Opinion: Basketball District Assignment Projections for Division One and Division Two.

Written Friday June 25th at 1:05 AM

Hello everyone this is an opinion piece. The MHSAA has not released the girls and boys basketball district assignments as of yet. Hopefully they release them sometime this week. I made my very own district assignment projections to see where each school would be in for Divisions One and Two. I used the recent MHSAA 2021-2022 updated school division lists and also the volleyball districts since they are the likely indicator even though the league has not always followed the volleyball district path.

Here are my district projections for where I see each team. The MHSAA might and most likely do things differently. OAA schools are in caps. These are NOT the official district assignments. They will come out when the MHSAA releases the district assignments. Hopefully the MHSAA considers my district assignment projections.

I welcome everyone's district assignment opinions on the comments section and will respond to them. Who knows your comments could be on the podcast.

Anyway here they are.

Division One

 

District 1

Alpena

Gaylord

Marquette

Petoskey

Traverse City Central

Traverse City West

 

District 2

Bay City Western

Bay City Central

Mt Pleasant

Midland

Midland Dow

Saginaw Arthur Hill

 

District 3

Flint Carman Ainsworth

Flint Kearsley

Flint

Flushing

Swartz Creek

Saginaw Heritage

 

District 4

Davison

Fenton

Grand Blanc

Lapeer

Fenton

 

District 5

CLARKSTON

Waterford Kettering

Holly

Walled Lake Western

Walled Lake Northern

Walled Lake Central

 

District 6

Lakeland

Milford

Hartland

Brighton

Howell

 

District 7

SEAHOLM

GROVES

Birmingham Marian/Birmingham Brother Rice

BLOOMFIELD HILLS

WEST BLOOMFIELD

Orchard Lake St. Marys

 

District 8

OXFORD

LAKE ORION

AVONDALE

PONTIAC

ADAMS

Waterford Mott

 

District 9

Coopersville

Grand Haven

Muskegon

Muskegon Reefs Puffer

Muskegon Mona Shores

 

District 10

East Kentwood

Jenison

Grand Rapids Union

Grandville

Wyoming

 

District 11

East Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central

Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills

Lowell

 

District 12

Cedar Springs

Grand Rapids Kewona Hills

Grand Rapids Northview

Rockford

Greenville

 

District 13

Holland

Holland West Ottawa

Grand Haven

Zeeland East

Zeeland West

Hudsonville

 

District 14

Byron Center

Caledonia

Kalamazoo Central

Middleville Thornapple Kellogg

Richland Gull Lake

 

District 15

Mattawan

Portage Northern

Portage Central

St. Joseph

Stevensville-Lakeshore

 

District 16

Battle Creek Central

Battle Creek Lakeview

Kalamazoo Lady Norrix

Coldwater

Sturgis

 

District 17

Lansing Waverly

DeWitt

East Lansing

Grand Ledge

St. Johns

 

District 18

Haslett

Lansing Holt

Lansing Everett

Mason

Okemos

 

District 19

Ann Arbor Pioneer

Ann Arbor Skyline

Jackson

Jackson Northwest

Dexter

Parma Western

 

District 20

Novi

Novi Detroit Catholic Central/Farmington Hills Mercy

Northville

FARMINGTON

NORTH FARMINGTON

Livonia Stevenson

 

District 21

Ann Arbor Huron

Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti Lincoln

Plymouth

Plymouth Salem

Plymouth Canton

 

District 22

Livonia Churchill

Livonia Franklin

Wayne Memorial

Westland John Glenn

Garden City

 

District 23

Monroe

Temperance Bedford

Saline

Belleville

Romulus

 

District 24

Brownstown Woodhaven

Wyandotte

Riverview

Southgate Anderson

Trenton

Taylor

 

District 25

Dearborn Fordson

Dearborn

Dearborn Edsel Ford

Melvindale

Allen Park

Lincoln Park

 

District 26

Detroit Cass Tech

Detroit Martin Luther King

Detroit Western

Detroit East English Village Prep

Hamtramck

River Rouge

 

District 27

BERKLEY

Detroit Mumford

Detroit Renaissance

OAK PARK

Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH

 

District 28

Grosse Pointe North

Grosse Pointe South

Roseville

Warren Fitzgerald

Warren Woods Tower

 

District 29

Fraser

Sterling Heights

Sterling Heights Stevenson

Utica

Utica Ford II

 

District 30

Chippewa Valley

Macomb Dakota

Macomb L’Anse Creuse North

Macomb L’Anse Creuse

St. Clair Shores Lakeview

St. Clair Shores Lakeshore

 

District 31

TROY

TROY ATHENS

Warren Cousino

Warren Mott

Royal Oak

Warren Regina/Warren De LaSalle

 

District 32

ROCHESTER

STONEY CREEK

Romeo

Utica Eisenhower

Port Huron

Port Huron Northern

 

Division Two

 

