Early Basketball Insight.

Written Tuesday November 5th at 11:45 AM

These are my early indicators heading into basketball season which is only a few weeks away. These are not my rankings or projections but this is where I think the teams are at right now.

Boys

1. Clarkston- Wolves primed to have a bounce back season.

2. Troy- Guards are very strong, post is a question for the Colts.

3. Farmington- Guards are very strong, post is a question for the Falcons.

4. Ferndale- Making the jump up two divisions for the Eagles not as easy as people think.

5. Berkley- Bears are going to be scary this season.

6. North Farmington- Raiders could be dangerous this season.

7. Oak Park- Majority of the Knights are back. They should be a team to watch.

8. Oxford- All depends on the Townsend’s for the Wildcats.

9. West Bloomfield- Lakers should be solid this season.

10. Groves- Falcons should be better in year two under Coach Benny White.

11. Southfield Arts and Tech- Warriors have some questions heading into the season.

12. Stoney Creek- Cougars have the talent back to be probably the best team in the city of Rochester.

13. Bloomfield Hills- Blackhawks have the proven shooters, the interior is the question.

14. Lake Orion- It could be a long season for new coach Joel Schroeder and the Dragons.

15. Adams- New coach Jaret Thomas has made strides in improving the Highlanders.

16. Seaholm- Maples look to be improved after a tough year last season.

17. Rochester- Falcons should be better this season.

18. Troy Athens- Red Hawks should be a team to watch this season.

19. Avondale- New coach Pat Clancy has questions in the interior he will need to address.

20. Pontiac- It looks like its going to be a while for the Phoenix to return to last season's greatness.

21. Royal Oak- Ravens have been a hard team to figure out. They will be again this season.

Girls

1. Southfield Arts and Tech- Besides the Big Three, who else will step up for the Warriors???

2. West Bloomfield- Lakers are primed to have a big season.

3. Clarkston- If the Wolves offseason was an indicator then watch out.

4. Royal Oak- Is Sarah Soraghan ready to have a much bigger role this season???

5. Avondale- Yellow Jackets have a strong starting five but the bench is a question.

6. Adams- Highlanders might have the most dangerous three point shooter in Maggie Doelinga.

7. Oxford- Program strength is very strong for the Wildcats.

8. Lake Orion- Program strength is very strong for the Dragons.

9. Stoney Creek- Lily DiPani is the most underrated point guard in the league.

10. North Farmington- Raiders have Maya Kelly and Molly Simpson back but they still haven’t addressed the interior.

11. Troy- Colts took a bit of a hit with the departure of Kendal Zeiter but they should still be fine going forward.

12. Bloomfield Hills- How are the Blackhawks going to replace Maryam Hashim and Grace Getz???

13. Berkley- Bears toughen up their non-conference. They are ready to make some noise.

14. Troy Athens- Red Hawks have experience after a disappointing postseason last year.

15. Rochester- Falcons have their fourth coach in four seasons, need stability in the program.

16. Groves- Falcons have some questions but Ellie Ruprich and Mia Yarberry are back.

17. Seaholm- Maples have experience back. How will they respond in Coach Chris Manchester’s second year???

18. Farmington- Moving down to the Blue should help the Falcons be more competitive.

19. Ferndale- Eagles have a new coach in Keith Paris but the question is will he be there long term???

20. Pontiac- Phoenix could surprise some people, we’ll find out.

21. Oak Park- Knights will need to address a ton of things this season.

Rowley Steps Down at Oxford.

Written Monday November 4th at 2:00 PM

A coaching legend has decided to hang his whistle up.

Oxford football coach Bud Rowley has stepped down. He met with his coaches and players on Monday morning to announce his decision.

“I’m the luckiest man alive to have been able to coach here at Oxford. I love the kids, coaches, and the people in Oxford but it is just my time” Rowley said in a press release.

Rowley coached at Oxford for 45 years. He led the Wildcats to the 1992 State title and took them to three State Final appearances.

Rowley went 275-166-1 in his 45 years coaching Oxford in his traditional yellow pants.

“Coach Rowley bleeds blue and gold. I’ve never met an individual that is so passionate about the town he or she lives in. Coach Rowley is an icon in this town and he’ll never be forgotten” said Oxford Athletic Director Jordan Ackerman in the same press release.

