Week Three Picks

Written Wednesday September 8th at 8:20 AM

Hello everyone and welcome to the 2021 Football season. It is shaping up to be a very good season this year. Here are your guest pickers.

 

Sammy Taormina-Host OAA Now, Between Taorminas known as Mr. Sandy Dunes.

Scott Burnstein-Host State Champs Sports Show, Blogger known as Burney.

Sean Cotter- North Farmington and Walled Lake Western film guy known as Cotter.

Tim English-High School Sports Fan known as Tim.

Keith Dunlap-WDIV freelance writer and High School Sports Fan known as Dunlap.

Dan Stickradt-North Oakland Sports writer known as Stick.

 

MR. SANDY DUNES 18-10

BURNEY 17-11

COTTER 21-7

TIM 18-10

DUNLAP 22-6

STICK 21-7

1. Adams at Oak Park: This is a huge game for the Knights whom sit at 0-2 and can not afford to go 0-3. Oak Park has lost two straight to very good teams in Orchard Lake St. Marys and West Bloomfield. Adams has been rolling. They beat West Bloomfield 35-17 two weeks ago and had to grind out a 24-10 victory over Oxford last week. The Highlanders have a ton of experience coming into this game which should make things that much harder for Oak Park.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: ADAMS 42, OAK PARK 10.

BURNEY: ADAMS 33, OAK PARK 20.

COTTER: ADAMS 28, OAK PARK 16.

TIM: ADAMS 28, OAK PARK 21.

DUNLAP: ADAMS 24, OAK PARK 10.

STICK: ADAMS 24, OAK PARK 20.

 

2. Clarkston at 5. Stoney Creek: This might be the biggest opponent to come to Stoney Creek in the regular season since the Cougars upset Lake Orion in 2013. The Cougars have allowed 24 points in the last two weeks but they will have their biggest test against an explosive Clarkston offense that has Mike DePillo and Ethan Clark. It should be very interesting to see what Coach Nick Merlo and defensive coordinator Gary Griffith have planned for the Wolves this week and can they get it done???

 

MR SANDY DUNES: CLARKSTON 21, STONEY CREEK 14.

BURNEY: CLARKSTON 36, STONEY CREEK 26.

COTTER: CLARKSTON 24, STONEY CREEK 7.

TIM: CLARKSTON 35, STONEY CREEK 14.

DUNLAP: CLARKSTON 28, STONEY CREEK 15.

STICK: CLARKSTON 35, STONEY CREEK 21.

 

3. West Bloomfield at Oxford: It looks like the Lakers have gotten back on track after beating a good Oak Park squad 30-12 last week. They will travel north to take on a Wildcats team that has played a really difficult schedule. West Bloomfield has owned Oxford in the season series as of late. The Wildcats are one upset away from changing their whole season.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: WEST BLOOMFIELD 24, OXFORD 21.

BURNEY: WEST BLOOMFIELD 31, OXFORD 17.

COTTER: WEST BLOOMFIELD 21, OXFORD 17.

TIM: WEST BLOOMFIELD 48, OXFORD 10.

DUNLAP: WEST BLOOMFIELD 35, OXFORD 14.

STICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 28, OXFORD 27.

 

Groves at 4. North Farmington: These are two teams that are heading in opposite directions coming into their matchup at Ron Holland Field. North Farmington is coming off one of their biggest wins in program history when they beat Lake Orion 44-22 last week. Groves has really struggled. They have scored only 15 points in two weeks which is not a good sign at all. The Raiders are rolling right now while the Falcons are struggling coming into this matchup.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: NORTH FARMINGTON 49, GROVES 8.

BURNEY: NORTH FARMINGTON 34, GROVES 25.

COTTER: NORTH FARMINGTON 49, GROVES 7.

TIM: NORTH FARMINGTON 35, GROVES 14.

DUNLAP: NORTH FARMINGTON 31, GROVES 6.

STICK: NORTH FARMINGTON 35, GROVES 21.

 

7. Lake Orion at 6. Southfield Arts and Tech: This is a very interesting matchup in Southfield. Lake Orion has won three of the last four meetings including two of them on 10 Mile and Lahser Road. The Warriors bounced back after a subpar performance against Detroit Cass Tech at Wayne State two weeks ago by beating Groves 33-7 in Beverly Hills. The Dragons were humbled by North Farmington falling 44-22 last week. These two teams did not play each other last season because of COVID-19 protocols within Southfield Arts and Tech’s program. It should come down to who’s style works in this matchup.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: LAKE ORION 44, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 31.

BURNEY: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 28, LAKE ORION 27.

COTTER: LAKE ORION 26, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 14.