District 33

Cheboygan

Escanaba

Houghton

Sault Sainte Marie

Kingsford

Neagunee

 

District 34

Boyne City

Cadillac

Kalkaska

Kingsley

Ludington

Manistee

 

District 35

Alma

Big Rapids

Reed City

Chippewa Hills

Shepherd

 

District 36

Clare

Gladwin

Midland Bullock Creek

Ogemaw Heights

Standish-Sterling

 

District 37

Bay City John Glenn

Carrolton

Essexville Garber

Saginaw Swan Valley

Freeland

 

District 38

Birch Run

Bridgeport

Chesaning

Frankenmuth

Saginaw

 

District 39

Clio

Mount Morris

Flint Hamady

Flint Powers

Otisville Lakeville-Memorial

 

District 40

Almont

Goodrich

Brandon

Imlay City

North Branch

 

District 41

Fruitport

Montague

Muskegon Oakridge

Muskegon Orchard View

Spring Lake

Whitehall

 

District 42

Fremont

Grant

Howard Tri City

Newaygo

Sparta

 

District 43

Allendale

Comstock Park

Grand Rapids Catholic Central

Grand Rapids West Catholic

Hudsonville Unity Christian

Wyoming Lee

 

District 44

Forest Hills Eastern

Grand Rapids Christian

Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy

Kentwood Grand River Prep

Godwin Heights

Kelloggsville

 

District 45

Grand Rapids South Christian

Hamilton

Hopkins

Holland Christian

Wayland

 

District 46

Allegan

Otsego

Paw Paw

South Haven

Plainwell

 

District 47

Benton Harbor

Berrien Springs

Coloma

Dowagiac

Edwardsburg

Niles

 

District 48

Three Rivers

Vicksburg

Parchment

Constantine

Comstock

 

District 49

Belding

Hastings

Ionia

Lake Odessa Lakewood

Portland

 

District 50

Battle Creek Harper Creek

Battle Creek Pennfield

Olivet

Marshall

Eaton Rapids

Charlotte

 

District 51

Corunna

Lansing Catholic

Lansing Eastern

Lansing Sexton

Ovid Elsie

Owosso

 

District 52

Durand

Fowlerville

Lake Fenton

Pinckney

Stockbridge

Williamston

 

District 53

Adrian

Tecumseh

Jonesville

Hillsdale

Onsted

 

District 54

Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard

Chelsea

Milan

Dundee

Ida

 

District 55

Flat Rock

Carleton Airport

Grosse Ile

New Boston Huron

Romulus Summit Academy North

 

District 56

Dearborn Heights Annapolis

Dearborn Henry Ford

Dearborn Robichaud

Livonia Clarenceville

Redford Union

Redford Westfield Prep

 

District 57

Birmingham Detroit Country Day

Detroit Pershing

FERNDALE

FERNDALE UNIVERSITY

Hazel Park

 

District 58

Detroit Henry Ford

Detroit Jalen Rose Academy

Detroit Old Redford

Detroit CMA

Detroit Cornerstone

 

District 59

Dearborn Advanced Tech

Detroit Cesar Chavez

Detroit Collegiate Prep

Detroit Frontier International

Detroit University Prep

Detroit University Prep Arts and Design

 

District 60

Detroit Denby

Detroit Edison

Detroit Osborn

Detroit Southeastern

Detroit University Prep Science and Math

 

District 61

Center Line

Eastpointe

HARPER WOODS

Harper Woods Chandler Park

St. Clair Shores South Lake

 

District 62

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood

Clawson

Madison Heights Lamphere

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep

Warren Michigan Colligate

 

District 63

Algonac

Armada

Macomb Lutheran North

New Haven

Richmond

Warren Lincoln

 

District 64

Croswell-Lexington

Marine City

St. Clair

Yale

Marysville

Rochester has their new Boys Basketball Coach.

Written Thursday June 17th at 4:20 PM

Updated Friday June 18th at 12:30 PM

The Falcons are bringing in someone very familiar with the building and is well known within the area as their new boys basketball coach.

Rochester named Nick Evola as the team’s new varsity boys basketball coach confirmed by a very accurate source. Evola confirmed on his Twitter the move on the following day. He takes over for Vance Kirkwood whom was let go in May.  

Kirkwood became the new girls basketball coach at Sterling Heights Stevenson last week.

Evola teaches at Rochester which is a huge plus. 

Evola coached his alma mater Warren Woods Tower from 2011-2019. He led the Titans to the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division title in 2018.

Evola is well known for his run and gun offense when he was at Warren Woods Tower.

Evola was originally named Adams head coach in 2019 but had a change of heart seven days later and left all of a sudden. The job eventually went to Jaret Thomas where he had done a magnificent job with the Highlanders.

Rochester won the Gold despite going 6-8 last season. They have a ton of experience coming back for Evola in Matt Stone, Gabe Mendoza, DJ Reid, Arman Hussiani, Preyston Schroeder, Connor Craium, and Louis Bowes. Program strength is a bit of a question mark for the Falcons.

