Written Tuesday September 2nd, at 2:00 PM
Big Games Week Two:
10. Groves at Ferndale: The Eagles made a statement in a 56-20 blowout win over Livonia Clarenceville. A win in Beverly Hills will tell how much improvement that coach Erik Royal's team has done. Groves might have found a replacement running back to go along with Zach Van Fossen and are riding high after winning 42-19 over Seaholm last week.
7. Southfield at Adams: It's hard to believe the loser of this game will be 0-2 and in a big hole trying to make the playoffs. The Blue Jays are as talented as anyone especially in the secondary but lost a tough 21-19 match up to Orchard Lake St. Mary's last week at Wayne State. The Highlanders who runs a veer offense and went to the regional finals last season was shocked 28-20 by Stoney Creek last week. Expect this game to be close.
3. Stoney Creek at 4. Oxford: This game will be interesting. The Wildcats may have found a power back to go along with quarterback Glacier Wallington in last week's 28-20 win over Romeo. The Cougars had their best win of their school history last week over Adams (not Lake Orion) 28-20 and will be ready for this week. Stoney Creek better be careful of a letdown after a big win, the last time they had one ask Clarkston.
Southfield-Lathrup at Farmington: This game will be close between two former white rivals now in the Blue. The Chargers are much improved after beating Detroit Southeastern 35-6 last week and will be motivated after losing 25-6 last year to the Falcons. Farmington was a complete disaster last week losing 48-12 to Harrison and if they lose this one then they are in huge trouble especially with Avondale next week.
9. Orion at Troy Athens: The Red Hawks came off a huge win 34-31 last week over Macomb L'Anse Cruse North will have a huge task against a Dragons rushing attack who put up nearly 500 yards on the ground last week against Chippewa Valley in a 38-35 loss. Lake Orion must develop it's passing game and also defense if it wants to avoid an 0-2 start.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014
OAA Rankings-After Week One.