TIM: SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 35, LAKE ORION 21.

DUNLAP: LAKE ORION 31, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 21.

STICK: LAKE ORION 28, SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 21.

 

Ferndale at 8. Troy:  The Colts have won four of their last five games and haven’t allowed a point this season. Troy has a Ferndale team coming into Don Colt Stadium that is really struggling. The Eagles lost 56-16 to Troy Athens last week. The Colts have proven that they can play any type of style which gives them a ton of confidence.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: TROY 17, FERNDALE 6.

BURNEY: TROY 20, FERNDALE 19.

COTTER: TROY 28, FERNDALE 7.

TIM: TROY 28, FERNDALE 14.

DUNLAP: TROY 24, FERNDALE 7.

STICK: TROY 24, FERNDALE 7.

 

9. Troy Athens at Farmington: The Red Hawks have been rolling as of late but they haven't really been tested. Well that could change when they head to Orchard Lake and Shiawassee Roads in Farmington to take on a Farmington squad that is struggling but still dangerous. This is a very critical game for the Falcons after losing two straight to Berkley and North Farmington. Farmington needs to find some offense after scoring 13 points in the last two weeks. This is a monster game for both teams as mentioned.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: TROY ATHENS 24, FARMINGTON 21.

BURNEY: TROY ATHENS 28, FARMINGTON 18.

COTTER: TROY ATHENS 35, FARMINGTON 21.

TIM: TROY ATHENS 56, FARMINGTON 7.

DUNLAP: TROY ATHENS 28, FARMINGTON 17.

STICK: TROY ATHENS 35, FARMINGTON 14.

 

10. Berkley at Royal Oak: This rivalry is formally the “Battle of the Curb” has now become the Battle of Woodward. There is a new trophy which features the street signs of Lexington Blvd (Royal Oak) and Catalupa Drive (Berkley.) The Bears took the first round round postseason matchup 23-14 at Hurley Field. They didn't play in the regular season because of COVID-19 protocols despite being in the Blue. Berkley seems to have found themselves after beating Farmington 17-7 last week after a disastrous week one where they lost 13-10 to Bloomfield Hills two weeks ago. Royal Oak fell back to earth after falling 21-0 to Troy last week after upsetting Ferndale 35-28 two weeks ago. Both teams have passionate fan bases (Bears-Bear Pack, Ravens-Ravens Nest.) Both teams have experience which should make for a very good game.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: BERKLEY 35, ROYAL OAK 14.

BURNEY: BERKLEY 22, ROYAL OAK 18.

COTTER: BERKLEY 21, ROYAL OAK 14.

TIM: BERKLEY 28, ROYAL OAK 21.

DUNLAP: BERKLEY 17, ROYAL OAK 14.

STICK: BERKLEY 21, ROYAL OAK 20.

 

Pontiac at Avondale: Both of these city rivals are looking for their first win of the season. Wouldn’t you believe that it is Pontiac that has scored more points than Avondale in the last two weeks???  The Phoenix are getting better which is a good sign for the future. The Yellow Jackets are searching for scoring after being shutout the last two weeks by a combined 44-0. Things could change at Dick Bye Field this week.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: AVONDALE 21, PONTIAC 12.

BURNEY: AVONDALE 26, PONTIAC 12.

COTTER: AVONDALE 28, PONTIAC 6.

TIM: AVONDALE 63, PONTIAC 3.

DUNLAP: AVONDALE 35, PONTIAC 12.

STICK: AVONDALE 28, PONTIAC 14.

 

Bloomfield Hills at Waterford Kettering: The Blackhawks have figured some things out which is a good sign going forward. They have a huge test awaiting them in Waterford going up against a Waterford Kettering team that has had their fair share of issues as of late this week. The Captains have been outscored 80-32 in the last two weeks. What should help Waterford Kettering is that their new coach Bob Chiesa is familiar with the OAA being at North Farmington. Bloomfield Hills better be careful this week.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: WATERFORD KETTERING 20, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 17.

BURNEY: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 31, WATERFORD KETTERING 23.

COTTER: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21, WATERFORD KETTERING 13.

TIM: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 28, WATERFORD KETTERING 21.

DUNLAP: WATERFORD KETTERING 24, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21.

STICK: BLOOMFIELD HILLS 21, WATERFORD KETTERING 20.

 

Seaholm at Rochester: The Maples have been improving despite their 0-2 record. They have played two really good teams in Byron Center and Clarkston. The Falcons are coming off a very tough 14-7 loss to Stoney Creek last week. This should be a very interesting matchup to say the least.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: ROCHESTER 35, SEAHOLM 32.

BURNEY: SEAHOLM 32, ROCHESTER 27.

