK 14.

SEAN PICK: BERKLEY 34, ROYAL OAK 21.

Hazel Park at 10. Lathrup:

The Chargers have now found ways to score in the last two weeks since only scoring seven points in weeks two and three. They have outscored their opponents 55-30 in the last two games which is why they are on a two game winning streak. The Vikings have played better football lately, scoring 40 points in their last two games since winning 38-0 over Pontiac three weeks ago. Lathrup better be careful here because the last time they had hype surrounding them they lost 21-7 to Royal Oak in Week Two.

SAMMY PICK: LATHRUP 24, HAZEL PARK 10.

ANT PICK: LATHRUP 28, HAZEL PARK 7.

KEITH PICK: LATHRUP 32, HAZEL PARK 10.

DAN PICK: LATHRUP 21, HAZEL PARK 14.

SEAN PICK: LATHRUP 35, HAZEL PARK 8.

Ferndale at Pontiac:

Both teams will be looking for their first win of the season as they sit 0-5. The Eagles have been disappointing this season despite having Ronald Gohagon at running back. The Phoenix haven’t scored a point at all this season. Pontiac lost 35-0 to Royal Oak on the Ravens homecoming. Lathrup lost 27-24 to Ferndale at home last week. One of these teams will be in the cellar after Friday night.

SAMMY PICK: FERNDALE 28, PONTIAC 0.

ANT PICK: FERNDALE 7, PONTIAC 0.

KEITH PICK: FERNDALE 21, PONTIAC 0.

DAN PICK: FERNDALE 28, PONTIAC 14.

SEAN PICK: FERNDALE 35, PONTIAC 0.

Volleyball Top 10.

Written Monday September 28th at 11:15 AM.

1. Clarkston- Wolves led by Abby Malanowski, Maggie Collins, Emma Curd, and the emergence of Grace Kraft have two big matches this week with Stoney Creek on Tuesday and Orion on Thursday

2. Orion- Dragons must win the big game to overcome their demons. Have two tough games with Bloomfield Hills on Tuesday and the big one Thursday with Clarkston.

3. Seaholm- The Maples know their top challenges come in October when they go to Clarkston and host Orion. Think the Maple Forest will be ready.

4. Harrison- Hawks are the most quietest team no one is talking about. They are good and could win the White this season. I'm curious how they would do against the Red.

5. Stoney Creek- Cougars didn't look good against Orion a few weeks ago and they struggled at home against Bloomfield Hills. Just going through one of those things lately where the good and bad come at the same time.

6. Bloomfield Hills- Blackhawks took Stoney Creek to five games and have gotten better. They have Orion on their new court this week.

7. Troy- Emerging freshman Jessica Robinson has been destroying stat sheets everywhere for coach Vince Muscat's Colts. The Red has been tough so far but in non league, Troy has been rolling.

8. Avondale- Yellow Jackets finally starting to play together as a team. Could be the dark horse in the White.

9. West Bloomfield- Lakers were very impressive in sweeping Troy Athens on Thursday.

10. Oxford- Wildcats had sort of a bounce back stepping out of league play after losing to Seaholm on Thursday night by winning their own invitational.

Basketball Early Rankings.

Written Monday September 28th at 1:00 AM.
Updated Wednesday October 7th at 5:00 PM.

These are the unofficial rankings for basketball season coming up in November. They aren't the official ones but here is my top ten teams heading into the season.

Boys.

1. Clarkston- The rich keep getting richer as Dylan Alderson comes to Clarkston from Davison to go along with Foster Loyer and Tabin Throgmorton for coach and Athletic Director Dan Fife. Could a State title be in the works this season for the Wolves???

2. North Farmington- The Raiders did lose a lot last season with Anthony Qassaca and Jerome Rogers graduating but coach Todd Negoshian returns guards Jacob Joubert, Josh Hogans, and Billy Thomas and may have gotten stronger with the addition of Nate Brooks and Amuari Hardy to the program. North Farmington could very well threaten Clarkston again in the Red this season.

