We need Instant Replay in High School Football, Clarkston vs Stevenson shows why

Written Sunday November 22, at 12:12 AM

If you missed Saturday night at Troy Athens, it had everything, from an exciting finish, bad decision making, and controversy. It might be one of the reason's why we need instant replay in High School football in the first place.

College and professional football have instant replay, it now time for the Michigan High School Athletic Association to do the same, no matter the cost, bring in the cameras immediately, especially in big and playoff games, but back to the football game at Troy Athens.

It was 35-31 Clarkston, with about two minutes left in the game, when the Wolves defense stopped Sterling Heights Stevenson's quarterback Jason Fracassa and the Titan offense on a interception in the end zone by junior cornerback Chris Canada.

All was left to do for the Wolves to get their first trip to the State Finals was to keep the football, don't turn the ball over, and run the clock out.

Unfortunately disaster struck for the Wolves.

As Clarkston ran the ball they apparently fumbled the ball, and the Titans recovered the football, but Wolves running back Dakota Bender was down on the ground, and the refs didn't see it. Stevenson then had the ball into Clarkston territory at the Wolves 40 yard line with 38.4 seconds left in the game. If the MHSAA had instant replay then that call would be overturned, but they don't, so the refs call stand.

When Stevenson had the ball, the Titans marched down to the Wolves red zone, however as Stevenson was driving, time was clearly Stevenson's arch enemy. The clock was ticking down from eight seconds to 1.4 seconds left, Stevenson had to spike the ball to stop the clock and also save their season, The Titans spiked the ball, or did they?

Apparently Fracassa fumbled the football as he was about to spike the ball and stop the clock. Clarkston recovered the fumble and were ready to go to Ford Field right? well not quite. The referees blew the whistle, and instead of it being Clarkston's ball, it was Stevenson's ball with one last shot to win the game and go to Ford Field themselves.

Stevenson took that shot, Fracassa threw a one yard touchdown pass to tight end Dylan Cooper as time expired to lift the Titans to a 37-35 win over the Wolves in the MHSAA State Semifinals and also sending the Titans to play Novi Detroit Catholic Central on Saturday afternoon at Ford Field at One PM.

For Stevenson, this win takes them to their fourth MHSAA State championship game ever as a school and likely will be head coach's Rick Bye's last chance to get a State Championship. However it doesn't avenge their last loss to Lake Orion in 2008, but it comes pretty close to avenging it. They did beat Orion's arch rival Clarkston, and now they are in the championship game as the experts expected they would be against powerful and the only other unbeaten standing in their way, Novi Detroit Catholic Central.

For Clarkston, this was a devastating loss, all the Wolves had to do was just take a knee and force Stevenson call their last timeout, instead of running the football. It was a bad mistake, they had this game all wrapped up, and they gave it right back. It's disappointing to see this come to an end for Clarkston this way. If they kneed the ball, then maybe we'll be talking about how the Oakland Activities Association Red division would had their second team in the MHSAA State Finals, however it wasn't meant to be.

Everybody is going to talk about from here on out is how did Clarkston head coach Kurt Richardson decide not to take a knee when they had the game all wrapped up, and the horrible officiating at the end of the game. It all comes down to one question and one question only, we need instant replay in the MHSAA, just to get the calls right.

It was a great 2009 season in the Oakland Activities Association Red Division, let's hope 2010, brings out the same next fall.

Stevenson is not all mighty as people say they are

Written Monday, November 16th, at 1:50 AM

Last year is last year, but in the case for this year's suppose it number one and projected state champion by two writers from the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. Detroit News columnist Tom Markowski and Detroit Free Press columnist Mick McCabe, projected that Sterling Heights Stevenson would be the State Champions in Division One in 2009.