COTTER: ROCHESTER 28, SEAHOLM 14.

TIM: ROCHESTER 28, SEAHOLM 14.

DUNLAP: ROCHESTER 21, SEAHOLM 20.

STICK: ROCHESTER 28, SEAHOLM 14.

 

Harper Woods at Orchard Lake St. Marys: This game should be the Pioneers biggest test to date. Harper Woods has been very impressive offensively. They have scored 55 and 58 respectably against Ypsilanti and Pinckney. The Eaglets are a different animal. Orchard Lake St. Marys limited Oak Park to 21 points two weeks ago. It’s going to be a tough task for the Pioneers this week on the red turf.

 

MR SANDY DUNES: ORCHARD LAKE ST MARYS 31, HARPER WOODS 24.

BURNEY: ORCHARD LAKE ST MARYS 23, HARPER WOODS 21.

COTTER: ORCHARD LAKE ST MARYS 35, HARPER WOODS 12.

TIM: ORCHARD LAKE ST MARYS 38, HARPER WOODS 31.

DUNLAP: ORCHARD LAKE ST MARYS 24, HARPER WOODS 20.

STICK: ORCHARD LAKE ST MARYS 25, HARPER WOODS 10.

 

My Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-09-07-21wav

Week Two Thoughts.

Written Saturday September 4th at 12:10 AM

Berkley: The Bears offensive line was the difference in their 17-7 win over Farmington at Hurley Field. Berkley has a ton of experience and they have started to live up to expectations a little bit. They need to keep improving going forward. The Bears have to go to Royal Oak next week for an interesting matchup with the Ravens.

Ferndale: The Eagles were held to only three first downs which resulted in a shocking 56-16 blowout to Troy Athens on Thursday night. Ferndale’s defense is a big problem which is very unusual for a Coach Eric Royal team. The schedule is brutal right now. As mentioned they are in a ton of trouble as we speak.

Farmington: The Falcons are really struggling. They have put 13 points in two weeks which is not a good sign going forward. Farmington needs to find some offense and quick. They have Troy Athens looming next week.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks are starting to make me a believer but not yet after an impressive 56-16 blowout of Ferndale on Thursday night. They did everything right in that game. We’ll know a lot about Troy Athens when they go to Farmington next week. They are on the right path.

Troy: The Colts picked up right where they left off from the postseason. The Block brothers are a huge reason why. Troy earned a 22-0 victory over Royal Oak on Thursday night. They have been playing really good football and have shutout Avondale and Royal Oak by a combined 43-0 in the past two weeks.  The schedule is looking pretty friendly for the Colts especially if they can keep this up. Troy is looking really good right now.

Avondale: I’m at a loss for words when describing the Yellow Jackets thus far. They were shutout for the second straight week by Holly 23-0 on Thursday night. Avondale has an experienced quarterback and experienced wide receivers. They need to address a ton of things and quickly. The Yellow Jackets have Pontiac next week but this is not the start they wanted to have.

Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks earned their second win of the season with a 41-6 win over Pontiac at Wisner Stadium on Friday night. I’m still not sold on Bloomfield Hills yet. They need to get tested in my opinion. The Blackhawks have Waterford Kettering looming next week in Waterford which should be interesting.

Pontiac: I felt it was a morale victory for the Phoenix despite falling 41-6 to Bloomfield Hills on Friday night. They improved from week one to week two despite the record. They are heading in the right direction. Pontiac has Avondale looming next week.

Royal Oak: The honeymoon is over for the Ravens after they were shut out 22-0 by Troy on Thursday night. Royal Oak unlike the Ferndale game had some trouble with the Troy defense which was solid all night. The Ravens have Berkley looming next week.

Adams: The Highlanders have been making progress which is a good sign going forward including their 24-10 win over Oxford on Friday night. Adams will have an interesting game looming next week when they head to Oak Park to take on the Knights.

North Farmington: The Raiders made a statement on Friday night at home against a very good Lake Orion squad. They scored 37 first half points to stun the Dragons 44-22 on Friday night at Ron Holland Field. North Farmington caught Lake Orion off balance all night behind the play of Ryan Shelby, Jasper Beeler, and Aaron Rice. The Raiders have Groves next week.

Groves: The Falcons have only scored 15 points in two weeks, that’s not a good sign heading into league play and their defense has allowed 73 points in two weeks, that’s also not good. Groves is in a lot of trouble going forward and they have to go to North Farmington next week.

Oak Park: The Knights have played two really tough teams including losing to West Bloomfield 30-12 on Friday night in Knight Valley. The games don’t get any easier for Oak Park when they have Adams coming to Knight Valley next week.

