TROY – Oak Park was going to be in for a long night if it couldn’t stop Troy Athens from repeatedly grinding out first downs with the ground attack like it did for a good portion of the first quarter of Friday’s game.

The Red Hawks marched all the way down to the 2-yard line and looked sure to cash in for their efforts. Oak Park, though, stiffened up, and on fourth down blocked a field goal to leave the home side empty-handed despite owning possession for over eight minutes to start.

Despite putting up points first, the drives for Athens’ wing-T offense weren’t quite so prolific after that, and Oak Park responded with all its points unanswered to collect a 24-16 road win over the Red Hawks.

Knights head coach Greg Carter didn’t hesitate when asked how often his team sees that style.

“Once a year,” Carter said. “They’re dominant and play extremely hard, so we knew that we had to be as physical as possible to match their physicality on every play, because they’re relentless. They come at you in waves. You know, I’ve been around so long that I remember we used to run it back in the day when I was at de Porres. It’s a tough offense to contain.”

Athens (1-2, 0-2 OAA Blue) didn’t piece together another series as cohesive as that until its final one, which came with the Red Hawks trailing by 16 and without the fortune of being able to deliberately drain clock. Senior Tom Gjelaj broke a tackle and got help from his lineman on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line to cross the pylon, then junior quarterback Andrew Dunlap took in the conversion to make it 24-16 with 2:02 remaining.

The Red Hawks were flagged for illegal touching on the onsides kick attempt, but despite using their timeouts to force a fourth-and-3 with just under a minute to go, sophomore running back Ivaan Burrow chunked out an 11-yard gain to move the chains and and allow the Knights to kneel it out.

Even after failing to capitalize on the extended opening drive, Athens posted points before Oak Park thanks to a fumble recovery on fourth down following a botched punt attempt that gave the Red Hawks extremely favorable field position. Just 48 seconds into the second quarter, the Athens QB took it in himself from just a few feet out, and Anthony Dunlap ran in the conversion to put the home team ahead 8-0.

When the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Red Hawks, they really appeared to be in the driver’s seat, but Oak Park responded with a big special teams play of its own when Rondre Austion returned Athens’ punt over 90 yards along the right sideline for a score. Officials initially threw a flag against the Knights that would have negated it, but eventually picked it up before Mike Jones ran in the 2-point try to tie it 8-8 with 8:31 left in the half.

“I was really indecisive whether I was going to get (the ball on the return) or not, but something told me I needed to go pick it up and go take it to the crib for my team,” Austion said. “I had to change the pace of the game for my team, that’s all it was.”

Able to stymy Athens’ offense again after that, Oak Park got the ball back and moved into striking distance on a 32-yard run by Marshawn Johnson to the Red Hawks’ 5-yard line, and Jones (13 carries, 98 yards) took it in the next play, then bounced it outside for the conversion that made it 16-8 with 3:24 on the clock.

Burrow picked off a pass to give Oak Park a chance to score yet again before heading into the lockers, but despite a 20-yard run the following snap by Knights quarterback Muhammad El-Mubarak, Athens’ pass defense forced several incompletions from the sophomore QB to keep it a one-score game at the half.

A fumble recovery by Athens’ Vadym Hladiy was one of the few notable plays in the third quarter as both teams’ offenses stalled, but Oak Park eventually compiled its own elongated drive that spanned into the fourth. It nearly sputtered on fourth-and-12 at the Red Hawks’ 24-yard line, but El-Mabarak found junior Nehemiah Black for a 16-yard completion that moved the sticks, and two plays later Dorian Bethel scored from five yards out when he was part of a push into the end zone that seemingly involved every player from both teams.

Jones rushed in the conversion for Oak Park’s final points with 7:32 to go.

Photo gallery of Oak Park at Troy Athens in OAA Blue football action

Regarding the adjustments Oak Park's defense made to tighten up following Athens' early success, Carter said, "We tried to put a little more pressure on them, sent our linebackers a little bit more, because (before that) we were sitting there waiting on them. We just tried to be a little bit more active, that's all. We didn't really change the way we were doing it, but I think we did it a little bit better."

The Knights, who defeated Athens 30-24 in overtime last season, improve to 2-1 on the season, including 1-1 in the OAA Blue. They'll next return home to face undefeated Seaholm.

Athens must return to the drawing board with a visit to Farmington on deck.

"We just need to be able to maintain drives," Athens head coach Tom Cook said. "We have tough kids that are willing to do the basic things right, and we need to make sure we can sustain drives and finish them to score points ... We've got to keep grinding. Tomorrow, everybody like, let's show up and let's turn this thing around for next week."

Troy Athens scored first, but Royal Oak answered with three touchdowns in a row to collect a 24-16 road win Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.