Written Monday September 1st, at 10:30 PM
24. Pontiac Phoenix (0-1)- The Phoenix will struggle this season again.
23. Rochester Falcons (0-1)- 42 points to Lapeer is bad and now go to Harrison next.
22. Hazel Park Vikings (0-1)- Rome wasn't built overnight but the Vikings have the right coach in place.
21. Royal Oak Ravens (0-1)- Only scored three points last week. They are in trouble this week.
20. North Farmington Raiders (1-0)- Raiders looked good last week, can they keep it going???
19. Seaholm Maples (0-1)- Bad loss last week to Groves means long season in the White is likely.
18. Troy Colts (0-1)- Colts were respectable in defeat and will get better.
17. Farmington Falcons (0-1)- Falcons were horrible last week against Harrison.
16. Bloomfield Hills Blackhawks (0-1)- Blackhawks were good for three quarters against WLN.
15. Ferndale Eagles (1-0)- The Erik Royal era is off to a good start in Eagles country.
14. Berkley Bears (1-0)- Bears shocked Holly, should have no problem going 2-0 this week.
13. Rochester Adams Highlanders (0-1)- Shocking loss last week leaves them hanging.
12. Troy Athens Red Hawks (1-0)- Huge win for the Red Hawks over LCN last week.
11. Southfield-Lathrup Chargers (1-0)- Chargers looked good last week, big test this week.
10. Groves Falcons (1-0)- Falcons won huge last week and is riding with a lot of confidence.
9. Orion Dragons (0-1)- Dragons must develop a passing game and a defense to do well.
8. Avondale Yellow Jackets (1-0)- One more week until the showdown with Farmington begins.
7. Southfield Blue Jays (0-1)- Tough loss last week and they have a big one with Adams this week.
6. Oak Park Knights (0-1)- Tough loss last week and they play Royal Oak at home this week.
5. West Bloomfield Lakers (1-0)- Big one looms next week for the Lakers.
4. Oxford Wildcats (1-0)- The Wildcats have a big one this week with SC.
3. Stoney Creek Cougars (1-0)- The Cougars better be careful of a letdown this week.
2. Harrison Hawks (1-0)- Hawks were very good last week, got a big one next week.
1. Clarkston Wolves (1-0)- Wolves defense still has some issues but offense looked good.
24. Pontiac Phoenix (0-1)- The Phoenix will struggle this season again.
23. Rochester Falcons (0-1)- 42 points to Lapeer is bad and now go to Harrison next.
22. Hazel Park Vikings (0-1)- Rome wasn't built overnight but the Vikings have the right coach in place.
21. Royal Oak Ravens (0-1)- Only scored three points last week. They are in trouble this week.
20. North Farmington Raiders (1-0)- Raiders looked good last week, can they keep it going???
19. Seaholm Maples (0-1)- Bad loss last week to Groves means long season in the White is likely.
18. Troy Colts (0-1)- Colts were respectable in defeat and will get better.
17. Farmington Falcons (0-1)- Falcons were horrible last week against Harrison.
16. Bloomfield Hills Blackhawks (0-1)- Blackhawks were good for three quarters against WLN.
15. Ferndale Eagles (1-0)- The Erik Royal era is off to a good start in Eagles country.
14. Berkley Bears (1-0)- Bears shocked Holly, should have no problem going 2-0 this week.
13. Rochester Adams Highlanders (0-1)- Shocking loss last week leaves them hanging.
12. Troy Athens Red Hawks (1-0)- Huge win for the Red Hawks over LCN last week.
11. Southfield-Lathrup Chargers (1-0)- Chargers looked good last week, big test this week.
10. Groves Falcons (1-0)- Falcons won huge last week and is riding with a lot of confidence.
9. Orion Dragons (0-1)- Dragons must develop a passing game and a defense to do well.
8. Avondale Yellow Jackets (1-0)- One more week until the showdown with Farmington begins.
7. Southfield Blue Jays (0-1)- Tough loss last week and they have a big one with Adams this week.
6. Oak Park Knights (0-1)- Tough loss last week and they play Royal Oak at home this week.
5. West Bloomfield Lakers (1-0)- Big one looms next week for the Lakers.
4. Oxford Wildcats (1-0)- The Wildcats have a big one this week with SC.
3. Stoney Creek Cougars (1-0)- The Cougars better be careful of a letdown this week.
2. Harrison Hawks (1-0)- Hawks were very good last week, got a big one next week.
1. Clarkston Wolves (1-0)- Wolves defense still has some issues but offense looked good.
OAA Week One Recap:
Written Monday September 1st, at 10:15 PM
1. Clarkston
2. Harrison
3. Stoney Creek
4. Oxford
5. West Bloomfield
6. Oak Park
7. Southfield
8. Avondale
9. Orion
10. Groves
Huge Win: Clarkston 24, Macomb Dakota 21. The Wolves led by quarterback DJ Zezula led 17-0 early in the game but had to overcome a late Cougars rally to seal the win for Clarkston.
Tough Loss: Detroit Cass Tech 27, Oak Park 26. This game was a good as advertised at Wayne State. Both running backs Mike Weber of Detroit Cass Tech and John Kelly of the Knights played well. Oak Park had a 26-13 lead late but gave up two touchdowns late along with a last stand.
Team that needs a hug: Lake Orion. The Dragons led 21-7 early in the game at Chippewa Valley but mistakes, penalties, bad third quarter, and bad officiating caused Lake Orion to lose 38-35 to the Big Reds. The Dragons need to bounce back against Troy Athens this week to avoid being 0-2.
Are You Kidding me???: Stoney Creek 28, Adams 20. The Cougars overcame a 20-7 deficit to shock the Highlanders. This is a huge win for Stoney Creek and coach Brad Zube and a tough loss for coach Tony Patrinio who lost his first game to a Rochester school since 2003. The Cougars have a tough game this week at Oxford and Stoney Creek had a letdown last season when they beat Lake Orion and lost to Clarkston the next week. Adams has a tougher road and that starts with Southfield who lost to Orchard Lake St Mary's 21-19 at Wayne State.
????: Utica Ford 26, Royal Oak 3. Coach Tim Chapman's debut in Royal Oak started well up 3-0 but the Falcons scored 26 unanswered points on the Ravens. Royal Oak will play an angry Oak Park team next week.
OAA Recap:
I thought looking at the games, I was impressed with Ferndale and Southfield Lathrup. The Chargers beat Detroit Southeastern 35-6 and the Eagles really impressed me with a 56-20 win over Livonia Clarenceville.
Oxford and Clarkston had big wins over Romeo and Macomb Dakota respectably. The Wildcats beat the Bulldogs 28-20 and the Wolves beat the Cougars 24-21. Both games were competitive games.
The game that really shocked me was Adams losing to Stoney Creek 28-20. The Highlanders were a regional finals team last season and returned a lot of experience back. The Cougars fell to Adams 17-6 last season in the playoffs and were suppose to be rebuilding a bit. The only thing the Cougars need to change is their jersey combination but Stoney Creek showed that they are no fluke and will be a force this season.
I thought Lake Orion really got screwed over big time in Macomb County. The Dragons had a penalty every single drive they had in the game against Chippewa Valley. Also add that they had two touchdowns called back due to penalties. The mistakes didn't help either as the Dragons were out scored 21-7 in the second half and lost 38-35 despite having a 410 yards, four touchdowns game from Matt Krause. The defense was awful in that game for the Dragons as well.
I wasn't surprised Rochester got crushed by Lapeer 42-0, Harrison torching Farmington 48-12, and North Farmington beat Pontiac 35-6. Avondale beating Redford Union 46-8.
I was surprised that Berkley crushed Holly 31-7, Troy lost 7-3 to Sterling Heights Stevenson, Troy Athens beat Macomb L'Anse Cruse North 34-31, and that Hazel Park lost 44-7 to Warren Fitzgerald.
We'll see what happens next week. Also catch OAA Now for complete coverage.
1. Clarkston
2. Harrison
3. Stoney Creek
4. Oxford
5. West Bloomfield
6. Oak Park
7. Southfield
8. Avondale
9. Orion
10. Groves
Huge Win: Clarkston 24, Macomb Dakota 21. The Wolves led by quarterback DJ Zezula led 17-0 early in the game but had to overcome a late Cougars rally to seal the win for Clarkston.