The Oxford Football Twitter page posted on Rowley "We can't express how much Coach Rowley has meant to Oxford Football, Oxford High School, and the Oxford community. Thank You Coach for all you have done."

The Wildcats went 1-8 and 1-5 in the Red this season.

It is unknown if he will coach again next season according to Rowley's interview with Brendan Savage of M-Live. "When you lose it always does, I didn't retire, I just resigned that's all. If there is another coaching job then I'm going to grab it. I still want to coach, my son Kyle is the head coach at Hazel Park. I might go coach with him."

Rowley did look back at things in the interview "I'm not sure, a lot of things are up in the air. Time to look back and look at it and go from there" he concluded in the interview.

Thoughts

Rowley is a Wildcats icon. He led Oxford for 45 years coaching their football team and introduced the OAA to “Pound the Rock” which is iconic in Oxford in 2010. Rowley led the Wildcats to 20 playoff appearances in his time in Oxford.

I'll always remember the interviews with Rowley on Media Day especially when I ask him about his team's expectations, only short and sweet. "Win."

It will be very interesting to see who Ackerman and the Oxford administration chooses to replace Rowley. It could be in house but it’s possible that Ackerman and the Wildcats administration goes a different direction with their coaching search.

Only time will tell.

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

Here is the Press Release

http://www.oxfordathletics.org/general/2019-20/releases/20191104gvs0ml

2018 OAA Football Preview-Interview with Rowley 29-31 Minutes.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43eoxON7Jv8

2017 OAA Football Preview-Interview with Rowley 24-28 Minutes.

https://archive.org/details/OAA_Now_-_RED_Division_Football_Preview_Show_2017

Here is the M-Live Interview

https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2019/11/bud-rowley-resigns-after-43-years-as-oxfords-head-football-coach.html 

Football Thoughts After Week Ten.

Written Saturday November 2nd at 9:20 PM

Here are my thoughts about each team after Week Ten.

Seaholm: The Maples had a shootout with Sterling Heights on Friday night but they managed to get a hard earned win over the Stallions. Seaholm will seek their first district title since 2001 if they can beat their arch rival Groves next week. The Maples have lost seven straight to the Falcons.

Groves: The Falcons got an unexpected bye after what happened with the hazing incident that occurred at Warren De LaSalle but they will get ready to play arch rival Seaholm next week in the district final. The Falcons have won seven straight meetings over their 13 Mile rivals.

Oak Park: What happened to the Knights offense against Farmington on Friday night??? I can’t believe that Oak Park only scored six points against Farmington despite playing a tougher schedule. The Knights lose a lot of talent especially up front. Oak Park will be a team to keep an eye on this offseason.

Farmington: The Falcons sent a huge statement by beating Oak Park on Friday night. Farmington’s defense is legit as shown in that game. The Falcons will have a home game as they will host Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit for the district crown. Farmington will need more offensively if they want to beat the Cubs next week.

North Farmington: The Raiders had six turnovers which included five interceptions in a shocking loss to Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit on Saturday afternoon. North Farmington has lost eight straight playoff games. They had a successful season which included their first unbeaten season since 1978 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2013. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Raiders next season.

Adams: The Highlanders were shell shocked by Utica Eisenhower at Sweinhart Field on Friday night as they were shut out for the first time this season. Adams could not get anything going against a very stout Eagles defense and a very good Utica Eisenhower offense. The Highlanders lose a ton of talent but they could be back in the mix next season.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars are better than their record indicates as shown against a very good Lake Orion squad on Friday night. Stoney Creek dominated time of possession and had more plays than the Dragons but they had opportunities they didn’t capitalize on which cost them. The Cougars are going to be very scary next season.

Lake Orion: The Dragons especially their defense had to survive Stoney Creek on Friday night on their home field. Lake Orion was dominated in time of possession but they found a way to win. The Dragons will have another tough opponent next week in Utica Eisenhower for the district crown. The Eagles are very good and talented as well. Lake Orion is going have to play better if they want to make a run in the postseason.

West Bloomfield: The Lakers had no problem with Plymouth Canton on Friday night after a very strong second half. West Bloomfield will head to the district final and play Plymouth in the Swamp. The Lakers need to stay loose and focused and not look ahead to either Belleville or Brownstown Woodhaven in the regional.