DETROIT – Armed with a hoard of future Division 1 talent, including one of the top players in the nation in senior quarterback Bryce Underwood, Belleville was favored to handle Clarkston by some measure in Friday’s Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic matchup at Wayne State University.

As it turns out, it was the Wolves who gave the preseason D1 favorites all they could handle.

Clarkston came up empty on a potential game-tying drive in the final minutes, losing to the Tigers 35-28, but earning the feeling that the Wolves can compete with any team in the state.

“Man, I thought we went toe-to-toe with probably as good a team as there is in the state,” Clarkston head coach Justin Pintar said. “It was a little sloppy on both sides, but that was just a helluva football game. It just felt like watching a heavyweight title fight, with blow after blow. The determination from every kid was just outstanding.”

The Tigers, last year’s D1 runner-up to Southfield A&T after winning the title the previous two seasons, were on course to win somewhat comfortably when Central Michigan commit Andre Thomas blazed for an 80-yard touchdown, then took a direct snap on the conversion that followed to put the Tigers up 28-14 with 5:07 left in the third. In fact, it looked even worse for Clarkston when a punt attempt was mishandled on its next drive, resulting in a turnover on downs.

But on Belleville’s first play after getting the ball back, Underwood’s deep pass just short of the end zone was jumped by Clarkston senior Brady Beck, giving his team a new lease on life with his pick that was returned to near mid-field.

Not long after, Wolves sophomore QB Alex Waszczenko hit senior wide receiver Benny Adams for a 35-yard completion that came a yard short of the end zone, and Lukas Boman finished the job on the next play to make it an eight-point game with 10:13 remaining in the contest.

“The pick by Brady, that certainly swung momentum back, and then we got the big play right after that on offense,” Pintar said. “That’s what I mean, our guys just kept battling, even when we’re down two scores. It just felt like the guys kept grinding and never felt like they were gonna give up.”

Underwood scampered for over 30 yards on one run the next drive, and again Clarkston was reeling when, after holding the Tigers to 4th-and-13 at their own 12-yard line, they were flagged for having too many men on the field and looked destined to give up a score.

But two plays later, the Wolves forced a fumble that was recovered by T.J. Schafer inside the five with under six minutes left, and the turnover proved to be the opening they needed. Several minutes after, Waszczenko ate a shot out of the pocket, but connected on his shot downfield to junior Hank Hornung, who pedaled 80 yards for the touchdown to make it 28-26. On the two-point try, Beck took a sweep handoff right, and while being knocked out of bounds found Brady Roush for the game-tying conversion with 3:19 left.

“Alex played a great game, and you know, he took some hits and bounced right back up,” Pintar said. “He’s another kid that does everything you ask of him, made the throws when he had to, and in the run game, he had some where he just stuck his nose in them. He’s not a real big kid, but he plays a lot bigger than he is, and I was super proud of him in his first game.”

In response, however, the LSU-committed Underwood proved worthy of his billing. Seconds after gaining 10 yards, he took a designed run left 55 yards to the house — putting him close to 200 yards rushing on the evening on fewer than 10 carries — sending the Tigers back in front with 1:18 remaining.

“Honestly, I just wanted to show that I’ve got another gift to show everybody,” Underwood said of the work he did with his legs in the win.”

Needing to score in the remaining time left, Clarkston crossed half-field on a reception by Lukas Boman, but Tigers senior Ray-mond Smith recovered a fumble after a Wolves’ completion near the 30-yard line with 43 seconds left that sealed the win for Belleville.

Miami (OH) commit Adrian Walker Jr. was first to cross the pylon with a 27-yard pass from Underwood that put Belleville up 6-0 up in the first three minutes, the only scoring of the first quarter. Clarkston answered with a sustained drive that spanned into the second, finished by an 8-yard rushing TD from Griffin Boman to give the Wolves a 7-6 lead after the extra point with 10:57 on the board.

Later in the half, Belleville looked set to put up more points with great field position, but a sack by Griffin Boman and some resolve by the Wolves’ pass defense forced a turnover on downs. Belleville did eventually score next, getting in the end zone immediately after intermission on a 37-yard run by Underwood that put his team back ahead, and a Clarkston fumble just several plays later led to another score when Charles Britton caught a 14-yard TD pass from Underwood that made it 20-7 with 9:17 still left in the third.

It was at that point that Clarkston began to take chances through the air. A double move by Adams left him wide-open behind the defense, leading to a 65-yard reception, and Griffin Boman fought his way in for a 3-yard rushing score that would be answered instantly by Thomas’ long TD that set up the back-and-forth down the stretch.

Photo gallery of Clarkston vs. Belleville football at Wayne State University

"I'm just super proud of these guys, and hopefully we learn from our mistakes and keep getting better," Pintar said. "We've got to clean up the turnovers, and the mistakes -- the mental mistakes, the coaching mistakes, all the mistakes -- but if we can do that in Week 1 and keep getting better and better, I feel really good about where we are."

