Take Away's From Day Five Tournament Action.

Written Friday December 30th at 11:40 PM

Take away’s from Day Five at the Motor City Round Ball and Troy Athens.

Troy Boys Come from 20 down to Win.

The Colts Boys Basketball team were trailing by 20 points at halftime against Cambridge in Canada only to rally and beat the Bears 54-48 on Friday afternoon. Danny Sully led Troy with 17 points and Jason Dietz added 16 for coach Gary Fralick’s team. This is a big win for the Colts because it proves that team defense and belief in each other can pull them through in a tough situation.

Troy Athens Girls No problems with Brandon.

The Red Hawks Girls Basketball team had no problem beating the Ortonville Brandon Blackhawks 47-36 on Friday afternoon. Troy Athens was in complete control, not even an 18-2 fourth quarter by Ortonville Brandon could save them in this game. Maddie Crumm had a big game for the Red Hawks as they look to be a serious contender in the Blue this season. A win like this will help get coach Stacy Klumpp’s team ready for a big showdown with Avondale in January.

Bloomfield Hills Use Third Quarter to get a Win.

The Bloomfield Hills Boys Basketball team used a 18-9 third quarter to turn a 29-28 Blackhawks lead into a huge 62-54 win over Cincinnati Colerain on Friday afternoon. Kiewean Graham was huge again in the win for coach Mike Maryanski’s team. Bloomfield Hills will play Dearborn Divine Child next and then head into league play against Pontiac. Good win for the Blackhawks here.

Groves Boys Could Be in Line for a Big Season.

The Falcons had no trouble with Utica Ford on Friday afternoon destroying them 80-58. Groves was in control throughout and it showed why they are a serious contender in the Blue this season. Detroit Renaissance transfer Charles Jones led coach Mark West’s team with 24 points and Drew Scheckel had 15 points. It’s a big win for the Falcons as they have road trips to Berkley and Hazel Park coming up in January.

North Farmington Survives Detroit Henry Ford.

The North Farmington Boys Basketball team played Detroit Henry Ford in the final game of the Roundball on Friday night. The Raiders overcame two early eight point deficits with their traditional pressure trap defense that the Negoshian family loves and had two buzzer beaters in the process. North Farmington won 53-49 sending their record to 2-3 on the season. The Raiders had five scorers score but three of them were huge in scoring them in Amauri Hardy, Kari Patrick, and Kendall Hayes. Hardy had 21 points, Patrick had 13 points, and Hayes had 14 points. Hayes had been quiet lately until this game against a solid Detroit Henry Ford team. The Raiders will play Adams in January to open league play.

Flowers Almost brings Southfield Arts and Tech Boys Back.

Remember the name Michael Flowers, once healthy he will be a force to deal with. Well he is starting to come back and grove on his own. Flowers had 29 points for the Warriors but it wasn’t enough as Southfield Arts and Tech fell to Novi Detroit Catholic Central 71-70 on Friday night. Remi Tolbert had 17 points in defeat for coach Mike Avery’s team. The Warriors fell to 1-5 on the season and will host Oak Park in January. Southfield Arts and Tech has played a tough non-conference schedule but the wins will come for them.

Troy Athens Loses Tough one to Okemos.

The Red Hawks Boys Basketball team lost a tough one to Okemos on Friday night 85-81 on their home court. Troy Athens was led by Jacob Brantley whom had 41 points in defeat. Coach Dave Scott’s Red Hawks have lost two straight games which included a 76-72 loss to Livonia Stevenson earlier in the week. Troy Athens plays Pontiac next in January.

Take Away's From Day Four Tournament Action.

Written Thursday December 29th at 11:00 PM

Take away’s from Day Four at the Motor City Round Ball, Spartan Holiday Classic, Grosse Pointe South Classic, Ypsilanti Showcase, Kalamazoo Central Classic, and the Bloomfield Hills Showcase.

