Early OAA Top 10 projections

Written Friday June 10th, 2011 at 2:06 PM

Hello to all. It's been a busy winter and spring for me so I haven't had the time to do much. Anyway the previews for this upcoming 2011 football season for the Oakland Activities Association will be later in August but the top 10 should give a pretty good idea what the Oakland Activities Association should look heading into the season and the top ten heading into right now.

10. Rochester Falcons: (6-4 in 2010.) GAME OF THE YEAR: September 19th @ Pontiac. The Falcons, even though they did lose a lot of senior leadership have a stable coaching staff and optimism heading into 2011. Could it be back to back years for the Falcons making the playoffs? The Falcons could be at their crossroads when they go to Wisner Stadium and face a determined Pontiac squad, who is looking for revenge after what happened to them at Rochester last season. That game could tell if the Falcons want to get back to the playoffs, four of their final five games are at home to close out the season.

9. Troy Colts: (5-4 in 2010.) GAME'S OF THE YEAR: August 26th @ Romeo and October 10th vs Pontiac. The Colts had a up and down season last season. They did beat Romeo and then things fell apart. The losses to Lake Orion and Clarkston were expected but losing to Rochester didn't help and losing to Pontiac cost them a shot at the playoffs. The Colts should be more experienced heading into 2011. The schedule does have some favors to them with Clarkston and Lake Orion at home. The games the Colts need to have is the Romeo game at Dan Barnabo Field on August 26th against a very angry and Macomb Area Conference power Romeo, and a home game against Pontiac on October 10th. The Colts want revenge after what happened to them at Wisner Stadium last season at the hands of the Phoenix, many Colts fans believe that it was the Phoenix that cost them a trip to the playoffs. Those games will likely tell what direction the Colts will be in 2011.

8. Ferndale Eagles: (5-4 in 2010.) GAME OF THE YEAR: September 12th @ UD-Jesuit. It was very unusual for the Eagles to miss out on the playoffs, especially with the schedule they had last season, they had all the tough teams in the OAA Blue at home however the schedule doesn't give the Eagles any favorites because now they go on the road and face those tough teams (Avondale, Berkley, Hazel Park all on the road). The game that Ferndale needs is the UD-Jesuit game. Last season the Eagles fell 16-13 at home and would like to get retribution. The Eagles if they get by Berkley should be 2-0 heading into that game.

7. Rochester Adams Highlanders: (9-2 in 2010.) GAME OF THE YEAR: October 10th vs Farmington Hills Harrison. The Highlanders did lose a lot of talent from a nine win team that had two tough losses, the loss that most hurt was to state semifinalist Walled Lake Central in the district final 14-13. The Highlanders should be a playoff team heading into 2011, don't be surprised if they are unbeaten heading into the Harrison game on October 10th. The Highlanders will want to get some revenge after allowing 54 points last season to the Hawks in a 54-21 blowout, plus Adams is at home and that should help in that game.

6. Rochester Stoney Creek Cougars: (4-5 in 2010.) GAME'S OF THE YEAR: August 26th vs Port Huron Northern and October 24th vs Rochester Adams. The Cougars had high expectations heading into last season, however disappointing losses and a tough road to clime during the OAA White season deal them in. Stoney Creek will need to be consistent if they want to compete with the best. The schedule should be good for them with only one tough road game being at Harrison. The Cougars have five home games this season, they host Port Huron Northern, Oak Park, Southfield Lathrup, Southfield and Rochester Adams, all of them are winnable games. The Cougars need to get off to a good start and that Port Huron Northern game on August 26th is the one they need and could determine their season. Last year the Cougars fell to the Huskies 21-16 in Port Huron, now the Huskies go to Rochester and things could be different. The Adams game week nine on October 24th could tell how improved Stoney Creek is. It could be a play in game to the playoffs for the Cougars and it's a rivalry game as well, the motivation is there. It could be a special season if the Cougars win the games they are suppose too.

5. Clarkston Wolves: (7-3 in 2010.) GAME'S OF THE YEAR: August 26th @ Rochester Adams and October 24th vs Lake Orion. The Wolves lost two great players in Dakota Bender and Tyler Scarlett two seasons go when they went to the state semifinals. Last season Clarkston had to develop their offense from scratch, especially after the Rochester Adams game. Their offense started to gel until they got to the Lake Orion game, where the Dragons just exposed the Wolves youthful offense and then they got to Grand Blanc where the Bobcats blitzed them off the bat. The Wolves defense carried them in games until they got to Lake Orion and Grand Blanc where they gave up yards in bunches and allowed 66 points in those two losses. Clarkston should be a playoff team in 2011. They have two games of the year that is marked in Red every year. The first one is the Rochester Adams game. The Highlanders beat the Wolves last season in Clarkston so the Wolves will be looking for revenge and then should be either unbeaten or 8-1 entering the OAA Red showdown with Lake Orion. The Dragons beat the Wolves 28-7 last season at Lake Orion but Dragon quarterback Sean Charette has not beaten the Wolves at Clarkston in his career but anything is possible.