Clarkston remains away from home in its next game, taking on the defending D1 champs in Southfield A&T, who opened up with a 46-0 victory over Flint Beecher Friday night under new coach Keith McKenzie.

"That's been an OAA battle for years now, so we know that's going to be another talented football team, but I think this game probably prepared us pretty well for next week," Pintar said.

Clarkston went toe-to-toe with preseason Division 1 favorite Belleville, but came up just short, falling 35-28 in the season opener for both teams at Wayne State University on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.

A look at the prospects for the Lakes Valley Conference football teams for the 2024 season:

LAKELAND EAGLES

Coach: Jim Calhoun (4th year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 7-4, 6-2 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Carter Travis (QB, Jr.), Trevor Tschudin (RB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Blake Zamenski (DE, Sr.), Jack Schneider (LB, Sr.)

Strengths: The Eagles bring experience and talent at the QB and RB spot to threaten opposing defenses, including Tschudin, who also buzzes around to make plays in the defensive backfield at safety.

Areas to Improve: It’s going to be a young Lakeland defense that will have to mature as the season progresses.

Outlook: The Eagles defeated Milford, one of the teams that also went 6-2 in the conference last season, and came up just shy of beating the other, Mott. Travis picked up valuable experience last year as a sophomore that should help translate into another solid year of Eagles offense.

Football 2024: Schedules for the Lakes Valley Conference

MILFORD MAVERICKS

Coach: Andrew Micovich (3rd year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 6-4, 6-2 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Landon Murray (WR, Sr.), Tanner Petru (RB, Sr.), Brady Heggemeyer (ATH, Sr.), Luke Bargowski (OL, Sr), Tyler Leigh (OL, Sr.), Joe Watson (OL, Sr.), Caden Johnston-Thompson (ATH, Jr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Ike Stufft (LB, Sr.), Kaden Johnston (LB, Sr.), Owen Stark (DB, Sr.), Jack Stine (DB, Sr.), Jayden Dorsey (DL, Sr.)

Strengths: The Mavericks plan to lean on their athleticism and physicality, particularly on defense, where they allowed just 13 points per game under the watch of DC Matt Wasnich.

Areas to Improve: Replacing quarterback Ryan Allen will be one task for Milford. There's also a fresh group of defensive lineman that will be tested, along with overall consistency.

Outlook: If it's any sort of consolation, Milford's defensive prowess sometimes meant winning close, but also being in every game it lost. The Mavericks didn't suffer a defeat by any more than one score, including a pair of seven-point defeats to Lakeland to end the season. After making the playoffs for the third time in a row (not counting the COVID year) for the first time in program history, the numbers continue to support the idea that Milford will remain a threat. They'll do so behind the aforementioned defense, as well as plenty of touches for Petru, and Murray, always a red-zone threat as a 6-foot-2 receiver.

 

SOUTH LYON LIONS

Coach: Jeff Henson (9th year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 2-7, 2-6 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Declan Scheloske (OT, Jr.), Nolan Anderson (OT, Jr.), Landon Fredericks (RB, Sr.), RJ Green (C, Jr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Johnny Michaels (LB, Jr.), Jake Tolbert (DB, Sr.), Brayden Kneiper (DB, Jr.), Brady Shields (LB, Sr.)

Strengths: Experience is a major benefit this year for South Lyon in bringing back most of the team from last year. The program may also see the fruits of those players which experienced success at the JV (6-3) and freshman (9-0) levels in 2023.

Areas to Improve: The Lions who return will have to unilaterally step their game up, and they'll be anxious to wash the taste of losing out their mouths after dropping their last four games last fall, scoring just a combined 19 points in those defeats.

Outlook: Henson's seniors will recall the group that reached the state semifinals three seasons ago and know they're lining up for a coach capable of leading them far. He points to last year's youth as the reason for the aberration in record and believes that the Lions will be back on the winning track this season. Most the names listed above will make an impact on both sides of the ball, and the fact that a number of them are juniors bodes well for what's to come beyond just this year.

Football preview: 2024 Oakland Activities Association Red Division team capsules

SOUTH LYON EAST COUGARS

Coach: Jacob Topp (4th year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 4-5, 3-5 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Dominic Giovannini (QB, Sr.), AJ Morgan (RB, Sr.), Tyler Gabrielli (OL, Sr.) Carter Hamilton (TE, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Carter Hamilton (LB, Sr.), Jaxson Gochenour (LB, Jr.), Daniel Welton (LB, Sr.), AJ Morgan (DB, Sr.), Michael Washington (DB, Sr.)

