Hazel Park Leaving OAA.

Written Monday March 27th at 8:40 PM

The Hazel Park Vikings will be leaving the OAA in two years.

According to sources, the Vikings will leave the league effective for 2018-2019 school year. Hazel Park will join the Macomb Area Conference in that school year.

Hazel Park’s departure from the league along with Harrison closing in 2019-2020 will leave the league at 21 schools.

The reason for the Vikings departure is over football. Hazel Park is 10-44 since 2011. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, the Vikings Athletic Director Dr. David Muylaret said that it was football that was the main sticking point why they were leaving the league.

They were 2-7 this season.

Why the Vikings were upset is because they have 889 kids and they were in a division with Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, and Troy which had big enrollments. Those three schools moved up while Farmington, and North Farmington came down from the White to the Blue for next season.

Hazel Park will be in Class A next season.

Thoughts.

This came to me as no surprise with the likely departure of Hazel Park. It all came down to football with the Vikings, 10-44 since 2011.

Hazel Park will be with their 8 Mile arch rivals Warren Fitzgerald and dealing with them in the near future. The Spartans are solid and they destroyed the Vikings last season.

I think the move will help Hazel Park be competitive and compete with schools that are equal to their enrollment. We'll see what happens.

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

Clarkston Can Finally Celebrate a State Championship in Boys Basketball.

Written Saturday March 25th at 3:00 PM

Dan Fife and the town of Clarkston can finally celebrate a State Championship in Boys Basketball.

Clarkston whom was ranked third in the State stunned top ranked and previously undefeated Grand Rapids Christian with a 75-69 victory in the Class A State Final at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State, giving Fife and the Wolves their first ever State title.

Foster Loyer led all scorers with 29 points, Taylor Currie had 16 points and 10 rebounds, CJ Robinson had 14 points, and Dylan Alderson had 12 points for Clarkston.

The Wolves out-rebounded the Eagles 26-21 which was shocking and they out-rebounded Grand Rapids Christian from the offensive glass 11-8. The Eagles have two Division One recruits in forwards Xavier Tillman and James Beck. Both of them had a combined 13 rebounds.

Clarkston sealed the deal as they were 21 for 25 from the free throw line and forced 10 turnovers from Grand Rapids Christian.

Fife moved from Southern Illinois to Clarkston in the 1950’s. He played for Bud McGrath back in the 1960’s and then went to Michigan to play College Basketball and then came back to Clarkston in 1983 to become the head coach and Athletic Director. Fife has been coaching for 35 seasons, including this season and stepped down as Athletic Director this year.

Fife in his 35 seasons as led Clarkston to 28 league titles, 29 district championships, 12 regional championships, and two final four appearances. He can now add a State title to the ranks.

Tillman had 25 points, Dwayne Washington had 16 points, and Setrick Millner had 11 points to lead the Eagles. Beck was hampered by foul trouble was limited to eight points before fouling out.

The Wolves finished the season at 27-1 while the Eagles finished its season at 27-1.

Thoughts.

This was a great win for Clarkston and their community. Also for coach Dan Fife as well, it cements his legacy and now he can put State Championship to the banner at Clarkston. He is one win away from passing former Detroit Country Day coach Kurt Keener for fourth all time in wins (677-169.)

I think the play that changed the complexion of the game was Robinson’s shot at the buzzer in the second quarter. When the Eagles got the score down to three 32-29, Robinson hit a floater

Clarkston will be scary again next season. They return Loyer, Robinson, Currie, Nick Wells, Waslik, and Mysen. The Wolves lose Alderson whom will be heading to Milwaukee. Also, Clarkston has a deep bench returning as well, not to mention a solid Junior Varsity team back as well.

Today was a great day for Clarkston, they finally got the monkey off their backs.

Carter will leave Michigan for North Carolina.

Written Friday March 24th at 10:15 PM

It looks like Shea Carter won't finish her high school career in Michigan.

The Groves Falcons Girls Basketball standout Carter according to H.S Scout on Twitter that she is leaving Groves to play in North Carolina.

Carter holds four Division One offers according to the Twitter page that includes Oakland, Western Michigan, Bradley, and Air Force.

Groves finished 18-3 this season and won the Gold with an 10-0 record.

Carter was huge in leading the Falcons to the Gold title this season and was expected to be a force along with Kayla Nelson for coach Amos Thompson's team next season.

Carter was an All State player in 2016 as a sophomore and was a first team all Gold this season but now she is heading to North Carolina for her senior season. It is not known which High School she will play for in North Carolina.

Carter had 13 points in her final game as a Falcon in their shocking 54-44 upset loss to their arch rival Seaholm at Troy in the pre-district.

Thoughts.

This is a huge loss for Groves. The Falcons were expected to be a top contender next season with Carter. The Falcons could still be a top team without Carter but it will be a difficult challenge.

