Hilbers Out at West Bloomfield.

Written Tuesday May 9th at 8:10 PM

West Bloomfield is now looking for a new Girls Basketball Coach.

Zach Hilbers has stepped down from coaching the Lakers Girls Basketball program. He spent six seasons coaching the program taking it over for coach Steve Larkin.

Hilbers also coaches track along with football as an assistant under coach Ronald Bellamy.

West Bloomfield had a tough season in 2016-2017, finishing at 6-15 losing to Farmington Hills Mercy 49-22 in the district semifinal. What didn’t help things was that Hilbers’s team lost center Jamila Elam as she transferred to Birmingham Detroit Country Day in the middle of the season.

Hilbers concludes his six seasons with a 28-49 record. He has coached some great players to come out of the program in Rachel Harnish, Sydney Davis, and Jordan Elam.

West Bloomfield will be very young next season in the White but they will have Mya Bobo, Ellie Soverinsky, and Destiny Monroe returning along with a solid Junior Varsity program.

Thoughts.

I was shocked when I heard Hilbers had stepped down from coaching Girls Basketball but he still will coach football with the Lakers as an assistant and he is a track coach with West Bloomfield.

When I look at West Bloomfield as a program, they don't really need a rebuild but there is talent over at Laker land. If I had to pick the next head coach at West Bloomfield, it’s an easy one for me, in Bert Mosley.

Mosley coached the Junior Varsity team under Hilbers and he has had great teams come out of West Bloomfield. He is a passionate guy whom is committed to getting the Lakers to where they need to be.

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

Track and Field League Meet Preview.

Written Tuesday May 9th at 12:05 PM

Here are some of my insight on the league meets for Track and Field this week so enjoy. The Red meet is on Wednesday, the Gold and Blue meets are on Thursday, and the White meet is on Friday.

Blue @ Farmington

Seaholm

Groves

West Bloomfield

Farmington

Harrison

North Farmington

Boys Insight: This will be an interesting meet because there are four solid teams in Farmington, West Bloomfield, Groves, and Seaholm. Groves and Farmington will be huge in the sprints, Seaholm is expected to do some damage in the field events and distance. There is the West Bloomfield factor, the Lakers are athletic and talented and can-do damage in the sprints and relays. Also, Harrison and North Farmington will score some points as well.

Girls Insight: Seaholm looks to be the favorite but keep an eye on West Bloomfield, they could be the toughest challenger to the Maples. Groves looks to be the Darkhorse along with the hosts Farmington. Harrison and North Farmington could score some points as well in this meet.

Prediction: I like Seaholm in the Girls because of their long and mid distance. In the boys, I like West Bloomfield in a tight race with Farmington, Groves, and Seaholm.

Gold @ Oak Park

Oak Park

Ferndale

Royal Oak

Hazel Park

Southfield Arts and Tech

Berkley

Boys Insight: When looking at this meet, Oak Park is the face of this division. Southfield Arts and Tech will give Oak Park some trouble. Royal Oak is a Darkhorse candidate. I don’t expect much from Ferndale, Berkley, or Hazel Park.

Girls Insight: Oak Park is the face of this meet, they are very talented. Royal Oak is solid in the hurdles and Southfield Arts and Tech in the field events. I don’t expect much from Hazel Park, Ferndale, or Berkley here.

Prediction: No one is touching Oak Park here in both Boys and Girls.

White @ Bloomfield Hills

Bloomfield Hills

Troy

Athens

Stoney Creek

Pontiac

Avondale

Boys Insight: There a lot of teams are solid in different areas. Bloomfield Hills is very solid this season but watch out for Stoney Creek they will challenge Bloomfield Hills. Avondale is your Darkhorse team along with Troy Athens. Troy is very improved as well so watch out for them as well.

Girls Insight: Troy and Bloomfield Hills are the best teams in this league. The Colts strength are the distances while the Blackhawks are very athletic and have depth everywhere. This has the makings of a close meet between those two teams. Stoney Creek is your Darkhorse.

Prediction: Girls it will be the hosts Bloomfield Hills, too much depth everywhere else. In Boys I like Bloomfield Hills like the girls, it will be a repeat performance in that area.

Red @ Oxford

Oxford

Orion

Clarkston

Adams

Rochester

Boys Insight: Orion has won the league title in the regular season but Adams will be the team that challenges the Dragons. Oxford is a huge threat in the field events and is expected to do some damage there. Clarkston is deep and Rochester is an interesting team to keep an eye on as well.