Strengths: A signal-caller with over a year's experience coming back is also a huge plus, so Giovannini with 14 starts already under his belt is a big benefit to the Cougars and the stability of their offense. Among the skill positions, running back and tight end is a strength with Morgan and Hamilton, too.

Areas to Improve: East lacks bodies who are tested in battle along the offensive line, and there's some questions in the areas of wide receiver and defensive back, also.

Outlook: After Topp improved East by four wins in '22, last season was a small step back, and know it's about aiming to get back above .500. The Cougars will go as the offensive line goes, as Topp believes if that unit ends up as a strength, success will be had. The consistency of Giovannini in making throws should assure that the team is, at the very least, again in the thick of most battles in the league.

Football preview: 2024 Oakland Activities Association White and Blue Division team capsules

WALLED LAKE CENTRAL VIKINGS

Coach: Josh Perusse (4th year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 3-6, 2-6 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Caeden Stout (QB, Sr.), Ray Weatherington (WR, Sr.), Bode Hirschman (WR, Sr.), Brycen Anderson (RB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Tyler Marrogy (DE, Sr.), Ray Weatherington (LB, Sr.), Bode Hirschman (S, Sr.), Carson Holzheimer (OLB, Sr.), Robbie Smiley (LB, Sr.), Dalyn Bryant (LB, Sr.), Brycen Anderson (LB, Sr.).

Strengths: The Vikings have 23 seniors this season, the most they’ve had in quite some time, and it will be that core that will help lead the Vikings back to the standard they were accustomed to, before the recent dip in success. Maturity of his players has impressed Perusse through camp.

Areas to Improve: While the Vikings got that dose of excitement with a three-win season since 2017, allowing them to feel much better about themselves, Perusse still wanted the Vikings to stay grounded, and understanding where they are on the learning curve to being able to win consistently.

Outlook: The Vikings got the monkey off their backs last year, ending their seasons-long losing skid, and worked in the offseason on raising their standards of expectation. Confidence spiked for the Vikings after their Week 5 win over Kettering to snap a 30-game losing streak, allowing Central to enter the season not just hoping to be good, but expecting it.

WALLED LAKE NORTHERN KNIGHTS

Coach: Mark Brimmer (1st year)

Division: 1

Last Year’s Record: 1-8, 1-7 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Bryce Kaduce (OL, Jr.), Alex Definis (QB, Sr), Eli Ryan (RB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Jackson Ferguson (LB, Sr.), Landon Long (FS, Jr.), Santino Castro (SS, Sr.)

Strengths: The linebacker core will be the heartbeat of the defense, led by Ferguson in the middle of it.

Areas to Improve: Northern will have to find contributors in the trenches after losing multiple key players on both sides of the ball.

Outlook: After four years under Terry Battle that included a difficult winless 2022, Brimmer has a young team that he believes can surprise if health is in the Knights' favor. Competing week in and out is initially the goal after a handful of the losses suffered last year were of the lop-sided variety.

Football preview: 2023 Catholic High School League team capsules

WALLED LAKE WESTERN WARRIORS

TEAM

Coach: Kory Cioroch (4th year)

Last Year's Record: 10-2, 8-8 LVC (champs)

Key Returners on Offense: Liam Vaughan (OL, Sr.), Donovan Triplett (RB, Jr.), Jacarri Anderson (WR, Jr.), Lucas Hoffmeyer (FB, Jr.), David Krall (QB, Soph.)

Key Returners on Defense: Troy Temple (DB, Sr.), Shane Rachner (LB, Sr.), Lucas Price (LB, Sr.), Pasha Goffee (DL, Jr.)

Strengths: Experience, physicality, versatility

Areas to improve: Depth, finishing games

Outlook: The last time Western lost a regular season league game was Sept. 2021, so it figures that the Warriors rightfully deserve their place on the throne until proven otherwise. They return a handful of starters on offense -- including Western Michigan OL commit Liam Vaughn, who will open holes for running back Donovan Triplett, also bound for D1 college football with six offers -- as well as seven on defense. It's then no surprise WLW is aiming to compete for another league championship.

Football preview: 2024 Oakland Activities Association Gold Division team capsules

WATERFORD KETTERING CAPTAINS

Coach: Brian Barnes (1st year)

Division: 3

Last Year’s Record: 3-6, 2-6 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Ryan Pacifico (WR, Sr.), Kaden Robinson (WR, Sr.), Dmitri Smades (OL, Senior, Xavier Smith (RB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: John Regan (DE, Jr.), Josh Simpson (MLB, Sr.), Tyrus Hipp (DB, Sr.)

Strengths: In Pacifico, Robinson and Smith, Kettering will at least have the ball in the hands of its upperclassmen to make plays.

Areas to Improve: Experience is going to be a challenge for the Captains, who will in particular be green on the offensive line, and graduated almost the entirety of the starters from 2023.

