This week on our show Between Taorminas, we previewed the
Clarkston vs. Novi Detroit Catholic Central Division One State Finals match up
that is to be played at Ford Field on Saturday at 1
PM . My brother Anthony and myself picked winners in this game and
the reasons why they will win will be here. We both are Lake
Orion guys and of course were there
when the Dragons went to the State Finals in 2008 where they lost to Rockford
and 2010 where Orion beat Plymouth .
Here are the picks and why:
Anthony is picking
Clarkston.
The reasons my brother is picking the Wolves is because of
line play. The offensive line is the biggest reason why Clarkston is at Ford
Field as it has opened many holes for running back Ian Eriksen and allowed
quarterback DJ Zezula to throw whenever he wants to.
The defense as a whole has not been bad but it can be
challenged as we saw with Lake Orion
and Oxford .
The Wolves has been living in the shadow of Lake
Orion for years when the Dragons
went to the state finals in two of the last five years.
Anthony thinks the key to this game is Eriksen. He has
proven to be a difference maker in games. Anthony is pretty certain that Novi
Detroit Catholic Central hasn’t seen a running back like this.
Anthony is going with the Wolves because of line play and
Ian Eriksen’s running will give Clarkston their first state title.
I am picking Novi Detroit Catholic Central.
The reasons why I’m going with the Shamrocks is really
simple, experience. They have been the State Finals the last three
seasons. Clarkston has not been this far and have not seen a team like this
what they will see with Novi Detroit Catholic Central.
The playoff path both these teams took has been in two
different area codes. The Wolves have had pretty much an easy playoff path with
the exception of Oxford and avoided
having to play Rockford (in the
state semifinals and the team that beat Clarkston at home last season.) The
Shamrocks went through Northville, Walled Lake Western, and Temperance Bedford
all on the road and let’s not forget they play in the Catholic League where
they have to play Birmingham Brother Rice twice, Warren De LaSalle, U-D Jesuit,
and Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s.
Clarkston had to adapt to it’s passing game as Eriksen got
hurt earlier in the season but if Eriksen gets shut down by the Novi Detroit
Catholic Central defensive line then it could be trouble for DJ Zezula and
their receivers Tim Cason, Cole Chewins, and Caine Wallington. This will be the
toughest defense that the Wolves have seen this season. The Shamrocks shut out
Detroit Cass Tech and quarterback Jayru Campbell last week at Troy Athens to
get a big monkey off its back.
Clarkston’s defense is not the brightest either as it has
proven to be vulnerable in the past two weeks, allowing 28 points to Rochester
Adams and 26 points to Flint Carman Ainsworth. The most points Clarkston has
allowed is 28 and that was against Lake
Orion and Rochester Adams, both of
them were wins.
I see the Shamrocks winning this game because of experience and
motivation. Novi Detroit Catholic Central can neutralize Clarkston’s offense
both running the football and passing the ball as well and also Detroit Cass
Tech has several Division One recruits and Clarkston is in the same boat.
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