The Falcons with Evola will be in the Blue this winter and compete against the likes of Oxford, Berkley, Southfield Arts and Tech, Troy Athens, and Seaholm. The district is unknown at this time.

Thoughts

This is an interesting hire for the Falcons. The challenge for Evola will be program strength. Kirkwood had a ton of success when it came to program strength at Rochester despite all the struggles on the varsity level. Also another concern is the competition especially going to the Blue and dealing with some new teams even though there are some familiar ones as well.

I expect the Falcons to be very good this season with the experience back. I know a lot of experts are calling this a great hire for Rochester but there are always questions surrounding a team and this one is no different.

It will be interesting to watch for sure.

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

My Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-06-21-21

Girls Soccer State Finals Preview.

Written Thursday June 17th at 2:00 PM

The Troy Athens Red Hawks are back in the Girls Soccer Division One State Finals for the first time in 21 years after beating Ann Arbor Skyline at Troy 2-0 on Wednesday evening.

Troy Athens will play Hartland  at 4 PM on Saturday at Michigan State.

The Eagles are coming off a 3-2 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills at Lansing Holt on Wednesday evening. Hartland needed two goals in the second half to get to this game.

It will be very interesting to see how the Red Hawks match up with the Eagles. Both teams are big and have size. Also both teams are good defensively and time of possession as well.

PREDICTION

Troy Athens has been the State's top ranked team all season long. They have wins over Ann Arbor Skyline, Romeo, and New Baltimore Anchor Bay. Hartland has earned their way here with wins over Novi, Grand Rapids Forest Hills and Lake Orion. I think the Red Hawks are on a mission. If Troy Athens can win this game it will bring the OAA their fifth state title in the 2020-2021 school year  (West Bloomfield-Football, Bloomfield Hills- Girls Tennis, Seaholm- Girls Swimming and Diving, Adams- Cheerleading.) PICK: TROY ATHENS.

Adams has their new Girls Basketball Coach.

Written Tuesday June 15th at 9:45 PM

Adams has their new girls basketball coach and it's an interesting name and hire for some folks.

The Highlanders named Joe Malburg the new head coach confirmed by a very accurate source. Malburg takes over for Shay Lewis whom stepped down in March after leading Adams to the district finals in the last two years.

Malburg comes to Adams from Sterling Heights Parkway Christian. He went 25-32 in his three seasons coaching the Eagles girls basketball program. Malburg went 15-8 making the district finals in his second season. His team did struggle a little bit finishing at 6-7 last season. Malburg does have an indirect familiarity with Adams. He was an assistant at Almont with former Highlanders and current Raiders boys basketball coach John Hall and current Stoney Creek girls assistant coach Chris Flynn. Malburg also spent time coaching at Utica and Romeo as well.

Malburg is known for his intensity and his well known for his attention to detail.

Malburg will have to address a ton of things with his new program. Program strength should be his top priority. The Highlanders did not field a freshman program last season. Adams lost a ton of experience on the varsity in Maddie Dolenga, Lauren Petersmark, and Elizabeth Blaine to graduation as well last season. There is talent at Adams which should help with Maddie Kessman, AuJayna Howard, Emma Klott, Abby Skiff, Olivia Marcial, Samantha Blaine, and Abbey Drahnak coming back for Malburg.

Adams will be in the White this winter going up against the likes of Lake Orion, Oxford, North Farmington, Troy Athens, Berkley, Rochester, and Bloomfield Hills. The district is unknown at this time.

Thoughts

I really like the hire of Malburg. He’s very intense and very competitive. Malburg will have his hands full at Adams when it comes to program strength. I’m really curious especially with the Highlanders returners in Kessman, Howard, Klott, Skiff, Marcial, Blaine, and Drahnak with how they will adjust to Malburg and his style of play.

It will take some time for Malburg to develop a system and to build a new culture at Adams.

If Malburg can bring back the freshman program and bring stability to a program that needs it then the Highlanders can go a long way into the future.

Stay tuned to OAA Now on this developing story. 

My Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-06-21-21

State Semifinal Girls Soccer Preview.

Written Monday May 14th at 12:15 PM

TROY ATHENS vs Ann Arbor Skyline @ Troy

The Red Hawks are in the Division One State Semifinals after beating Romeo and New Baltimore Anchor Bay in the regionals on their home field. Ann Arbor Skyline is coming off two 1-0 wins over Dearborn and Plymouth Canton in the regionals. The Eagles have been living on the edge lately. This will be an interesting matchup in the Division One State Semifinals. It's going to be tough for Ann Arbor Skyline having to travel to Troy. Troy Athens only has to travel about two miles to their arch rivals field. I can see the Red Hawks getting to the Division One State Finals in East Lansing against Grand Rapids Forest Hills or Hartland on Saturday.

My Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-06-14-21a