Blogs > Pemberton's Point

Inside look at high school and Oakland University sports from Oakland Press sports writer Dave Pemberton.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Boys soccer finals predictions

I apologize for not posting my boys soccer semifinal predictions. I had them ready, but was waiting to talk to the Oakland Christian and Country Day coaches for a story that ran in the paper and then just forgot. I went 6-2 with my picks (both losses being in Division 3) if anybody cares. But enough with the excuses, here are the picks.

Division 4:
No. 2 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (23-3) vs. No. 3 Muskegon Catholic Central (21-2-2) noon Saturday at Troy Athens —
The Lancers have been thinking about this game for a year after falling in the finals last season. I’ve been saying all along Oakland Christian is my pick to win it all and I’m not changing now. Pick: Oakland Christian

Division 1: No. 3 East Kentwood (22-1-3) vs. No. 2 Livonia Stevenson (20-1-3), 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Troy Athens — East Kentwood is trying to become the first team to ever win back-to-back Division 1 titles and first Division 1/Class A team to repeat since Warren DeLaSalle did it in 1992-93. Stevenson is no cupcake though and this should be a great game, worthy of the state finals stage. Pick: East Kentwood

Division 2:
Dexter (15-9-3) vs. No. 3 Petoskey (21-1-3), 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Stoney Creek —
Dexter coach Scott Forrester said at the beginning of the season he never expected his team to reach the finals for a third straight year. Forrester did graduate eight starters, but he’s still there so he shouldn’t be surprised. Sadly the Dreadnaughts will likely have the same result as they did last season. Pick: Petoskey

Division 3
: No. 2 Goodrich (20-3-2) vs. No. 6 Whitehall (22-1-1), noon Saturday at Stoney Creek —
Goodrich beating Country Day didn’t shock me, but the Martians beating the Yellowjackets 3-0 did. Goodrich is now in position to win its first boy soccer state title. Pick: Goodrich

On a side note I wanted to give kudos to the coaches association rankings. Seven of the eight teams left standing are in the final rankings. They catch a lot of flack, but do the best job they can all season for the teams and fans’ enjoyment. And from the way things panned out this season, they did a darn good job. I also wanted to congratulate all the teams in the playoffs on another wonderful season. Good luck to all the seniors and the rest of you we’ll meet again next year.

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Football playoff predictions

The football state playoffs are here so I had to step my game up and do some research on the non-Oakland County teams. I see Kosmo put four other Web sites’ picks in his column this week, but didn’t invite me. That’s because he wants no part of my picks. I’ll send him scrambling back to his cave with some Windex for his crystal ball. But enough with the smack talk, it’s time for some picks.
Records: Last week 12-4; Regular season 80-36, .714 winning percentage

DIVISION 1

REGION 1

DISTRICT 2

Milford (5-4) at Howell (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday — The Mavericks collapsed in the final three games of the season, maybe they will wake up this week. Howell won a close one, 13-10 in Week 3 and has won five straight. Pick: Howell
Grand Blanc (6-3) at Hartland (7-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday — Pick: Hartland

REGION 2
DISTRICT 2

West Bloomfield (6-3) at Livonia Stevenson (7-2), 7 p.m. Friday
 — The Lakers are an underrated team. After losing two overtime games in a row to Clarkston and Troy, West Bloomfield won its final four games by a combined scored of 103-2. Stevenson will be a tougher test though. Pick: Stevenson
Novi Detroit Catholic Central (5-3) at Novi (7-2), 7 p.m. Friday — An interesting KLAA vs. CHSL matchup and two schools from the same city. Novi has won some close games this year, but both of its losses are at home. Catholic Central has talent but its biggest win this year was over Detroit Southeastern so this is a tough one to call. Pick: Catholic Central

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1

Utica Eisenhower (5-4) at Lake Orion (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday — The Dragons have won eight straight and seem to be getting strong as the season goes on. Eisenhower has won five of its last six after starting the season 0-3 so this is two teams likely playing their best football. Pick: Lake Orion
Clarkston (6-3) at Romeo (7-2). 1 p.m. Saturday — Clarkston’s defense will need to step up for the Wolves to have a chance. Romeo has scored at least 35 points in eight of its nine games this season. Clarkston’s strength is its offense so this could be shootout. Pick: Romeo
DISTRICT 2

Troy (6-3) at Macomb Dakota (8-1), 1 p.m. Saturday — A rematch of last year’s semifinals. The Cougars have won six straight and won their last five games by a combined score of 125-7. The only playoff teams Troy has beat all season is West Bloomfield and that was in overtime. Pick: Dakota
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (6-3) at Sterling Heights Stevenson (8-1), Saturday 1 p.m. — Pick: Stevenson

DIVISION 2

REGION 1

DISTRICT 2


Davison (6-3) at Fenton (8-1), Friday 7:30 p.m. — Pick: Fenton
Flushing (7-2) at Oxford (8-1), Friday 7:30 p.m. — A tough first-round matchup for Oxford. Flushing went 4-2 against playoff teams, while the Wildcats were 2-1. Homefield advantage could be the difference. Pick: Oxford

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Birmingham Brother Rice (6-3) at Rochester Adams (8-1), Friday 7 p.m. — The Highlanders big question mark is their defense. Adams gave up an average of 25 points in its four games against playoff teams, which would be higher without the shutout of Farmington. If the Warriors can limit Adams’ offense to 14 points they will walk away with the W. Pick: Brother Rice
Auburn Hills Avondale (7-2) at Lakeland (7-2), Friday 7:30 p.m. — The Yellowjackets should be applauded for such a big turnaround, but Lakeland has played tougher competition all season and will be amped for its fist-ever home playoff game. Pick: Lakeland

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Farmington (6-3) at Southfield (8-1), Saturday 1 p.m.
 — The Falcons rallied off six straight victories to make the playoffs, but did it against some weak competition (none of the six made the playoffs). Southfield could make a long playoff run and beat the Falcons 35-17 in Week 1. Pick: Southfield
Dearborn (6-3) at Walled Lake Western (6-3), Saturday 7 p.m. — The Warriors were 1-2 this season against playoff teams, with their lone win being over 5-4 Milford. While Dearborn has lost two of its last three. Most of Western’s games this season have been high-scoring so this game will come down to how successful the Warriors offense is. Pick: Western

DIVISION 3
REGION 4


DISTRICT 1

Redford Thurston (6-3) at Bloomfield Hills Lahser (8-1), Saturday 7 p.m. — The OAA Blue champion Knights have won eight in a row and are always tough at home in their traditional Saturday night games. Pick: Lahser
Lapeer West (6-3) 69.000 at Linden (8-1), Friday 7:30 p.m. — Pick: Linden
DISTRICT 2

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore (6-3) at Ferndale (8-1), Friday 7 p.m. — Ferndale was a close loss to Lahser away from an OAA Blue title and an undefeated season, but Lake Shore is a dangerous first round opponent. Lake Shore handed Warren Fitzgerald its only loss of the season in Week 8 and lost a heartbreaker at home to Lamphere, 29-28 in Week 9. Pick: Ferndale
Warren Lincoln (8-1) at Warren Fitzgerald (8-1), Saturday 7 p.m. — Pick: Fitzgerald

DIVISION 4
REGION 3
DISTRICT 2

Dearborn Heights Annapolis (6-3) at Detroit Southwestern (8-1) — Pick: Southwestern
Detroit Crockett (6-3) at Birmingham Detroit Country Day (7-2) — The Yellowjackets have really turned things on during their five-game winning streak. Last week’s win over Dearborn was impressive. Pick: Country Day
REGION 4

DISTRICT 2

Richmond (6-3) at Marine City (9-0), Friday 7 p.m. —
Pick Marine City
Madison Heights Lamphere (7-2) at Clinton Township Clintondale (8-1), Friday 7 p.m. — This game has shootout written all over it. The Rams have scored 20 or more points in eight of their nine games and 28 or more in four. Clintondale averaged over 43 points a game and its lowest scoring output all season was 21 points. Pick: Clintondale

