Reiss Retires as Dragon AD.

Written Thursday August 31st at 11:30 AM

There will be new Athletic Directors at Troy, Clarkston, and now Orion. 

The Orion Athletic Department will have a new face controlling the Athletic Department in 2016-2017 school year.

Orion Athletic Director Bill Reiss has retired from his role as Athletic Director effective September 1^st.

Reiss became Athletic Director in 2004 taking over for Jim Wood. He has been very successful in his role as AD. The Dragons won the 2007 Baseball, 2007 Girls Golf, 2010 Football, and 2012 Boys Track titles. He had led them to State final appearances in Football in 2008, Girls Volleyball in 2011, Cheerleading on numerous occasions, Girls Basketball State semifinal in 2009, Boys Basketball quarterfinal in 2012, and Girls Golf final in the last two years.

Reiss has appeared at so many sporting events ranging from soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, golf, volleyball, track, football, and even lacrosse. He hosted many districts and regionals being successful in each of them.

In 2016 the Orion Athletic Department was the third best in the nation by USA Today.

Reiss has been very successful coaching Girls Basketball and also largely involved in the swimming process. He has been in the school district for over 40 years.

There has been a replacement named for Reiss in the form of Chris Bell. Bell currently coaches football at Orion and will join Oak Park’s Greg Carter and North Farmington’s Todd Schultz as football coaches to have both the Athletic Director and Football coach’s role.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for this developing story.

Dragons have their New Girls Basketball Coach.

Written Tuesday August 30th at 9:20 PM

The Orion Dragons have their new Girls Basketball coach but it’s a familiar face that is taking over the program.

The Dragons named Kevin Kopec the new coach on Tuesday succeeding long time coach Steve Roberts.

Kopec teaches American Government at Orion High School and graduated from Western Michigan University. He coached the Junior Varsity program for the Girls from 2006-2016 under Roberts. 

Before Kopec coached in the Girls program full time, he served as an assistant Boys Basketball freshman coach to coach Gary Parker, whom is now an assistant Boys Basketball coach at Troy from 2002-2005.

Kopec while as JV Girls coach had two 20-0 seasons and was 36-2 in the last two seasons overall in 2015 and in 2016.

Kopec returns some key players in Maddie Novak along with Tessa Nuss, Sophie Wyborski, and Delaney Bryce returning from a team that went 12-8 last season. The Dragons will be in the White division with Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Oxford, West Bloomfield, and Harrison this season. 

Orion will host a district this upcoming spring with Oxford, Clarkston, Pontiac, Waterford Kettering, and Waterford Mott.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for this developing story.

Lakers forfeit Falcons game because of ineligible player.

Written Monday August 29th at 10:25 PM

The West Bloomfield Lakers forfeited their game with Groves on Friday night because they used an ineligible player.

According to Tom Markowski of State Champs, the player involved was a lifelong West Bloomfield resident whom transferred to West Bloomfield from Orchard Lake St. Marys.

According to MHSAA league rules when it comes to transfers the player must sit out one semester of athletics.

Lakers coach Ronald Bellamy said he was unaware of the player being ineligible.

With this forfeit this gives Groves a big win in it's quest to return to the playoffs for a second straight season. The Falcons have a big showdown with Oak Park on Friday. West Bloomfield plays at Oxford on Friday.

Thoughts:

Well this is a huge win for Groves over West Bloomfield via forfeit. The Falcons schedule though is still difficult as they have to play Oak Park this week and then have games against Adams, Harrison, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Saline.

The Lakers I believe they are fine but they have to play Oxford this week and still have games with Orion, Southfield Arts and Tech, Troy Athens, Stoney Creek, and Clarkston loom.

We'll see what happens.

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

2016 Girls Volleyball Preview.

Written Monday August 29th at 3:15 PM

INSIDE THE OAA Top 10.

