Reiss Retires as AD.

Written Thursday August 31st at 11:25 AM

The Orion Athletic Department will have a new face controlling the Athletic Department in 2016-2017 school year.

Orion Athletic Director Bill Reiss has retired from his role as Athletic Director effective September 1^st.

Reiss became Athletic Director in 2004 taking over for Jim Wood. He has been very successful in his role. The Dragons would win the 2007 Baseball, 2007 Girls Golf,  2010 Football, and 2012 Boys Track State titles. Reiss had numerous State championship appearance in Football in 2008, Girls Basketball in 2009, numerous Cheerleading appearances, and Girls Volleyball in 2012, a softball quarterfinal appearance in 2016, and a Boys Basketball quarterfinal appearance in 2012.

Reiss has also attended soccer, basketball, volleyball, football, swimming, lacrosse match. Not to mention he hosted several districts and regional and won them.

In 2016 the Orion Athletic Department was the third best in the nation by USA Today.

Reiss has been very successful coaching Girls Basketball and also largely involved in the swimming process. He has been in the school district for over 40 years.

There has been a replacement named for Reiss in the form of Chris Bell. Bell currently coaches football at Orion and will join Oak Park’s Greg Carter and North Farmington’s Todd Schultz as football coaches to have both the Athletic Director and Football coach’s role.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for this developing story.

Dragons Have their new Girls Basketball Coach.

Written Tuesday August 30th at 9:15 PM

The Orion Dragons have their new Girls Basketball coach but it’s a familiar face that is taking over the program.

The Dragons named Kevin Kopec the new coach on Tuesday succeeding long time coach Steve Roberts.

Kopec teaches American Government at Orion High School and went to Western Michigan University. He coached the Junior Varsity program for the Girls from 2006-2016 under Roberts. 

Before Kopec coached in the Girls program. He served as an assistant Boys Basketball freshman coach to coach Gary Parker, whom is now an assistant Boys Basketball coach at Troy from 2002-2005.

Kopec while as JV Girls coach had two 20-0 seasons and was 36-2 in the last two seasons overall in 2015 and in 2016.

Kopec returns some key players in Maddie Novak along with Tessa Nuss, Sophie Wyborski, and Delaney Bryce returning from a team that went 12-8 last season. The Dragons will be in the White division with Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Oxford, West Bloomfield, and Harrison this season. 

Orion will host a district this upcoming spring with Oxford, Clarkston, Pontiac, Waterford Kettering, and Waterford Mott.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for this developing story.

Dragons Embarrassed by Chippewa Valley 27-7.

Written Thursday August 25th at 11:50 PM
Updated Friday August 26th at 9:40 AM

The Dragons kicked off the 2016 season with high hopes and expectations.

However, things did not go as planned and it showed its ugly side.

Forget all the good fortune, the hype, and the optimism. It was the same thing that has been occurring the last two seasons.

Orion fell to Chippewa Valley 27-7 on Thursday night at Tom Adams Field in the Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University.

Early on it was a turnover fest game as Orion and Chippewa Valley battled for control of the football but it was the Big Reds that turned a Max Horniffer fumble into a touchdown from Steven Charles as he ran on a draw play from 50 yards out for a 7-0 Chippewa Valley lead.

The Dragons had their chances but had a dropped pass on a third down and then they had a golden opportunity after the Big Reds poorly played a snap which got Orion deep into Chippewa Valley territory. However, the Big Reds defense would prevent it, stopping the Dragons on downs.

Chippewa Valley would then strike again scoring on a passing touchdown from quarterback Tommy Schuster to Jacob Rybicki from 16 yards out but the kick was blocked for a 13-0 Big Reds lead.

Chippewa Valley would then strike again after a quarterback keeper from Schuster from one yard out made the score 20-0 heading to the half.

Orion would then strike after a 30 yard run by Johnny Haggitt cutting the Big Reds lead to 20-7 in the third quarter.

Chippewa Valley responded as Schuster found Darian Greenly from 18 yards out to wrap up the scoring 27-7.

There wasn’t any scoring in the fourth quarter.

Thoughts.

The Dragons are in deep trouble especially with the schedule coming up and the league they are in (the Red) starting with Stoney Creek led by their new head coach Bob Lantzy but that’s next week. The Cougars beat Orion 21-14 last season at Orion.

