Dragons Win a State Title in Boys Golf.

Written Saturday June 8th at 4:15 PM

You can add another State Championship to the trophy case at Lake Orion High School.

The Dragons Boys Golf team collected their first State title with a shocking 11 stroke victory at the Division One State Golf competition at Frankenmuth on Saturday afternoon.

Lake Orion knocked off defending State Champion Grosse Pointe South with a 30 over par and a 606 total score. Grosse Pointe South was second with a 41 over par while Rockford was 45 over par with a 621 score, Novi Detroit Catholic Central was fourth with a 47 over par with a 623 score, and Hartland was fifth with a 48 over par with a 624 score.

Clarkston and Bloomfield Hills were the other two OAA teams in the field with the Wolves taking sixth at 50 over par with a 626 score and Bloomfield Hills was eighth with a 52 over par with a 628 score.

Lake Orion was ranked fifth in the State coming into the tournament in which they won the Oakland County title a few weeks ago along with their regional last week. Clarkston was the top ranked team coming into the tournament.

The Dragons were led by Justin Sui who took the individual title in a two hole playoff with Grosse Pointe South’s Coalter Smith. Sui had a -3 with a 141 score along with Smith of the Blue Devils.

Lake Orion also got some balance scoring with gave them their first State crown as well. Drew Coble tied for fourth with a one over par with a 145 score. Andrew Remer was tied for 32^nd with a 15 over par with a 159 score. Zach Hay was tied for 39^th with a 17 over par with a 161 score and Andres Navarro was tied for 76^th with a 29 over par with a 173 score.

Thoughts.

It was a great two days for the Dragons Boys Golf team and especially for coach Monty Gallagher and Ron Grubbs. This is the third State Championship for Lake Orion this year. The Dragons Boys Powerlifting team won a crown this winter and the Volleyball team won the Division One State title in the fall.

Overall it was a great day to be a Dragon on the golf course.

Visions Came True.

Written Sunday April 28th at 10:30 PM

I remember having some visions if coach Jim Manzo ever stepped down that thinking that it could be Joel Schroeder, a neighbor to Manzo possibly being his successor during the Lake Orion/Pontiac Notre Dame Prep game that night.

I remember seeing Schroeder scouting Pontiac Notre Dame Prep as his Pontiac Phoenix whom were having a successful season themselves getting an idea what he and his team would expect once they met in districts. I saw my brother Anthony talking to Schroeder and budding in on the conversation during halftime. I remember that conversation really well and wishing him luck heading into the postseason.

A few weeks later, Pontiac was district champions and was in the Division Two Regional Final against New Haven and star player Romeo Weems.

I remember the conversation after the 39-32 district final loss to Oxford when Manzo pulled aside Anthony and myself that he would be stepping down as head coach in the coaches office. I remember Anthony breaking down in tears when the decision was made on that March night while I was numb trying to process all of it.

I did not know what to expect next, remembering what happened to the program when Manzo left the first time back in 2008 when the program went downhill. Lake Orion had three different coaches from 2009-2015 but it was under then coach Tom Risi when the Dragons went to the State Quarterfinals even though they finished that season at 11-9 in 2012.

When Lake Orion Athletic Director Chris Bell made the decision to name Schroeder as the team’s next Varsity Boys Basketball Coach last Friday. I had some thoughts about the move when writing the blog for Inside the OAA.

I looked at the positives, Schroeder is a neighbor to Manzo and lives in Lake Orion, not to mention his track record at Pontiac including what he did last season was very special.

Then I looked at the questions particularly Schroeder and the players. Thinking if both sides can build the trust in each other and be on the same page. Both Schroeder and the players should have plenty to prove. I wonder to myself if there is a chip on their shoulder on both sides.