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Playoff Upsets.

Written Saturday October 2nd at 4:10 PM

Here are some upsets that has me surprised. I will also update this on the Sammy High School Sports Blog as well.

There were a ton of upsets on the first weekend of the State playoffs.

Farmington 12, Oak Park 6: The Knights had won eight straight games since losing to West Bloomfield in week one. They won the White title as well this season. Oak Park had a ton of Division One College recruits on their roster and were the odds on favorites to win Division Two. The Falcons were in the Blue this year had a bye last week. They featured a very tough defense led by Jordan Turner. No one saw this one coming when Farmington shocked Oak Park 12-6 in Knight Valley on Friday night. The Falcons will play North Farmington or Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit next week.

East Kentwood 38, Rockford 12: The Falcons lost to the Rams 17-7 last week but they got a measure of revenge in a huge way led by Cameron Taylor as they blew out Rockford on Friday night. Taylor was a force in this game along with an East Kentwood defense that shut down the vaunted Rams offense all night. The Falcons will move onto take on Brighton next week.

Dakota 34, Chippewa Valley 13: The Cougars made a huge statement against their crosstown rivals after losing 27-21 to Chippewa Valley in week five. The Big Reds were the favorite to repeat as Division One State Champions. Macomb Dakota dominated Chippewa Valley throughout the game on all three phases of the game. The Cougars will face Sterling Heights Stevenson next week.

Detroit Cass Tech 24, Grosse Pointe South 17: The Technicians had to squeak into the playoffs at 5-4 after beating Clarkston last week. Detroit Cass Tech had to overcome a 17-10 deficit lead by Sebastian Brown who accounted for all three touchdowns in their win over the Blue Devils. The Technicians will head to Deaborn Fordson to play the Tractors next week.

Sanford Meridian 19, Ithaca 14: This was a huge upset considering how Ithaca’s reputation has been lately in Mid-Michigan. The Yellow Jackets turned the ball over three times while the Mustangs were very opportunistic in turning Ithaca’s mistakes into points. Sanford Meridian will head to Hemlock next week.

Midland Dow 27, Traverse City Central 24: The Chargers had a 27-0 lead against the Trojans on Friday night at Thirby Field but Traverse City Central fought back to make it a 27-24 game late but couldn’t recover the onside kick sealing the game for Midland Dow. The Chargers will head to Muskegon Mona Shores next week.

Port Huron 27, Port Huron Northern 21: Now people are going to say that Brendan McGregor’s injury had a huge impact on this game well it did. The Huskies beat the Big Reds 29-26 in week seven but Port Huron returned the favor to pull off the upset at Memorial Stadium. The Big Reds scored a go ahead score with 1:05 to play and then sealed it with an interception. Port Huron will head to St. Clair Shores Lakeview next week.

Flint Kearsley 20, Birmingham Brother Rice 19: The Hornets were in the playoffs for the first time in 21 years but who in the world would had thought they would beat the Warriors. Birmingham Brother Rice played a brutal schedule in the Catholic League Central and Lapeer as well but it came down to a missed PAT attempt that sealed the game for Flint Kearsley. The Hornets will play Orchard Lake St. Marys next week.

Riverview Gabriel Richard 17, Clinton 14: The Pioneers needed a winning field goal to stun Clinton 17-14 on Friday night. The Redskins came into this game undefeated but couldn’t pull away from Riverview Gabriel Richard. The Pioneers will face Jackson Lutheran Christi next week who blew out Homer 42-14 last week.

Grand Haven 28, Grandville 7: This was a rematch from week four when the Buccaneers lost 27-7 to the Bulldogs. Grand Haven makes a return to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and they would make a huge statement against Grandville. The Bulldogs had a tough loss to Caledonia last week but could not overcome the cob webs in this shocking loss. The Buccaneers will move on to play either Hudsonville or Traverse City West next week.

Livonia Churchill 41, Dexter 39: The Dreadnaughts had a shootout with the Chargers on Friday night which saw the lead go back and forth but Livonia Churchill had to stop a two point conversion attempt to seal the upset win over a tough Dexter squad. The Chargers playing in the tough Kensington Lakes Activities Association West will head to Battle Creek Lakeview next week.