Tough Loss: Detroit Cass Tech 27, Oak Park 26. This game was a good as advertised at Wayne State. Both running backs Mike Weber of Detroit Cass Tech and John Kelly of the Knights played well. Oak Park had a 26-13 lead late but gave up two touchdowns late along with a last stand.
Team that needs a hug: Lake Orion. The Dragons led 21-7 early in the game at Chippewa Valley but mistakes, penalties, bad third quarter, and bad officiating caused Lake Orion to lose 38-35 to the Big Reds. The Dragons need to bounce back against Troy Athens this week to avoid being 0-2.
Are You Kidding me???: Stoney Creek 28, Adams 20. The Cougars overcame a 20-7 deficit to shock the Highlanders. This is a huge win for Stoney Creek and coach Brad Zube and a tough loss for coach Tony Patrinio who lost his first game to a Rochester school since 2003. The Cougars have a tough game this week at Oxford and Stoney Creek had a letdown last season when they beat Lake Orion and lost to Clarkston the next week. Adams has a tougher road and that starts with Southfield who lost to Orchard Lake St Mary's 21-19 at Wayne State.
????: Utica Ford 26, Royal Oak 3. Coach Tim Chapman's debut in Royal Oak started well up 3-0 but the Falcons scored 26 unanswered points on the Ravens. Royal Oak will play an angry Oak Park team next week.
OAA Recap:
I thought looking at the games, I was impressed with Ferndale and Southfield Lathrup. The Chargers beat Detroit Southeastern 35-6 and the Eagles really impressed me with a 56-20 win over Livonia Clarenceville.
Oxford and Clarkston had big wins over Romeo and Macomb Dakota respectably. The Wildcats beat the Bulldogs 28-20 and the Wolves beat the Cougars 24-21. Both games were competitive games.
The game that really shocked me was Adams losing to Stoney Creek 28-20. The Highlanders were a regional finals team last season and returned a lot of experience back. The Cougars fell to Adams 17-6 last season in the playoffs and were suppose to be rebuilding a bit. The only thing the Cougars need to change is their jersey combination but Stoney Creek showed that they are no fluke and will be a force this season.
I thought Lake Orion really got screwed over big time in Macomb County. The Dragons had a penalty every single drive they had in the game against Chippewa Valley. Also add that they had two touchdowns called back due to penalties. The mistakes didn't help either as the Dragons were out scored 21-7 in the second half and lost 38-35 despite having a 410 yards, four touchdowns game from Matt Krause. The defense was awful in that game for the Dragons as well.
I wasn't surprised Rochester got crushed by Lapeer 42-0, Harrison torching Farmington 48-12, and North Farmington beat Pontiac 35-6. Avondale beating Redford Union 46-8.
I was surprised that Berkley crushed Holly 31-7, Troy lost 7-3 to Sterling Heights Stevenson, Troy Athens beat Macomb L'Anse Cruse North 34-31, and that Hazel Park lost 44-7 to Warren Fitzgerald.
We'll see what happens next week. Also catch OAA Now for complete coverage.
Dragons Invitational Recap
Written Monday September 1st, at 9:15 PM
When I look at the Lake Orion Volleyball Invite. There were some very good teams here and there were those who struggled during the tournament.
These teams are looking toward their respected league seasons and this tournament proved it.
Farmington Hills Mercy ended up winning the tournament beating Lake Orion while Northville won the silver pool.
Mercy this season will be very good and will be a huge threat to Birmingham Marian in the Catholic League along with Notre Dame Prep. "I just think right now we are running a couple of different offenses. It's still early in the season, we're just trying to get the kinks out" said Marlins coach Lorreta Vogel.
Lake Orion has played a lot of volleyball the last two days but have proven that they will be a force on the Red this season behind Hannah Murdock, Kory Varney, Nicole, and Natalie Wehner. "We're balanced, it's just a matter of if we come to play and focus, we'll be fine" said Dragons coach Tony Scravada.
Clarkston struggled a bit in pool play but has proven it will be a threat in Red play. "The league is on their mind" said coach Kelly Averall-Pinter, who got married this summer. The Wolves do have some questions at the back row but Averall-Pinter will have some senior experience to go with this season "we have a lot of senior returnees, we got some experience back there." Oh and lets not mention they have Taylor Dellinger back as well "She is one of the best hitters in the world" Averall-Pinter said of Dellinger.
Seaholm proved with their experience that they will be a good team this season as well and is getting ready for league season. "We got ten seniors" said Maples assistant coach Jason Gambon who was coaching for coach Heather Lippert who had a teaching commitment. "It's always tough. It (The Red) prepares us for the postseason" he concluded.
Oxford though young but they proved they can play with anyone and will rely on youth and balance this season "Last night our first test was a little iffy. Missing Darien (Bandel) hurts us but we got six players. It's just a matter of balancing it out" said coach Kristi McDevitt. Oxford could be a dark horse in the Red this season. "The league (Red) is one of the toughest in the state" McDevitt added.