Teams will focus on Nelson as now she becomes Groves top player next season.

It will be interesting what Groves does next season. The Falcons will still be a good basketball team but the question will be how good will they be, we'll find out.

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

Boys State Final Preview and Pick.

Written Friday March 24th at 5:00 PM

The Class A State Final is now hyped up to be Foster Loyer vs Xavier Tillman.

Loyer will lead the Clarkston Wolves against Tillman and the undefeated Grand Rapids Christian Eagles on Saturday afternoon at noon at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State.

Tillman is a senior center and a Michigan State recruit. He is very athletic and talented. Tillman had 18 points and 14 rebounds against Kalamazoo Central. However, the Eagles have another Division One recruit in James Beck. He is very athletic and talented. Beck is a senior power forward and is an Oakland University recruit. Beck had 19 points and 13 rebounds against Kalamazoo Central in the State Quarterfinal and 24 points and eight rebounds against Romulus in their 78-52 win in the State Semifinal. Grand Rapids Christian had to deal with Holland West Ottawa in a Regional Final where they needed a buzzer beating three to win that game 59-56.

Clarkston has their share of Division One recruits as well in Foster Loyer and Dylan Alderson. Loyer is a Michigan State recruit and a junior had 32 points on 10 for 17 shooting against West Bloomfield and Alderson is a Milwaukee recruit and a senior had 27 points against the Lakers in the State Semifinals. The Wolves also have guard CJ Robinson and center Taylor Currie, both could land Division One offers before too much longer.

Duwane Washington is the Eagles best defender and will likely get the assignment of guarding Loyer. He is Grand Rapids Christian’s best guard and a solid three-point shooter.

If the Wolves win the State title on Saturday it would be their first ever under coach Dan Fife. Fife has been at Clarkston for 36 years and was formerly the School’s Athletic Director until this season when he stepped down from that post. 

Fife's record is legendary at 676-169.

PICK: This is an interesting match-up with a lot of plot lines. If Currie can handle Tillman and get him into foul trouble then this will be interesting. The key match up will be Alderson vs Beck. If Alderson can go off like he is capable of doing then the Wolves can get the job done. Washington vs Loyer will be a good match up but the wildcard is CJ Robinson. If Robinson goes off then that gives Grand Rapids Christian more problems. This will be a good game, some will pick the Eagles, some will pick the Wolves. Clarkston loves challenges and Grand Rapids Christian is undefeated coming into this game. For me this was an easy pick, I’m going with the latter. PICK: CLARKSTON.

Boys State Semifinal Recap.

Written Friday March 24th at 3:00 PM
Updated Friday March 24th at 5:00 PM

Foster Loyer has already put up a show for the Clarkston Wolves.

Loyer had 32 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field in a stunning 78-35 victory for Clarkston over the West Bloomfield Lakers in a battle of Red rivals in the State Semifinals at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State.

The Wolves will head to the Class A State Final for the first time ever on Saturday against Grand Rapids Christian at noon.

Clarkston has not met Grand Rapids Christian this season.

What made this more impressing is Clarkston shot 57 percent from the field the entire game. West Bloomfield shot only 22 percent from the field the entire game.

Clarkston will be the second OAA team in the State Final the last two seasons, North Farmington went to the State Finals last season.

Dylan Alderson had 27 points, and Taylor Currie had 10 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks for the Wolves.

Kevin McAdoo had 22 points and Tyler Davis had eight points for the Lakers.

Clarkston shot 58 percent from the field and had a dominant first half outscoring West Bloomfield 42-24 in that span.

The Lakers only scored 11 points the rest of the way while the Wolves scored 36 points.

Clarkston is now 26-1 on the season with wins in the tournament over Waterford Mott, Orion, Waterford Kettering, Macomb Dakota, Stoney Creek, Saginaw and now the Lakers.

West Bloomfield finished its season at 17-9 but they did have a special run in the tournament that went through Farmington, Orchard Lake St. Marys, Howell, Novi, and Troy.

Thoughts.

Clarkston looked dominant, shooting 58 percent from the field in the first half. West Bloomfield really did not have a chance in this game, especially when your opponent shoots 68 percent from the field in the first quarter.

Loyer and Alderson played like Division One recruits scoring 59 of the Wolves 78 points. Loyer will be a Michigan State Spartan in two years while Alderson will be a Milwaukee Panther next season.

The Lakers ran into a buzz saw that is the Wolves.

We’ll see if Clarkston can keep this up on Saturday.

Boys State Semifinal Preview.

Written Friday March 24th at 9:00 AM

The day has come, one Red team will be in the State Final this upcoming Saturday while the other is going home.

The West Bloomfield Lakers will take on the Clarkston Wolves at 1 PM this afternoon at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University.

