Lake Orion has their new Boys Basketball Coach.

Written Friday April 26th at 2:00 PM

The Lake Orion Dragons have a new Boys Basketball coach and it’s a familiar name to the OAA.

Lake Orion Athletic Director Chris Bell named Pontiac coach Joel Schroeder to the same position replacing Jim Manzo who guided the program on two stints, one from 2000 until 2008 and then from 2015 until last season.

Schroeder who was at Pontiac for three seasons led the Phoenix to an 18-2 regular season record along with a district championship run. The Phoenix fell to New Haven in the regional final and finish 22-3 overall last season.

Bell said in a press release that Schroeder was the perfect fit for the program going forward. “His years of successful coaching experience, his ability to build a championship program, and his ability to work positively with high school athletes make Coach Schroeder a tremendous fit for Lake Orion High School.”

The Dragons went 13-9 overall last season with was tied for second in the Red (finished 12-8 in the regular season.) Lake Orion returns several key players who saw a ton of playing time in Drew Van Heck, Dylan Boegihemier, Cameron Sutton, Isiah Harris, and Jack Cummins to go along with a Junior Varsity that has some talent moving up.

Thoughts.

I think there is a lot to prove here on both sides.

For Schroeder coaching in the Red with a proven group and if he can get the players to buy in. He has never been in the Red. If the players and Schroeder are on the same page with this brutal schedule then who knows. The challenge for Schroeder will be is can he build the program the same way that Manzo did.

For the players having a new coach, adjusting to his system, and most of the players in the program has played Pontiac when they were in the Blue. It’s going to take an adjustment period for them to adapt to his system.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

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

Podcast
https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-04-29-19

Follow-up from The Dragons Insider
https://saginawbay.blogspot.com/2019/04/written-sunday-april-28th-at-1030-pm.html

The Article from MIPrepZone's Scott Burnstein.
https://www.theoaklandpress.com/sports/miprepzone/prep-notebook-schroeder-leaving-pontiac-to-take-over-at-lake/article_e223e368-6a12-11e9-91ae-7b8dfd15b76f.html

Here is the Press Release from Lake Orion Athletic Director, Chris Bell.
https://lodragonsports.com/2019/04/26/joel-schroeder-named-boys-head-varsity-basketball-coach/