3. Adams- Highlanders coach John Hall will have experience back as Spencer Littleson whom committed to Duquense and Joey Zinni as combo guards and is in a different district this upcoming spring. Adams will be solid this season because of these two and more is on the way.

4. West Bloomfield- Lakers coach Jeremy Dehna returns a heck of a team in Brendan Williams and Tristian Jackson. Jackson is going to be a very good player in his senior season. West Bloomfield all ready solid enough is expected to be one of the favorites in the tough White division despite having a tough non conference schedule.

5. Avondale- The Yellow Jackets last season was very solid, which included a buzzer beating shot to beat Troy Athens on their home court. Avondale loses Chris Barton whom went Division One but coach Tim Morton returns a solid group of players led by Jalen Latem. The Yellow Jackets will be there in the loaded White and will be dangerous heading into the season.

6. Pontiac- The Phoenix could be back in the thick of it as it returns some key talent in the form of forward Israel Williams to go along forward Ronald McDonald and with guard Jaylen Kelso. Coach Ben Kelso will have his team ready this season and they had a strong summer league beating some big name schools like Walled Lake Central. Pontiac could be back to where they want to be this season but depth and sub-varsity levels remain a major concern heading into the season.

7. Southfield- New coach Mike Avery will have plenty of talent to worth with but they did lose Amuari Hardy whom transferred to North Farmington. The Blue Jays will still have speed and talent but they could be finding a new point guard to start up their high octane offense.

8. Bloomfield Hills- New coach Mike Maryanski will have some experience back from a team that was in turmoil last season after the Dwayne Graves mess and they do have a solid junior varsity class coming up as well. The Blackhawks are also in a new division which will help things a lot.

9. Hazel Park- Vikings coach Brandon Barrett will return some experience as his freshman class from a season ago are now sophomores in Jeremiah Williams, Carl Bow, and David Hearns. This trio could bring special things to Hazel Park and is very well a contender with Groves in the Gold race.

10. Orion- Dragons have a new and old coach in Jim Manzo. He returns four starters from a team that won four games but three of them in the final week of the season. Expect Orion to be in the thick of the Blue race with Stoney Creek, Rochester, and Farmington this season.

Other Team's to Watch: Stoney Creek, Rochester, Farmington, Oak Park, Groves, Royal Oak.

Girls.

1. Lathrup- The Chargers are clearly the team to beat heading into the season with their two six foot twin towers going to Minnesota in Kehendre and Taige Bello. Also they have Antionette Miller whom is heading to Cincinnati and Deja Church only a junior has offers from Michigan and Iowa. Talk about a loaded program in the final season of the school for coach Michelle Jackson-Marshall.

2. Adams- The Highlanders might have gotten stronger and deeper this season as Taylor Smith whom transferred from Linden is added to the mix to go along with Maggie Rogers, Olivia Aregros, and Ryian Owusu. Adams lost Raiven Owusu, Dazia Dinkins, and Amber Jamison but the addition of Smith should offset the loss of Dinkins and Owusu. Highlanders coach Shay Lewis must address the center spot or move Aregros there and address the power forward spot. The depth is still there for Adams, except it could be a challenge this season.

3. Harrison- The Hawks have Kristen Nelson and Amber Stephans back for one more season as they both are going to go to division one colleges with Nelson going to Southern Illinois and Stephans not sure yet but not joining them this season is coach Tim Micklash. Micklash resigned from Harrison because of family reasons. The Hawks also will have Nyla Warren back as well. The question will be stability as Harrison has a lot of experience coming back but they did lose Kyla Rowland whom is now at college.

4. North Farmington- Raiders return three starters led by Kierra Crockett, Alexa Cherney and, Amber Stephans-Watts. Samantha Cherney is expected to play the shooting guard spot this season for coach Jeff Simpson. They did lose two starters in Faith Gammouth and Megan Carter and they will be missed. North Farmington does have experience playing without Carter but expect them to be in the White race this season.

