Toughest OAA Stadiums to play at.

Written Wednesday May 23rd, at 12:12 AM

The OAA has had several tough places to play on Friday Nights whether it's Knight Valley at Oak Park, Dragon Stadium at Lake Orion, The Wolves Den in Clarkston, Wildcat Stadium on the Blue Turf at Oxford, Wisner Stadium in Pontiac, etc. It has not been easy to get a win in these stadiums in past years either. Anyway here are the top five toughest places to play at whether its the regular season or in the postseason. All of these teams have turf fields but the urea surrounds these teams make it really tough to win especially on the road whether it is an Oakland County or a Macomb County team for playoffs, it's not easy.

5. Highlander Stadium- Rochester Adams.

On Friday nights traveling through Adams and Tienkin Roads is not an easy trip for OAA White teams. The Highlanders bring their best efforts to the field whether it is Farmington Hills Harrison, Southfield, Oak Park, Brother Rice, Fenton, Oxford, or even when Lake Orion or Clarkston come to Adams. The fans are hostile especially at the right side of the stadium where the students are. The walk through the tunnel is a pretty long one from Rochester Adams to the stadium as well at there is someone who plays the bang pipes in honor of Rochester Adams's team the Highlanders.

4.  Blue Jay Field- Southfield.

Southfield not only with their team speed that gives opponents nightmares but they prefer to play their games during the day (4:30 PM) instead of 7 PM because of the gang violence around Southfield. The timing makes it tough for other teams to come into Southfield High. Southfield will sometimes play their games on Saturday at 1 PM. The Blue Jays rarely lose at home because of these conditions and the area they play in make it uneasy for other teams especially those from the north to come and play them.

3. Wolves Den- Clarkston.

Ah yes hearing the great voice of the Wolves, Dale Ryan is always a blast but having to play the Wolves at Clarkston is a tough task. The Wolves have rarely lost at home and use the crowd and the field to their advantage. The Clarkston community always supports them through and through whether it is Grand Blanc, Lake Orion, Troy, Adams, or Harrison coming to Clarkston. The Wolves students and band are on the left side of the stadium and there is a crosswalk for fans to view the game from the end-zone out. The scenery is also nice especially with the outside looking at the east end-zone makes the night bright in Clarkston. When you go to Clarkston, the visiting team has to take the long journey through the stands of Clarkston High School to the other gate and enter the field.

2. Herrington Field- Farmington Hills Harrison.

There always sense an urea, playing at this place and being the visitor. Farmington Hills Harrison just doesn't lose often at Herrington Field. The tradition that surrounds the Hawks and legendary coach John Herrington is huge that along with the athletes that Harrison has. Harrison will play most of their games on Friday nights but will from time to time  play on a Saturday Afternoon for special games. The Hawks in the last two seasons have only lost one home game and that was last season in the playoffs to Birmingham Brother Rice. The visitor's locker room is very small (not to the extent of Romeo) so it is not an easy place to be in over at Harrison.

1. Dragon Stadium- Lake Orion.

Lake Orion is a perfect venue for Friday night's. The atmosphere is insane and the whole Lake Orion community comes out and supports their Dragons through and through. There is a sense or an urea that surrounds the field that you don't lose at home. The Dragons have lost four times at home since 2007 (Walled Lake Central, Harrison, Clarkston, Adams). Lake Orion has it's students on the south side of the stadium, has been a tradition while the band is on the north end-zone and for big games the band is on the field on the track. The north end-zone is where you can see downtown Lake Orion sky lit on top of a hill where the Dragons play. Also what makes it tough for visitors is walking through the parking lot at the Community Educational Resource Center and onto oncoming traffic from Stadium Drive to your locker room, that's not an easy thing to do.