DIVISION 5
REGION 4


DISTRICT 1


Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (6-3) at Livonia Clarenceville (8-1), Friday 7:30 p.m. — Pick: Clarenceville
Madison Heights Madison (5-4) at Almont (7-2), 2 p.m. — Madison is lucky to get in the playoffs. The Eagles have lost three of four and lost to Clawson at home in Week 9 with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Almont went 2-1 against playoff teams and finished 5-2 in an very competitive Blue Water Area Conference this season. Pick: Madison

DIVISION 6
REGION 4
DISTRICT 2

Allen Park Cabrini (5-4) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (7-2), Friday 7 p.m. —Pick: Catholic Central
Madison Heights Bishop Foley (5-4) at Whitmore Lake (8-1), Friday 7:30 p.m. — The Ventures snuck into the playoffs and could pull off the upset here. Bishop Foley has played a tough schedule and went 2-3 against playoff teams. Whitmore Lake faced some weak teams and has just two wins over teams with a winning record. Pick: Bishop Foley

DIVISION 7
REGION 4

DISTRICT 2

Southfield Christian (7-1) at Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (9-0), Friday 7 p.m. — Congratulations are due for both teams. Southfield Christian for making the playoffs in just its third year as a program and Northwest for its first undefeated season. But this isn’t the time for congratulations. It’s playoff time. Pick: Northwest
Detroit Loyola (7-2) at Royal Oak Shrine (9-0), Saturday 2 p.m. — Shrine and Loyola have two common opponents in Bishop Foley and Cabrini. Loyola beat Foley 32-7 and lost to Cabrini 22-12, while Shrine beat Bishop Foley 35-7 and Cabrini twice (48-0 and 37-0). The Knights are tough defensively with four shutouts and have allowed more than seven points just twice. Pick: Shrine

DIVISION 8
REGION 4

DISTRICT 2

Marine City Cardinal Mooney (5-3) at Deckerville (8-1), Friday 7 p.m. — Pick: Deckerville
Peck (6-3) at Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (5-4), Saturday 1 p.m. — The 5-4 Lakers getting a home playoff game is interesting, but if anybody has earned that much respect in Division 8 it’s WOLL. Pick: WOLL

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Summit League teleconference

The Summit League media teleconference was today and some interesting comments came out of it. The most interesting was Oakland coach Greg Kampe’s reaction to the preseason poll, where the Golden Grizzlies were picked to finish third behind Oral Roberts and North Dakota State. Kampe prefaced his statement by saying the preseason poll means nothing, but said it was not what he expected.

“I’m a little bit surprised by it because I think the people that do this, I think they take it seriously and I think they are honest people that take it seriously and try to do the right thing,” Kampe said. “I’m a little surprised we were picked behind North Dakota State when we finished ahead of North Dakota State last year and we have five starters back, so do they, we beat them both times we played them, albeit very fortunately we beat them.

“I was expecting to be picked first or second. We weren’t so that surprised me. But like I said I don’t really care or think it means anything. We were picked first a few years ago and finished seventh. I think the year we won it, we were picked fifth or sixth. The reality of it is it doesn’t mean anything.”

Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton also said he was surprised his squad was picked to finish first.

“We don’t have a lot of depth, but this team has potential,” Sutton said. “I think I said it last year, I probably sound like a broken record, but last year I thought our team would be very good by January and February, and we were. This year I feel the same. I think by the time we get into conference play in January this can be a team that contends. I was a little surprised, listening to Greg about the preseason rankings, I was very surprised that we were picked first just because of all the newcomers we have. I do believe by January or Febraury this could be a team that, if we play well down the stretch, can contend for a conference championship.

There were several other interesting comments made from coaches across the league. I have read a bunch of preseason magazines and Internet reports on the league, but found it more interesting to hear from the coaches, who have started practice, talk about their teams. With that in mind I have complied some of the quotes from what I think are the top five teams in the league in Oakland, North Dakota State, Oral Roberts, IUPUI and IPFW so fans can get a little more knowledge on the teams. I have included some of my thoughts on what the coaches said. My thoughts are in italics. Hope you guys enjoy it.


Oakland coach Greg Kampe
Kampe on Johnathon Jones and Erik Kangas
They are good players. They have scored a lot of points for us. They are in a situation where we have a chance to be pretty good. They are looking forward to the season. It’s great to have players like, especially a kid like Johnathon Jones run your team. From a coaching standpoint you are excited when you have good point guard play and we think we have great point guard play. It’s an exciting factor.

Johnathon Jones in my mind has a chance to be the best player in the league. He can pretty much do everything you want a point guard to do. He can pass, defend, shoot and run the offense. Also I’m interested to see a healthy Erik Kangas. He gained a lot of respect from me as far as toughness by coming back from a broken collarbone last year. I can only imagine the pain he was in at points of last season. He really turned it on against Western Illinois in the tournament and showed what he can do when he gets hot. I look for more of that from him this season.

We have all five starters back and we have Will Hudson back, who started three or four games for us last year. Our frontline, Dan Waterstradt is a 6-foot-10 kid that played a lot for us last year, Keith Benson is a little taller than that, he was a freshman last year and had a pretty good year for a freshman. Big guys develop later and when they get better, they get better quickly. We are hoping he shows as much improvement over this year as he did last year. He will probably start at center for us, as of right now anyways. Will Hudson is a sophomore. He played a ton of minutes for us last year. So those three guys will play the front.

I think Keith Benson has a lot of untapped potential. He seems like a quiet guy and playing like its effortless, but if they can tap into his aggressive side and get that to come out he will be unstoppable in the Summit League. He shows flashes of it, but has to be more consistent. Will Hudson is similar. He also shows flashes and needs to be more consistent. As far as Waterstradt, he is a high-energy guy that can knock down mid-range jumpers, rebound and defend in the post. I think he has played a big role in the development of Benson and Hudson and takes it upon himself to encourage both of them rather than worry about them taking his minutes. It’s good to have a team-first senior like that with young big guys.

(Derick) Nelson is a perimeter player, he’s not a frontline player, he’s a perimeter player. He’s just a slasher, a kid that can get to the basket. He’s a great offensive rebounder. His jump shot, since he got here to today, has improved greatly. How good he is will probably be determined by how he can make the jump shot because people don’t guard him very close because he can go by just about anybody. He has to make some jump shots so they respect that part of the game and he has worked very hard at it.

I voted Nelson preseason player of the year. I think he earned that by his play last season and still has a lot of potential. Kampe is right about having to use his jump shot. At times last season when Oakland was down or needed a big hoop, Nelson may have tried to do too much. This season, if he can take what the defense gives instead of forcing the issue I think he will have a lot of success, but at the same time a big part of his game is getting to the free-throw line so I’m sure he will continue to attack the basket.

I think the league will be probably at the top as it’s been. I really do. We have been in this for 10 years now and the amount of teams I think can win it, is probably the most we have had in that time. I think the top of the league is very strong. The question is we have some new coaches, a lot of teams have young players and in our league we don’t know a great deal about the players that are coming in at other places so it’s hard for me to say who will be good and who won’t be until we see them. The league is so spread out. I don’t recruit against Oral Roberts or Centenary or the Dakotas so I have no idea who their players are that they got and how good they are. I’ve heard through the grapevine that there are a lot of good players coming into the league so my guess is somebody from that fifth, sixth spot in the preseason will probably be fighting for a league championship at the end because they have players we don’t know about. I think the league itself is probably the best at the top I’ve ever seen it.

As far as the 3-point line, I think it will have no affect on the game. Anybody that watches our league play knows that our league has great shooters. It may have an affect at the higher level leagues, where slashing and athletes are more part of the game than in our league, but our league has great shooters. I know (UMKC’s) Dane Brumagin can make a shot as soon as he gets off the bus so I don’t think he cares where that line is. I know (IUPUI’s Gary) Patterson and the kids at North Dakota State (don’t care). You have a lot of kid in this league if you don’t guard them across half court they are going to make a shot. I don’t think it will affect our league. The funny thing is I think it’s going to affect the women more than it’s going to affect us. I think they made a mistake by not having the line be the same. As I watch our women practice, as I watch people play in our gym, with two lines they are shooting the ball behind our line because they don’t have time to look down and (think), ‘Is this our line or is this our line?’ So I think it’s going to affect the women’s game more than it’s going to affect ours because the line is there and you have the flash of a second to make the decision when you catch the ball and shoot it. I don’t know if that’s true or not, I just feel that from watching.