However the road for the Titans will have go through Oakland County. The Titans will play in Oakland County this week as they play Clarkston on Saturday night in the Michigan High School Athletic Association State Semifinals at Troy Athens, with the winner going to Ford Field in Detroit, to compete for the State championship against either Novi Detroit Catholic Central or Lansing Holt. Lansing Holt shocked defending State Champion Rockford 27-13 at Rockford, last Saturday afternoon.

Why is there going to be trouble for Stevenson, you ask, besides the game being in Oakland County? Well there are three reasons why Stevenson could be in some trouble Saturday Night, and weather might not be one of them.

The first reason is geographically, Clarkston is in Oakland County, Stevenson is however in Macomb County. Clarkston so far this season has not lost a game in Oakland County, despite the fact all of their games this season were played in Oakland County, locations, including their own field. Stevenson has not played a game in Oakland County this season, until Saturday night.

The second reason is that Stevenson's defense can be exposed. In the regional final against Detroit Southeastern, Stevenson's defense was exposed, despite the fact they are here in the State Semifinals. The Titans allowed 32 points last week, in a 38-32 win over Southeastern. Southeastern is good but they are no Clarkston when it comes to offense. The Wolves in the last four games (two against Lake Orion, Romeo, and Dakota) scored 42, 17, 21, and 38 against their respective opponents, which is alarming because all four teams Clarkston has faced in the playoffs have good defenses.

Clarkston is also now a good defensive team, something they were not last season, to add to their offense. In the last four games against the same competition the Wolves defense have allowed 13, 7, 3, and 14 in their respective games. Stevenson has a good and veteran laden offense, but it's a high risk, high reward spread offense. Last year Lake Orion exposed Stevenson's high risk, high reward offense in the first half and the third quarter by allowing just 7 points, until the Titans rally late against the Dragons. With the way the Wolves are playing right now, the Titans could have some issues, even with their spread offense, also not forget if the weather is bad, like rain or snow then Stevenson could also be in trouble, despite the fact the game that they will play will be on field turf and not grass.

The third reason is league play and familiarity. The Wolves play in the Oakland Activities Association Red Division and is in the same league, and division as the Troy Athens Red Hawks. The Wolves and the Red Hawks played earlier in the season, on that same field, and the Wolves won that game handily. Clarkston has had success on that field with their respective freshman and junior varsity teams playing there once a year, and reversing the next year. Stevenson has never traveled west in a long time, so lack of familiarity might be a problem for the Titans.

But the Titans do play in a tougher conference than the OAA Red in the Macomb Area Conference, and it's own division known as the MAC Red. The MAC Red has teams like Dakota, Romeo, and Chippewa Valley in that league, and is one of the toughest conferences in the State of Michigan. However the Wolves beat two MAC Red teams in Romeo, and Dakota, just to get into this game, and also add OAA arch rival and State finalist from a year ago Lake Orion, despite the fact that all of the Wolves played in the playoffs were at Clarkston. While Stevenson had virtually an easy path to get to this game in the playoffs. The Titans played against Roseville, and Warren Mott, but had a tough time getting past Detroit Southeastern last week at Runnel Field.

Stevenson also has had some problems against the OAA Red especially in the postseason. Last year in the 2008 playoffs the Titans fell to the Dragons 38-36 at Runnel Field, in one of the most craziest games ever seen to man, woman, or child. The Dragons had a 35-7 lead in the third quarter until the Titans came back and took a 36-35 lead with 3:43 left in the game on a touchdown run by Stevenson quarterback Jason Fracassa, then all the craziness started. Stevenson had stopped Orion on downs, and took over the football in their own territory. However the Titans had some questionable play calling, not knowing the Dragons still had one timeout left in their pocket.

Fracassa then got cocky, he even intentionally took the ball and went back 15 yards, on a third down, instead of just running the football up the gut, and celebrate the comeback victory. Fracassa after the play then jumped and pre-celebrated with his offensive lineman thinking they won the game, in a comeback fashion, despite the fact there was only 12 seconds left in the game and they were forced to punt the ball. Stevenson had to punt the ball back to Orion with not a lot of time left on the clock. The Dragons then had great field position at their own 44 yard line, with no timeouts left, believing they still had a chance to some how pull this game out, and steal one from the Titans.