4. Hazel Park Vikings (8-2 in 2010.) GAME OF THE YEAR: September 5th @ Avondale. The Vikings have had one of their best seasons in recent memory. However their star running back Dakota Ogeals graduated but they did play some games without Ogeals, going 2-1 without him with their only loss to Saginaw Nouvel. Hazel Park will have experience, especially at the running back position and is one of the front runners for the OAA Blue. The schedule does have some challenges for the Vikings with Saginaw Nouvel, Ferndale, and Berkley on the plate but all of them are at home. Hazel Park's toughest game is September 5th at Avondale, that game could determine who is Champion of the OAA Blue.

3. Auburn Hills Avondale Yellow Jackets: (8-3 in 2010.) GAME OF THE YEAR: September 5th vs Hazel Park. The Yellow Jackets may have lost two great players to graduation but they should be fine. The Yellow Jackets are well coached and should be a contender heading into the 2011 season. The schedule is good for the Yellow Jackets, they play four of their first five games are at home with their only league game on the road that could give them fits is the week nine game vs Berkley. The game that Yellow Jackets should be looking forward too is Week two on September 5th against Hazel Park, that game will tell a lot about the Yellow Jackets heading into 2011.

2. Lake Orion Dragons: (13-1 in 2010.) GAME'S OF THE YEAR: August 26th @ Oxford, October 17th vs Farmington Hills Harrison, and October 24th @ Clarkston. The Dragons won the Division one State Championship last season over Plymouth and is expected to be a state title contender again in 2011. The Dragons come into this season with a target on their back after the state championship run. The schedule is very manageable and could be in line for another unbeaten regular season if they play well this season. The first game of the season has so much hype to it with the Oxford Wildcats on August 26th. The Wildcats will bring out the blue turf for that game and if the Dragons can survive the hype and the hoopla than things should be fine. The game that all Dragon players and fans want is the Harrison game on October 17th, the Dragons should be unbeaten heading into that game. Last season the Hawks outplayed the Dragons on both sides of the ball, plus add it was Harrison's forty year anniversary and they played on a Saturday, not making some people happy. The Hawks won that game 28-6 and the Dragons haven't lost since. Now the game is not set in stone yet, think that every Dragon fan is looking forward to the Harrison game? The Clarkston game on October 24th for the Dragons is big on every radar because that game determines who is the OAA Red Champion, however Lake Orion quarterback Sean Charette is 0-2 at Clarkston in his career and hopefully a win at Clarkston would exercise his Wolves demons at the Wolves den.

1. Farmington Hills Harrison Hawks: (14-0 in 2010.) GAME'S OF THE YEAR: August 26th vs Detroit Cass Tech @ Eastern Michigan University, October 10th @ Rochester Adams, and October 17th @ Lake Orion. The Hawks took home the Division two State Championship last season over Lowell and is expected to be a state title contender again in 2011. The Hawks like the Dragons come in with a target on their backs heading into the new season after taking home the state championship. They do have two players who committed to Michigan and Brady Hoke for next year but they are focused on this year. Harrison do have some trap games on the schedule starting with Detroit Cass Tech at Eastern Michigan for week one then weeks seven and eight with tough road games at Rochester Adams and at Lake Orion. The Detroit Cass Tech game is going to be very interesting with star athletes all over the field in that one, Detroit Cass Tech has a very good defense while Harrison has a good offense, it is going to be a really good game. The OAA White could be decided on October 10th when Harrison travels to Rochester to face Rochester Adams. Harrison has not fared well north of Rochester Road during the years Harrison has entered the OAA. The next week for Harrison they travel to Lake Orion, where they have only won at Lake Orion once ever since Harrison has entered the OAA and let's not add the fact the Dragons are looking for revenge after what happened last season to them when they fell 28-6 to the Hawks, all though not set in stone yet. This game will likely happen and will determine who is king of the OAA for 2011.

Well this is the top 10 teams for 2011 for now, changes will be made as the season gets closer. Anyway take care, god bless, and GO GREEN.