Brumgain definitely showed he can shoot from anywhere. The line won’t have any affect on guys like Kangas, Jones, Drew Maynard or Blake Cushingberry, who can shoot from NBA range.

As far as our new players are concerned, it’s an interesting problem that I’ve never had before, in that since we went to Division 1 we have never had depth. We have always had a roster of six or seven pretty good players and then it’s been hard. I think Ron Hunter will tell you the same thing, I think (North Dakota State’s) Saul (Phillips) as he goes through this and South Dakota State as they go through it, will tell you as you go through that transition getting depth is probably the hardest thing to do.

This is the first time since we have been Division 1, which is nine or 10 years now, that I can look at our 11th and 12th player and they belong in the Summit League. They are a good enough player to play in the Summit League. They are good enough to win game in the Summit League, that’s a first for us. Having said that, with five new freshman, who are pretty highly touted, they want to play. I will tell you they are going to play. At least four of them are going to play because they are that talented.

How I’m going to be able to mix with six guys that started games last year coming back and those four guys expecting to play — and in my coaching career I’ve never played more than seven or eight guys — how I can mix those people in, get those kids minutes, it’s going to be a real challenge for me because I’ve never done it before. It will be real interesting to see if I can handle that or not, I’m sure there will be a few of those kids that think I can’t.

Wonder who the fifth guy is? A possible redshirt maybe? I think I know who it is, but I don’t want to speculate. This is going to be interesting. These guys are all competitors that want to play. I was at practice Tuesday and they played two six-minute scrimmages with the freshman vs. the returning players. The freshman held their own and would have won the first half if not for a late Jones 3-pointer. The freshman can play and I think it will only help everyone get better as long as nobody gets unhappy or selfish and only worries about themselves more than the team. With that said I I don’t see that happening with any of these guys.

Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton
This will be an unique season for us, we used to having veteran players and experienced players within our program. This year, it’s a lot different. We only have one player that has more than one year of experience in our program and that’s Kelvin Sango. He has two. Robert Jarvis and Marcus Lewis both had great years last year, both helped us win a bunch of game, but last year was their first year in our program.

We are going to count on a lot of newcomers. We feel we have a talented group coming in. We feel we have a couple kids that sat out last year, Kevin Ford will be eligible in December and Kyron Stokes, who redshirted last year. I think both will contribute, but we need some of these youngsters to step up. Guys like Dominique Morrison from Kansas City, who I think has a chance to be a very, very good player. Ken Holdman from Tulsa and Beloved Rogers out of Baltimore, we need those guys to step up and help us early.

I think if people learned anything from last season it was to not count out the Golden Eagles. Some people wrote them off with the loss of Ken Tutt and Caleb Green, but Oral Roberts proved them all wrong by winning the Summit League regular season and conference tournament. Don’t sleep on this team, even if the tournament is no longer in Tulsa. I also read some impressive things on Morrision on Mike Brown's blog. Brown covers Oral Roberts for the Tulsa World and does a great job of covering the entire league.

I think Oakland and North Dakota State have to be the two teams, if George Hill would have stayed, to be honest, I would have picked IUPUI first because he’s that good of a player. You have five guys coming back and you look at the players both those teams have, they have won a bunch of game. They are hungry because they haven’t won a championship. … They are hungry to get to the NCAA tournament and I think both of those teams will have terrific years. I agree with Greg this year is probably wide open, there are probably four or five teams that have a shot at winning the conference championship.


NDSU coach Saul Phillips
A leader like Ben Woodside, preseason player of the year as voted by the league, he’s been trying to win every drill that he’s been in. That’s an important dynamic, when you see a guy that has been given quite a bit of attention approach every practice like it’s the most important thing in life for those three hours. That’s a pretty good start. Brett Winkelman is also just a terrific leader. Mike Nelson leads by example. We are blessed to not only have a great group of seniors from a play standpoint, but (also have) a great understanding of the game and understand what they need to do to get better. They have approached that with a very mature level.

They have shown the ability to put the ball in the hoop. We need to shore up areas on the defensive end. To play the second end of Summit League road swings with enthusiasm on the defensive end. Dive on the floor for every loose ball and take charge. If we can shore up some of that stuff and make it a little more consistent, I do think this team is not a lot of fun to play against when they are playing in that manner.

Phillips said more, but I accidentally hit stop on my recorder when I asked a question. Yeah, I’m a genius. But I asked him how the team was handling the pressure of finally being eligible after pointing to this year and being one of the league favorites. He said something to the affect that the players didn’t know if they would ever have a shot at the NCAA tournament when they came to NDSU so they are playing with house money at this point. I think there is some pressure there though and we'll see how they respond.

IUPUI coach Ron Hunter
In the last seven years we have won 19 and a half games, we have averaged 19 and a half wins over the last seven years and George (Hill) only played in three of those years. We won before George, we won with George and we plan on wining without him. George is a tremendous player and everyone knows I love him. He has done a lot not only for our program, but the league. Don’t make any mistake we are going to still win basketball games. We won before he got here. We are going to play and I’m going to coach with a chip on my shoulder because we know we are going to hear that a lot. I think people will be very, very surprised to see what this team does this year.

Jon (Avery) and Billy (Pettiford) have started for us really ever since they have been here as freshman. Gary Patterson is one of the better guards in this conference. Those guys are very good players and they deferred a lot to George Hill because they have always played with George, so I think they are looking forward to, not so much not playing with him because they love playing with him, but to show how good they are. Those three guys with the talented kids that we have brought in and Leroy Nobles, John Ashworth and Adrian Moss, we feel like we have the balance of a good basketball team. Our year will really be predicated on how quickly our young guys come, if they come ready to play early then we will be good. By January I think this can be a very, very good basketball team.

Hunter sounded annoyed when asked how his team was going to do without George Hill. This could still be a dangerous team, especially if the newcomers turn out to be quality players.

IPFW coach Dan Fife
We actually have ten new faces. Players to watch this year are our transfer in from Kansas State (Deilvez Yearby) has come a long way for us. We are looking for him to step in. We also have another Division I transfer in from Central Michigan by the anme Aaron Richie, who does have quite a bit of Division 1 experience. He is very fundamental, 6-7, can do some good things and I think he’ll have some success in our league. We have a couple freshman to note, Trey McCorkle is 6-10, 240, has been a surprise in the preseason. We just have to continue to work on his stamina and ability to put together a combination of minutes. I think Trey is going to be a good player for us. I think the main thing is our core group of guys, our seniors and Ben Botts and Zach Plackemeier our two sophomore guards, they have to continue to provide the leadership that we need. We didn’t necessarily have that last year. It’s time for those guys to step up and get it done.

This team is my dark horse in the league race. I don’t know much about IPFW’s two transfers, but if they can have the impact of a Rawle Marshall and Cortney Scott then this team is going to be dangerous. Like I said I don’t know too much about these two, but thought I would throw out that analogy because it’s a possibility. If it happens you heard it here first, if not I’m sure no one will remember what I said.

In the past it has looked very good going into the season. The schedule has always looked good with Michigan State on it, we have had Marquette, we play Marquette again this year in Wisconsin. On the flip side, when you go and look back after the season is over it hasn’t looked so good. It’s been quite a bit of Ls. That’s something we are trying to turnaround. You mentioned opening at Xavier, I just saw were Xavier is picked to win the A10, and then we come to our building and we have Michigan State. We have not had much success with Michigan State, as most school haven’t. But we are really trying to get some momentum going and get in a nice crowd and be right in with the Spartans at the end. We play Nebraska, we play Marquette. I heard coach Gary mention his schedule is tough and I think if you look across our league and most teams are dealing with a very tough non-conference schedule.


Oakland women’s coach Beckie Francis
On schedule and success against big teams last season
It’s very exciting to beat Florida State. When we played Georgia down there last year, we gave them a game, it actually makes our players think, ‘Maybe we can get closer to Georgia again when we have them on our home court.’ That’s pretty exciting.