Orion then freshman, now a sophomore quarterback Sean Charette then threw the ball to senior Charles Fleck on a curl rout with five seconds left in the game at the Stevenson 32 yard line. Then the kick was up next, as Dragon head coach Chris Bell took a gamble on winning the game, out came Jeff Heath, the all purpose player, strong safety, wide receiver, and kicker attempted a winning field goal from 49 yards. From 49 yards, Heath kicked the ball as hard as he could, the ball then barely made the up the uprights, and the referees, raised their hands, in the form of a touchdown signal, the kick was good. The Dragons won the game. The Orion side of the field went nuts, after the kick was good. The Orion faithful, including the student section stormed the field in victory while Stevenson's side was devastated, upset, and depressed, they were shocked at what happened. There was plenty of crying on both sides, one side was happy, and relieved, while the other side cried in disappointment, at the comeback, that was taken away from them at the end.

Don't think Stevenson remembers that game, particularly those who were on the field, on the sidelines, and were on that team that lost to the Dragons on the one year anniversary of that game, November 15th, 2008. That game was Stevenson's last loss, and this is perhaps their last chance to get a State Championship with their senior laden experience, like North Dakota State was in Mens College Basketball last season with the Summit League Championship. While Clarkston wants to keep it's dream season alive, beat Stevenson, and go to the State Finals like the Dragons did last season, however for the Wolves if they win this game then this game will be their biggest victory ever for the Wolves program in 23 years under Kurt Richardson's helm as head coach. We'll see what happens Saturday night at Troy Athens if Clarkston can represent the OAA Red, and take another OAA Red team to the State Championship game or Stevenson with their experience go to the State Finals for the fourth time in their school's history and compete for the Division One Championship.

The OAA Red has a new look

Written: Thursday November 12th at 5:27 PM.

It’s out with the old and in with the new. With the Oxford Wildcats arrival to the Oakland Activities Association next season, all 24 athletic directors in the OAA voted and approved the new football divisions based on enrollment, in the schools. The OAA Red will have a new look for 2010.

Gone are Royal Oak and Oak Park, both the Ravens and the Knights will move down from the OAA Red division to the OAA white division. Troy will be one of the few teams to say good riddance that Oak Park is leaving the OAA Red, because the Colts fell to the Knights 27-14 at Troy in week four in 2009, and has lost three of its last four games to the Knights since 2005.

Enter the Pontiac Phoenix and the Rochester Falcons to the OAA Red. The Phoenix and the Falcons will face teams like Lake Orion, Clarkston, West Bloomfield, Troy, Athens, and Southfield Lathrup. Talk about a nightmare of teams to meet in the Red in 2010.

Also the athletic directors approved that there will be a crossover game between the OAA Red and the OAA White in week eight of the 2010 football season on the scheldue. A perfect example would be if Lake Orion was leading the OAA Red and Rochester Adams was leading the OAA White, then those two teams would play each other at Adams. It’s going to be first place vs. first place, second place vs. second place, you all know the idea. All of those crossover games will be played at the OAA White location, the next year in 2011 it will be played at the OAA Red location.

The Pontiac Phoenix came into 2009, after the merging of both Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central. Also the Phoenix had a new head coach in Greg Ganfield. Ganfield coached in North Carolina, and also had stints at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Romeo. He completely changed the culture at Pontiac, transforming two schools that struggled as Northern and Central to make the playoffs in their first season as Pontiac High School. The Phoenix finished 2009, at 7-2, and won the OAA Blue division championship, despite the fact their two losses were to North Farmington in week one, and a tough loss to Class B state power Birmingham Detroit Country Day on the road. However in the playoffs, Pontiac ran into Macomb Area Conference Red division powerhouse Utica Eisenhower and the Eagles steamrolled the Phoenix 35-6 at Wisner Stadium in Pontiac.