1. Clarkston

2. Orion

3. Oxford

4. Stoney Creek

5. Troy Athens

6. Adams

7. Rochester

8. Bloomfield Hills

9. Seaholm

10. Berkley

Red

Clarkston

Orion

Oxford

Stoney Creek

Bloomfield Hills

Seaholm

West Bloomfield

Harrison

Red Outlook:

There are a lot of top heavy teams in this division and State ranked teams. In the early stages you got to favor Clarkston. The Wolves return a ton of experience from a team that wasn’t themselves last season. Clarkston returns Abby Malanowski along with girls’ basketball players Kayla Luchenbach and Molly Nicholson. Oxford returns a senior heavy team in 2016, led by Nicole Elzerman and Paige Briggs. Expect the Wildcats to be a contender this season. Orion has struggled off the gate early returns Leah Kalugar, Danielle Sargent, Wren McCalluay, Lindsay Wightman, and Mallorie Berriman. The Dragons should be in the mix this season. Stoney Creek brings in new coach Ross Talbott and has Erica Ward leading the charge. Bloomfield Hills made their surprise run last season winning the district crown but they could struggle a bit this season. Seaholm lost nearly everybody from last season’s team but does return Angie Cekauskas. West Bloomfield moved up from the White will have six seniors coming back. Harrison also moved up from the White have Stefanie Jankiewicz back. The Hawks and Lakers will have growing pains this season playing in the always tough Red division.

White

Troy Athens

Adams

Troy

Groves

Avondale

North Farmington

Farmington

Royal Oak

White Outlook:

The White is going to be very competitive this season when looking at this division. Adams and Troy moved down from the Red while North Farmington moved up from the Blue. The early favorite is Troy Athens because of the talent they return. The Red Hawks have Alexa Van Hoef and Nicole Borkish from a team that won their district last season. Adams returns a ton of experience from a team that struggled in the Red and adjusting to their new coach Bridgette Harding. The Highlanders have Jen Harding, Paige Stabaucker, and Madison Tuscany back. Troy will have a new coach but Jessica Robinson returns to lead the Colts. Groves should be more experienced after going through a tough district experience last season. North Farmington returns some experience after winning the Blue last season but can they keep the momentium going. Farmington will be better as they are led by Danielle Petras and Courtney Szymouski. Avondale has a ton of experience back led by Brooke Blanchiatte, Fran Aiello, and Kierra Robinson. Royal Oak has some questions heading into the season.

Blue

Rochester

Berkley

Hazel Park

Ferndale

Southfield Arts and Tech.

Oak Park

Pontiac

Blue Outlook:

When looking at the division, there are some teams that could surprise some folks but one school that shouldn’t be in this division is Rochester. The Falcons have had some tough seasons in the Red and White but moving down to the Blue will help a ton. Rochester returns Maddie Halsey along with some experience. They are expected to have their court redone sometime during the season. Berkley will challenge for the division crown. The Bears have a ton of experience back in Dana McDowell, Natalie Tolverez, Madison Kendrick, Grace Mulchay, Madeline Koster, Paige Allen, and Cara Hill. Hazel Park returns some experience as well in Emma Redmond, Raena Davis, Trinity Benton, and Emily Blajewski. Ferndale returns some experience but chemistry remains a question. Southfield Arts and Tech has plenty of talent but the question will be coaching and team chemistry. Oak Park lost a ton last season and will be young. Pontiac is building a program but could have another down season heading into this season.

OAA Picks Week Two.

Written Monday August 29th at 2:50 PM
Updated to Include the West Bloomfield forfeit on Monday August 29th at 10:35 PM


SAMMY 9-11

ANT 10-10

KEITH 11-9

SEAN 12-8

DAN 9-11

BURNEY 15-5

2. Clarkston @ 10. Southfield A&T:

This will be the big matchup in the league as the Warriors will face yet another test against Clarkston. The Wolves are coming in with high expectations and they may have found a new Robin to Batman in the backfield in Josh Cantu to go along with Michael Fluegel. Clarkston won 28-7 over Lapeer in Ann Arbor last week but they will get a major test in a Southfield Arts and Tech team that shocking lost 39-0 to Detroit Martin Luther King last week. This will be a fun game to watch despite the fact that this is a 5:30 PM game, should be a 7 PM game but no matter, the Wolves win this game.