We have been giving our team some time off so they can focus on their academics, last year we were ranked 20th in the nation in GPA with a 3.132 and South Dakota State was No. 1 in the country in women’s basketball GPA so we are coming after South Dakota State for their GPA.

It was pretty funny after Francis said this it was silent and another question was asked. Francis replied I was joking, but I didn’t hear any laughter. I believe everyone else was on mute is why it was so silent, but several other coaches joked about something and then were caught off-guard by the silent response. Anyways, Beckie I thought it was a good joke, considering everyone is likely coming after South Dakota State because they are the defending regular season champions and are hosting the league tournament this year.

On Pike being named the preseason player of the year.
Pike gives us a great GPA. She does it all on the court. She works hard on defense and when you have one of your hardest workers, working hard on defense it’s a good situation in practice.

Nobody deserves the recognition more than Pike. A lot of pressure comes with the preseason player of the year tag, but Pike can handle it. She is a great leader and gives it her all every game and every practice. I didn’t vote her as my preseason player of the year, but gave it strong consideration and was glad she won it.

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Soccer regional final predictions

Division 1
At Lake Orion
Troy vs. Grand Blanc, 2 p.m. Saturday — The Colts offense has been dynamite in the playoffs and should be able to get a key goal when called upon against Grand Blanc. Pick: Troy

Division 2
At Bloomfield Hills Andover
Birmingham Seaholm vs. Dexter, 6 p.m. Saturday — The Maples have not allowed a goal in the playoffs, while that may change against Dexter the result shouldn’t. Pick: Seaholm

Division 3
At Birmingham Detroit Country Day
Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Macomb Lutheran North, 3 p.m. Saturday — Lutheran North’s 3-0 win over Lumen Christi was impressive, but the Yellowjackets don’t lose playoff games at home. Pick: Country Day

Divison 4
At Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
Auburn Hills Oakland Chrisitan vs. Harbor Beach, 2 p.m Saturday — The Lancers won a tight one against Burton Christian. I don’t expect this one to be so tight. Pick: Oakland Chrisitian


Bonus picks
Division 1
East Kentwood vs. Portage Central – Pick: East Kentwood
Salem vs. Saline — Pick: Saline
Warren DeLaSalle vs. Livonia Stevenson — Pick: DeLaSalle
Division 2
Plainwell vs. Holland Christian — Pick: Plainwell
Laingsburg vs. Mason — Pick: Mason
Fruitport vs. Petoskey — Pick: Petoskey
Division 3
South Haven vs. Grand Rapids South Christian — Pick: South Christian
Goodrich vs. Durand — Pick: Goodrich
Manistee vs. Whitehall — Pick: Manistee
Division 4
Marcellus vs. Bridgman — Pick: Bridgman
Ann Arbor Greenhills vs. Lansing Christian — Pick: Greenhills
Suttons Bay vs. Muskegon Catholic Central — Pick: Catholic Central

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Week 9 predictions

I finally found someone worse at picking games than me and proved it last week by defeating my wife Dina. I went 10-4, while she went 4-10. Feels good to win for once, but enough gloating. (I’ll save it for when she has to buy me dinner) The final week of the regular season is upon us and six Oakland County teams can clinch a playoff spot and bring the total up to 26. It’s also rivalry week for teams all over Oakland County so without further delay, here are the picks.

Friday
Milford (5-3) at Lakeland (6-2) — The Mavericks have lost two in a row and are in danger of missing the playoffs. Blake Heiman and crew would like nothing better than to make Milford sweet it out as a 5-4 team. Pick: Lakeland
Clawson (3-5) at Madison Heights Madison (5-3) — There’s no reason the Eagles should lose at home with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Pick: Madison
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian (7-1) at Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (8-0) — Northwest has a chance to complete a perfect regular season, but Parkway will be its tough test to date. Pick: Northwest
Birmingham Detroit Country Day (6-2) at Dearborn (6-2) — It’s a good thing Country Day already clinched a playoff spot because this is going to be a tough one. Pick: Dearborn
Pontiac Northern (3-5) at Pontiac Central (0-8) — Throw out the records when these two teams meet at Wisner Stadium, in fact I’m sure both teams would love for you to throw out their record. Pick: Northern
Troy Athens (2-6) at Troy (5-3) — The Colts could be a dangerous team if they make they playoffs. A return to the state semifinals might be asking too much, but first they have to beat the Red Hawks. Pick: Troy
Clarkston (6-2) at Lake Orion (7-1) — In my humble opinion the best rivalry game in Oakland County. These teams could very well meet again in the playoffs. I like the Dragons on their home field. Pick: Lake Orion
Oak Park (2-6) at West Bloomfield (5-3) — Lakers don’t underestimate Oak Park and you’re in the playoffs. And by the way what happened to Oak Park this year? 2-6? Pick: West Bloomfield
North Farmington (2-6) at Farmington (5-3) — Farmington is quickly growing on me. The Falcons have been playing with their back to the wall since Week 4. Don’t let up now. Pick: Farmington
Bloomfield Hills Andover (1-7) at Bloomfield Hills Lahser (7-1) — The Barons could make their season with a victory over the Knights, but I don’t see it happening. Pick: Lahser
Rochester Adams (7-1) at Rochester (1-7) — The Highlanders will likely take out all their frustration from last week’s loss on the Falcons. Pick: Adams
Birmingham Seaholm (1-7) at Birmingham Groves (3-5) — A down year for both programs, but it still should be a good game. Pick: Groves

Saturday
Birmingham Brother Rice (5-3) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (4-4) — Show of hands, who had Brother Rice 5-3 and St. Mary’s 4-4 at the start of the season? Yeah, me either. The Eaglets won the first meeting, but I don’t see the Warriors dropping what is basically a playoff game. Pick: Brother Rice
Novi Detroit Catholic Central (5-2) vs. Warren De La Salle (8-0) — I believe I picked against the Pilots three times and they won all three. Go ahead, make it four. Pick: Catholic Central
Royal Oak Shrine (8-0) vs. Allen Park Cabrini (5-3) — Shrine won the first meeting 48-0. It might be a little closer, but the Knights still win. Pick: Shrine
Southfield (7-1) at Southfield-Lathrup (4-4) — The Bluejays are the surprise team of 2008 in Oakland County and will likely host a playoff game with a victory. Pick: Southfield.

Record — Last week: 10-4; Season 68-32, .680 winning percentage

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Football playoff update

A few weeks ago I predicted which Oakland County football teams I thought would make the playoffs. Since my prediction 13 teams have clinched a spot and 10 teams have been eliminated (assuming none will get in at 5-4). Six teams have a chance to clinch this week. Of the six teams fighting for a spot, only Milford is playing a team with a winning record.

On the bubble (5-3 teams)
Birmingham Brother Rice — The Warriors have to get through rival Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, which is playing for nothing but pride. I’m sure the Eaglets would love to be the team to end Brother Rice’s season and give themselves an outside shot to sneak in at 5-4.
Milford — When I originally predicted the Mavericks would get in they were 5-1. They have since lost two straight and will have to beat rival Lakeland this week to get in.
Farmington — What a story Farmington is. The Falcons have won five straight since starting out 0-3 and the only thing in standing between them and a playoff berth is a 2-6 North Farmington team.
Madison Height Madison — The Eagles have been a dangerous team in the playoffs over the last few years, but need to win at home against Clawson this week.
Troy — The Colts need to rebound from a loss to Southfield and defeat rival Troy Athens. The Red Hawks defense has given up a ton of points, but they will pumped to face Troy.
West Bloomfield — The Lakers host an unpredictable team in Oak Park this week. If West Bloomfield can get an early lead they should be home free.