North Branch though missing two of its top players to injuries have a lot of expectations in Class B and in the Tri Valley Conference's east division. "We hope to get better everyday" said coach Jim Fish. The Broncos has some issues when it comes to playing the bigger schools but is willing to play anybody. "We are hoping to be on top of our league and hoping to compete with Mount Morris and those type of schools" Fish concluded.
Mount Morris is a sleeping giant has an energetic coach and a good team that could do damage this season.
Stoney Creek looked good and will rely on its strong junior class to carry the Cougars this season. "I really like where we are at" said Cougars coach Mandy Moran "Our core group is our junior class and we added two sophomores and two freshman" she added to this season's Cougar Core. The goals is to improve this season "Our goal is to finish fourth or better (Red this season.) I think this year we aren't the newbees anymore so we know what to expect" Moran concluded.
Adams struggled with inconsistency and must replace it's liberio from a season ago. Coach Irick Gardner must address this issue with his team and with the White schedule coming up they must address this quick. Gardner expects his team to be better than last season. "We are better than last year, we are a better team. Even if you lose one player we are a better team" he added.
Macomb L'Anse Cruse North had wins over Clarkston and Adams in pool play and will be an interesting team to watch in the MAC Red this season.
Macomb L'Anse Cruse struggled today but could be an interesting team to watch this season.
Holly is another team who struggled and didn't look good until a game against Grosse Pointe North but still lost that game.
Grosse Pointe North will be a good team this season and will be in the mix this season in the MAC Red this season.
Macomb Dakota struggled at the tournament but still has the talent to compete for a MAC Red crown despite the fact they are inexperienced "we are very young but we want to come out on top. We have done it the past three years" said coach Traci Ferguson. The Cougars will struggle with the loss of star player Carly Snyder who is now at Florida. "There is no replacing Carly" Ferguson concluded.
Northville is a good team and should do damage in the KLAA Central this season. The Mustangs struggled going 2-4 in pool play but won the sliver bracket. Expect Northville to be a major player this season.
Novi is also a very good team and should do damage this season. The only down side is Northville and Novi are in the same district and same league in the Kensington Lakes Athletic Association. The Wildcats will be a threat this season in not only the league but the state as well.
Lake Orion beat Novi and Seaholm in tourney play. Mercy beat Clarkston, Mount Morris who shocked North Branch in the Quarterfinals and Lake Orion. Seaholm beat Stoney Creek but lost to Lake Orion. Clarkston lost to Mercy.
We'll see what happens this season.
When I look at the Lake Orion Volleyball Invite. There were some very good teams here and there were those who struggled during the tournament.
These teams are looking toward their respected league seasons and this tournament proved it.
Farmington Hills Mercy ended up winning the tournament beating Lake Orion while Northville won the silver pool.
Mercy this season will be very good and will be a huge threat to Birmingham Marian in the Catholic League along with Notre Dame Prep. "I just think right now we are running a couple of different offenses. It's still early in the season, we're just trying to get the kinks out" said Marlins coach Lorreta Vogel.
Lake Orion has played a lot of volleyball the last two days but have proven that they will be a force on the Red this season behind Hannah Murdock, Kory Varney, Nicole, and Natalie Wehner. "We're balanced, it's just a matter of if we come to play and focus, we'll be fine" said Dragons coach Tony Scravada.
Clarkston struggled a bit in pool play but has proven it will be a threat in Red play. "The league is on their mind" said coach Kelly Averall-Pinter, who got married this summer. The Wolves do have some questions at the back row but Averall-Pinter will have some senior experience to go with this season "we have a lot of senior returnees, we got some experience back there." Oh and lets not mention they have Taylor Dellinger back as well "She is one of the best hitters in the world" Averall-Pinter said of Dellinger.
Seaholm proved with their experience that they will be a good team this season as well and is getting ready for league season. "We got ten seniors" said Maples assistant coach Jason Gambon who was coaching for coach Heather Lippert who had a teaching commitment. "It's always tough. It (The Red) prepares us for the postseason" he concluded.
Oxford though young but they proved they can play with anyone and will rely on youth and balance this season "Last night our first test was a little iffy. Missing Darien (Bandel) hurts us but we got six players. It's just a matter of balancing it out" said coach Kristi McDevitt. Oxford could be a dark horse in the Red this season. "The league (Red) is one of the toughest in the state" McDevitt added.
North Branch though missing two of its top players to injuries have a lot of expectations in Class B and in the Tri Valley Conference's east division. "We hope to get better everyday" said coach Jim Fish. The Broncos has some issues when it comes to playing the bigger schools but is willing to play anybody. "We are hoping to be on top of our league and hoping to compete with Mount Morris and those type of schools" Fish concluded.
Mount Morris is a sleeping giant has an energetic coach and a good team that could do damage this season.