It will be the third time these two teams have met this season both games won by Clarkston 59-48 on January 31^st and 68-61 on March 28^th. West Bloomfield hasn’t been this far since 2003 while Clarkston hasn’t been this far since 2009.

The Lakers bring to the party senior point guard Kevin McAdoo. McAdoo has had big games in this tournament including 40 points against Howell in the Regional Semifinal and 34 in the Regional Final against Novi. He had 23 points in their State Quarterfinal win against Troy.

McAdoo had 36 points in their home loss to Clarkston.

McAdoo is not alone though as West Bloomfield has other players such as Tre Harvey, Garrett Winn, and Tyler Davis among others for coach Jeremy Denha.

The Wolves have been dominant this postseason tournament with their closest victories being by 20 points, 68-48 over Macomb Dakota in the Regional Semifinal, 56-36 over Stoney Creek in the Regional Final, and 70-50 over Saginaw in the State Quarterfinal.

Clarkston is led by point guard Foster Loyer. Loyer had 27 points in their State Quarterfinal game against Saginaw. Dylan Alderson had 21 points and CJ Robinson had 13 points in that game against the Trojans. Alderson had 29 points in the Regional Final against Stoney Creek. The Wolves Big Three have been key players this postseason tournament. Loyer, who is a junior is also a Michigan State commit, Robinson is a junior, and Alderson is a senior and a Milwaukee commit for coach Dan Fife.

The winner of this game will take on either Grand Rapids Christian or Romulus in the State Final on Saturday. I will post the recap of the game and preview the State Final on the blog later tonight.

PICK: It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season. I think this will be a great game between the two teams. I think Grand Rapids Christian will beat Romulus in the second State Semifinal in a tight game. This match-up between Clarkston and West Bloomfield will be a great game but in the end of the day it will be the Wolves that will be moving on. PICK: CLARKSTON.

Boys State Quarterfinal Recap.

Written Tuesday Match 21st at 9:20 PM

Well the OAA is guaranteed a spot in the Class A. State Final this Saturday for a second straight season but who will it be??? North Farmington got to the State Final last season, losing to Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit. There will be a new champion as the defending State Champion Cubs lost 66-63 to Romulus at Calahan Hall in the early game of the State Quarterfinal. In one State semifinal, it will be Grand Rapids Christian taking on Romulus, in the other it will be Clarkston taking on West Bloomfield.

The Wolves and Lakers met twice this season as both teams were in the Red. Clarkston won both meetings 59-48 on January 31^st at Clarkston and 68-61 on February 28^th at West Bloomfield.

West Bloomfield Outscores Troy 46-19 in Second Half to Get to First State Semifinal since 2003.

The Lakers used the three-point shot along with strong 20-2 third quarter to destroy the Colts 80-43 in the State Quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Calahan Hall on the campus of Detroit-Mercy. Kevin McAdoo was sensational for West Bloomfield scoring 23 points, Tyler Davis added 17 points, and Daniel Wrack scored 16 points for the Lakers. West Bloomfield also beat Troy 64-61 on February 9^th on the road.

Leon Ayers had nine points and Robert Banis had eight points for the Colts whom made the State Quarterfinal for the first time since 1989.

The Lakers will play Clarkston on Friday afternoon at the Breslin Center at 1 PM.

I did not see this score coming, I thought the game would be a lot closer than the score indicated but the third quarter was the difference with West Bloomfield outscoring Troy 20-2 in the third quarter and 26-17 in the fourth quarter (46-19 second half) to make this game a blowout.

I think the Colts will be back next season, Jason Dietz and Ayers will be seniors and there is plenty of talent and motivation to get back where they were at this season. Troy will be back.

Clarkston Rolls Past Saginaw to get to First State Semifinal since 2009.

The Wolves had little trouble with Saginaw as their defense especially in the middle quarters were the difference in the game as they hammered the Trojans 70-50 in the State Quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Davison. Foster Loyer had 27 points, CJ Robinson had 13 points, and Dylan Alderson had 21 points in his return to Davison. Alderson played for the Cardinals for two seasons before transferring to Clarkston after his sophomore year. The Big Three of Robinson, Alderson, and Loyer combined for 61 of the Wolves 70 points on the night.

The Wolves will play West Bloomfield on Friday afternoon at the Breslin Center at 1 PM.

I saw this score coming and it was to no surprise. This is not a vintage Saginaw team from the past. This maybe Clarkston’s best team they have ever had when you look at the talent and depth the Wolves have. The Trojans did not have an answer for the Big Three in Alderson, Robinson, and Loyer. Loyer and Robinson will be seniors, Taylor Currie will be a junior, and Matt Nicholson is expected to be on Varsity next season as well. The Wolves will be good for years to come.