Already in
Auburn Hills Avondale – 6-2 (correct)
Birmingham Detroit Country Day – 6-2 (correct)
Bloomfield Hills Lahser – 7-1 (correct)
Clarkston - 6-2 (correct)
Ferndale – 7-1
Lakeland (correct)
Lake Orion – 7-1 (correct)
Madison Heights Lamphere – 6-2 (correct)
Novi Detroit Catholic Central – 5-2 (correct)
Novi – 6-2 (correct)
Oxford – 7-1 (correct)
Rochester Adams -7-1
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest – 8-0
Royal Oak Shrine – 8-0
Southfield – 7-1 (correct)
Southfield Christian – 5-2 (incorrect)
Walled Lake Western - 6-2 (correct)

Out
Berkley 4-4 (correct); Farmington Hills Harrison – 4-4 (correct); Hazel Park 4-4 (correct); Madison Heights Bishop Foley 4-4 (incorrect); Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – 4-4 (correct); Southfield-Lathrup – 4-4 (correct); Stoney Creek – 4-4 (correct); Waterford Our Lady of the Lake 4-4 (correct); Waterford Kettering – 3-5 (correct); Waterford Mott – 4-4 (correct)

My record: 21 correct, 2 incorrect and 6 TBD.

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Boys soccer regional predictions

Eight Oakland County boys soccer teams remain in the hunt for a state championship. At least two will not make it through this week. Any soccer coach will tell you anything can happen on any give night, but here’s what I think will happen in my regional predictions.

Division 1
(At Saginaw Heritage)
Wednesday
Lake Orion vs. Grand Blanc, 5 p.m. — Grand Blanc defeated Lake Orion 3-0 in the season opener for both teams back in August. The Dragons have come a long way since then and will send the Bobcats home for the second straight year. Pick: Lake Orion
Troy vs. Midland Dow, 7 p.m. — The Colts offense led by Joe Beshara and Nate Hicklin will be too much for Dow to stop. Pick Troy

Division 2
(At Bloomfield Hills Andover)
Wednesday
Birmingham Seaholm vs. Riverview, 5 p.m. — The Maples have not allowed a goal in the playoffs, while Riverview allowed two goals to Dearborn Divine Child in the district title game. Seaholm’s defense will be the difference. Pick: Scaholm
St. Clair Shores Lakeview vs. Dexter, 7 p.m. — Dexter is more battle tested coming out of the SEC. Pick: Dexter

(At Flint Kearsley)
Tuesday
Oxford vs. Laingsburg, 5 p.m. — Laingsburg is coming off a double overtime victory over St. Johns and this game could very well end up in overtime, but I like the Wildcats. Pick: Oxford
Ortonville Brandon vs. Mason, 7 p.m. — The Blackhawks historic season comes to an end against a talented Mason squad. Pick: Mason

Division 3
(At Birmingham Detroit Country Day)
Tuesday
Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 5 p.m. — Having the home field will give No. 3 Country Day the edge over Gabriel Richard. Pick: Country Day
Macomb Lutheran North vs. Jackson Lumen Christi, 7 p.m. — No. 8 Lutheran North will have its hands full with Lumen Christi, but should come out on top. Pick: Lutheran North

Division 4
(At Jackson Christian School)
Tuesday
Ann Arbor Greenhills vs. Lutheran Westland, 3:30 p.m. — This should be a great game, but Greenhills is ranked No. 1 for a reason. Pick: Greenhills
Wednesday
Birmingham Roeper vs. Lansing Christian, 3:30 p.m. — I made the mistake of picking against Roeper in districts, and while this will be a tough one, I'm not making that mistake again. Pick: Roeper

(At Auburn Hills Oakland Christian)
Tuesday
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian vs. Burton Genesse Christian — The Stanko brothers and the rest of the Lancers are still my pick to win it all. Pick: Oakland Christian
Wednesday
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett vs. Harbor Beach — What I know about Harbor Beach and a nickel won’t get you very far so I’ll just go with Liggett. Pick: Liggett

Boys soccer predictions record: District finalists: 18-4; District champions: 9-3

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Boys soccer predictions 2.0

Earlier in the week I predicted the district finals and winners for all the boys soccer districts involving Oakland County teams. I have to say I did a pretty solid job, getting 18 out of a possible 22 finalists right and my predicted champions are alive in eight out of 11 districts. Here are my updated predictions for the district finals.

Division 1
District 5
(at Northville)
Predicted final: Novi vs. Northville
Final: Novi vs. Northville, noon Saturday
Pick: Northville. I’m sticking with Northville in this KLAA Central showdown.

District 6
(at North Farmington)
Predicted final: Birmingham Brother Rice vs. Livonia Stevenson
Final: Birmingham Brother Rice vs. Livonia Stevenson, 1 p.m. Saturday
Pick: Stevenson. The Spartans have won its first two district games by a combined score of 9-0 and have done nothing to change my original pick.

District 8
(at Fraser)
Predicted final: Utica Ford vs. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley
Final: Sterling Heights Stevenson 2, Troy Athens 1 (Already played)
Both of my finalists fell in the first round. I couldn’t have gotten this district more wrong if I tried. Congratulations Titans on the district title.

District 9
(at Auburn Hills Avondale)
Predicted final: Auburn Hills Avondale vs. Troy
Final: Auburn Hills Avondale vs. Troy 2 p.m. Saturday
Pick: Troy. Avondale’s field might play a role, but the Colts should be fine.

District 11
(at Lake Orion
Predicted final: Clarkston vs. Lake Orion
Final: Clarkston vs. Lake Orion, 1 p.m. Saturday
Pick: Clarkston. These two schools don’t like each other so it should be interesting.

Division 2
District 22
(at Bloomfield Hills Andover)
Predicted final: Birmingham Seaholm vs. Bloomfield Hills Andover
Final: Birmingham Seaholm vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Pick: Seaholm. The Maples have dominated their first two district games and could be poised for a long playoff run.

District 24
(at Fenton)
Predicted final: Ortonville Brandon vs. Bloomfield Hills Lahser
Final: Ortonville Brandon vs. Fenton, 11 a.m. Saturday
Pick: Brandon. The Blackhawks won their first Flint Metro League title this season and will follow that with a district title.

District 25
(at St. Clair)
Predicted final: None. I overlooked that Oxford was in this district and didn’t predict a final. Sorry Wildcats.
Final: North Branch vs. Oxford, 11 a.m. Saturday
Pick: Oxford. I can’t say I know much about North Branch, but I’m going with the Wildcats.

Division 3
District 37
(at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep)
Predicted final: Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Final: Birmingham Detroit Country Day at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 1 p.m. Saturday
Pick: Country Day. The Yellowjackets survived a scare from Bishop Foley and should come out focused.

Division 4
District 54
(at Southfield Christian)
Predicted final: Southfield Christian vs. Birmingham Roeper
Final: Southfield Christian vs. Birmingham Roeper, 4 p.m. Friday
Pick: Southfield Christian. The Eagles ended Novi Franklin Road Christian’s historic season and will send another MIAC team home.

District 55
(at Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett)
Predicted final: Royal Oak Shrine vs. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
Final: Royal Oak Shrine vs. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 4 p.m. Friday
Pick: Shrine. The Knights have faced tougher competition this season and it should serve them well here.

District 56
(at Auburn Hills Oakland Christian)
Predicted final: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian vs. Marine City Cardinal Mooney
Final: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian vs. Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 5 p.m. Friday
Pick: Oakland Christian. Like I said before the Lancers are my pick to win it all this year.

District 57
(at Burton Genesee Christian Elementary School)
Predicted final: Burton Genesee Christian vs. Burton St. Thomas More
Final: Burton Genesee Christian vs. Burton St. Thomas More, 11 a.m. Saturday
Pick: Genesee Christian. Genesee edged Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes in a shootout, but likely won’t need a shootout to win this one.

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Week 8 predictions

I promised a perfect 13-0 on my picks last week and fell two games short, going 11-2. I’m sure no one is surprised I fell short, especially not my wife Dina, who thinks it’s easy to pick games. She said she could easily pick all the winners so I’m giving her a shot this week. I will give my normal picks, followed by hers. We’ll see who can pick games the best in the Pemberton household this week. Loser buys dinner.