5. Orion- The Dragons are an interesting team to watch this season as they have three and four year starters returning to the team. Evelyn Wischmeyer and Delaney Hann are four year starters and you add Cheyenne Lada to the mix. Lauren Thorne is the team's best defender and is expected to contribute more offensively. The question will be is who will replace Hannah Hamay's production? Orion returns Jordyn Marchese to run the point guard spot but if they don't find a shooting guard then coach Steve Roberts team could be in trouble.

6. Bloomfield Hills- The Blackhawks might have gotten stronger with Immani Wright coming in to start at point guard and Samantha Patterson likely to play small forward. They will be in a lineup for coach Jeff Rubin that will have Amanda Sape, Victorie Franklin, Katherine Prinna, and Becca Hancock. One of them will be on the bench to start but depth will be a concern though. This could be Rubin's best team since having Shannon Wilson two years ago and they could make a run this season.

7. Clarkston- Christine Rogers takes over a Wolves program that has been successful under Tim Waslik whom left to be an assistant for the boys basketball program but this season it could be a transition year for Clarkston as they don't have Erika Davenport anymore but the talent pool is not bare. The Wolves will be solid this season, led by Kayla Lucenbach and Molly Nicholson at the forward spots. Expect Kristen Page to move to the small forward spot and bring stability to that position. Kayla Russell and Megan Deardorff are expected to be the starting guards for a team that could surprise people heading into the season.

8. Southfield- The Blue Jays return their best team in coach Jamie Glinz's coaching career in Krystal Lynn Defoe, Stormleigh Mattison, D'ylania Holliman, Bailey Harvey, and Tyler Washington in the final season of Southfield Blue Jays basketball. Southfield won 18 games last season and moved up from the Gold to the Blue. The Blue Jays is the early favorite and is expected to be a serious contender in the league this season.

9. Stoney Creek- The Cougars have a new coach in Kellen James and he takes over for coach Brad Crighton. Stoney Creek will be a little undersized this season but they do have two good players in Ally Voss and Emily Solek. Both of them will be counted on to do more this season as the six time district champs have a tough schedule early to start the season.

10. Berkley- The Bears could be a dangerous team this season as they return most of their starting lineup this season for coach Jordan Gruppen. Berkley returns guard Celia Somers, Josephine Pittman, Zoe Anderson, and Makoya Denham. This Bears team is the early favorite in the Gold even though Troy Athens will be the team's toughest challenger led by guards Maddie Crum and Michelle Gervalis. It could be a fun season in the Gold between the Bears and Red Hawks.

Other Team's to Watch: West Bloomfield, Seaholm, Royal Oak, Troy Athens, Oak Park.

Raiders Get a Transfer from Georgia.

Written Sunday September 27th at 11:10 PM.

The North Farmington Raiders might have found a replacement for Jerome Rogers whom graduated and is now at Cleveland State for boys basketball.

Nate Brooks from Macon, Georgia moved into the district two weeks ago according to State Champs corespondent Scott Burnstein. It is unknown though of his eligibility status. If he is eligible, he could play right away with point guard Billy Thomas and shooting guard Jacob Joubert.

Brooks is 6.7 junior forward, he can dunk anywhere inside the paint. Brooks was an honorable mention as an all region in Georgia last season.

North Farmington will be an interesting team to watch this season for coach Todd Negoshian. The Raiders had their best season This move could be a counter to Clarkston whom brought in Dylan Alderson from Davison to go along with Foster Loyer. The Wolves and Raiders are in the Red this season along with Southfield and Adams. The Red will be a tough division this season with the top four teams having parity this season.

We'll see what happens.

OAA Recap: Week Five.