Girls Insight: Orion looks really good to take the crown outright but oddly enough it’s not Clarkston that they have to worry about sharing the crown with, it’s Adams. Adams beat Clarkston in the regular season but lost to Orion. Clarkston could do damage to both Adams and Orion.

Prediction: Orion has clinched at least a share of the league title but expect Adams to make a push here in the boys, they could very well win the meet. In the Girls, I’m not sure how Clarkston is going to play this but the Dragons match them depth for depth and I think they will be the ones that win it outright.

MHSAA Rules Two Clawson Players that transfered Ineligible due to Athletic Reasons.

Written Thursday May 4th at 11:30 AM
Updated Thursday May 4th at 6:00 PM

Well it’s a start but it doesn’t fix the problem.

According to State Champs, Tom Markowski, the MHSAA handed down a ruling that two students whom transferred from Clawson to Waterford Mott in March were deemed athletically ineligible for one school year.

The MHSAA decided that the transfers was athletically motivated.

The move means that the two players have to sit out the entire school year (180 Days) meaning that they wouldn’t be able to play sports for one school year at Waterford Mott. It’s to my understanding that both players play football and basketball.

The one year ban will begin in August in which both players will be Juniors next season.

According to Markowski, Clawson administrators filed a complaint with the MHSAA surrounding the transfers of these student athletes. Waterford Mott then send a rebuttal but Clawson responded to the rebuttal believing the students were transferring to Waterford Mott because of athletic reasons.

The league believed Clawson and informed Waterford Mott about their decision to keep the two players sidelined.

Waterford Mott officials were not punished like what happened last season surrounding their football team when they were caught having an illegal gathering and undue influence with student athletes to play at Waterford Mott.

The MHSAA found no evidence of influence surrounding these two student athletes.

Markowski in his blog wrote something really interesting but true. "If the players original school whom they are transferring out of doesn’t speak up and send their case to the MHSAA, then the league can’t do anything about it."

Maybe this is a wake-up call to everyone involved???

I wonder if this decision will get other schools to follow suit what Clawson did???

It's possible.

I know this subject is up for debate but you see schools like Detroit Cass Tech, Detroit Martin Luther King, Walled Lake Western, West Bloomfield, Waterford Mott, Macomb Dakota, Southfield Arts and Tech, among others have brought in transfers in the past. Some of these schools still continue it to do it to this day. The reason why students want to leave their original school is mainly because of these three issues that students and even parents have. The first issue is playing time for the student, they want to play. The second issue is that the student doesn't like the system that the coach has put in. The third issue, and I think this is the main issue why students want to transfer out and that's because the student feels that they have a better opportunity going somewhere else with their parents blessing and at getting looked at for a College Scholarship.

Many of these student athletes have taken advantage of the third issue by using the academic card to hide the belief that the transfer out of the original school is athletically motivated because of the belief that the student would go to a powerhouse school, become a star, and get that College Scholarship along the way.

Sometimes it doesn't work that way.

I’ve said this so many times in my podcast, OAA Now. I don’t have a problem if a student’s family moves in district, they can play right away because they are in district. What I do have a problem with is for example if a kid is from a suburban school in Oakland County and they wanted to transfer to Detroit to play for the likes Detroit Cass Tech and/or Detroit Martin Luther King and they still live in that Oakland County suburb then if the student wants to transfer then they must sit out for 180 days.

I also think that this rule should apply to those who are leaving from a public school for a Catholic League School but that’s for another day and another time.

The MHSAA got this one right, maybe this could be a wake-up call to everyone involved to think twice about transferring out and if they want to transfer out, then they know what the consequences are.

Here is the article written by Tom Markowski here.

http://www.statechampsnetwork.com/index.cfm/news-blog/in-play-with-tom-markowski/two-students-transfer-out-of-clawson-to-waterford-mott-ruled-ineligible-for-entire-junior-year/

Chiesa named new football coach at North Farmington.

Written Sunday April 30th at 5:40 PM
Updated Thursday May 4th at 11:30 AM

North Farmington has found their football coach.

Bob Chiesa was named football coach succeeding Todd Schultz whom will focus on being the Athletic Director at North Farmington.

From two accurate sources Chiesa was named Raiders coach on Friday. He met with the players on the same day he was named coach.

Chiesa was a member of the Michigan football team in 1978 and 1979. He was a Letterman for the school under legendary coach Bo Schembechler. Chiesa has been well known around High School Football especially from his days in the former Kensington Lakes Activities Association. He was the defensive coordinator at Hartland. When Chiesa was there, the Eagles allowed 168 points in 2014, in which Hartland was a playoff team that season. 