Outlook: Barnes arrives with a decade of head coaching experience, including the last seven at Bishop Foley. He brings along with him his defensive coordinator from the Ventures, Dan Gough, as well. They'll have a solid core of freshmen and sophomores at their disposal to try and begin the rebuild for a program looking for its first winning season since 2014.

WATERFORD MOTT CORSAIRS

Coach: Chris Fahr (13th year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 10-3, 6-2 LVC

Key Returners on Offense: Noah Jimenez (LT, Jr.), Devon Lewis (RT, Sr.), Jamari Spruill (LG, Jr.), Geno Seets (ATH, Jr.), Greg White (WR, Jr.), Cruz Valentine (OL, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Davie Gruwell (DL, Sr.), Nick Thigpen (DB, Sr.), Greg White (DB, Jr.), Maximus Jansenvanvuren (DL, Jr.)

Strengths: It's a tight-knit group under the veteran Fahr, who believes that Mott's team speed will help to burn opponents this season.

Areas to Improve: Depth is a concern for the Corsairs, who also have the task of replacing a standout quarterback in the form of Kalieb Osborne, who piled up yards throughout his career and was extremely accurate (73% completion rate in '23), and is now at Toledo.

Outlook: Mott is going to have to find ways to win as it grows up. That's going to be a challenge presented immediately with a first-week meeting against Walled Lake Western in what's a battle of the top two teams in the LVC from last fall. Jansenvanvuren, whose D1 offers include Central and Eastern Michigan, can provide a sizable target in the offense for Seets when he lines up at tight end.

Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions, who went from obscurity into the spotlight for his role in the Wolverines’ alleged sign-stealing scandal, was nearly the man calling defensive plays for Berkley High School this fall, according to a report from The Athletic.

Stalions has remained in the headlines in the ramp-up to Tuesday’s release of the Netflix documentary ‘Untold: Sign Stealer,’ which centers on his role in the Michigan controversy that resulted in a three-game suspension for head coach Jim Harbaugh late season before the Wolverines would go on to win the national championship.

In that lead-up, it was revealed several weeks ago that he had been hired at Detroit Mumford as a volunteer coach and defensive coordinator. First-year Mumford head coach William McMichael told The Detroit News that in Stalions he had hired “the most hated man in college football right now.”

Now, it’s apparent that the controversial Stalions was close to landing a similar role at Berkley. Friday’s report by The Athletic paints a timeline of a back-and-forth debate about whether Stalions was ever hired at the school.

According to the story, first-year Berkley head coach Casey Humes reached out to his school district’s human resources department back on Feb. 15 to request a new coach addition through the third-party hiring agency the district also uses for substitute teachers. An administrative assistant forwarded Humes’ email to then-Berkley athletic director Taylor Horn for approval, which got a nod from Horn, but also a same-day inquisition that triggered a series of discussions that included most of the district’s higher-ups.

Per the report, Humes communicated to parents that month that Stalions would be joining his staff as a defensive coordinator, and one parent said others were enthused with the notion that a military vet who had been on the Wolverines’ staff would be a Berkley coach coming off a Bears’ winless campaign in 2023.

Ultimately, though, the decision to hire Stalions would be overruled, even if it remains unclear who had the final say on who denied bringing him on, or whether he was even hired at all.

A FOIA request from the report detailed email correspondence from Horn with Berkley superintendent Scott Francis after the decision had been made to veto Stalions’ hiring by March 5. Horn wrote that there were concerns with the timing of the hire of Stalions, who believed he had already been hired as he was already working with the football team at that point.

Furthermore, the report states that Stalions, seemingly refusing to accept the decision, contacted the district for clarification, and received back a message from Berkley’s deputy superintendent, Christopher Sandoval, who told Stalions in an email that there had been some “misinformation given” regarding his coaching position. Stalions reportedly responded in the next hour with a screenshot from the third-party staffing platform that he had been approved for the position and that his position had been approved by several figures, among them Berkley principal Andrew Meloche, who later responded that he had “never even talked to (Stalions).”

The public records request showed that Sandoval wrote to Meloche about how Stalions’ background check wasn’t finished until after Stalions had already been working with Bears players for several weeks, which would be “another ding on Taylor.” In the days moving forward Stalions became less steadfast and maintained interest in remaining just a volunteer, but emails persisted between Stalions and Sandoval about his employment status until Stalions eventually wrote a long response that included claims of Berkley’s district officials portraying him as “media hungry.”

That aforementioned parent of a Berkley player said in the article that a petition was signed by a majority of team parents and presented to district staff at a meeting, but when it became apparent that they wouldn’t budge on the Stalions decision, parents backed off, not wanting to create further issues for the first-year Humes.

The Athletic contacted Horn for the report, and he refused to say whether or not his resignation — Matt Rawlik has since succeeded Horn as the school’s AD — was due to the Stalions’ issue.