Pontiac Boys Couldn’t Get over the Hump.

The Phoenix Boys Basketball team concluded their Motor City Roundball experience by losing to Grosse Pointe North 53-38 on Thursday morning. Pontiac battled the Norseman for about a half and then Grosse Pointe North pulled away with a strong second half. DeShawn Jackson led the Phoenix with eight points. Pontiac is going to need to have a strong bounce back in 2017 as they host Troy Athens next.

Harrison Boys, Enough Said.

The Hawks lost 98-38 to Detroit Cass Tech on Tuesday so they were back in action on Thursday against Cincinnati Colerain and Harrison lost 58-52. The Hawks have a huge problem stopping people like they did against the Cardinals where they were outscored 21-11 in the third quarter and allowed 40 second half points. That’s scary and we’re not even in league play yet. Hawks coach Stefan Wilson has major concerns on the defensive end. It could be a long season at Harrison and doesn’t any better for them in January as the Hawks have to go to North Farmington to deal with coach Todd Negoshian and the Raiders, talk about irony for the Harrison Boys Basketball team.

Groves Girls Continue their Winning Streak.

The Falcons Girls Basketball team have been on a tear lately. They won their fourth straight game by beating Royal Oak Shrine 58-27 on Thursday afternoon using a 30-5 first quarter run. Groves fresh off their huge 56-53 win at Orion last week is rolling heading into Gold play. Coach Amos Thompson should have no problem adjusting to his new division. The Falcons next test will be on February 13^th when they host Adams other than that, expect more wins for Groves going forward.

Oak Park Boys Can’t Overcome Kalamazoo Central.

It was going to be a tough chore for the Knights Boys Basketball team in Kalamazoo on Thursday night against an unbeaten Maroon Giants. Oak Park lost a high scoring game with Kalamazoo Central 80-73. The Knights got a ton of scoring but defensibly it was a rough one for coach Bobby Thompson’s team. Oak Park is now 3-3 on the season heading into the new year, they will go to Southfield Arts and Tech on January 12^th. The Knights are going to be a sleeper in the White.

West Bloomfield Girls Bounce Back.

The Lakers Girls Basketball team got back on the winning track after losing four straight games by beating River Rouge 54-39 at Bloomfield Hills on Thursday afternoon sending them back to 500 at 4-4 on the season. West Bloomfield got 14 points from Jordyn Elam and got contributions from Jamila Elam, Kori Maxie, Destini Monroe, and Destiney Cannon. The Lakers will have a tough matchup when they go to Royal Oak to open league play. For now this is a big win for coach Zach Hilbers team heading into 2017.

Oxford Boys Stay Undefeated.

The Wildcats Boys Basketball team remained unbeaten after beating Richmond 64-59 in the Spartan Holiday Classic at Imlay City. Richmond is an improved team in the Blue Water Area Conference Blue but it was Oxford that got the big win they needed. Coach Steve Laidlaw has the Wildcats going in the right direction led by Jordan Jaden, Ray LaVine, Nolan Harding, and Jordan Lavalis. The Wildcats will have a very tough test coming up in Pontiac against a very good Pontiac Notre Dame Prep team in January.

Southfield Arts and Tech Boys Couldn’t overcome Walled Lake Northern.

The Warriors Boys Basketball team couldn’t overcome the Knights of Walled Lake Northern on Thursday night 59-53. Southfield Arts and Tech trailed by 11 at one point but did fight back to take the lead but Walled Lake Northern pulled away late and won the game. The Warriors were led by Remi Torbert’s 15 points. Southfield Arts and Tech are still missing Michael Flowers as he is trying to get back to playing shape. The Warriors will have to forget about this one quickly as they play Novi Detroit Catholic Central on Friday in the Roundball.

Farmington Boys Go Overtime.