With Schroeder is can his system work in the Red??? He has never been in the Red which has me very concerned knowing that Clarkston, North Farmington, and Oak Park have a lot of experience coming back, not to mention Ferndale comes up from the Blue with their three transfers that will be eligible along with another talented player whom had a big freshman year this upcoming season and that’s not mentioning Bloomfield Hills or West Bloomfield. Also I wonder how Schroeder will do with the program, not just the Varsity but the Freshman and Junior Varsity levels, not to mention the Middle School programs at Scripps, Oakview, and Waldon. Another question I have is will Schroeder be at Lake Orion in the long term???

With the players it’s can they buy into Schroeder’s system??? I expect Schroeder’s system to be a little different than Manzo’s with this current group. It will be an interesting transition to see how the players respond to Schroeder’s system and if they buy in.

Manzo left the program with talent far from bare. The Dragons lose Nate Talbot, Kyle Loken, Hunter Sites, Shane Barkeley, and Jake Rydquist to graduation but they have Drew Van Heck, Cameron Sutton, Isiah Harris, Dylan Boedigheimer, and Jack Cummins returning and that’s not to mention a Junior Varsity team that has some talent to work with as well.

I went back into that night having a gut feeling that if Manzo would have stepped down feeling that Schroeder would be the guy to coach the Lake Orion Dragons Boys Basketball program.

I was right.

Dragons Win Division One State Title for Volleyball.

Written Saturday November 17th at 5:45 PM

The Dragons are on top of the Volleyball Mountain.

Second ranked Lake Orion clinched their first State title with a 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, and 25-16 over the Rockford Rams on Saturday afternoon in the Division One State Finals at the Kellogg Center in Battle Creek.

Paige Briggs whom has had a big tournament had a huge game against the seventh ranked Rams like she did against Farmington Hills Mercy getting 30 kills, nine digs, and a 491 average while Leighah Boes had nine kills. Wren MaCaulay had 50 assists while Ciara Livingway had 13 digs and four aces while Sydney Smith had seven kills and 11 digs in the game.

Lake Orion would use their balance throughout the game and it showed on the stats above and it showed against a formidable Rockford team.

The Dragons would be the first OAA team to win a State title in Volleyball.

“I did not know that. I knew it was the first at Lake Orion, which is a pretty big accomplishment. To be the only one from the OAA seeing that that’s one of the toughest leagues year in and year out in the state, that is surprising but I knew that these guys had it in them. Just a matter of putting it together at the right time and they were able to do it” said Dragons coach Tony Scavarda to MIPrepZone’s Drew Ellis.

Briggs had 73 total kills in the last two games in Battle Creek. “I have watched a lot of high school volleyball and haven’t seen too many kids just take over games at this level of a tournament the way she was yesterday (against Mercy) and today against that type of competition, such high level teams, she’s been great all year but she took her game to a whole new level in the finals here” Scavarda added about the future Western Kentucky commit.

The Dragons lost to the Rams in the 2011 Class A State Final in three games which was until now the longest they have gone in the State tournament. From 2012 until 2018 Lake Orion hadn’t been able to beat Romeo or Clarkston in either the district or the regional.

They would conclude the season 68-6-1.

Saturday afternoon the mission was accomplished and Lake Orion officially a State Champion in Volleyball.

Dragons Stun Marlins to earn Rematch with Rockford.

Written Friday November 16th at 9:00 PM

The Lake Orion Dragons Volleyball team are heading back to the State Final.

and a rematch is on the horizon with the team that beat them in 2011.

The Dragons came back from a two to one deficit to beat the Farmington Hills Mercy Marlins 20-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-20, 15-13 on Friday night in the State Semifinals.

Second ranked Lake Orion (67-6-1) who is back in the State Final for the first time since 2011 will play eighth ranked Rockford on Saturday afternoon at 2 PM at the Kellogg Center in Battle Creek.