Berkley begins its first season under Humes’ direction on Thursday at Walled Lake Central.

 

A look at the prospects for the Oakland Activities Association White and Blue Division football teams for the 2024 season:

OAA WHITE

BIRMINGHAM GROVES FALCONS

Coach: Brendan Flaherty (24th year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 6-4, 4-1 OAA White

Key Returners on Offense: Ryan Counts (QB, Sr.), Mario Campoy-LoVasco (RB, Sr.), Avery Gach (OL, Sr.), Noah Woods (TE, Sr.), Ben Handzel (TE, Sr.), Nick Hardy (WR, Sr.), Paul Hubbard, (WR/RB, Sr.), Ray Glory-Ejoyokah (OL, Sr.), Noah Sanders (RB, Sr.), Chris Little (WR, Sr.), Colin Vincent (OL, Sr.), Mattia Andriano (OL, Jr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Jalen Brooks (CB, Sr.), Josh Hammonds (DL, Jr.), Teddy Abbot (FS, Sr.), Chris Little (CB, Sr.), Rylee Armsbrustmacher (CB, Jr.), Issac Gjolaj (DL, Sr.), Paul Hubbard (OLB, Sr.), Aidan Leung (OLB, Sr.), Carter Hladki (LB, Jr.), Wyatt Shortridge (LB, Sr.)

Strengths: It would be an oversight to not call the offensive line a strong point with a talent like Avery Gach. The four-star Michigan commit isn’t just talented, though. He’s a workhorse that sets an example for the rest of the Falcons, part of what makes senior leadership a calling card for Groves. There’s plenty of returners at skill positions as well.

Areas to Improve: Flaherty lamented the efforts of his coaching staff in last year’s playoff loss to rival Seaholm, so naturally bettering upon a first-round exit would mark an improvement, even if Groves’ aim is much higher. The defense allowed an average of 40 points in the Falcons’ four losses last year.

Outlook: First-year quarterback Ryan Counts will have time to operate behind the Gach-anchored line, but with so many experienced weapons around him, that should take some of the pressure off. Favored to win the OAA White, the Falcons are capable of that goal, but the year will be defined by the postseason and attempting to duplicate the deep playoff run of 2022.

Even-tempered Groves eager to make deep run after disappointing end to last season

HARPER WOODS PIONEERS

Coach: Rod Oden (7th year)

Division: 4

Last Year’s Record: 11-3, 3-2 OAA White; Division 4 state champion

Key Returners on Offense: Nate Rocheleau (QB, Jr.), Colby Bailey (RB, Sr.), Donald Adams (RB, Sr.), JShawn Kennedy (LT, Sr.), Dakota Guerrant (WR, Soph.)

Key Returners on Defense: Jevon Jones (DT, Sr.), Bryant Weatherspoon (DT, Sr.), Vory Peacock (DE, Sr.), Matthew McCraw (LB, Sr.), Johnny Nelson (LB, Sr.)

Strengths: Rocheleau and Adams accounted for nearly 400 yards in last year's championship victory, and both are back as part of a squad that altogether boasts 30 returners with varsity experience.

Areas to Improve: The secondary will have to be sorted out after the Pioneers graduated all five of their starters.

Outlook: After a rough welcome into the OAA two seasons ago, Harper Woods was sharpened by the experience and made the best of it by lifting the D4 trophy. At the least, the offense will continue to be dangerous in the Pioneers' third year in the conference with Rocheleau and Adams, as well as Guerrant, who was also a factor in the title game.

ROCHESTER FALCONS

Coach: Erik Vernon (16th year)

Division: 1

Last Year’s Record: 3-6, 2-3 OAA White

Key Returners on Offense: Jack Lower (TE/RB, Sr.), Adam Glinski (OL, Sr.), Zack Davis (TE, Sr.), Curtis Adair (QB/WR, Sr.), Quentin Hachett (WR, Sr.), Breandan Roscoe, (OL, Sr.), Tristan Hiatt (TE, Sr.), Anthony Kyristis (OL, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Jack Lower (LB, Sr.), Zack Davis (LB, Sr.), Adam Glinski (DL, Sr.), Antonio Abro (DL, Sr.), Emilio Marquez (DB, Sr.), Seth Payne (DL, Sr.), Devin Grabke (DB, Jr.), Henry Fontolan (K, Sr.)

Strengths: Experience should benefit the Falcons with nine returners on each side of the ball, including plenty on both sides of the line.

Areas to Improve: The Falcons are aiming to better their passing game from 2023, and also will target tightening up their pass defense.

Outlook: Following three consecutive winning years, last season felt like a rebuilding one, particularly for Rochester's offense that had to find its way against a deep OAA White Division. With so much coming back, the Falcons are hoping that good health and plenty of familiar faces can make them contenders for a league title.