The Farmington Boys Basketball team fresh off a bad 70-65 loss to Detroit Fredrick Douglass proved that they can go on the road and get a big win and they did overcoming a game in which they kept it close throughout, forced overtime and won 52-49 over Ypsilanti. Jordan Graham was huge for the Falcons as he took over throughout the game with 25 points and 10 rebounds. This is a big win for Farmington, whom will now have a two-week break as they won’t play until January 13^th when they go to Seaholm to play the Maples.

North Farmington Girls Press too much for Waterford Mott.

The Raiders Girls Basketball team turned a tight and close game with the Corsairs and turned it to a 20-point win with a 43-23 score. Samantha Cherney shut down Myra Williams in the game and Kierra Crockett took over as well in the game but the credit is to coach Jeff Simpson’s pressure-trap defense he learned from North Farmington Boys Basketball coaching legend Tom Negoshian. It’s a big win for the Raiders beating a good team in Waterford Mott. North Farmington will host Adams next in January to open up league play

Stoney Creek Boys loses tough one.

The Stoney Creek Boys Basketball team would love to forget how their experience at the Grosse Pointe South Classic was for them. The Cougars had a strong first quarter against Plymouth, outscoring them 19-9 but a strong second and third quarters from the Wildcats, in which they outscored Stoney Creek 36-17. The Cougars outscored Plymouth 12-6 in the fourth but it wasn’t enough as Stoney Creek lost 50-48 to the Wildcats. It’s a tough loss for coach Steve Norgrove and his team as they have now lost two straight games both at Grosse Pointe South. The Cougars will head into 2017 with a 4-2 record with a game against Adams next.

Hazel Park Boys Destroys Grand Blanc.

The Vikings Boys Basketball team were in beast mode on Thursday night behind 33 combined points from David Hearns and Carl Bow in a 69-40 rout of the Bobcats. Hazel Park was in complete control throughout the game and showed why they are one of the best teams in Class B and also in the tough rugged White this season. With only eight players on the team and to do this against Grand Blanc, a school that is in Class A and has more students than them is incredible. The good news for the Vikings is they have a break to recover but the bad news is they have Clarkston next on the road.

North Farmington Boys Get a Much-Needed Win.

The Raiders Boys Basketball team needed a much-needed win after losing to Farmington 65-58 last week. Thursday night they finally got that much-needed win beating Dearborn Divine Child 55-51 in the Roundball. North Farmington got 29 points from Amauri Hardy and 16 points from Southfield transfer Kari Patrick. It’s a big win for coach Todd Negoshian and the young Raiders going forward but they have 24 hours to celebrate before they play Detroit Henry Ford on Friday in the final day of the Roundball.

Bloomfield Hills Girls Dominant.

The Bloomfield Hills Girls Basketball team was dominant in their own Holiday showcase. It was a far cry from last season’s loss to Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy in their own showcase. The Blackhawks used their senior experience from Samantha Patterson (19 points), Immani Wright (13 points), Victorie Franklin (11 points) and Amanda Sape (10 points) on route to a 59-29 beat down. Bloomfield Hills did lose Katherine Prinna to an ankle injury and her status for the Orion game is unknown. The Blackhawks will play the Dragons to open up league play next week.

Take Away's from Day Three Tournament Action.

Written Wednesday December 28th at 11:00 PM
Updated Thursday December 29th at 10:30 PM

Take away's from Day Three at the Motor City Round Ball, the Macomb L’Anse Creuse Tournament, and the Northville Holiday Tournament.

Pontiac Loses Tough One.

The Phoenix got a stellar game from Brala Benion with her 21 points but it wasn’t enough as Pontiac fell 39-32 to Bay City All Saints to fall to 3-4 on the season. The Phoenix badly out-rebounded Bay City All Saints 31-14 but it was the turnovers that doomed Pontiac as they turned it over 15 times. Aniya Erkins had 12 points for coach Christopher Wright’s team but it wasn’t enough to win this game. I think the Phoenix will be fine going forward.

Bloomfield Hills Bounces Back.