SAMMY PICK: CLARKSTON 21, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 7.

ANT PICK: CLARKSTON 28, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 14.

KEITH PICK: CLARKSTON 31, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 17.

DAN PICK:  CLARKSTON 28, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 21.

SEAN PICK: CLARKSTON 35, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 6.

BURNEY PICK: CLARKSTON 26, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 24.

5. Oak Park @ 4. Groves:

This will be a huge game for both teams but especially for Oak Park since they are 0-1 coming into this game. The Falcons rallied late, scoring two touchdowns to force overtime but lost a tough one to West Bloomfield 31-28 but thanks to the Lakers forfeiting last week because of an ineligible player Groves was awarded the victory. The Knights hung tough with Detroit Cass Tech but they fell 45-27 last week. This will be a good game to watch, an early elimination to say the least.

SAMMY PICK: OAK PARK 35, GROVES 31.

ANT PICK: OAK PARK 42, GROVES 35.

KEITH PICK: OAK PARK 24, GROVES 16.

DAN PICK: OAK PARK 21, GROVES 20.

SEAN PICK: OAK PARK 40, GROVES 14.

BURNEY PICK: OAK PARK 27, GROVES 23.

Farmington @ 6. Harrison:

This rivalry matchup in the battle of Farmington has total mismatch written all over it. Harrison has owned the rivalry going 29-5 in the last 34 games. The Falcons lost 41-14 to Walled Lake Western last week. The Hawks lost 31-24 to East Kentwood in Ann Arbor last week. Harrison escaped 13-12 over Farmington last season. This is a different Falcons team and right now the Hawks look superior.

SAMMY PICK: HARRISON 24, FARMINGTON 0.

ANT PICK: HARRISON 28, FARMINGTON 7.

KEITH PICK: HARRISON 27, FARMINGTON 10.

DAN PICK: HARRISON 35, FARMINGTON 14.

SEAN PICK: HARRISON 35, FARMINGTON 6.

BURNEY PICK: HARRISON 24, FARMINGTON 12

1. Berkley @ Ferndale:

These are two 1-0 teams going at it in Ferndale. The Eagles put up 42 points against Madison Heights Lamphere in a 42-7 win last week. Berkley went into northwest Oakland County and beat a very good Holly team 29-26. The Bears have depth, more experience, and better play-makers than Ferndale. The Eagles will compete but it will be Berkley that wins.

SAMMY PICK: BERKLEY 35, FERNDALE 7.

ANT PICK: BERKLEY 14, FERNDALE 10.

KEITH PICK: BERKLEY 28, FERNDALE 13.

DAN PICK: BERKLEY 35, FERNDALE 7.

SEAN PICK: BERKLEY 38, FERNDALE 14.

BURNEY PICK: BERKLEY 20, FERNDALE 17.

9. West Bloomfield @ 8. Oxford:

The Wildcats used Ethan Williams to pull off a monster 27-26 upset of Romeo after trailing 26-14 late in the fourth quarter. Williams had a 69, 67, and 52 yard touchdown run in that win over the Bulldogs. He will be the key once again for Oxford's pound the rock attack against a faster and speedier Lakers team. West Bloomfield survived Groves 31-28 in overtime however the Lakers had to forfeit the game because they had an ineligible player. West Bloomfield still has plenty of weapons behind Bryce Veasley, Garrett Wynn, Davion Johnson, and Taj Mustapha. This will be a huge test for both teams going forward.

SAMMY PICK: OXFORD 28, WEST BLOOMFIELD 27.

ANT PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 21, OXFORD 20.

KEITH PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 24, OXFORD 21.

DAN PICK: OXFORD 21, WEST BLOOMFIELD 17.

SEAN PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 28, OXFORD 27.

BURNEY PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 30, OXFORD 22.