SOUTHFIELD A&T WARRIORS

Coach: Keith McKenzie (1st year)

Division: 1

Last Year’s Record: 13-1, 5-0 OAA White (champs); Division 1 state champion

Key Returners on Offense: Tyjuan Esper (WR, Sr.), Aiden Redding (OL, Jr.), Chris Smith (OL, Jr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Jordan Melton (LB, Sr.), Kenneth Brooks (LB, Jr.), Brandon West (DB, Sr.)

Strengths: Adding a Super Bowl champ as the leader of your program can't be a weakness. The arrival of McKenzie is sure to command plenty of belief. A wide receiver corps that includes Esper, as well as underclassmen Arturo Martin and Malcom Pryor, should be leaned upon.

Areas to Improve: The Warriors may again be athletically gifted, but experience is something they'll lack after graduating a number of standouts from the state title team of 2023.

Outlook: No team in the OAA White has more question marks than the reigning champs. With the departure of Aaron Marshall to Brother Rice, the arrival of his replacement in McKenzie, and so many puzzle pieces to figure out -- including replacing all-state QB Isaiah Marshall (Kansas) -- there's a wide range of outcomes for A&T under new leadership.

Football 2024: Schedules for the Oakland Activities Association

STONEY CREEK COUGARS

Coach: Rick Powell (1st year)

Division: 1

Last Year’s Record: 3-6, 0-5 OAA Red

Key Returners on Offense: Spencer Beckeman (OL, Sr.), Noah Gojcaj (OL, Sr.), Sam Fogler (RB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Brandon Dobos (LB, Sr.), Nolan O'Connor (LB, Sr.), Sam Fogler (DB, Sr.), Rudy Hernandez (DL, Sr.)

Strengths: The offensive line is senior-heavy and brings back several starters, headlined by Western Michigan commit Beckeman. That should mean good things for a backfield that includes two-way starter Fogler, also the leader of the secondary.

Areas to Improve: The new staff will have to figure out who's throwing the ball in a more wide-open offense to the Cougars' targets, led by senior receiver Ben Gargaro.

Outlook: Stoney, who went 3-1 outside of the OAA Red slate late fall, turn over a new leaf under Powell, a standout quarterback under his dad (and Cougars OC) Mike back in his prep days. The offensive line and linebacking core are the reliables for the Cougars, who drop down to the White Division, but the schedule may not get much easier. It includes an opening pair of games against Warren Cousino and Orion, both programs that Powell has deep ties to.

Family practice: Powell era begins at Stoney Creek

——————————

OAA BLUE DIVISION

BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM MAPLES

Coach: Jim DeWald (13th year)

Division: 2

Last Year's Record: 9-2, 4-0 OAA Blue (champs)

Key Returners on Offense: Matt Erne (OL, Sr., Magnus Branstrom, OL, Sr.), Penn Roberts (RB/TE, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Penn Roberts (LB, Sr.), Alejandro Rauth (LB, Sr.), Nathan Walsh (DB, Sr.)

Strengths: The Maples' hard-working senior class, which had success at the lower levels, will be counted upon. Included in them is third-year kicker Wesley Billings, who will also handle punting duties this season.

Areas to Improve: Plenty of starters will need replacing with just two returners on each side of the ball. DeWald expects the battle for the starting QB spot between senior Finn Rouland and junior Patrick Hughes to continue into the start of the season.

Outlook: Despite losing so much to graduation, Seaholm can build upon the memory of last year's high-octane playoff victory over rival Groves. Favored again by coaches to top the OAA Blue, the Maples defeated their first three opponents this year all by multiple scores in 2023, perhaps a chance to build momentum before going into a big Week 4 tilt with their biggest competition for the division, Oak Park.

OAK PARK KNIGHTS

Coach: Greg Carter (14th year)

Division: 2

Last Year's Record: 3-6, 2-2 OAA Blue

Key Returners on Offense: William Reed (OT, Soph.), Jaedan Randolph (C, Soph.), Mike Jones (RB, Soph.), Donovan Evans (OL, Sr.), Nehemiah Black (RB/WR, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Quintin Blakley (S, Jr.), Aaron Paymon (DE, Jr.), Ivaan Burrow (LB, Soph.), William Reed (DE, Jr.), Ron'Dre Austion (DB, Jr.)

Strengths: The Knights expect to be a strong and versatile side offensively.

Areas to Improve: There's several returners upon the line, but depth could be a question mark in the trenches.

Outlook: Led by its receiving threats and secondary, the Knights went from winless in 2022 to a competitor as they dropped down from the White to the Blue Division. With a combined 11 starters back -- at least a handful on each side, illustrating some balance -- Oak Park, which went 2-1 in OAA Blue games decided by a touchdown or less in 2023, is aiming to climb from third to top of the league after receiving two first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll.