St. Johns 17, Mason 7: The Red Wings needed to beat Alpena to make the playoffs at 5-4 pulled off a huge upset against the Bulldogs. Mason blew out St. Johns 46-7 in week five but it was St. Johns that sent a message. The Red Wings used time possession football to seal the upset. St. Johns will head to DeWitt next week.

Grand Rapids South Christian 31, Grand Rapids Christian 28: This was a huge upset as the Sailors beat the Eagles on Saturday afternoon. Grand Rapids Christian had beaten Grand Rapids South Christian 27-20 in week seven. The Sailors will meet Hudsonville Unity Christian next week.

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Troy Athens Takes Home a State title.

Written Saturday November 2nd at 3:00 PM

The Red Hawks took home their first State title since 1997 in Boys Soccer with a 4-1 double overtime victory over Traverse City West in the Division One State Finals on Saturday afternoon at Grand Rapids Comstock Park.

Troy Athens scored three unanswered goals to seal the win in overtime. They finished the season at 28-2-6 on the year.

It is the first title for the 2019-2020 school year for the OAA.

The Red Hawks had a strong season. They will be very good next season as well.

Week Ten Recap.

Written Friday November 1st at 10:45 PM

We'll recap North Farmington/Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit after their game on Saturday.

GROVES Advances Via Forfeit:

The Falcons advanced after a publicized hazing incident at Warren De LaSalle. Groves will move on play arch rival Seaholm in Beverly Hills on Friday.

SEAHOLM 55, Sterling Heights 34:

This game was a shootout on Friday night as the Maples beat Sterling Heights 55-34. Seaholm is 7-3 on the season and will have a rematch on Friday night in Beverly Hills against Groves.

FARMINGTON 12, OAK PARK 6:

This was a shocking upset. The Knights were the favorite in Division Two but it was the Falcons that had a week off and pulled off the stunner in Knight Valley 12-6. Farmington’s defense shut down Oak Park’s offense that was filled with Division One College bound recruits. The Knights finish the season at 8-2 while the Falcons are 8-1. Farmington will host Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit next week.

Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit 34, NORTH FARMINGTON 21:

The Raiders could not overcome Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit on Saturday afternoon as they were blown out by the Cubs on their home field 34-21. North Farmington who is in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 after having their first undefeated season since 1978. The Raiders had six turnovers and were picked off five times in the game. North Farmington finishes the season at 9-1.

Utica Eisenhower 24, ADAMS 0:

The Highlanders struggled against a very good Utica Eisenhower team falling 24-0 at Sweinhart Field to finish the season at 7-3. The Eagles had a monster game from quarterback Blake Rastigue and a strong defense that had two interceptions. Rastigue was 13 for 18 with 198 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Ethan Barker. Utica Eisenhower will head to Lake Orion next week to face the Dragons.

LAKE ORION 21, STONEY CREEK 14:

The Dragons needed to survive on Friday night against the Cougars 21-14. The game was much closer than the score indicated. Stoney Creek dominated time of possesion all night but Lake Orion's defense found a way to stop the Cougars high octane offense. Stoney Creek finished the season a very deceptive 5-5. The Cougars will be very good next season. The Dragons are 9-1 will move on and host Utica Eisenhower next week.

WEST BLOOMFIELD 49, Plymouth Canton 14:

The Lakers had no problem with the Chiefs of Plymouth Canton on Friday night winning 49-14 in the Swamp. West Bloomfield moves to 9-1 on the season and will host Plymouth next week.

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Groves Gets Unexpected Bye In Pre-District.

Written Thursday October 31st at 5:40 PM

The Falcons will get an unexpected bye week to heal up.

Groves (7-2) was supposed to play Warren DeLaSalle on Friday night in the Division Two pre-district playoffs at Beverly Hills but was awarded the win because of forfeit.

The reason for the Pilots forfeiting was because there was an alleged hazing incident that school officials became aware of this week and that the incident had deeper roots than originally thought according to the Warren DeLaSalle Press release and as confirmed in the local media.

Warren DeLaSalle officials made the call to cancel their season and their playoff game on Thursday morning.

The Falcons will either meet Seaholm or Sterling Heights in Beverly Hills next week for the district crown.

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

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