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.