Week Fourteen Picks.

Written Monday November 20th at 7:30 PM

Welcome to the 2017 OAA Football Season, this season we will pick games that include OAA Teams. This year we have Anthony Taormina from History Now and Between Taorminas on Orion Neighborhood Television, Scott Burnstein from MIPrepZone and State Champs, Dan Stickradt from North Oakland Sports, Keith Dunlap a free-lance writer at the Detroit Free Press, and Sean Cotter Ford worker and Farmington loyalist.

SAMMY 89-50

ANT 107-32

SEAN 110-29

STICK 113-26

KEITH 113-26

BURNEY 105-34

Happy State Finals week all. Both games are Saturday with Division One at 1 PM and Division Three at 7:30 PM at Ford Field.

Division One

WEST BLOOMFIELD vs. CLARKSTON

This is a matchup everyone looks forward too, an all Red State Final and why not these two teams ABSOLUTELY DESERVE TO BE AT FORD FIELD. This is a rematch of a 37-15 West Bloomfield win back in week four in the Swamp. The Lakers have gone through so much adversity starting off with the high expectations with seven Division One recruits on their team. They didn’t start off well as they sat at 0-2 with tough losses to Walled Lake Western and Bloomfield Hills. West Bloomfield managed to right the ship after that but took another setback internally. Lakers field goal kicker and punter Nick O’Shea’s father passed away suddenly. The shocking passing has brought the team and the community together on their journey to the playoffs. West Bloomfield had to go through an improbable playoff run with wins over Bloomfield Hills, Waterford Mott, Utica Eisenhower, and Detroit Cass Tech. The last two games were memorable with Bryce Veasley scoring the winning touchdown at Sweinhart to O’Shea’s three field goals and Makari Paige’s pick to seal the 9-7 win over the Technicians at Troy Athens to get to their first ever State Championship game behind a stingy defense that hasn’t gotten the praise it has deserved all season. The Wolves has had a ton of success not only in the regular season but in the postseason as well. Clarkston’s path in the playoffs went through Grand Blanc and Davison in the district but what made the Wolves go through their adversity was when they went to Holland and played Holland West Ottawa in the Regional Final. Clarkston trailed 22-6 at the half only to come back to stun the Panthers 29-22. The Wolves used a solid running game in their win in Holland behind Josh Cantu and Michael Fleugel and they were put to good use last week against Novi Detroit Catholic Central where the duo combined for 40 carries for 200 yards and four touchdowns against the Shamrocks in a shocking 27-7 beat-down at Walled Lake Western. Clarkston does take a hit in this game as Cantu will be out with a knee injury. The Wolves defense has played well for 14 quarters in the playoffs. This matchup looks to be a battle of strengths vs weaknesses. Expect both teams to expose each other’s weaknesses. I got to give credit to both Clarkston coach Kurt Richardson and Lakers coach Ron Bellamy for getting their teams to this point. For me to say to both of these teams and fan bases, enjoy the moment at Ford Field, both teams deserve to be here.

SAMMY PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 28, CLARKSTON 14.

ANT PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 31, CLARKSTON 17.

SEAN PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 31, CLARKSTON 28.

STICK PICK: CLARKSTON 28, WEST BLOOMFIELD 21.

KEITH PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 31, CLARKSTON 14.

BURNEY PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 30, CLARKSTON 27.

Division Three

HARRISON vs. Muskegon

The Hawks journey throughout the playoffs has been incredible winning all four of their playoff games on the road which included trips to Warren Fitzgerald, Warren Woods Tower, Linden, and last week at Rochester against Riverview. Harrison has been led by Roderick Heard whom has had a big postseason including two big touchdowns, one from the ground and one from the air last week against the Pirates in a 21-0 victory in the State Semifinals. Coach John Herrington’s team will see their biggest test of the season at Ford Field when they take on a Muskegon team that has been rolling people. The Big Reds whom are making their fourth State Final in five years and is ranked 15^th in the USA Today poll is very talented with six players having Division One college offers. They have shut out seven opponents while putting up 35 or more points in the process, including a few routs in the playoffs. Muskegon has six possible Division One recruits as mentioned, led by starting quarterback La'Darius Jefferson. Jefferson whom recently won the MLive's Football Player Of the Year leads a Big Reds team that runs the Read Option offens  for coach Shane Fairfield. Jefferson was responsible for five touchdowns with four of them on the ground in Muskegon’s 42-0 beat-down of Battle Creek Harper Creek to which the Big Reds had 418 total yards with 375 of them on the ground. Muskegon has two big offensive lineman in Penn State bound 6.6 325 lbs Austin Reed and 6.6 330 lbs junior Anthony Bradford whom is getting multiple offers. Harrison whom is not deep coming into the game will have their hands full with the big and talented Big Reds team but they are playing with nothing to lose.

SAMMY PICK: MUSKEGON 24, HARRISON 21.

ANT PICK: MUSKEGON 49, HARRISON 21.

SEAN PICK: MUSKEGON 35, HARRISON 7.

STICK PICK: MUSKEGON 35, HARRISON 21.

KEITH PICK: MUSKEGON 49, HARRISON 7.

BURNEY PICK: MUSKEGON 28, HARRISON 21.

Here is the podcast to preview the games, feel free to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR1WLTZpgnU