The Blackhawks Boys Basketball team were fresh off a tough 67-58 loss to Orchard Lake St. Marys last night took out their anger and frustration on New Baltimore Anchor Bay destroying the Tars 68-37 on Wednesday night. It is a nice bounce back for coach Mike Marynaski’s squad at Macomb L’Anse Creuse North. Bloomfield Hills plays on Friday in the Motor City Roundball against Cincinatti Colerain in an interesting matchup. The Blackhawks should be fine going forward with their talent and chemistry.

Troy Athens Falls in an Instant Classic.

The Red Hawks Boys Basketball team couldn’t protect a lead late in the game against Livonia Stevenson and at the end of the day it was the Spartans that beat Troy Athens 76-72. The Red Hawks were balanced on the night as they were led by Jacob Bradley’s 21 points, Taylor McCaskill had 17 points, Nick Cotton had 11 points, and Clark Joslin had 10 points on the night for coach Dave Scott’s team. Troy Athens was out-rebounded 25-14 and was 15-22 from the line. Those things won’t get it done for the Red Hawks and Scott knows it. Troy Athens will host Okemos on Friday.

Southfield Arts and Tech has depth.

When Southfield and Southfield-Lathrup merged schools, we knew they would have a lot of depth because of how successful both Girls Basketball teams were last season. The Warriors didn’t have Deja Church for their game against Flint Powers Catholic on Wednesday night but it didn’t even matter as Southfield Arts and Tech destroyed the Chargers 76-30 behind 26 points from Alexis Johnson and 22 points from Michigan Storm AAU standout Cheyenne McEvans. I still have big concerns for the Warriors moving forward but they still have depth.

Oxford Survives Ann Arbor Skyline.

The Wildcats Girls Basketball team were fresh off getting blown out 63-30 by Northville found a way to get past Ann Arbor Skyline 27-23 on Wednesday afternoon at Northville in the constellation game of the Northville Tournament. Oxford has had a string of bad luck when it comes to close games, losing to both Lapeer 39-37 and Avondale 40-38. This is a big win for coach Rachel Bryer and her Wildcats as they head to the new year with some confidence going forward.

Take Away's from Day Two's Tournament Action.

Written Tuesday December 27th at 10:40 PM

Take away's from Day Two at the Motor City Round Ball, Grosse Pointe South Tournament, Northville Holiday Tournament, Macomb L'Anse Creuse Tournament, and Detroit Public School League Classic.

Hazel Park Boys are Very Good.

The Vikings dominated the third quarter in their 70-35 win over Sterling Heights Stevenson going on a 31-0 run in the process. Hazel Park took advantage of 20 Titans turnovers and got big production from Carl Bow (22 points) and David Hearns (17 points.) There is a reason why Scott Bernstein is high on the Vikings despite having only eight players. Hazel Park still has to play Grand Blanc, Toledo Scott, and Clarkston and that’s not even league play yet but watch out for the Vikings. They are a very good basketball team.

Harrison Boys Are Not Good at all.

The Hawks I thought turned the corner after being competitive against a good Troy Athens squad and beating Southfield Crescent Academy in the process but they ran into a Buzzsaw that was Detroit Cass Tech and were blown out 98-38 on Tuesday afternoon. Harrison had no chance against the Technicians and it showed in the game. The Hawks could be in some big trouble once league play starts because there are some good teams like Farmington and Berkley that could give Harrison some serious problems going forward.

What Happened to Stoney Creek???

The Cougars were shorthanded coming into its game against a very good Flint Carman Ainsworth team. They were without Emily Solek and Megan Porter so that would mean trouble for Stoney Creek, right??? Well yes it was as the Cougars fell 57-21 to the Cavaliers but it wasn’t how they lost that shocked me, it was whom they let go off. Stoney Creek let Destiny Strother, their top player get 31 points (seven threes) on them. I’m not surprised they lost despite not having Solek (family commitment) and Porter (knee injury) but I am shocked that a coach Kellen James team would let Strother score 31 and get blown out. The Cougars will have Solek back for their game with Belleville in January before Red play starts.

