Written Wednesday June 3rd, at 3:00 PM
The Orion Dragons have their new boys basketball coach and it's a familiar face.
Jim Manzo was named head coach late Monday night replacing Tom Risi whom resigned in early May.
Manzo was the coach of the Dragons from 2000-2008 and was a former player from the 1988 season. He has had players like Brad Neary, Kojo Asideu, Randy Frye, Marc Thompson, John Krause, Justin Diesbourg, Joe Barnes, Ross Tonyan, and Drew Maynard, among others.
Oddly enough he was the last Orion coach to knock off Dan Fife and Clarkston in 2007.
Manzo left in 2008 for family reasons. The program has not been stable, since he left even though Risi took the Dragons to the state quarterfinals and won its first district and regional since 1925 in 2012.
Manzo will be the fourth boys basketball coach in seven seasons (Lance Davis, Mike Shafkalis, and Risi were the other three.) He has had success at Waldon Middle School in both football and basketball as the seventh grade coach and with this current freshman class coming in he led Waldon to an undefeated season in both football and basketball in 2013.
He will inherent a team that should be a serious contender this upcoming winter. Last season Orion went 4-17 and 3-7 in the White and this season moved down to the Blue and will have experience coming back. The Dragons return four starters and had a solid junior varsity team coming up that finished 14-6.
This will be an interesting ride and is a game changer for sure, so we'll see what happens.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Monday, June 1, 2015
Jeff Jayson a candidate???
Written Monday June 1st at 3:45 PM
As I sit down thinking what has happened with the seniors all graduating and students being let out of school, I look at the Orion boys basketball situation, last season this team finished 4-17 and coach Tom Risi shockingly resigned in early May.
As I try to find answers, I'm thinking who would be the next guy to replace Risi. I talked to my brother about it, whom will coach this team???
As I talk about candidates on my podcast OAA Now, I'm still thinking whom will be the coach and what direction will this team and program go???
I mentioned a few candidates a few weeks ago on the Dragons Den blog ranging from Steve Laidlaw, to Steve DeHart.
Then I look at one possible name whom I didn't mention in the blog, Jeff Jayson. The up and coming coach who coached at Waterford Mott whom was an rising star in Oakland County before shockingly resigned in 2014.
Jayson played at Aquinas College in 2006-2007. He won a Kensington title, district championship, a couple of North titles, and took his team to the 2012 regional finals against oddly enough, the Dragons at Orion. Jayson's Corsairs would fall 48-42 to Orion as he saw the Dragons move on to the State Quarterfinals.
In 2013 Jayson's Corsairs finished 15-8, only to fall to a young Troy Athens squad in which they were about to start their strong four year run. In that game at Troy, Waterford Mott used a frantic full court pressure defense in the district finals almost coming back from a 20 point deficit. The next season his team finished 8-13 and suffered a tough loss to Troy in the pre-district.
The Dragons return three starters and have a solid Junior Varsity team coming up. They do return a solid offense and they are in a new division (the Blue) but the defense is a major concern with this group.
I wonder what would the team be under his watch if he were to coach. I've had private conversations with a couple of people and they ask me, if Jayson were hired as boys coach, it would be a "great hire." I remain open and optimistic but still unsure what would happen next.
A lot of questions for another time.
As I sit down thinking what has happened with the seniors all graduating and students being let out of school, I look at the Orion boys basketball situation, last season this team finished 4-17 and coach Tom Risi shockingly resigned in early May.
As I try to find answers, I'm thinking who would be the next guy to replace Risi. I talked to my brother about it, whom will coach this team???
As I talk about candidates on my podcast OAA Now, I'm still thinking whom will be the coach and what direction will this team and program go???
I mentioned a few candidates a few weeks ago on the Dragons Den blog ranging from Steve Laidlaw, to Steve DeHart.
Then I look at one possible name whom I didn't mention in the blog, Jeff Jayson. The up and coming coach who coached at Waterford Mott whom was an rising star in Oakland County before shockingly resigned in 2014.
Jayson played at Aquinas College in 2006-2007. He won a Kensington title, district championship, a couple of North titles, and took his team to the 2012 regional finals against oddly enough, the Dragons at Orion. Jayson's Corsairs would fall 48-42 to Orion as he saw the Dragons move on to the State Quarterfinals.
In 2013 Jayson's Corsairs finished 15-8, only to fall to a young Troy Athens squad in which they were about to start their strong four year run. In that game at Troy, Waterford Mott used a frantic full court pressure defense in the district finals almost coming back from a 20 point deficit. The next season his team finished 8-13 and suffered a tough loss to Troy in the pre-district.
The Dragons return three starters and have a solid Junior Varsity team coming up. They do return a solid offense and they are in a new division (the Blue) but the defense is a major concern with this group.
I wonder what would the team be under his watch if he were to coach. I've had private conversations with a couple of people and they ask me, if Jayson were hired as boys coach, it would be a "great hire." I remain open and optimistic but still unsure what would happen next.
A lot of questions for another time.
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