The Rochester Falcons come into the red with not a lot of momentum. They are like your version of the Detroit Lions, only in reverse, the Falcons can win on the road but haven’t been able to win a home football game in two seasons. Rochester's closest chance of victory at home was in 2009, when they lead Stoney Creek 34-28, and lost the game with two seconds as they gave up a late touchdown and lost 35-34 in 2009. But the Falcons proved they could compete at least against an OAA Red member. It was week one when the Falcons host Troy, in a tight competitive match up, however the Falcons couldn’t get enough offense against the Colts and fell 17-6. The other red member Rochester faced was Southfield-Lathrup at Lathrup Village. Things didn’t go so well for the Falcons as they fell to the Chargers 49-21 in week 8. The Falcons finished 2009, at 1-8. Rochester’s only win came in week three against Birmingham Groves, a team who is heading down to the OAA Blue, winning 38-26 at Beverly Hills. After that win the Falcons went on and lost their last six contests including beatings against Rochester Adams (55-21 in week nine) and Southfield (32-0 in week five).

To both Rochester and Pontiac welcome to the OAA red, even though it’s going to be a challenge for you guys to make the playoffs. Pontiac benefited from playing teams in the OAA Blue, it won’t happen in 2010, things could get real bad for Pontiac, if they don’t step their game up and things just may get worse at Rochester after a 1-8 season. Playing teams like Lake Orion, Clarkston, West Bloomfield, Troy, and Southfield Lathrup is no easy task, and that’s what both of them face. It looks like it could be a long few years for both Pontiac and Rochester if all those tough teams get their way in the OAA Red. Time to step up your game now Phoenix and Falcons you’re now in the big leagues with the rest of the Red.

OAA Divisions for 2010

OAA Red:

Lake Orion, Clarkston, Pontiac, Troy, Troy Athens, West Bloomfield, Southfield-Lathrup, and Rochester.

OAA White:

Rochester Adams, Stoney Creek, Farmington, Farmington Hills Harrison, Southfield, Oxford, Royal Oak, and Oak Park.

OAA Blue:

Birmingham Groves, Birmingham Seaholm, Auburn Hills Avondale, Berkley, North Farmington, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Bloomfield Hills Lahser, and Bloomfield Hills Andover.

Could the Wolves take the same path the Dragons did to Ford Field?

Written Monday November 9th 2009 at 10:20 AM

Last year the Dragons ran the gauntlet, which was Macomb County. The Dragons only break in the playoffs was the State Semifinals at Troy Athens when they destroyed then unbeaten and number one in the state Dearborn Fordson 38-0.

Now everybody knew that Fordson’s schedule was weak, their only true competition in that league was Dearborn and their road to the playoffs was also easy when it came to competition, with Livonia Franklin, Detroit Cody, and Detroit Southeastern, no offense Detroit Southeastern or William Gholston but giving up 29 points to Fordson, very sad to see and not an excuse.

Last year Lake Orion had to go through Macomb County and the Macomb Area Conference Red division (Utica Eisenhower, Romeo, and Sterling Heights Stevenson) just to get to Ford Field. This time it’s Orion’s arch rival Clarkston who faces that daunting task.

The Wolves all ready played one Macomb Area Conference Red division team, in Romeo. The Wolves eliminated the Bulldogs 21-3 at Clarkston in the district final and now they play another Macomb County powerhouse Macomb Dakota on Friday night back at Clarkston in the Regional Finals.

Macomb County has its fair share of powerhouses out east of Oakland County and especially in the Macomb Area Conference, in Romeo, Utica Eisenhower, Macomb Dakota, and Sterling Heights Stevenson.