Stoney Creek looked good and will rely on its strong junior class to carry the Cougars this season. "I really like where we are at" said Cougars coach Mandy Moran "Our core group is our junior class and we added two sophomores and two freshman" she added to this season's Cougar Core. The goals is to improve this season "Our goal is to finish fourth or better (Red this season.) I think this year we aren't the newbees anymore so we know what to expect" Moran concluded.
Adams struggled with inconsistency and must replace it's liberio from a season ago. Coach Irick Gardner must address this issue with his team and with the White schedule coming up they must address this quick. Gardner expects his team to be better than last season. "We are better than last year, we are a better team. Even if you lose one player we are a better team" he added.
Macomb L'Anse Cruse North had wins over Clarkston and Adams in pool play and will be an interesting team to watch in the MAC Red this season.
Macomb L'Anse Cruse struggled today but could be an interesting team to watch this season.
Holly is another team who struggled and didn't look good until a game against Grosse Pointe North but still lost that game.
Grosse Pointe North will be a good team this season and will be in the mix this season in the MAC Red this season.
Macomb Dakota struggled at the tournament but still has the talent to compete for a MAC Red crown despite the fact they are inexperienced "we are very young but we want to come out on top. We have done it the past three years" said coach Traci Ferguson. The Cougars will struggle with the loss of star player Carly Snyder who is now at Florida. "There is no replacing Carly" Ferguson concluded.
Northville is a good team and should do damage in the KLAA Central this season. The Mustangs struggled going 2-4 in pool play but won the sliver bracket. Expect Northville to be a major player this season.
Novi is also a very good team and should do damage this season. The only down side is Northville and Novi are in the same district and same league in the Kensington Lakes Athletic Association. The Wildcats will be a threat this season in not only the league but the state as well.
Lake Orion beat Novi and Seaholm in tourney play. Mercy beat Clarkston, Mount Morris who shocked North Branch in the Quarterfinals and Lake Orion. Seaholm beat Stoney Creek but lost to Lake Orion. Clarkston lost to Mercy.
We'll see what happens this season.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Mistakes, Bad Officiating, and Penalties doom Dragons against Clinton Township Chippewa Valley.
Written Friday August 29th, at 12:30 PM.
The first game of the football season started on Thursday night. Things looked promising for the Dragons but the second half especially the third quarter hurt this team in Clinton Township.
Lake Orion fell 38-35 to the Big Reds in "The Valley" Thursday night.
The Dragons defense struggled all night and could not overcome wide receivers Stefan Claiborne and Sean Bunting. Bunting, a division one recruit scored two touchdowns and Claiborne also had two touchdowns as well.
Chippewa Valley scored first on a wildcat touchdown by running back Tony Taylor for a 7-0 Big Reds lead after a catch by Bunting who beat cornerback/running back Keith Fields on good coverage.
Chippewa Valley however could not stop Matt Krause. Krause was a monster, he had 410 yards and four touchdowns. He had runs of 94, 93, 77, and a one yard touchdown run as well.
Krause scored a 94 yard touchdown early tying the score 7-7. The Dragons defense would then get another stop and then Krause struck again from 93 yards out making the score 14-7. Lake Orion would then get another stop forcing a punt and then Krause ran one deep to the one yard line and cashed it in to make the score 21-7 Orion.
The Big Reds struck as Claiborne caught his first touchdown off good coverage from Fields making the score 21-14 Dragons.
Chippewa Valley would get a field goal with a minute left in the second quarter making the score 21-17 Dragons.
Lake Orion had a 28-17 lead at the half and their final touchdown of the half came when quarterback Cameron Kotsich found Jaylen Wiggins for a 28 yard touchdown to close the half.
The Dragons thought they had a 35-17 lead after Krause scored a touchdown of a kickoff return but a penalty from the Macomb Area Conference officiating crew called the penalty back and the Dragons were forced deep back into their own side of the field and were forced to punt.
Chippewa Valley would then strike again after an off sides penalty against defensive lineman Justin Cathers, Claiborne got his second touchdown of the night off a slant pass making the score 28-24 Lake Orion.
The play of the game was when the Dragons led 28-24, Krause could not get that push for a first down and Lake Orion turned the ball on downs and on the next play the Big Reds scored a touchdown on a reverse wide receiver pass to tight end Kyle Fuller for a wide open touchdown giving Chippewa Valley their first lead of the night at 31-28.
The Big Reds would score another touchdown late to Bunting in the fourth quarter on a fourth down play making the score 38-28 Chippewa Valley.
Krause would then strike again going 77 yards to pay dirt making the score 38-35 Chippewa Valley. The Dragons would get one more stop and one more shot with a minute left.
The final play of the game however resulted in Bunting picking off Kotisch closing the game out.
The officiating was questionable especially with the penalty calls against the Dragons, (Holding, Illegal block in the face, offsides etc.) Lake Orion had 18 penalties while Chippewa Valley only had two penalties.
These two teams will meet again next season in Lake Orion.
The Dragons fall to 0-1 on the season and will travel to Troy Athens (1-0) to take on the Red Hawks who beat Macomb L'Anse Creuse North 34-31 on Thursday night.
The first game of the football season started on Thursday night. Things looked promising for the Dragons but the second half especially the third quarter hurt this team in Clinton Township.