Troy Athens @ North Farmington:

If there is ever a recovery game for the Red Hawks, this is it. The Troy Athens offense struggled in a 28-7 loss to Warren Mott. They had fundamental issues along with turnovers in the loss to the Marauders. North Farmington did not fair better at all either. The Raiders were destroyed by Walled Lake Northern 56-0 last week. This has the makings of a total beat down in Farmington Hills and redemption for coach Josh Heppener and his team.

SAMMY PICK: TROY ATHENS 62, NORTH FARMINGTON 0.

ANT PICK: TROY ATHENS 17, NORTH FARMINGTON 13.

KEITH PICK: TROY ATHENS 21, NORTH FARMINGTON 20.

DAN PICK: TROY ATHENS 14, NORTH FARMINGTON 7.

SEAN PICK: TROY ATHENS 42, NORTH FARMINGTON 0.

BURNEY PICK: TROY ATHENS 18, NORTH FARMINGTON 16.

7. Bloomfield Hills vs. Rochester @ Stoney Creek:

The Blackhawks arrived in style with a shocking 35-16 win over Stoney Creek after a dominant first half outscoring the Cougars 35-0. Bloomfield Hills enters league play against a Falcons team that hung in there but ended up falling 33-14 to their arch rival Adams. The game is played at Stoney Creek, so this could be interesting. Rochester has depth and has improved greatly. The Blackhawks also have depth and athletes as well. This one could go right down to the wire.

SAMMY PICK: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 28, ROCHESTER 26.

ANT PICK: ROCHESTER 21, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 20.

KEITH PICK: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 17, ROCHESTER 14.

DAN PICK: ROCHESTER 28, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 14.

SEAN PICK: ROCHESTER 21, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 14.

BURNEY PICK: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 24, ROCHESTER 14.

Stockbridge @ Royal Oak:

Royal Oak was very disappointing last week in their 21-0 loss to St. Clair Shores Lakeview. I was surprised that the Ravens couldn't stop a Wing T-Offense or with the experience they have back, score. If Royal Oak can’t score or stop anybody then how can they hang in there against a potent spread attack of the Panthers and quarterback Mason-Gee Montgomery??? Stockbridge lost 32-18 to Grass Lake last week and the Panthers will be coming in from Ingham County to Oakland County mad. The Ravens struggled offensively in last week’s loss, only having 137 total yards of total offense and four turnovers. Royal Oak coach Ray McMann will have his work cut out for him if the Ravens have any chance of pulling off this major upset, don’t care if they are in Division Five, they are in trouble.

SAMMY PICK: STOCKBRIDGE 42, ROYAL OAK 0.

ANT PICK: STOCKBRIDGE 17, ROYAL OAK 7.

KEITH PICK: ROYAL OAK 24, STOCKBRIDGE 21.

DAN PICK: STOCKBRIDGE 21, ROYAL OAK 14.

SEAN PICK: STOCKBRIDGE 18, ROYAL OAK 14

BURNEY PICK: ROYAL OAK 22, STOCKBRIDGE 20.

Seaholm @ 3. Adams:

The Highlanders got off to a great start to their season by knocking off Rochester 33-14 behind their quarterback Kyle Wood. The Maples had a tough go with Birmingham Brother Rice at home falling 27-3 last week. This looks to be a mismatch on paper in Adams favor with it being the Highlanders home opener and Seaholm struggling to score points.

SAMMY PICK: ADAMS 35, SEAHOLM 14.

ANT PICK: ADAMS 35, SEAHOLM 3.

KEITH PICK: ADAMS 24, SEAHOLM 10.

DAN PICK: ADAMS 28, SEAHOLM 7.

SEAN PICK: ADAMS 35, SEAHOLM 7.

BURNEY PICK: ADAMS 24, SEAHOLM 10.

Stoney Creek @ Orion:

The Cougars lost 35-16 to Bloomfield Hills after a bad first half where they were outscored 35-0 but if there was a positive for Stoney Creek, they did manage to outscore the Blackhawks 16-0 to close out the game. The Dragons need work fundamentally after getting embarrassed 27-7 by Chippewa Valley at Wayne State. If there is added motivation for Orion, let’s not forget the Dragons lost 21-14 to Stoney Creek last season and the three main players are back for the Cougars. This should be an interesting game to watch and see.