Quarterback play was not very good, John Marshall was four for 13 for 37 yards and one pick. The defense looked shaky, allowing 27 points and still has some major weaknesses. The offensive line looked out of sink, allowed at least three sacks. The running game was spotty. Wide receiver play wasn't good either.

There were a lot of fundamental mistakes, poor tackling, turnovers, lack of execution.

You can play hard but if you don't execute your not going to win that's the bottom line.

If this team doesn't get their act together then it could be another long season, maybe even worse than the two 8-10 seasons. It's a very real possibility. 

I have to question now, does this program deserve to play Chippewa Valley??? The freshman team tied them 21-21 and JV was smoked 38-0. Now yes Dragons coach Chris Bell and Big Reds coach Scott Merchant are friends but right now Orion has lost three straight games to Chippewa Valley and the last two years Orion hasn't made the playoffs.

Maybe it's time to look at that possibility.

Why Pat Caputo's Blog Gives the Dragons High Optimism in 2016.

Written Thursday August 18th at 3:00 PM

If Oakland Press sportswriter Pat Caputo's blog is true then you can expect great things from the Dragon football program in 2016.

Caputo is very high on the Dragons football team coming into the season but there are doubters that aren't so optimistic.

Orion is 8-10 in their last two seasons including two bad losses to Stoney Creek and Troy Athens last season.

But every team is different.

There is optimism surrounding this team especially with the scrimmage with Lapeer. The Lightning are expected to be a very good football team this season in the tough Saginaw Valley League in the Red Division.

The defense which has been a major problem the last two seasons improved slightly from a year ago allowing 156 points, 17.3 points per game. In 2014 the Dragons allowed 246 points, 27.3 points per game.

The offense took a step back only scoring 184 points, 20.4 points per game. They will look to try to get back on track after a rough 2015. The offensive line should be back this season especially with Nick Novak and Jeff McCarty. Novak committed to Navy is a three star prospect.

The Dragons have a quarterback battle with either John Marshall or Ryan Kolp battling for the job after Caiden Preiskorn left for Orchard Lake St. Marys.

Also Orion lost running back Keith Fields whom transferred to Waterford Mott but the Dragons have running backs waiting in the wings who can carry the load this season.

The Red will be tough with Clarkston, Southfield Arts and Tech, West Bloomfield, Stoney Creek, Troy Athens, and Oxford. It clearly won't be an easy league nor an easy schedule. The schedule is tough with Chippewa Valley to open up at Wayne State before going into league play. Seaholm and Bloomfield Hills will be tough non league games.

Maybe having a tough schedule will benefit the 2016 Dragons this season. There are no easy games.

If everything that Caputo said is true about the Dragons like he said in 2010 and we remember what happened there, then expect good things around Lake Orion this season.

You can read what Caputo said about the Dragons right here.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/sports/20160818/pat-caputo-tradition-grit-numbers-should-put-lake-orion-football-back-on-winning-track-in-2016

2016 Dragon Football Outlook.

Written Saturday August 13th at 11:00 PM

The Orion Dragons coming off two 4-5 seasons will have to deal with some adversity heading into the 2016 football season.

The Dragons have some questions coming into this season as they look to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 especially at the defensive line, secondary, and quarterback.

Orion enters a new Red division this upcoming season, here are some of the story-lines coming into the season.

Southfield Arts and Tech whom merged Southfield and Lathrup together. They will have a very talented team back this season.

Stoney Creek has a new coach in Bob Lantzy, whom was very successful at Utica Eisenhower for 41 seasons. The Cougars beat Orion 21-14 last season as well.

West Bloomfield has outscored the Dragons 62-0 and beaten them the last two meetings.

Troy Athens shocked Orion 21-14 on a 62-yard touchdown pass. They will be loaded on offense this season.

Oxford will always be tough.

Clarkston is well Clarkston.

Non League teams include Bloomfield Hills and Seaholm won't be easy especially with both of those games being on the road.

 

Notice the trend here???

There will be no games off for this program. Maybe they need this type of schedule to help them. 

They open up the season with Chippewa Valley at Wayne State on August 25^th. The Big Reds have beaten the Dragons the last two meetings, including a 35-28 win last season and 38-35 the year before.

We’ll see what happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFh9luM_orw