“It makes up for everything that happened from 2012 on. Not getting as far as we wanted to get, that win right there, probably nobody except for us thought we were going to pull it off. I mean they were the best team, Number One from start to finish this High School season. We knew if we were going to beat them, we would have to play pretty much close to perfect. We didn’t play close to perfect but we played pretty darned good and got it done, very proud of these guys” said Dragons coach Tony Scavarda during his press conference.

Lake Orion battled all night against the top ranked Farmington Hills Mercy.

The Marlins are a well-coached team under Loretta Vogel and has talented players in Jessica Mruzik, Emily Susitko, Logan Beyer, Kayla Shields, and Mallory Conrad.

They have beaten the Dragons three of the four times they met this season.

After the first set which, Lake Orion lost they started to gain momentum and then something changed.

The Dragons believed.

Farmington Hills Mercy whom had not lost a set since September 29th lost the second set and it became a dog fight ever since.

Lake Orion had an unbelievable game from Paige Briggs getting 43 kills and a 429 hitting average. Wren MaCaulay played great with 53 assists, 12 digs, and three aces. Ciara Livingway had 21 digs and five aces while Lauren Bell, and Kendall Robertson were huge as well.

The Dragons needed everyone to be on and they got it.

The officiating in the game was spotty at best and questionable on both sides. Both coaches voiced their displeasure during their respective press conferences.

Thoughts

This is a huge win for Scavarda and his team but he knows the job is not finished.

This will be the first meeting of the season between Lake Orion and Rockford.

It was the Rams that beat the Dragons in three in the State Finals in 2011.

I’m going to take a quote from Natasha Romanoff to Bruce Banner when he was the Hulk from the Avengers Age of Ultron. Romanoff said that the “job is not finished” and it’s not.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

Dragons Heading back to Battle Creek.

Written Tuesday November 13th at 10:05 PM

The Lake Orion Dragons Volleyball team is heading back to the State Semifinals for the first time since 2011 when they went to the State Finals.

Lake Orion beat Flushing 25-17, 25-20, 25-19 on Tuesday night in the State Quarterfinals at Fenton.

The Dragons played lethargic all night which one time in the third set the game was tied 16-16 but Lake Orion pulled through behind their experience.

Paige Briggs led the charge with 13 kills while Sydney Smith had 12 kills. Wren MaCaulay had 28 assists and Ciara Livingway had 23 digs in the contest.

Lake Orion is 66-6 on the season and will play Farmington Hills Mercy on Friday at 4:30 PM in Battle Creek. The Marlins hold a 3-1 season series edge against the Dragons.

It will be interesting on Friday afternoon.

Dragons In State Quarterfinals for the First Time since 2011.

Written Friday November 9th at 12:00 AM

The Lake Orion Dragons Volleyball team took home their first Regional title since the special season that sent them to the State Finals in 2011 with a three game sweep of Stoney Creek 25-18, 25-16, and 31-29 in the Regional Final on Thursday night at Lake Orion High School.

The ninth ranked Cougars handed the second ranked Dragons their only league loss of the season which was a five gamer. The win resulted in Stoney Creek and former coach Ross Talbott winning the Red outright for a second straight season.

Lake Orion though got the last laugh.

The first two games were masterful for coach Tony Scavarda’s team as they would pull away late from Stoney Creek especially in the second set which it was tied at 16-16 for a time. The third set was a tense drama, the Cougars had a 24-20 with one point sending the match to a fourth set that’s when the seesaw began.

Paige Briggs (15 kills) had two big kills and Olivia Long had a block to tie the score at 24-24. The score would go back and forth until Briggs had back to back kills to seal the game.Wren MaCaulay had 26 assists and two aces in the game.

A big difference was the presence of Sydney Smith. Smith did not play in the regular season matchup against Stoney Creek because of an ankle injury but she came back in a big way getting key points in the game.

Lake Orion is 64-6 on the season. They will take on the Flushing Raiders who knocked off Mount Pleasant on the road in five games in the State Quarterfinals at Fenton on Tuesday at 6:30 PM. It will be the second meeting between the Dragons and the Raiders this season. Lake Orion beat Flushing in the Beast of the East tournament 2-0.