SAMMY PICK: ORION 21, STONEY CREEK 14.

ANT PICK: ORION 17, STONEY CREEK 7.

KEITH PICK: ORION 24, STONEY CREEK 17.

DAN PICK: ORION 28, STONEY CREEK 7.

SEAN PICK: ORION 28, STONEY CREEK 8.

BURNEY PICK: ORION 21, STONEY CREEK 20.

Pontiac @ Birmingham Detroit Country Day:

The Phoenix have really struggled since 2011 and now they lost a tough 21-15 game to Detroit Old Redford last week at Wisner Stadium. Now they go on the road and take on a team that is twice as good as the Falcons were in Detroit Country Day. The Yellow Jackets went into Port Huron and beat the Big Reds 17-7 last week. Wondering why in the world would Pontiac play a very good team like Birmingham Detroit Country Day and go on the road for this game??? This will be a tough task for the Phoenix this week.

SAMMY PICK: DETROIT COUNTRY DAY 49, PONTIAC 22.

ANT PICK: DETROIT COUNTRY DAY 38, PONTIAC 0.

KEITH PICK: DETROIT COUNTRY DAY 50, PONTIAC 0.

DAN PICK:  DETROIT COUNTRY DAY 28, PONTIAC 0.

SEAN PICK: DETROIT COUNTRY DAY 42, PONTIAC 6.

BURNEY PICK: DETROIT COUNTRY DAY 36, PONTIAC 10.

Troy at Avondale:

These two district rivals will renew a rivalry with Troy coming down to the Blue while Avondale has always been in the Blue. The Colts hold a 13-12-4 record coming into it's game with the Yellow Jackets. Troy is coming off a tough 13-10 loss to Walled Lake Central in Walled Lake. Avondale lost a tough heartbreaking 22-18 decision to New Boston Huron in New Boston. The Chiefs scored late in that game after the Yellow Jackets controlled most of the second half. This game will have some fireworks written all over it.

SAMMY PICK: TROY 17, AVONDALE 14.

ANT PICK: AVONDALE 14, TROY 13.

KEITH PICK: TROY 28, AVONDALE 7.

DAN PICK: TROY 14, AVONDALE 10.

SEAN PICK: AVONDALE 22, TROY 17.

BURNEY PICK: AVONDALE 17, TROY 13.

Hazel Park @ Royal Oak Shrine:

The Vikings were really disappointing and depressing to watch. They gave up 65 points to arch rival Warren Fitzgerald last week in a 65-6 blowout. Hazel Park, the western school of Nine Mile has been outscored 157-18 by the Spartans, their eastern rival of Nine Mile. PLEASE DON’T PLAY THE SPARTANS AGAIN, VIKINGS. Royal Oak Shrine isn’t an offensive juggernaut but the Knights didn’t look good at all after losing 41-7 to Adrian Madison. Hazel Park is by far the more superior team here. The losing streak has to end somehow and if it doesn’t it’s going to be a long season.

SAMMY PICK: HAZEL PARK 12, ROYAL OAK SHRINE 7.

ANT PICK: ROYAL OAK SHRINE 21, HAZEL PARK 0.

KEITH PICK: ROYAL OAK SHRINE 28, HAZEL PARK 12.

DAN PICK: ROYAL OAK SHRINE 21, HAZEL PARK 14.

SEAN PICK: ROYAL OAK SHRINE 45, HAZEL PARK 6.

BURNEY PICK: ROYAL OAK SHRINE 21, HAZEL PARK 18.

Week One Recap.