Rochester: Where was the Falcons offense on Thursday night??? I get that Stoney Creek has a really good defense but Rochester has a ton of experience back which this made no sense. The Falcons need to go back to the drawing board offensively. The defense is fine no questions it’s the offense that needs to be fixed and quick.

Seaholm: The Maples had a ton of struggles with Clarkston on Thursday night but its Clarkston though to their defense. Seaholm will be fine though going forward. They are better than thought even though the record doesn’t indicate it. The Maples have Rochester next week.

West Bloomfield: The Lakers bounced back in a huge way by picking up a 30-12 win over Oak Park in Knight Valley on Friday night. They used a balanced attack throughout the game which gave Coach Tyrice Grice his first win as head coach. West Bloomfield has Oxford looming next week.

Clarkston: Clarkston just keeps on rolling and the Wolves keep getting better each week. Ethan Clark had three touchdowns while Mike DePillo had another solid game against Seaholm in a 38-7 blowout on Thursday night. Clarkston looks very good right now. They have Stoney Creek next week.

Lake Orion: It was an off night for the Dragons on Friday night at Ron Holland Field. They were shell shocked by North Farmington losing 44-22. They made a ton of mistakes in this game. This should be a game they throw away and move on from. Lake Orion is 1-3 with their new white uniforms which is not a good stat to have. They will wear them again as they travel to Southfield Arts and Tech next week.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors bounced back in a big way by blowing out Groves 33-7 on Friday night in Beverly Hills. Southfield Arts and Tech seem to be turning a bit of a corner a little bit and it’s the first win for Coach Aaron Marshall. They have Lake Orion next week.

Oxford: It was going to be a tough matchup for the Wildcats taking on Adams on Friday night. Oxford fell 24-10 to the Highlanders but there are some positives to take for the Wildcats though. They have a tough one looming with West Bloomfield next week.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars needed to survive on Thursday night against Rochester and they did just that. John Fogler was a difference maker in their game and he needed to be. Stoney Creek has some issues offensively but their defense was the reason why they won that game. They have a huge challenge looming with Clarkston next week.

Harper Woods: The Pioneers went nuts offensively on Thursday night by beating a good Pinckney team 58-27 on Thursday night. The defense is still a concern but the offense looks sharp. They have a tough one looming with Orchard Lake St. Marys next week. 

My Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-09-07-21wav

Week Two Recap.

Written Saturday September 4th at 12:00 AM

INSIDE THE OAA TOP TEN

1. Adams

2. Clarkston

3. West Bloomfield

4. North Farmington

5. Stoney Creek

6. Southfield Arts and Tech

7. Lake Orion

8. Troy

9. Troy Athens

10. Berkley

 

Week Two Scores.

TROY 22, ROYAL OAK 0.

Holly 23, AVONDALE 0.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 41, PONTIAC 6.

TROY ATHENS 56, FERNDALE 16.

BERKLEY 17, FARMINGTON 7.

ADAMS 24, OXFORD 10.

STONEY CREEK 14, ROCHESTER 7.

CLARKSTON 38, SEAHOLM 7.

WEST BLOOMFIELD 30, OAK PARK 12

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH 33, GROVES 7.

NORTH FARMINGTON 44, LAKE ORION 22.

HARPER WOODS 58, Pinckney 27.

 

TEAM THAT MADE A STATEMENT: North Farmington: The Raiders used six big plays and exploded for 37 first half points in a shocking 44-22 win over Lake Orion on Friday night. North Farmington used Jasper Beeler and Aaron Rice all night against a very good Dragons defense. They have Groves next week at Ron Holland Field. Lake Orion has Southfield Arts and Tech on the road next week.

TOUGH LOSS: Farmington: The Falcons fell to 0-2 after losing to Berkley 17-7 on Friday night at Hurley Field. Farmington has scored 13 points in two weeks which is a huge concern. They have Troy Athens looming next week.

TEAM THAT NEEDS A HUG: Rochester: The Falcons battled tough to tie the game with Stoney Creek on Thursday night only to see Jacob Best and Jon Fogler drive down the field and score late and then they got a pick to seal the game in a stunning 14-7 Cougars win. Rochester needs to shore some things up offensively if they want to make head waves. The Falcons have lost two of three with both of them coming to their arch rivals Adams and Stoney Creek. It’s pretty tough sledding right now for Coach Eric Vernon’s team right now.

ARE YOU KIDDINE ME: Avondale: What is going on with the Yellow Jackets??? This is the second straight week where they have been shut out. They have been shutout 43-0 in the last two weeks which is not good. Avondale has an improved Pontiac team coming to Auburn Hills next week.