Lake Orion fell 38-35 to the Big Reds in "The Valley" Thursday night.
The Dragons defense struggled all night and could not overcome wide receivers Stefan Claiborne and Sean Bunting. Bunting, a division one recruit scored two touchdowns and Claiborne also had two touchdowns as well.
Chippewa Valley scored first on a wildcat touchdown by running back Tony Taylor for a 7-0 Big Reds lead after a catch by Bunting who beat cornerback/running back Keith Fields on good coverage.
Chippewa Valley however could not stop Matt Krause. Krause was a monster, he had 410 yards and four touchdowns. He had runs of 94, 93, 77, and a one yard touchdown run as well.
Krause scored a 94 yard touchdown early tying the score 7-7. The Dragons defense would then get another stop and then Krause struck again from 93 yards out making the score 14-7. Lake Orion would then get another stop forcing a punt and then Krause ran one deep to the one yard line and cashed it in to make the score 21-7 Orion.
The Big Reds struck as Claiborne caught his first touchdown off good coverage from Fields making the score 21-14 Dragons.
Chippewa Valley would get a field goal with a minute left in the second quarter making the score 21-17 Dragons.
Lake Orion had a 28-17 lead at the half and their final touchdown of the half came when quarterback Cameron Kotsich found Jaylen Wiggins for a 28 yard touchdown to close the half.
The Dragons thought they had a 35-17 lead after Krause scored a touchdown of a kickoff return but a penalty from the Macomb Area Conference officiating crew called the penalty back and the Dragons were forced deep back into their own side of the field and were forced to punt.
Chippewa Valley would then strike again after an off sides penalty against defensive lineman Justin Cathers, Claiborne got his second touchdown of the night off a slant pass making the score 28-24 Lake Orion.
The play of the game was when the Dragons led 28-24, Krause could not get that push for a first down and Lake Orion turned the ball on downs and on the next play the Big Reds scored a touchdown on a reverse wide receiver pass to tight end Kyle Fuller for a wide open touchdown giving Chippewa Valley their first lead of the night at 31-28.
The Big Reds would score another touchdown late to Bunting in the fourth quarter on a fourth down play making the score 38-28 Chippewa Valley.
Krause would then strike again going 77 yards to pay dirt making the score 38-35 Chippewa Valley. The Dragons would get one more stop and one more shot with a minute left.
The final play of the game however resulted in Bunting picking off Kotisch closing the game out.
The officiating was questionable especially with the penalty calls against the Dragons, (Holding, Illegal block in the face, offsides etc.) Lake Orion had 18 penalties while Chippewa Valley only had two penalties.
These two teams will meet again next season in Lake Orion.
The Dragons fall to 0-1 on the season and will travel to Troy Athens (1-0) to take on the Red Hawks who beat Macomb L'Anse Creuse North 34-31 on Thursday night.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
OAA Picks Week One
Written Thursday August 21st, at 9:00 PM
Pontiac North Farmington :
The Raiders under coach Kyle Schultz have experience returning and is led by a
two year starting quarterback in Kyle Berry and have wide receiver Jerome Budda
Rogers. The Phoenix under first
year coach John Lloyd has some very good lineman and a strong corner in Henry Rowe. The key is
skill positions and North Farmington has that. DD
PICK: NORTH FARMINGTON 42, PONTIAC NORTH FARMINGTON 49, PONTIAC
Livonia Ferndale Ferndale fell 21-14 last
season to Livonia Clarenceville. The Eagles have a new coach in Eric Royal who takes over for Ryan Dunlap.
This will be a battle but the Trojans find a way and sneak one out. DD PICK: LIVONIA FERNDALE LIVONIA FERNDALE
Detroit Southfield DETROIT SOUTHFIELD DETROIT
Utica Royal Oak Royal Oak is in a lot better position
then Utica Ford right now. Ravens start the Chapman era strong. DD PICK:
ROYAL OAK 35, UTICA UTICA
Groves Southfield in the playoffs last
season. Groves no longer has Ross
Williams but they still have a good quarterback in Zach Van Fossen and wide receiver/
cornerback Daveon Curry. Last season’s 28-22 loss at Seaholm will be on the
minds of the Falcons. Groves wins
this one close however Ant likes Seaholm. DD PICK: GROVES GROVES
Orchard Lake St Southfield Wayne State 3-3-5 defense was one of the best last
season and with three division one recruits to go along with an already stocked
secondary Southfield looks poise to
win this game. The Eaglets have something to prove as well since last season
they did not make the playoffs. I like the Blue Jays close in this one. DD
PICK: SOUTHFIELD SOUTHFIELD
Redford Union vs 8. Avondale: Josh
Holloman is back and last season was 42-0 in Auburn Hills, get ready for
another rout yet again. DD PICK: AVONDALE 70, REDFORD
UNION 0. ANT PICK: AVONDALE 48, REDFORD UNION
3.
Dearborn West Bloomfield (Wayne State West Bloomfield has athletes on the field
as well. Expect a low scoring game here but got to go with the show time team.