Written Sunday August 28th at 4:30 PM
Updated to Include the West Bloomfield forfeit on Monday August 29th at 10:35 PM

INSIDE THE OAA TOP 10:

1. Berkley

2. Clarkston

3. Adams

4. Groves

5. Oak Park

6. Harrison

7. Bloomfield Hills

8. Oxford

9. West Bloomfield

10. Southfield Arts and Tech

Scores:

BERKLEY 29, Holly 26

FERNDALE 42, Lamphere 7

GROVES 1, WEST BLOOMFIELD 0

Chippewa Valley 27, ORION 7

Walled Lake Central 13, TROY 10

Warren Mott 28, TROY ATHENS 7

Walled Lake Western 41, FARMINGTON 14

New Boston Huron 22, AVONDALE 18

Warren Fitzgerald 65, HAZEL PARK 6

Walled Lake Northern 56, NORTH FARMINGTON 0

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 35, STONEY CREEK 16

CLARKSTON 28, Lapeer 7

OXFORD 27, Romeo 26

St. Clair Shores Lakeview 21, ROYAL OAK 0

Birmingham Brother Rice 27, SEAHOLM 3

ADAMS 33, ROCHESTER 14

Detroit Old Redford 21, PONTIAC 15

Detroit Martin Luther King 39, SOUTHFIELD A&T 0

East Kentwood 31, HARRISON 24

Detroit Cass Tech 45, OAK PARK 27

Thoughts:

Well this was a rough week for the OAA. The league went 4-13 in it's non league games this week, which is not good. Berkley beating Holly, Oxford over Romeo, Clarkston over Lapeer, and Ferndale over Lamphere were the only OAA big wins over non league teams.

I knew that Oak Park, Troy Athens, Orion, Harrison, Avondale, Farmington, Seaholm had tough games against good programs. However some teams just got crushed in week one, North Farmington losing 56-0 to Walled Lake Northern, Hazel Park giving up 65 points to Warren Fitzgerald. That's not a good way to start a season.

Besides the Southfield Arts and Tech loss, I was very disappointed in a few teams but for different reasons.

Lets start with Royal Oak, the Ravens were ranked 10th in the Inside the OAA poll last week for a reason, I thought that Royal Oak would had a great chance to make more progress with their program but instead they got shutout by Lakeview 21-0. The Huskies were 8-28 since 2012, that's not a good start and to make matters worse for the Ravens they play Stockbridge next whom should be mad after losing 32-18 to Grass Lake last week.

Stoney Creek was a team that raised my eyebrows in shock. I didn't expect the first half performance the Cougars laid out. The Blackhawks passing attack had four touchdown passes in a 35-0 halftime deficit. Stoney Creek managed to outscore the Blackhawks 16-0 in the second half. The Cougars now have to go to Orion next, it is a place where they won at last season 21-14.

The biggest shock of all of this was Southfield Arts and Tech getting blown out by Detroit Martin Luther King 39-0. The Warriors had a lot of hype surrounding them only to see them struggle off the bat with a very good Crusaders team whom was coming off a rough offseason with the passing of Dale Harvel.

BIG WIN: Oxford: The Bulldogs had a lot of trouble stopping Ethan Williams. Williams scored three times from 69, 67, and 50 yards out in the big 27-26 upset over Romeo in which the crowd stormed the field. Got to give a ton of credit to the Wildcats offensive line, they were huge in the upset win. Oxford came back from being down 26-14 with ten minutes’ left in the game. The Bulldogs join the list of defending State Champions that have fallen at Oxford (Orion-2011.) The Wildcats got a measure of revenge after losing 47-0 last season. The Wildcats will host West Bloomfield next.

TOUGH LOSS: Troy: The Colts were hammered with transfers leaving and a lack of depth. They don’t even have a freshman football team. Troy lost a tough one to Walled Lake Central 13-10. The Colts needed a good start off the get go but couldn’t get it done in Walled Lake. They have a tough game coming up with Avondale, whom also had a tough loss to New Boston Huron 22-18 on Thursday night.

TOUGH LOSS 2: Pontiac: The Phoenix had a tough loss to Detroit Old Redford on Friday night. Pontiac however must clean some things up though and coach John Thompson knows that. They allowed Leequez Oliver to go for 200 yards and 49 yard touchdown run. The Phoenix also gave up one passing touchdown from 49 yards. Pontiac is competitive but they have a tough matchup looming next week with Detroit Country Day.