Ferndale Boys Crushed by 50 points.

The Eagles came into the game against Detroit Northwestern with some confidence after beating Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 60-55 but they ran into a very good Detroit Northwestern team on Tuesday afternoon and got destroyed 83-33 in the process. Ferndale coach Tom Stanton must regroup his team heading into the new year. The Eagles play Livonia Franklin, Rochester, and Harper Woods before opening Gold play with Farmington. Talk about a tough slate right there.

Clarkston Girls Still Undefeated.

The reason why the Wolves sit undefeated after a huge 63-54 win over Detroit Cass Tech. Clarkston’s three headed monster of Kayla Luchenbach, Molly Nicholson, and Maddie Beck are the reasons why the Wolves are still undefeated at 8-0 on the season. Luchenbach had 28 points, Beck had 18 points despite being limited by foul trouble, and Nicholson had 13 points. Clarkston will have a big test in January starting with a big home game against Southfield Arts and Tech next week.

North Farmington Girls balanced???

The Raiders girls had some questions at the guard spot but it looks like coach Jeff Simpson might have his answer from the guard front in the form of Kelsey Lusk and Sam Randel. Lusk and Randel combined for 15 points in North Farmington’s 50-29 win over Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy. Kierra Crockett had 23 points for the Raiders leading all scorers. North Farmington will play Waterford Mott on Thursday at Bloomfield Hills while Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy will play the hosts Bloomfield Hills on Thursday in their own classic. This is a positive sign for the Raiders if they can get this balance going forward.

Stoney Creek Boys Loses Tough One.

It’s tough to play the host school in any tournament especially at Grosse Pointe South as the Cougars had to do against the Blue Devils. Stoney Creek fought tough but didn’t have enough to beat the host school losing 58-55. The Cougars were unbeaten coming into the game in Grosse Pointe but they are undefeated no more. Stoney Creek will play the Plymouth at Grosse Pointe South on Thursday night.

Oxford Girls Blown Out by Northville.

The Wildcats were no match for the Mustangs in the Northville Holiday Tournament losing 63-30. It was going to be a tough chore for Oxford anyway going up against the host school so there is no shame, the tournament at Northville was going to be tough for them anyway. Madelyn Morris scored half of the Wildcats 30 points with 15 points and Monae Evans had seven points. Oxford will play Ann Arbor Skyline on Wednesday in Northville.

Flowers Not in Game Shape Yet.

The Warriors Boys Basketball team just got Michael Flowers back against a good Detroit Henry Ford team but Southfield Arts and Tech lost 63-58 to Detroit Henry Ford. The Warriors have other talent besides Flowers in the form of Remi Torbert whom had 11 points, Corey Whitter had 13 points, and Brandon Rucker  had 14 points. When Flowers comes back healthy then look out as coach Mike Avery’s team will have some balance heading into 2017.

Bloomfield Hills Still Not There Yet.

The Blackhawks suffered a tough 67-58 defeat to Orchard Lake St. Marys on Tuesday at Macomb L'Anse Creuse North. Kiewan Graham led Bloomfield Hills with 14 points. It's the Blackhawks first loss of the season. Bloomfield Hills coach Mike Maryanski's team will need to put this loss behind them as they play New Baltimore Anchor Bay on Wednesday at Macomb L'Anse Creuse North.

Take Aways From Day One of the Motor City Roundball Classic.

Written Tuesday December 27th at  12:40 PM

My take away's from Day One at the Motor City Round Ball Classic.

1. Southfield Arts and Tech Girls is vulnerable in Districts.

The Warriors Girls Basketball team did themselves no favors shocking losing 66-51 to Detroit Renaissance. Southfield Arts and Tech got a double-double from Deja Church and 18 points from freshman Cheyenne McEvans. There is a big concern now because down the line, the Warriors and Phoenix will meet up again likely in districts and they are in Detroit. Southfield Arts and Tech must address their Detroit Renaissance problem or it could be the rebirth of the Phoenix in districts.