Lakes Conference championship game
Lakeland (6-1) at Howell (6-1) — The Eagles are on a five-game winning streak and should be able to escape Howell with the victory. Pick: Lakeland
Dina’s pick: Howell

Kensington Conference championship game
Canton (6-1) at Novi (6-1) — The scoreboard operator will earn his paycheck in this one. Novi is averaging over 28 points per game, while Canton in averaging over 37 points. Pick: Novi
Dina’s pick: Novi

Walled Lake Western (5-2) at Milford (5-2) — The Mavericks gave up 40 points to Saline last week. Western won’t put up 40, but should get the 'W'. Pick: Western
Dina’s Pick: Milford

Birmingham Brother Rice (4-3) at Flint Powers (2-5) — The Warriors are playing for their playoff life. It could get ugly for Powers. Pick: Brother Rice
Dina’s pick: Brother Rice

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (4-3) at Davison (4-3) — Both teams need a win to stay in the playoff hunt. If the Eaglets win, then it would likely set up a matchup with Brother Rice next week with the winner going to the playoffs. Pick: St. Mary’s
Dina’s pick: St. Mary’s

Oxford (6-1) at Linden (7-0) — The Flint Metro championship often comes down to this game each year. The Wildcats will split the league championship for the second straight year. Pick: Oxford
Dina’s pick: Linden

Hazel Park (4-3) at Bloomfield Hills Lahser (6-1) — Hazel Park lost a heartbreaker last week to Avondale. This week the Vikings’ playoff hopes disappear. Pick: Lahser
Dina’s pick: Lahser

GAME OF THE WEEK
Lake Orion (6-1) at Rochester Adams (7-0) — The OAA White champion Highlanders vs. the OAA Red champion Dragons. (Both teams have clinched at least a share) It doesn’t get much better than this. Pick: Adams
Dina’s pick: Adams

West Bloomfield (4-3) at Birmingham Seaholm (1-5) — The Lakers have won two in a row and need two more to sneak into the playoffs. Pick: West Bloomfield
Dina’s pick: Seaholm

Farmington Hills Harrison (4-3) at Clarkston (5-2) — Harrison needs a win to make the playoffs, while the Wolves also need a win or will have to beat rival Lake Orion next week to make the playoffs. I don’t see Clarkston losing at home. Pick: Clarkston
Dina’s pick: Clarkston

Troy Athens (2-5) at Farmington (4-3) — Farmington has really turned things around after a 0-3 start. Don’t get too cocky Falcons, you don’t have any room for error. Pick: Farmington
Dina’s pick: Athens

Saturday
Dearborn Divine Child (4-3) at Novi Detroit Catholic Central (4-2) — My math is not real good, but I believe Catholic Central clinches a spot in the Prep Bowl A-B championship with a win. Pick: Catholic Central
Dina’s pick: Divine Child

Troy (5-2) at Southfield (6-1) — The Bluejays have been a pleasant surprise this season and could get a home playoff game with a win over the Colts. Pick: Southfield
Dina’s pick: Troy

Catholic League C-D semifinals
Madison Heights Bishop Foley (4-3) at Royal Oak Shrine (7-0) — The Knights are a good bet to win their first Catholic League championship since 2001. Pick Shrine
Dina’s pick: Bishop Foley

Last week: 11-2; Season: 58-28, .674 winning percentage

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Oakland County football powers

This Friday three of Oakland County’s top programs of all time will take the field with their 2008 playoff hopes on the line. Farmington Hills Harrison (4-3) plays at Clarkston, Birmingham Brother Rice (4-3) plays at Flint Powers and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (4-3) plays at Davison.

This fact got some of us in The Oakland Press office wondering if there was ever a year all three didn’t make the playoffs. Well I found the answer, which is yes back in 1985. Of course only 64 teams made the playoffs that year, not the current 256 teams. Harrison went 7-2 in 1985, but still missed the playoffs.

Since the MHSAA playoffs have started it’s only happened three times. The other two years are 1979 and 1975. In both those years only 32 teams made the playoffs. If the MHSAA used its current format since the playoffs were created back in 1975 then it would have never happened. Harrison went 7-2 and Brother Rice went 6-3 in 1979 and Harrison went 7-2, Brother Rice 8-1 and St. Mary’s 7-1 in 1975.

Just one of these storied programs missing the playoffs in any year is surprising. Here is a breakdown for each team.

Farmington Hills Harrison
The Hawks have missed the playoffs just once (2004) since the field expanded to 256 teams in 1999. Overall Harrison has missed the playoffs just seven times in 32 years. In those seven years the Hawks have only had a losing record twice and under the current format would have only missed the playoffs three times, 2004 (4-5), 1992 (4-5) and 1978 (5-4).

Birmingham Brother Rice
Brother Rice has never missed the playoffs since the field has expanded to 256 teams. The Warriors have missed the playoffs 13 times since 1975, but four of those times were when the field was 128 teams, three times when the field was 64 teams, four times when the field was 32 times and twice when it was 16. The Warriors would have missed the playoffs just once under the current format of 256 teams, 1985 when they went 4-5.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
St. Mary’s has missed the playoffs just once (2002) since the field has expanded to 256 teams. The Eaglets have missed the playoffs 18 times since 1975. Of those 18 times, four were when the field was 128 teams, four when the field was 64 teams, seven when the field was 32 teams and twice when it was 16 teams. St. Mary’s would have missed the playoffs just four times under the current format of 256 teams, 2002 (3-6), 1985 (5-4), 1984 (2-7) and 1979 (2-7).

Don’t know if anybody else found this as interesting as me, but thought I would share it. I was able to get all this information using the site http://michigan-football.com, so thanks to them for having such a useful site.

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Oakland County volleyball rankings

1. Birmingham Marian — The Mustangs clinched the Catholic League Central Division last week with wins over Ladywood and Mercy.
2. Clarkston — The Wolves won the Andover tournament last week and can clinch a share of the OAA Red Tuesday with a win over Lake Orion.
3. Troy — The Colts can clinch a share of the OAA Red title with a win over Birmingham Seaholm Tuesday.
4. Lakeland — The Eagles have dominated the KLAA North so far this season, winning five of its six matches in three games.
5. South Lyon — The Lions win over Novi last week gave them a two-game cushion in the KLAA Central.
6. Novi — Wildcats reached the finals of the Plymouth tournament last week, need wins over Northville and Salem this week to have any hopes of winning the KLAA Central.
7. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep — The Fighting Irish fell to Clarkston in the finals of the Andover tournament and have a huge Catholic League AA game against Dearborn Divine Child tonight.
8. Milford — The Mavericks are tied for first in the KLAA West with Pinckney, after falling to Pinckney last week.
9. Walled Lake Northern — The Knights can set up a showdown for the KLAA North next week against Lakeland with wins over Walled Lake Central and Walled Lake Western this week.
10. Birmingham Seaholm — The Maples can clinch at least a share of second place in the OAA Red with a win over Troy Tuesday.

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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Boys soccer predictions

The boys soccer state playoffs start Monday around the state. Here are my predictions for the districts involving Oakland County teams.

Division 1
District 5
(At Northville)
Predicted finals: Novi vs. Northville
Winner: Northville. Its always tough to beat a team three times in a season, but Northville wins the rivalry game at home.

District 6
(At North Farmington)
Predicted finals: Birmingham Brother Rice vs. Livonia Stevenson
Winner: Stevenson. The Warriors will put up a fight, but I don’t see them beating Stevenson.

District 8
(At Fraser)
Predicted finals: Utica Ford vs. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley
Winner: Chippewa Valley. Forget splitting the MAC Red, winner takes all here. I like the Big Reds.

District 9
(At Auburn Hills Avondale)
Predicted finals: Auburn Hills Avondale vs. Troy
Winner: Troy. This is a brutal district. Seven of the eight teams have a legitimate shot at it, but I think the Colts will be able to score the key goals.

District 11
(At Lake Orion)
Predicted finals: Clarkston vs. Lake Orion
Winner: Clarkston. The Wolves are more battle tested and it will be the difference.

Division 2
District 22
(At Bloomfield Hills Andover)
Predicted finals: Birmingham Seaholm vs. Bloomfield Hills Andover
Winner: Andover. The Barons make it three in a row this season against the Maples.

District 24
(At Fenton)
Predicted finals: Bloomfield Hills Lahser vs. Ortonville Brandon
Winner: Lahser. The Knights offense will be too much for the Blackhawks.