If Clarkston survives Macomb Dakota, it would likely clash with Sterling Heights Stevenson at Troy Athens. If Clarkston makes it to the State Finals it would be the second Oakland Activities Association Red division team in the last two years to make the state finals, and it would be a nightmare to see for Dragon fans, if they get there because they were just at Ford Field last season.

Dragons run to the State Finals falls short in First Round, as they fall to Clarkston for the second time in two weeks

Written: October 31, 2009: 11:23 AM

One play, just one play that described the entire football game Friday night as Clarkston and Lake Orion got it on, for the second time in two weeks at Clarkston High School in the first round of the Michigan High School Athletic Association, High School football state playoffs.

On that play that changed the entire game, and two different seasons, it was 10-7 Wolves, with about three minutes left in the fourth quarter when Clarkston quarterback Tyler Scarlett on a fourth down and 17 at the Lake Orion 31 yard line threw the football to his star running back Dakota Bender, as he leaped past Dragon strong safety Vinny Booker in the end zone grabbing it for a touchdown. At the end of the game it was 17-7 in favor of Clarkston over Orion.

After the touchdown, the Wolves side was cheering and went insane, while the Dragons side was dejected, down, and disappointed that not only did they saw their season come to an end after a touchdown like that, but also the high expectations they had after reaching the State Finals last year.

It was the second time in two weeks that the Wolves defeated the Dragons, but this one really hurts if you are a Dragon supporter, player, alumni or fan, because this was the playoffs and there is no third chance at playing Clarkston again in football, but there is other sports like Basketball, Wrestling, Track, and Baseball to get back at Clarkston. Just have to wait until next year when Clarkston comes to Lake Orion to play the Dragons in football.

If Bender didn’t make the catch for the touchdown for the Wolves, the Dragons would have had the ball at their own 31 yard line, with a chance to win the game and perhaps get their revenge on Clarkston and also possibly advance into the district finals but unfortunately it was not to be.

Now Clarkston moves onto the district final. The Wolves will play Romeo Friday night at Clarkston, while the Dragons head to the off-season with some questions that need to be addressed before next season, and what would be too many Dragons fans this season, a disappointment after the miraculous trip to the State finals just a season ago.

Districts Announced, Dragons will meet Clarkston again in a Round One playoff match

Written on Sunday October 25^th, at 10:20 PM

Remember 42-13, Dragons that will be the motivation call for this week against Clarkston.

“But I’ll tell you what; I don’t want to play them again” Clarkston football coach Kurt Richardson after the 42-13 victory over Lake Orion on Friday Night at Clarkston, in the Oakland Press.

Well Kurt, your going to play them again, unfortunately. The Michigan High School Athletic Association had its annual State playoff parings for the 2009 season, on Sunday night. The MHSAA announced that Kurt Richardson’s Wolves would play it’s Oakland Activities Association Red division arch rival the Dragons again, in the first round of the state playoffs in the Division One, Region Three, District One bracket, which will likely be Friday night back at Clarkston.

The Wolves finished the season with nine wins and zero losses and is currently number six in Division One, they won the OAA Red handily over the Dragons 42-13 last week. They are the number two seed in the district, while the Dragons who finished with seven wins and two losses are the number three seed and ranked 18^th in Division One. Both Lake Orion and Clarkston are in a district with two other teams from two difference conferences, the Kensington Lakes Activities Association and the Macomb Area Conference.

The top seed in the district is KLAA West Division champion Grand Blanc Bobcats. The Bobcats have nine wins and zero losses so far this season, and is ranked fifth in Division One. They beat Howell in week four (34-33) in Livingston County, and Walled Lake Central (28-0) at Walled Lake in week eight in a crossover between the KLAA North and KLAA West champions, for their two biggest wins of the season. It was expected that Grand Blanc to many experts that they would get a number one seed in the districts.