It will be an interesting one on Tuesday night.

The 2018 edition of the lady Dragon Volleyball team has traits of the 2011 team.

Written Sunday November 4th at 6:05 PM

I remember the 2011 season quite well in which the Lake Orion community had Volleyball title dreams. It was when then coach Bob Howey took the Dragons to the State Semifinals at the Delta Plex in Battle Creek where they would beat Clarkston in four games but would fall to Rockford in the State Finals in a three game sweep.

It was a great accomplishment to see the pride of Lake Orion in the west side of the State.

I wonder if ever, they would get back to the Kellogg Center??

Seven years later the Dragons have that chance.

Lake Orion in 2011 was a senior heavy team and had players like Shannon Murdock, Liz Kalugar, Gabby Kalugar, Sophie Murdock, Hannah Murdock, Taylor Hargraves, Dana Schrauben, Melanie Heath, Rachel Livingway, and Maddie Hutchinson that made their mark especially beating the likes of Birmingham Marian coached by Irick Gardner and Macomb Dakota that had Carly Snyder whom would go to Florida to play College Volleyball.

The Dragons from 2012-2017 had their chances to do something great but it was either injuries or running through Clarkston or even Romeo when they were loaded led by Gia Milana whom is now at Maryland that derailed their seasons.

This year’s Lake Orion team which is coached by Tony Scavarda whom has done a great job with this team and program. This team has some very similar traits to that of the 2011 team, very senior heavy and talented. The Dragons have two outside hitters in Paige Briggs and Sydney Smith along with Wren MaCaulay setting. Ciara Livingway (Rachel’s sister) and Lauren Bell share Liberio duties. Also Girls Basketball standout Kendall Robinson along with Reagan Goeke handle the middle and they have key players in Leigah Boes, Anika Devendorf, Olivia Long, Sydney Grupenhoff, and Riley Hunter playing big roles as well.

As the Dragons head into the regional, I recall the 2011 regional really well. I lost my voice when Lake Orion played Birmingham Marian that night announcing the game at Lake Orion High School in the regional semifinal. The Mustangs were the two time defending Michigan High School Athletic Association State Champions and the Dragons beat them at home in four games. I remember the crowd storming the court after the upset, it was a great feeling for the girls that night as coaches Howey, former Lake Orion assistant and Stoney Creek head coach Ross Talbott, and John Kalugar high fiving and celebrating along with coach Livingway. That night was a night I would never forget in my career.

When I look at this year’s regional, there are some interesting storylines. Talbott and Scavarda are close friends. Scavarda used to be the Junior Varsity coach under Talbott when he was at Lake Orion. Talbott brings his Stoney Creek Cougars with him to Lake Orion. The Cougars beat the Dragons for the Red title in five games and has a boatload of talent and experience led by Stephanie Smith, Nino Billoto, Sara Thompson, Ava Menzo, and Kate Stration. Troy whom is Lake Orion’s first opponent in the regional is no stranger to the Dragons as they too play in the Red. The Colts are coached by Tom Vigilant who also had Lake Orion ties as he coached the Lake Orion Club program during the Howey years. Vigilant has his fair share of stars led by Jessica Robinson, Athena Sampson, Faith Keading, and Fran McBride. I see that Walled Lake Northern is in this regional but is not well known as the other three teams. They have come a long way and play in the Lakes Valley Conference where they finished second behind South Lyon whom is also still playing. The Knights are very young with only three seniors but is talented for coach Terry Baugman who one time applied for the same Lake Orion job after Talbott left. Walled Lake Northern is led by four very solid players in Olivia Miller, Delia Bechman, Amelia Rienhart, and Lauren Scott.

The regional will be interesting to say the least.

Could this be the time for the Dragons to finally break through?

We’ll find out.