TEAM THAT NEEDS A HUG: Avondale: The Yellow Jackets were just caught up in the storm of the New Boston Huron Chiefs. The Chiefs lost their long time coach Dan Kalbfleisch whom took over at Gibraltar Carlson. Avondale dominated the second half of that game, getting turnovers and controlling tempo with their triple option offense. They blocked a field goal for a touchdown which gave them an 18-15 lead late into the game. New Boston Huron would respond late by scoring on a four yard quarterback keeper to give them only to give them a  22-18 victory.

WHAT HAPPENED???: Orion: The Dragons had a ton of expectations and now after a very bad 27-7 loss to Chippewa Valley on Thursday. Orion allowed a sophomore quarterback in Tommy Schuster to throw for two touchdowns and score on a quarterback keeper. Now granted I thought the officiating was very questionable but there is no excuse for playing bad fundamental football. You can’t have turnovers or a lack of execution and expect to win. Next week the Dragons need this one against a good Stoney Creek team who brings in their own sophomore quarterback in Frank Potenza and a coach Bob Lantzy defense to say the least.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED: Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors first game as a school was a complete disaster as they were crushed 39-0 by Detroit Martin Luther King. The Crusaders whom won their 15^th straight game dedicated their season to the late Dale Harvel whom passed away last month and they played well, got to give them credit there. Southfield Arts and Tech let Ambry Thomas, Kevin Willis, and Dequan Finn control the game and they did just that. Sam Johnson struggled big time along with the rest of the Warriors as they made mistakes and took bad penalties. Southfield Arts and Tech needs to clean a lot of things up because they have Clarkston next week.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME: Hazel Park: All the talk, all the hype surrounding the Vikings looked for real. There was talk that this could be team that turned the program around after a 1-26 stretch since 2013 but I was wrong. Hazel Park gave up 65 points to their arch rivals from Nine Mile Road. Now I know the Spartans are a very good football team and the Vikings should be better than people think but to allow 157 points and only score 18 points against Warren Fitzgerald then maybe it's possible you shouldn't play them again. Thankfully for Hazel Park they get Royal Oak Shrine next week.

IN STATE NEWS:

L’Anse Creuse North sent a message to Waterford Mott, beating the Corsairs 17-7. This was the first of a two game suspension that Waterford Mott coach Chris Fahr had to serve. Crusaders coach Anthony Kiner had some interesting comments to say to MIPrepzone’s Drew Ellis after beating the Corsairs. “It’s a win for Michigan Football, this is a huge game for what happened in the offseason, everyone knows about it. We came in here with a chip on our shoulder about all the things they were doing. We could only control what we do, we came in with a chip on our shoulder, and we knew we were coming into hostile waters. Everyone in the State knew the importance of this game and we are really glad Mott is 0-1.” The Corsairs have a tough schedule during the season. they still have Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Northern, and Novi on the schedule.

Macomb Dakota beat Orchard Lake St. Marys 35-28. The Cougars were without their top running back Kaiser Carleton after he got hurt in the third quarter but Macomb Dakota has depth in Evan Sivec. Sivek had a punt return for a touchdown and another rushing score. The Cougars really played well but they have Utica Eisenhower next.

Brighton beat Detroit East English Village Prep 14-8 in a low scoring game, odd that both teams are the Bulldogs. Detroit East English Village Prep was hyped this season as the third best team in the Detroit Public School League. Brighton shut down Detroit East English Village Prep and is expected to be a serious dark horse candidate in the KLAA West this season.

Rockford forfeited their game with Saline because Rams players had a sickness that had been crumbling the team and the Kent County Health Department placed restrictions on which players could play. The sickness is still unknown.

Talk about a blood bath, then look at the Hartford/Watervliet game. The score was 86-0 Watervliet. Hartford football sent out a tweet about the game.  “Final Score is Watervliet 86, Hartford 0. I don’t know how to explain this.” Oh my god, I feel really bad for the Hartford players, their confidence must be down right now, allowing 86 points, yikes.