DD PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD 17, DEARBORN WEST BLOOMFIELD 28, DEARBORN
Chippewa Valley Chippewa Valley CHIPPEWA
VALLEY CHIPPEWA VALLEY
Farmington Harrison : The Hawks have owned the
Falcons in this rivalry lately and it hasn't been close. I'm disappointed that this game wasn't a week eight game but glad they kept the rivalry. Both teams have athletes but the key is discipline and
that favors Harrison despite the fact the game is at Farmington but it won'r matter .
DD PICK: HARRISON 41, FARMINGTON HARRISON 49, FARMINGTON
Detroit Oak Park Wayne State Oak Park ’s Chauncey
Lowman and Detroit Cass Tech’s Rodney Hall. Both teams have star athletes especially at running back with Mike Weber of Detroit Cass Tech and Oak Park's John Kelly but
there is one team at full strength right now and that is the team from Knight
Valley OAK
PARK DETROIT DETROIT OAK PARK
Macomb MACOMB
DAKOTA 31, CLARKSTON 28. ANT PICK:
CLARKSTON 31, MACOMB
For picks this week, my Between Taorminas co host and
History Now host Anthony Taormina will also be picking games this week for this
first week of the football season. More on depth of these games tune in to my
podcast OAA Now.
Warren Fitzgerald
vs Hazel
Park Hazel
Park was 0-9 and has not won a game in 13 tries. The Vikings slow down offense should get
them a win close for their first win since 2012. DD
PICK: HAZEL PARK 27, WARREN FITZGERALD 20. ANT
PICK: HAZEL PARK 28, WARREN FITZGERALD 17.
Walled Lake Northern LAKE
NORTHERN 45. ANT PICK: WALLED LAKE NORTHERN 30, BLOOMFIELD HILLS 20.
Holly vs Berkley BERKLEY BERKLEY
Lapeer vs Rochester ROCHESTER ROCHESTER
Sterling Heights
Stevenson vs Troy Macomb
County STERLING HEIGHTS
STEVENSON 56, TROY STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON 49, TROY
Macomb L’Anse
Creuse North vs Troy Athens: Red Hawks coach Josh Heppner says this is
his biggest team he has had at Troy Athens but problem is the Crusaders were a
playoff team a season ago and you have been 4-14 since 2011. The Red Hawks will
struggle here especially defensibly. Quarterback Alex Muscat must play perfect
if Troy Athens has any chance of an upset. DD PICK: MACOMB L’ANSE CRUSE
NORTH 41, TROY ATHENS 20. ANT PICK: MACOMB TROY ATHENS
10. Stoney Creek vs 4. Adams : Last season was the best
season the Cougars had since 2007 but the season ended with a 17-6 loss to the
Highlanders. Adams returns most of their team back and Stoney
Creek will convert people to different positions. The Cougars want
this one bad but the Highlanders have too much depth for Stoney
Creek to overcome. DD PICK: ADAMS 21, STONEY CREEK 14. ANT PICK: ADAMS 34, STONEY CREEK 18.
Romeo vs 6. Oxford Oxford
needs this game more than Romeo. It’s a close call here. DD PICK: ROMEO 27, OXFORD OXFORD
Dragons and Dallas Stars of the past have something in common and it's jersey related.
Written Thursday August 21st, at 2:20 PM
This article will be about the differences between the Lake Orion 2012 and 2013-2014 road football jerseys and why I think the 2012 jerseys were better than the current road jerseys this season.
When I played football we had the Russell Athletic jerseys with the opposite V neck on each jersey (Green- we had a white V neck and White-green V neck) with a big font size. The green jersey said DRAGONS and the white jersey said LAKE ORION. We also had last names on the back that recognized the players and I was one of them who played. Yes in 2006 there were some minor tweaking to the jerseys with the lines on the V neck but it made the jerseys unique. We wore green for the two State Semifinal games in 2008 and 2010 and wore white in the State Finals in 2008 and 2010. The Russell Athletic jerseys had an identity on them, it had pride and passion to wear that Dragons green or white uniform on Friday, Thursday, or Saturday night.
In 2012, the Dragons changed the jersey and brands, switching from Russell Athletic to Nike. Nike gave Lake Orion a new design to the jersey. The new white jersey had green lettering and numbering but the sleeves were green with the players numbers in white.
The nameplates were smaller but they fit into the new jerseys and the wording said DRAGONS with the Nike swoosh. The LAKE ORION name was gone but this jersey had an identity.
What made this jersey have an identity is the green sleeves, it reminded me of the Michigan State uniforms from 2010-2013. I wished they had the green shoulder yoke but it's all right.
Lake Orion did have issues with the green jerseys in 2012. I thought the greens looked sharp like Ohio University and Syracuse. Sadly there were issues with them and the Dragons ended up using it's green alternate uniforms from 2006-2012 for the rest of the season, including the playoffs but they still had those sharp white jerseys.
They went to the State Semifinals in 2012 with them as well.
In 2013, things changed.
The Dragons got a new white jersey from Nike. It had all white with green lettering and numbering but the green sleeves were eliminated. It ended up becoming a plain jersey.