Division 3
District 37
(At Pontiac Notre Dame Prep)
Predicted finals: Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Winner: Country Day. The Yellowjackets always play their best come playoff time and will be a threat to win it all.

Division 4
District 54
(At Southfield Christian)
Predicted finals: Birmingham Roeper vs. Southfield Christian
Winner: Roeper. The Roughriders will ride their way to victory.

District 55
(At Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
Predicted finals: Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett vs. Royal Oak Shrine
Winner: Shrine. The Knights win a tough battle

District 56
(At Auburn Hills Oakland Christian)
Predicted finals: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian vs. Marine City Cardinal Mooney
Winner: Oakland Christian. The Lancers are my pick to win it all this year.

District 57
(At Burton Genesee Christian Elementary School)
Predicted finals: Burton Genesee Christian vs. Burton St. Thomas More
Winner: Genesee Christian. Genesee Christian’s only trouble in this district will likely come from Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes in the first round.

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Friday, October 10, 2008

Week 7 predictions

Last week I stepped it up and went a respectable 10-5 after a horrible 5-7 performance in Week 5. But that’s not good enough. You loyal blog readers deserve better so I’m calling my shot this week. A perfect 13-0. That’s right I’m predicting a perfect week. If I’m wrong, then I will bring in some outside help for next week. Here are the picks for the top 13 Oakland County matchups.

Auburn Hills Avondale (4-2) at Hazel Park (4-2) — The Yellow Jackets have lost two straight after a 4-0 start, a loss here and their playoff hopes will be in serious danger. Pick: Hazel Park
Bloomfield Hills Lahser (5-1) at Ferndale (6-0) — Consider this game the OAA Blue championship game. The Eagles have played a pretty easy schedule, time to find out if they are for real. Pick: Lahser
West Bloomfield (3-3) at Troy Athens (2-4) — The Lakers could be a dangerous football team in the playoffs, but first they have to make it. Pick: West Bloomfield
Clarkston (4-2) at Oak Park (2-4) — The Wolves can’t afford a loss here and need to show their defense can stop someone, but stopping Edwin Baker won’t be easy. Pick: Clarkston
Rochester Adams (6-0) at Farmington Hills Harrison (4-2) — The Hawks are in danger of missing the playoffs, but don’t count them out just yet. Pick: Adames
Farmington (3-3) at Stoney Creek (3-3) — One teams playoff hopes end tonight. Pick: Stoney Creek
Warren Fitzgerald (6-0) at Madison Heights Madison (4-2) — The Eagles have a shot at the MAC Silver title with a victory. Pick: Fitzgerald
Walled Lake Western (4-2) at Walled Lake Central (2-4) — The Vikings will be fired up to face the cross-town rivals Warriors so this should be a good one. Pick: Western
GAME OF THE WEEK
Novi (5-1) at Northville (4-2) — The KLAA Central comes down to this game. Not sure what the tiebreaker is, but I don’t think it will matter. Pick: Novi

Saturday

Birmingham Brother Rice (3-3) vs. Detroit U-D Jesuit (0-6) — Who would have thought the Warriors would need a win this bad against Jesuit? Pick: Brother Rice
Dearborn Divine Child (4-2) at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (3-3) — This is no guaranteed win for the Eaglets, who are playing for their playoff lives. Pick: OLSM
Troy (4-2) at Southfield-Lathrup (3-3) — The Colts end the Chargers’ playoff aspirations. Pick: Troy
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (2-4) at Novi Detroit Catholic Central (3-2) — The Shamrocks are in good position to make it to the Prep Bowl championship game. Pick: Catholic Central

Last week: 10-5; Season: 47-26, .644 winning percentage

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Thursday, October 9, 2008

Football playoff predictions

There are three weeks left in the high school football regular season and I have taken the time to let you know who will be in the playoffs before the three weeks are over. Based on teams current record and remaining schedule I have predicted all the teams I think will make the playoffs. See any teams you disagree with me about, let me know. Following each team is their reamaining schedule.

Already in (6-0 teams)
Ferndale – Lahser; KLAA opponent; at Hazel Park
Rochester Adams — at Harrison; Lake Orion; at Rochester
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest — Lutheran Westland; Metro title game; Parkway Christian
Royal Oak Shrine — Allen Park Cabrini; CHSL game; CHSL game

One win away (5-1 teams)
Will make it
Bloomfield Hills Lahser – at Ferndale; Hazel Park; Andover
Lakeland — at Kettering; KLAA opponent; Milford
Lake Orion — Royal Oak; at Adams; Clarkston
Milford — Saline; KLAA opponent; at Lakeland
Novi — at Northville; KLAA opponent; Pinckney
Oxford — Swartz Creek; at Linden; Holly
Southfield — Groves; Troy; at Lathrup

On the bubble (4-2 teams)
Will make it
Auburn Hills Avondale — at Hazel Park; Pontiac Northern; at Berkley
Clarkston — at Oak Park; Harrison; Lake Orion
Madison Heights Bishop Foley — Detroit Loyola; CHSL game; Detroit Old Redford
Madison Heights Lamphere — at South Lake; Clawson; at Lake Shore
Madison Heights Madison — Warren Fitzgerald; Center Line; Clawson
Novi Detroit Catholic Central (3-2) — Notre Dame Prep; Divine Child; CHSL game
Troy – at Lathrup; at Southfield; Athens
Walled Lake Western — at Walled Lake Cetnral; KLAA opponent; Westland John Glenn

Won’t make it
Farmington Hills Harrison — Adams; at Clarkston; Stoney Creek
Hazel Park – Avondale; at Lahser; Ferndale
Southfield Christian — Detroit Old Redford; SMFC game; Tekonsha

No room for error (3-3 teams)
Will make it
Birmingham Brother Rice — at Detroit U-D Jesuit; at Flint Powers; CHSL game
Birmingham Detroit Country Day — Andover; Detroit Old Redford; at Dearborn
West Bloomfield — at Athens; at Seaholm; Oak Park

Won’t make it
Berkley — at Pontiac Northern; at North Farmington; Auburn Hills Avondale
Farmington – at Stoney Creek; Troy Athens; North Farmington
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s — Divine Child; at Davison; CHSL game
Southfield-Lathrup — Troy; at Rocheser; Southfield
Stoney Creek — Farmington; Oak Park; at Harrison
Waterford Kettering — Lakeland; KLAA opponent; at Royal Oak
Waterford Mott — Walled Lake Northern; KLAA opponent; Grand Blanc
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes — Detroti Urban Lutheran; CHSL game; CHSL game

Likely already out (2-4 teams)
Clawson; South Lyon; Birmingham Groves; Holly; Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Ortonville Brandon; Pontiac Northern; Troy Athens; Oak Park; Walled Lake Central; Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (1-4);

Already out (1-5, 0-6 teams)
Birmingham Seaholm; Rochester; Royal Oak; South Lyon East; Pontiac Central; Bloomfield Hills Andover; North Farmington; Walled Lake Northern

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Monday, October 6, 2008

Volleyball notes

Oakland County volleyball rankings
1. Birmingham Marian — Glad to see Abby Lovell is a finalist for Miss Volleyball.
2. Clarkston — The Wolves are in good position to repeat as OAA I (I know its Red now) champs.
3. Troy — The Colts are tied with Clarkston atop the OAA Red with two league games left.
4. Lakeland — The win over Walled Lake Northern was big last week in the KLAA North race.
5. Novi — The Wildcats need to rebound this week from a loss to Livonia Stevenson last week.
6. Milford — The Mavericks are the favorite the KLAA West now.
7. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep — The Fighting Irish have been solid, but have a lot of work to do if they hope to repeat as Catholic League champs.
8. South Lyon — A big game Tuesday against Novi that could establish them as the favorite in the KLAA Central.
9. Farmington — The Falcons need a win against Seaholm this week to stay in the OAA Red race.
10. Troy Athens — The Red Hawks have rebounded nicely from a horrendous 2007, and are still in the OAA Red race.