Chiesa left Hartland in 2015, in which he became the defensive and special teams’ coordinators at Waterford Mott. His defense allowed 283 points including two games where they allowed 37 points against Lakeland and 35 against Walled Lake Central last season.

Chiesa takes over a North Farmington football team that was abysmal, allowing 334 points and only scored 32 points in nine games. The Raiders had to forfeit their game against Harrison for not having enough players last season.

North Farmington went winless in the White and moved down to the Blue this season.

North Farmington hopes that Chiesa can turn around a program that is in desperate need of a jump start heading into the season. The Raiders will have some players to lean on in quarterbacks Nigel Weems and Brendan Hudson, along with running backs Taj Cheathem and Dylan Gordon, and wide receivers Jaylen Ferguson, and Myles Gresham.

Chiesa has had a checkered past according to MIPrepZone. In 2011, he was suspended along with another former assistant coach Bill Brenner when he was an assistant at Walled Lake Western for an alleged hazing incident off campus at a team gathering. He was at the School Board meeting but did not speak.

Chiesa was cleared from any wrong doing surrounding the incident.

Chiesa has bounced back since the incident as mentioned with two successful defensive coordinating jobs at Waterford Mott and at Hartland to earn his first opportunity as a head coach.

North Farmington opens up the season at Grand Valley State against Greenville in August. The Raiders will compete in the Blue this season and will have a tough schedule which includes games against Farmington, Avondale, Ferndale, and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.

Thoughts.

This is an interesting hire for North Farmington because Chiesa is a strong defensive minded coach despite having a checkered past when he was at Walled Lake Western but he had success at Hartland and at Waterford Mott.

I’m curious how his style of play would match up against OAA teams especially against those whom are offensive powers in the Blue like Avondale and Ferndale. Chiesa takes over a defense that was just awful a season ago allowing the third most points in the league. If Chiesa can get a strong offensive coordinator whom can put up some points and address the football program from the freshman level up then maybe the Raiders could go somewhere this season. North Farmington has not made the playoffs since 2013.

Chiesa will have a very tough challenge ahead of him. He must create a Junior Varsity team and get the numbers back up at North Farmington. North Farmington has an enrollment of 1249 students for next season so there is talent there, it's just getting the students out to play football for the Raiders.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for updates on this developing story.

Here is the MIPrepZone story surrounding the checkered past.

http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=5819

Pleasant Out at Rochester.

Written Sunday April 30th at 12:40 AM
Updated Friday May 5th at 10:35 PM

Rochester Athletic Director Luke Beach just filled their Girls Basketball position with Al Poynter taking over the team now he has to fill the Boys Basketball position as well.

Falcons coach John Pleasant has stepped down after serving nine seasons coaching at Rochester according to Scott Bernstein of State Champs. Pleasant was named the 2012 Class A State Coach of the Year and the 2013 Basketball Coaches Association's Coach of the Year.

Pleasant took his team to the State Quarterfinals in 2013 when they had James Young, whom ended up being at Kentucky for one season and then in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. Young came to Rochester from Troy for his Senior season.

Pleasant has also coached power forward Taylor Perry whom went to Western Michigan to play College Basketball and point guard Paris Pereira. Both of them were on a 20-2 Rochester team that won the Blue, and took out Adams in the district semifinal but they was upset by Orion in the district final in 2012.

Rochester had a rough three seasons since the State Quarterfinal run. They went winless (0-21) in 2014, and went 9-12 the year after. The Falcons were supposed to be one of the favorites in the Blue with the experience and talent they had back but they went 11-11 and had a very disappointing 3-7 in the league finishing fifth out of six teams. Rochester lost in the district final to Stoney Creek after eliminating Utica from the tournament in the district semifinal.

The Falcons will have forwards LaMarko Gulledge, and his younger brother Corey coming back, along with guard Hunter Schlatter. Rochester has a solid Junior Varsity team coming up that was successful under coach Jeff Haney.

Rochester is an interesting job because the Falcons program has the talent and resources to compete. Rochester is a basketball rich town but the Falcons have to compete with their city rivals in Adams and Stoney Creek. The Cougars were a regional finalist this season losing to the eventual State Champion Clarkston while the Highlanders went winless under their former player and former Stoney Creek Girls Basketball Coach Brad Crighton whom coached his first season at Adams.