2. Clarkston Girls is for real.

The Wolves Boys Basketball team are really good but so is the Girls, posting an 7-0 record heading into tonight’s game with Detroit Cass Tech. Clarkston won 66-41 over River Rouge and got 27 points from Maddie Beck and 21 from Kayla Luchenbach. The Wolves have benefited from Beck, Luchenbach, and Molly Nicholson. They will be the key for the Wolves heading into league play.

3. Berkley Boys are in Trouble.

The honeymoon might be over for coach Joe Sermo as the Bears were blown out for the third time this season, this time it was to Grand Rapids Union 62-23. Berkley has not been the same team since winning 53-52 over Madison Heights Bishop Foley and lost to Rochester and Seaholm in blowout fashions at home. The Bears still have a tough schedule coming up in January with games at Stoney Creek and at Orion before opening up league play at Farmington.

4. Don’t buy the Farmington Boys Hype yet.

The Falcons got a huge emotional win over their arch rival North Farmington 65-58 last week but they blew a game on Monday afternoon losing 70-65 to Detroit Fredrick Douglass. Detroit Fredrick Douglass is not that good. Jack Kirby and Jordan Graham are very good players for coach Terrance Porter but defensibly will be the key if Farmington wants to get better this season and it could help them going forward. The Falcons are in a division that they should win (Gold) and could very well be a factor later in the season in districts.

5. West Bloomfield Boys Better than People Think.

You don’t want to look too hard at the Lakers overall record, that’s because West Bloomfield has played a very tough non-conference schedule and they have been competitive in all of those games including Monday night when they fell 51-48 to a very good Cincinatti Withrow team. The Lakers behind Kevin McCado and Davion Johnson will be fine.

6. Pontiac Boys still a work in Progress.

The Phoenix suffered a disappointing 78-51 loss to Livonia Stevenson on Monday night. However, the Phoenix could be a factor this season despite losing two straight games. Pontiac still has some talent led by David Wilson, DeShawn Jackson, Kravion Williams, and transfer Cleontai Brown. They are also trying to learn a new system as well and it will take time for them to grow.

7. Oak Park Girls Might want to forget about December.

It’s hard for me to say this but the Knights are not that good especially in the month of December where they finished the month at 0-4 losing by at least 11 points. It also included a 56-29 loss to Wyandotte Roosevelt on Monday night. Oak Park coach Peggy Evans-Carr needs to get her team back on the right track in January if the Knights want to go anywhere this season.

8. Harrison Girls will be as Good as Pickens and Perkins takes them.

The Hawks have a new coach in Shavon Caldwell but this is a team that is still learning to overcome the departures of Kristen Nelson and Amber Stephens. Teddi Pickens and Olivia Perkins are right now carrying the Hawks right now. Pickens and Perkins scored a combined 17 of Harrison’s 35 points in a 44-35 loss to Saginaw Arthur Hill on Monday night. Nyla Warren had a big game against Grosse Pointe Liggett scoring 30 points in a blowout win a few weeks ago, but was limited to four points. The Hawks will now head into league play against West Bloomfield but they will be as good as Pickens and Perkins takes them.

Rochester Holiday Classic Thoughts.

Written Tuesday December 27th at 12:00 AM


Here are my takes from the Rochester Holiday Tournament that occurred this past Friday at Rochester High School.