Honorable mentions (in no order): Birmingham Seaholm, Walled Lake Northern, West Bloomfield, Rochester

OAA Red heating up
The race for the OAA Red volleyball championship is going to be interesting, with two weeks left before the league tournament on Oct. 18. In years past the title has been pretty much decided going into the tournament, with a team being able to clinch by making the semifinals or finals. This year no team will likely have that luxury with possible ties dividing the regular season points.

The are all kinds of scenarios that could play out and two where four teams could tie for first place in the regular season.

Here are the teams left in contention and the remaining schedule
Clarkston 21-5-1, 5-1 OAA Red
Troy 23-9, 5-1 OAA Red
Troy Athens 25-6-2, 5-2 OAA Red
Farmington 26-9-1, 4-2 OAA Red
Birmingham Seaholm 4-2 OAA Red

Tuesday’s Games
Athens at Clarkston
Lake Orion at Troy
Farmington at Seaholm
Adams at Groves
Lahser — Bye

Tuesday, Oct. 14
Lake Orion at Clarkston
Farmington at Groves
Seaholm at Troy
Adams at Lahser
Athens — Bye

Clarkston can clinch at least a share of first with a win over Athens and a win over Lake Orion on Oct. 14. The Wolves can afford a loss and still tie for first if Troy loses at least one of its games.

The Colts also control their own destiny with a home game against Lake Orion on Tuesday and a home game against Seaholm on Oct. 14. A pair of wins and Troy clinches at least a share of first.

Farmington and Seaholm will need a little help to finish in first. Both need to win on Tuesday to have a shot, but since they are playing each other only one can win. If Farmington wins they need to win at Groves and have both Troy and Clarkston lose both of their games to win first outright or have them both lose at least once to win a share. The same applies for the Maples, who play at Troy on Oct. 14.

For Athens, it needs a win on Tuesday to have a shot at the league title. A win clinches at least a share of second place, but Athens needs Troy to lose at least one game to share first. To win first place outright the Red Hawks need a lot of help. Troy would have to lose both of its games, Seaholm would have to lose to Farmington and beat Troy, Farmington would have to beat Seaholm and lose to Groves and Clarkston would have to lose to Lake Orion. Follow that? I know it’s not likely but it’s possible. What is also possible is that if Athens loses to Clarkston it could fall as far as fifth place.

It should be interesting to see how it plays out and the league tournament should be very competitive, with all kinds of possible scenarios.

A glance at KLAA volleyball
The top two teams in the KLAA Central face off Tuesday when South Lyon (15-5-2, 3-0 KLAA Central) visits Novi (19-5, 3-1 KLAA Central). This game should have huge implications on who wins the Central. The Lions also host Livonia Stevenson on Thursday, while Novi hosts South Lyon East.

In the North Division, Lakeland (19-5, 4-0 KLAA North) is in first after defeating Walled Lake Northern (20-5-3, 4-1 KLAA North) last week. The Eagles host Walled Lake Central (6-10-4, 3-2 KLAA North) on Tuesday and play at Waterford Kettering (6-12, 0-4 KLAA North) on Thursday. The Knights host Kettering Tuesday and have Thursday off.

Milford (20-7-1, 3-0 KLAA West) is atop the West Division, with Howell (14-8-1, 3-1 KLAA West) and Pinckney (17-8-1, 2-1 KLAA West) right below. The Mavericks host Pinckney on Tuesday and Hartland (11-10-3, 0-3 KLAA West) on Thursday.

No Oakland County teams are in the South Division, but Liviona Churchill (23-3, 4-0 KLAA South) is in first, with Canton (17-4, 3-1) and John Glenn (7-3-4, 3-1) tied for second.

Miss Volleyball
The 10 finalists for Miss Volleyball were named just over a week ago. Two of the 10 finalists are from Oakland County. South Lyon outside hitter Kathleen Donehue and Birmingham Marian setter Abby Lovell.

The other eight finalists are Plainwell setter Rachel Davis, Midland outside hitter Lindsey Dulude, Jenison outside hitter Megan Hendrickson, North Branch outside hitter Olivia Kohler, Muskegon Mona Shores middle hitter Marie Roof, Jension libero Taylor Root, Grand Rapids South Christian outside hitter Jordyn Skinner and East Kentwood setter Megan Steenhuysen.

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Friday, October 3, 2008

Week 6 predictions

I planned on having these picks done yesterday so since I’m late I threw in a few bonus picks this week. Like every week in the high school ranks, it should be an interesting one. I had my first losing week of the season last week so hopefully I can rebound this week.

Picks
Oxford (4-1, 4-1 Flint Metro) at Lapeer East (3-2, 3-2 Flint Metro) —
This should be a great game. East likely can’t afford another loss and the Wildcats need a win to stay in the Flint Metro race. Pick: Oxford
Lakeland (4-1, 3-0 KLAA North) at Waterford Mott (3-2, 1-2 KLAA North) — The Eagles can’t afford to fall in a trap and overlook Mott after a big win over Walled Lake Western. Pick Lakeland
Waterford Kettering (3-2, 2-1 KLAA North) at Walled Lake Western (3-2, 2-1 KLAA North) — The Captains, who host Lakeland in Week 7, can stay in the league race with a win, but I don’t see the Warriors dropping this one. Pick: Western
Walled Lake Central (1-4, 1-2 KLAA North) at Walled Lake Northern (1-4, 0-3 KLAA North) — Neither team has a good record, but this is still a rivalry game. Pick: Central
Novi (4-1, 3-0 KLAA Central) at Livonia Stevenson (4-1, 3-0 KLAA Central) —
A battle for the first KLAA Central title. The Wildcats need to get an early lead to win this one. Pick: Stevenson
South Lyon East (0-5) at South Lyon (1-4) — The first of many South Lyon cross-town showdowns. East isn’t ready to beat the original. Pick: South Lyon
Madison Heights Lamphere (3-2, 2-1 MAC Bronze) at Madison Heights Madison (4-1, 2-1 MAC Silver) — Both are in their respective league races, but all that gets put on hold for this rivalry showdown. Pick: Madison
Bloomfield Hills Lahser (4-1, 4-0 OAA Blue) at Auburn Hills Avondale (4-1, 3-1 OAA Blue) —
The Knights have two big OAA Blue games in a row, this week against Avondale and next week against Ferndale. A pair of wins and the title is all but theirs. Pick: Lahser
Lake Orion (4-1, 4-0 OAA Red) at Troy (4-1, 3-1 OAA Red) — If the Colts win here, the OAA Red race gets a lot more interesting. Pick: Lake Orion
Southfield-Lathrup (3-2, 3-2 OAA Red) at West Bloomfield (2-3, 1-3 OAA Red) — The Lakers have had some tough losses this season, they need a win here to keep their playoff hopes alive. Pick: West Bloomfield
Stoney Creek (2-3, 1-3 OAA White) at Birmingham Groves (2-3, 2-2 OAA White) —
One team’s playoff hopes will get crushed. Pick: Stoney Creek
Farmington Hills Harrison (4-1, 3-1 OAA White) at Farmington (2-3, 2-3 OAA White) — It’s likely been a while since the Hawks lost this rivalry game. Pick: Harrison

Saturday
Birmingham Brother Rice (3-2, 1-1 CL Cental) vs. Warren De La Salle (5-0, 2-0 CL Central) at Warren Fitzgerald — The Pilots all but clinch the Central Division title with a win. If the Warriors win there could be a three-way tie for first. Pick: Brother Rice
Madison Heights Bishop Foley (4-1, 3-0 CL Intersectional 1) at Dearborn Divine Child (3-2, 1-0 CL Central) — The Ventures can raise some eyebrows with a win here. Pick: Divine Child
Novi Detroit Catholic Central (2-2, 0-2 CL Central) at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (3-2, 2-1 CL Central) — It’s been a rough two weeks for the Shamrocks. A loss here would put either team in a tough position of having to win out in the final three weeks. Pick: St. Mary’s
Royal Oak Shrine (5-0, 2-0 Intersectional 2) at Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (3-2, 1-1 Intersectional 2) — The Knights showed a Canadian team they mean business last week, the Lakers should be a tougher test. Pick: Shrine


Last week: 5-7; Season record: 37-21, .637 winning percentage

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