There has been a lot of rumors that Rochester could keep the job in house. There are three candidates that are great fits to the Falcons program in Haney, Lima Pereira, or Stephan Henning. Haney has coached both Girls and Boys Basketball in Rochester and was the Boys Junior Varsity coach for the Falcons in the balk of Pleasent's era. Pereira, whom is the father of Paris is the long-time freshman coach for Rochester and despite not having Varsity experience he has AAU experience to make up for it. Henning played point guard at Rochester from 2002-2005 and played at Rochester College under Garth Pleasent. Henning has Varsity coaching experience when he coached at Oxford from 2013-2015.

If they go outside the box and do a complete rebuild then it could be very interesting.

Thoughts.

This was a surprise to see Pleasant leave Rochester especially with whom they return next season. The Falcons are in an interesting spot with all the talent back. It will be interesting to see how the talent responds to Rochester having a new coach next season.

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

Pontiac Agrees to new Partnership Agreement.

Written Saturday April 29th at 2:45 PM

Pontiac High School will be in existence next school year.

The Pontiac School District will sign a partnership agreement with the State Department of Education on Monday at 6 PM at the O’Dell Nails Administration Building meaning that Pontiac High School and Walt Whitman Elementary will not close at the end of the school year. The agreement will be signed at the Pontiac School Board Meeting according to the Oakland Press.

Oakland Schools and State Superintendent Brian Whiston have already signed the agreement.

Pontiac High School and Walt Whitman Elementary school were subject to closure because of low academic achievement. Both schools were place on the Priority list as two of the 38 schools that were subject to close but with the new partnership agreement signed they were taken off the list for now.

The Pontiac School District had two other elementary schools that were removed from the Priority list this year because they met the academic status.

The Pontiac School District signed a consent agreement with the State in 2013 has turned around the district going from a $51.7 million-dollar deficit to $25 million still in the red and graduation rates have also increased from 55 percent to 69 percent in the last three years.

The new partnership agreement will replace the consent agreement in which they have with the State Treasurer from 2013. For the consent agreement to be replaced the State Treasurer has to sign an amendment to replace the original consent agreement, which is expected to happen.

The new partnership agreement sets up goals for student achievement in Math and Reading along with attendance, culture, and climate. It also means that the Pontiac School District will have 18 months to meet the three to five percent target growth in those areas.

The new partnership agreement says that the district must add some partners to assist them in their road to recovery. Pontiac does have partners whom will help and support them in their recovery in Oakland University, Oakland Community College, The State Education Department, Oakland Schools, and General Motors.

The partnership agreement guarantees that Pontiac High will be a school next season and the Phoenix will be competing this upcoming season. Pontiac will move down from Class A to Class B with 848 students next season.

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

Bloomfield Hills Looking for New Boys Basketball Coach.

Written Thursday April 27th at 9:30 PM

It looks like “Crazy Mike” has left the building.

Mike Maryanski has stepped down from Bloomfield Hills according to State Champs Scott Bernstein last week. Maryanski took over the Boys Basketball program from Dwayne Graves in 2014 after he led the Blackhawks to the State Finals in their first season as a merged school. However internal issues forced Graves out in 2014 and Maryanski took over in 2015.

Graves now coaches Boys Basketball at Clawson.

Maryanski came over to Bloomfield Hills from West Bloomfield. Marynaski was Lakers coach Jeremy Dehna's top assistant. 

Maryanski led the Blackhawks to a share the White title in 2016 with Pontiac and West Bloomfield.

Bloomfield Hills moved up to the Red this season. They had a strong start to the season going 8-2 on the season but the Blackhawks went 2-9 the rest of the way, finishing the season at 10-11. Bloomfield Hills lost to Troy at home 54-47 in the district semifinal.

Whomever takes over the Blackhawks would be the fourth coach in five years.

Thoughts.

There has been some inner turmoil surrounding the program. That could had been one of the reasons why Marynaski decided to leave the program.

It will be interesting whom Bloomfield Hills hires as their next head coach. One possible name that has mentioned is Blackhawks Girls Basketball coach Jeff Rubin, although not likely to pursue the job, he has coached both the Boys and Girls teams at Bloomfield Hills Andover when the Bloomfield Hills school district split high schools with Lahser and Andover.

Whomever the next coach will be at Bloomfield Hills will have a solid sub-varsity program and the new facilities that the Blackhawks have. It’s a good job but you will be in a division (Red) with the defending State Champs, Clarkston, last season’s State runner up North Farmington, Final Four participant in West Bloomfield, State Quarterfinalist Troy, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Hazel Park.

It will be interesting who gets the job.

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