The all white look reminded me of the Dallas Stars dark days in 2007-2013 when the Stars had all plain jerseys. Reebok made the Stars change their look from their classic Star template while the Dragons staff say they were the wrong order from Nike. The black and white jerseys had the word Dallas arched in the front, eliminating it's identity from itself. It wasn't the same team, I didn't like it because the jerseys had no connection to the city and the fans. It reminded me of Tom Hicks when he took the team into bankruptcy and $45 million dollar payroll. It wasn't right to see a team lose it's identity because of that.
Though Lake Orion and Dallas have had differences. The Stars went through a bankruptcy in 2009 and a ownership change. The Stars made the playoffs for the first time in five seasons last year and have a stable new ownership under Tom Gaglardi. Dallas has made changed to it's identity, even going back to it's own when they were in Minnesota. They changed their jerseys, belief, attitude, and have a new identity in victory green, silver, white, and black and are on the way up.
Lake Orion has made the playoffs 13 consecutive seasons and always have been a consistent state power no matter what they are wearing.
I was disappointed that the Dragons went to the plain white jerseys. Dragons coach Chris Bell said to me that the new white jerseys look sharp, I didn't think so. The plain white jersey just does not look good on camera. I thought the white jerseys of 2012 made them unique. It gave them an identity and looked good on camera.
The current Dragons home jersey has the same design as the 2012 jerseys with white sleeves and green numbers and on the green part itself white lettering and numbering.
Now I know there will be people who will disagree with me but it would had been interesting if Lake Orion kept the 2012 white jerseys but in the end the plain look was the best way to go, just wished it was different.
This article will be about the differences between the Lake Orion 2012 and 2013-2014 road football jerseys and why I think the 2012 jerseys were better than the current road jerseys this season.
When I played football we had the Russell Athletic jerseys with the opposite V neck on each jersey (Green- we had a white V neck and White-green V neck) with a big font size. The green jersey said DRAGONS and the white jersey said LAKE ORION. We also had last names on the back that recognized the players and I was one of them who played. Yes in 2006 there were some minor tweaking to the jerseys with the lines on the V neck but it made the jerseys unique. We wore green for the two State Semifinal games in 2008 and 2010 and wore white in the State Finals in 2008 and 2010. The Russell Athletic jerseys had an identity on them, it had pride and passion to wear that Dragons green or white uniform on Friday, Thursday, or Saturday night.
In 2012, the Dragons changed the jersey and brands, switching from Russell Athletic to Nike. Nike gave Lake Orion a new design to the jersey. The new white jersey had green lettering and numbering but the sleeves were green with the players numbers in white.
The nameplates were smaller but they fit into the new jerseys and the wording said DRAGONS with the Nike swoosh. The LAKE ORION name was gone but this jersey had an identity.
What made this jersey have an identity is the green sleeves, it reminded me of the Michigan State uniforms from 2010-2013. I wished they had the green shoulder yoke but it's all right.
Lake Orion did have issues with the green jerseys in 2012. I thought the greens looked sharp like Ohio University and Syracuse. Sadly there were issues with them and the Dragons ended up using it's green alternate uniforms from 2006-2012 for the rest of the season, including the playoffs but they still had those sharp white jerseys.
They went to the State Semifinals in 2012 with them as well.
In 2013, things changed.
The Dragons got a new white jersey from Nike. It had all white with green lettering and numbering but the green sleeves were eliminated. It ended up becoming a plain jersey.
The all white look reminded me of the Dallas Stars dark days in 2007-2013 when the Stars had all plain jerseys. Reebok made the Stars change their look from their classic Star template while the Dragons staff say they were the wrong order from Nike. The black and white jerseys had the word Dallas arched in the front, eliminating it's identity from itself. It wasn't the same team, I didn't like it because the jerseys had no connection to the city and the fans. It reminded me of Tom Hicks when he took the team into bankruptcy and $45 million dollar payroll. It wasn't right to see a team lose it's identity because of that.
Though Lake Orion and Dallas have had differences. The Stars went through a bankruptcy in 2009 and a ownership change. The Stars made the playoffs for the first time in five seasons last year and have a stable new ownership under Tom Gaglardi. Dallas has made changed to it's identity, even going back to it's own when they were in Minnesota. They changed their jerseys, belief, attitude, and have a new identity in victory green, silver, white, and black and are on the way up.
Lake Orion has made the playoffs 13 consecutive seasons and always have been a consistent state power no matter what they are wearing.
I was disappointed that the Dragons went to the plain white jerseys. Dragons coach Chris Bell said to me that the new white jerseys look sharp, I didn't think so. The plain white jersey just does not look good on camera. I thought the white jerseys of 2012 made them unique. It gave them an identity and looked good on camera.
The current Dragons home jersey has the same design as the 2012 jerseys with white sleeves and green numbers and on the green part itself white lettering and numbering.
Now I know there will be people who will disagree with me but it would had been interesting if Lake Orion kept the 2012 white jerseys but in the end the plain look was the best way to go, just wished it was different.
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