Written Saturday September 26th at 12:00 AM

INSIDE THE OAA TOP 10:

1. West Bloomfield

2.  Harrison

3. Southfield

4. Groves

5. Clarkston

6. Troy Athens

7. Berkley

8. North Farmington

9. Royal Oak

T 10. Lathrup

T 10. Oak Park

BIG WIN: Oak Park: The last few weeks we talked about Adams’s season being in jeopardy. Well it is now as the Highlanders dropped to seventh place in the White after Oak Park went into Rochester and ruined Adams homecoming by beating them 20-14 despite it's offense running 74 plays. The Highlanders are an alarming 1-2 at home and will play Harrison next week. If they lose that game then they are in deep trouble with four losses. This is a huge win for Coach Greg Carter and his Knights, you have to credit their defense. Oak Park must keep winning out as they play North Farmington next at home with Southfield and the crossover looming.

TOUGH LOSS: Southfield: The Blue Jays were up 14-7 at halftime only to see Harrison come from behind and win 17-14. Much of the game surrounded Tyrone Lyte and Brendan Brown, both transferred from Harrison to Southfield. The Hawks shut down Sam Johnson III and his offense all night. Harrison now controls its own destiny in the White while Southfield although also controls its destiny needs some help if they want to get back in the league race. The Hawks go to Rochester to play Adams next week while Southfield hosts Seaholm.

TEAM THAT NEEDS A HUG: Rochester: The Falcons had their chances at a silver lighting in Birmingham on Friday night. Rochester riddled by injures had a chance to go into the Maple Forest and beat Seaholm. That did not happen though as Rochester fell to the Maples 34-28. Seaholm gets the daunting task of going to Southfield while the Falcons host an angry Farmington team for homecoming.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Farmington: Perhaps the most mind-boggling game of the night is this one at Farmington High School. The Falcons were up 21-7 after three quarters only to see North Farmington quarterback Jared Fish connect with wide receiver Jimmy Doig on a 24 yard touchdown pass with 49.7 seconds left in the game and then they would recover an onside kick to seal the 26-21 upset of the Falcons. The Raiders now own the Farmington Jug, which is played between North Farmington and Farmington. This is a huge win for coach Todd Schultz and the Raiders program. The Falcons had all the momentum after beating Adams 19-15 last week, now that’s out the window. Farmington now has Rochester next week while North Farmington has a huge game with Oak Park on the road next week.

Last Week Scores:

Red

West Bloomfield 27, Orion 0.

Stoney Creek 47, Troy 0.

Clarkston 44, Oxford 24.

Troy Athens 26, Bloomfield Hills 8.

White

Seaholm 34, Rochester 28.

Harrison 17, Southfield 14.

North Farmington 26, Farmington 21

Oak Park 20, Adams 14.

Blue

Groves 54, Hazel Park 22.

Royal Oak 35, Pontiac 0.

Lathrup 27, Ferndale 24.

Berkley 52, Avondale 28.

Red Standings:

West Bloomfield         4-0                   5-0

Troy Athens                3-1                   3-2

Clarkston                     3-1                   3-2

Orion                           2-2                   2-3

Stoney Creek              2-2                   2-3

Oxford                          1-3                   1-4

Bloomfield Hills         1-3                   1-4

Troy                             0-4                   0-5

White Standings:

Harrison                      4-0                   4-1

Southfield                   3-1                   3-2

North Farmington       2-2                   3-2

Farmington                  2-2                   3-2

Seaholm                      2-2                   2-3

Oak Park                     2-2                   2-3

Adams                         1-3                   2-3

Rochester                    0-4                   0-5

Blue Standings:

Groves                         4-0                   5-0

Berkley                        4-0                   4-1

Royal Oak                   3-1                   3-2

Lathrup                       2-2                   3-2

Avondale                    2-2                   2-3

Hazel Park                   1-3                   1-4

Ferndale                      0-4                   0-5

Pontiac                                    0-4                   0-5

We’ll see what happens next week.