The fourth seed was MAC Red division powerhouse Romeo Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have seven wins and two losses this season. They played division games against Sterling Heights Stevenson (42-7 loss), Dakota (33-17 loss), Chippewa Valley (40-7 win), and Ike, and all those teams are in the playoffs. The Bulldogs big win of the season was a mud bowl at Dan Barnabo Stadium, 10-3 in week seven over Ike. Both Romeo and Grand Blanc will play each other in the other half of the district, Friday in Genesee County. The winner of this game will go on to face either the Dragons or the Wolves next week.

The fourth seeded in the district was a complete shocker to me and a lot of other experts as well. Many people thought it would be the Pontiac Phoenix, the new school that merged both Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central together who would join Lake Orion, Clarkston, and Grand Blanc as the fourth member of the district. However the MHSAA sent the Phoenix east to District Two with Macomb Dakota, Chippewa Valley, and Utica Eisenhower. For a reward the Phoenix will host another MAC Red powerhouse in Utica Eisenhower (better known as Ike) at Wisner Stadium, but back to Lake Orion/Clarkston round two.

Same field, same teams, both teams will also wear the same jerseys as they did last week (Clarkston: Blue, Lake Orion: White) but it whole new ballgame now, everybody has a clean slate. For Dragon players, parents, coaches, and fans, it hopes to be a different result then the week nine beat down they took against the Wolves. They will likely hear it from their Wolves counterparts all week about how good Clarkston is, and how bad Lake Orion played. For Wolves players, parents, coaches, and fans they will celebrate the OAA Red division championship and bragging rights over the Dragons for now, but they want to be where the Dragons were at last year and that was the State Finals at Ford Field.

However where will Clarkston’s mindset be, has the beat down at home against the Dragons helped their confidence or have they awaken an angry giant? Will the Dragons have enough in the tank to stop quarterback Tyler Scarlett and running back Dakota Bender who combined for 325 yards and five touchdowns rushing in their week nine loss to the Wolves?

We’ll find out Friday, if Clarkston can become the second team in this rivalry to beat the Dragons, twice in one season, since the 2005 Lake Orion Dragons, who won 27-21 in double overtime, and also 30-20 that same year in the playoffs. The Wolves hold a 21-19 record overall in the past 50 years this rivalry existed against the Dragons, including last week.

Dragons get crushed at Clarkston 42-13

Written: Friday October 23^rd at 11:30 PM

Tonight was one of the most shocking and disastrous games I have personally seen in my eight years of playing/covering high school football. But looking at the scoreboard at Clarkston High School on Friday Night bothers me. To see Clarkston’s new donated scoreboard, it was hard to see this coming. WOLVES 42: GUEST 13, or should I say Wolves 42: Dragons 13.

Not since the 2004 season when my Dragons lost at home to Rochester Adams 33-14, and also at Clarkston 30-12 to the Wolves that same year. We would go on to lose to Macomb Dakota 24-14 in the first round of the playoffs.

Now it’s onto the playoffs, and my Dragons need to fix a lot of things before their first round playoff game. It starts with the defense, which were exposed for five touchdowns from the Clarkston duo of senior quarterback Tyler Scarlett and senior running back Dakota Bender. If the Dragons play like they did tonight against a dive option team like Clarkston and also Grand Blanc has a very similar offense, with there spread dive offense, then you can kiss the Dragons playoff chances goodbye.

It’s possible that Lake Orion and Clarkston will meet again in the playoffs. If they do meet again expect the Dragons to be a very angry and motivated after suffering one of their most embarrassing losses up to date. Even Clarkston head coach Kurt Richardson said in the Saturday edition of the Oakland Press that he doesn’t want to meet the Dragons in the first round of the playoffs.

Remember 2007 very carefully, the Wolves won the regular season game (21-19) but the Dragons returned the favor in the playoffs (30-27). Both games were at Clarkston. Could history repeat itself?

Expect Lake Orion head coach Chris Bell to motivate his Dragons whomever they play, whether if it is Clarkston or Grand Blanc, whom like Clarkston is also undefeated going into the playoffs.