1.  Rochester Boys Are Very Good.

The Falcons Boys Basketball team is not bad as they took on a game Pontiac Notre Dame Prep team without two starters in Ivan Barazza-Duran and Chris Crawford. Rochester though did lose 58-56 but did get a combine 38 points from the Gullridge brothers (Larmarko 27, Corey 11) and 11 from Ben Compton. The Falcons are a deep team (ten deep) that will shoot and get dribble drive penetration to the basket. I like Ahmed Anthony, he is a very good point guard and knows how to run that team along with Drew Loftus when he is in the game. Anthony has a strong basketball IQ and reminds me a ton of a young Dave Holston from his days at Avondale. I’m not sold on Hunter Schlatter as I do have some concerns. Schlatter does show some flaws in his game and hasn't been consistent. He has had good games and is a three year starter but he is not very athletic. It showed against the Irish especially late in that game when he was blocked a couple of times going to the basket by the big's of Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. Schlatter missed a dribble drive layup with less than ten seconds left in the game. Now I know coach John Pleasant is high on Schlatter. If I had to do Rochester's starting lineup right now it would be Compton, Anthony, Barazza, Corey, and Lamarko Gillridge. Not being mean to Schlatter but he has to be consistent and probably a move to the bench might help him. The Falcons have a ton of weapons and they will be needed if they want to go anywhere this season.

2. Rochester Girls are in Deep Trouble.

The Falcons Girls are in deep trouble especially in the Blue after seeing their performance against Stoney Creek despite not having three starters play in that game. Tori Hawkins is out with an ankle injury and they had two others on vacation but they were on the court for five of those losses. In their six losses, they were blown out in five of them, including against Stoney Creek with their closest game being against Yale where they lost by four 52-48. I didn’t think the Cougars showed anything besides their famous North Farmington press and trap defense made by famous by legendary coach Tom Negoshian in that game. I thought Rochester would be better than people think with Hawkins having another year to prove herself and Paola Barazza-Duran along with Jenna Norgrove coming back from ACL surgeries but this team has not met the expectations to take the next step and it has shown in their six losses. Coach Adam Sheldon’s team has to play so much better if they want to compete in the Blue and get some wins. I can’t trust this team going forward especially in league play with Troy, Troy Athens, Avondale, and perhaps Seaholm being the wildcard. This Falcons team looks to be a fifth place team in this division.

3. Adams is Better than People think.

The Highlanders defensibly showed why they are going to be a tough out this season especially with Maggie Rogers, Makayla Smith, Hannah Simard, and Ryian Owusu. Adams did lose a tough one to Macomb Dakota 32-28 sending their record to 2-2 on the season. The other loss was to a very veteran laden Bloomfield Hills team 61-46. I like where coach Jackie Steinacker’s team is going especially with Red play looming but they are still a work in progress.

4. West Bloomfield is Good.

The Lakers are better than I thought, losing a tough one to a good Pontiac Notre Dame Prep team 41-35. West Bloomfield is very athletic, quick, and has some solid size. The Lakers has some solid players in Jordyn Elam, Kori Maxie, Destinee Cannon, Danica Murray, Jamila Elam, and Destiny Monroe. Ja. Elam is a solid player and likes to rebound in the interior. Murray, Jo. Elam, and Cannon are dribble drivers, Monroe is a combo player (can shoot and penetrate), while Maxie is a combo player along with being a solid three point shooter and good floor general. All of them are scoring threats. West Bloomfield has a tough game coming up with River Rouge before going into White play with a tough one with Royal Oak. West Bloomfield though is not deep but coach Zach Hilbers has this team going along.

5. Stoney Creek Will Go as Solek and Elkhout carries them.

The Cougars have a ton of talent on this year’s team but when you look at Stoney Creek more in depth it is clear that there are two that are more than capable of taking over a game by themselves in Emily Solek and Emily Elkhout. Elkhout and Solek are big and lengthy players along with great basketball IQ’s, they know how to play the game, they rebound, defend, and fit perfectly into coach Kellen James Tom Negoshian's pressure trap defense. Now the third one is Ally Voss, that I didn't mention here. Voss is a three-point shooter but in the past, has become more of a third option to Solek and Elkhout and that’s not a bad thing. Stoney Creek will be as good as Elkhout and Solek will carry them.

Stay tuned to OAA Now and the Blog for my thoughts on the Motor City Roundball Classic and the Bloomfield Hills Showcase.

Griffith out at Troy.

Written Sunday December 18th at 8:15 PM

There will be a new football coach and a new era at Troy next season.

Troy officials have fired Gary Griffith last month my sources have confirmed. Griffith has spent 42 years at Troy High School, 26 of them as a head coach for the Colts.

Griffith in his 26 years was 145-103 as head coach. His Colts won the 1994 State Championship finishing at 12-1.

He has coached some great players that went to top notch schools such as Michigan State. Some of which included Kevin Muma, Justin Losey, and the late Brian Ottney.

Troy has fallen on hard times lately going 7-29 since 2013 and was in the Blue this season. The Colts have lost four straight games to arch rival Troy Athens and had a bad loss to Royal Oak in the process as well. The last trip to the playoffs for Troy was in 2009 when they finished 6-4 losing to Warren Mott in the first round.

It is unknown who will replace Griffith as head coach at Troy but it’s possible former Birmingham Brother Rice coach Dave Sofran could get a call.

Whomever the new coach is must get the program back on track. The Colts did not have a freshman football team. It is unusual for as big of a school as Troy is not to have a freshman team this season.

The Colts moved up because of their enrollment to the White. Whomever takes over this team will have a tough task not only to get this team ready for the 2017 season but also to get this program on track as well.

Thoughts.

This comes down to wins and losses that cost Griffith his job. He was 7-29 since 2013 and did not have a Freshman program this year, which to me was very troublesome.

He has had trouble with lack of talent at Troy since the early 2000's and also before going down to the Blue his teams have had to play in the tough Red Division with powerhouses Orion and Clarkston because of their high enrollment.

Football in the late 2000's and 2010's has not been one of the main stays. Troy is an open enrollment within it's school district and the balk of the football talent has gone to Troy Athens. The Colts have a powerhouse soccer program and also one of the best marching bands in the State. So whomever the new coach is will have his work cut out for him.

I don't know whom will be the candidates for this job but if I had to make a list I would say that Dave Sofran has to be on top of my list. He made Birmingham Brother Rice into a playoff team last season after having a tough 2015 season before losing his job last week.

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

Elk Rapids firing of their Football Coach leads to whom really has Power.

Written Sunday November 18th at 11:50 AM

What is going on with the football landscape and who should be the ones making athletic decisions to hire and fire people, the School Board or an Athletic Director.

All interesting questions.

What happened in Elk Rapids was the School Board along with the Principal, the Superintendent, and the Athletic Director fired Ed Schindler from a place he coached at for 11 years in October.

Despite outcries from the community the School Board offered Schindler his job back last week but Schindler decided that Elk Rapids was no longer a place to coach and declined. He said that his firing has hurt his family the most.

What makes this sad is that Schindler is the winningest coach they have had in Elk Rapids in 36 years (60 wins.) He was the Track coach there as well and has stepped down from that.

Schindler concluded his Elk Rapids coaching career with a 60-57 record in his 11 seasons, which included in his final two seasons in which his Elks teams went a combined 2-15. However the decision to let Schindler go wasn't about wins and losses.

Schindler will be an assistant next season at Frankfort but the damage from Elk Rapids has already been done.

Who has the Power to hire and fire coaches???

In most school districts across the State the School Board has the power to renew contracts to coaches along with other budgetary and school decisions made but there are those that give power to the Athletic Director because the School Board trust him or her with their decisions.

School Board members are elected by the voters in their respective school districts while the principal and Athletic Director are named by the Superintendent.

Now I understand that people complain about certain issues like playing time or other issues but when a person gets fired without cause like Schindler did then it opens up a new case of worms.

I know this topic will open up debate. Every School district is different when it comes to power structure and they do things differently but who should be making these decisions, that is up for debate.