Football 2024: Schedules for the Oakland Activities Association

NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS

Coach: Jon Herstein (6th year)

Division: 2

Last Year's Record: 4-5, 3-1 OAA Blue

Key Returners on Offense: Terrance James (QB/WR, Jr.), Brendon Rice (OL, Sr.), Lorence Woodley (WR, Sr.),  DJ Green (OL, Sr.), Micah Redic (OL, Sr.), Leland Pettiway (OL, Sr.), TJ Alexander (WR, Sr.), Duke Blanch (RB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Brendon Rice (DL, Sr.) , AJ Wilson (DL, Sr.), Dominic Washington (OLB, Sr.), Tre Thomas (CB, Sr.), TJ Alexander (CB, Sr.), Terrance James (DB, Jr.)

Strengths: Outside of the quarterback position, there are returners aplenty on offense, and talent on the other side of the ball, too, including Rice, who is committed to Rice University.

Areas to Improve: Staying healthy will be the goal for North Farmington with depth viewed as a question mark.

Outlook: Aside from being in-flux at the QB spot, the pieces appear to be in place for the Raiders, who suffered a disappointing 50-49 (3OT) loss to Bloomfield Hills in the opening round of last year's playoffs. They bring back a dozen starters altogether, and after last year's winner in Seaholm graduated so many key players, North Farmington winning the OAA Blue this season may not be so far-fetched.

TROY COLTS

Coach: Chris Fraser (7th year)

Division: 1

Last Year's Record: 5-4, 1-3 OAA Blue

Key Returners on Offense: Lucas Tic (LT, Sr.), Jaielen Peacock (WR, Sr.), Noah Oury (QB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Greg Tester (LB, Sr.), John Spreitzer (DT, Sr.), Jackson Barrett (SS, Sr.), Omar Atasi (K/P, Jr.)

Strengths: More than just returners, Troy brings back multiple players who will be suiting up as third-year varsity starters.

Areas to Improve: Surrounding Tic, the Colts have to replace some players along their offensive line.

Outlook: Are the Colts the dark horse in the OAA Blue? A program that brings back double-digit starters and hasn't experienced a losing season since 2019 seems seems to have players rightfully high on confidence. The Oury-to-Peacock connection could produce big numbers for a group that is also hunting for its first playoff victory since 2020.

With no shortage of experience, Troy’s ‘special’ seniors not lacking self-belief

FARMINGTON FALCONS

Coach: Jason Albrecht (4th year)

Division: 2

Last Year’s Record: 2-7, 1-4 OAA White

Key Returners on Offense: Brady Petrusha (OG, Sr.), Trenton Darden (RB, Sr.), Antoine Bailey (RB/WR, Jr.), Julian Johnson (QB, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Daniel Vukaj (LB, Sr.), Mark White (LB, Sr.), Justin Quin (DL, Sr.)

Strengths: Albrecht talked at OAA media day about the work ethic of his team, which he said took to heart the way last season ended -- with five straight losses -- believing that strong leaders will help turn that negative into a positive.

Areas to Improve: For the second year in a row, depth appears to be a concern for the Falcons, who will hope some of the players from last year's JV squad that went 8-1 can plug holes.

Outlook: All the losses from the 2022 squad, which shared the OAA Blue crown with Seaholm, caught up to Farmington last fall. Albrecht is excited about his team, which brings back a dozen starters as it drops down into the White, and will hope that the intensity brought in the offseason translates into improved results come Friday nights.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS

Coach: Daniel Loria (10th year)

Division: 1

Last Year’s Record: 1-8, 0-5 OAA White

Key Returners on Offense: Evan Becker (RB, Sr.), Payton Parson (WR, Sr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Sam Doerr (LB, Sr.)

Strengths: Loria notes a strong work ethic within this year's team, which returns seven starters.

Areas to Improve: The Black Hawks are young at the receiver position, as well as in the secondary.

Outlook: After winning nine games (and the OAA Blue Division title) in 2021, Bloomfield Hills experienced another difficult year in the White last fall. Offensively, the Black Hawks will look to get back on track as they return to the Blue behind returners at the skill positions like Becker (8.3 ypc in '23) and Parson (14 receptions, 223 yards).

TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS

Coach: Tom Cook (3rd year)

Division: 1

Last Year's Record: 3-6, 0-4 OAA Blue

Key Returners on Offense: Corban Crum (WR, Sr.), Andrew Dunlap (QB, Jr.), Cainan Hanbury (RB, Jr.), Henry Kotila (OL, Sr.), Nathan Piggott (WR, Jr.)

Key Returners on Defense: Cainan Hanbury (LB, Jr.), Corban Crum (DB, Sr.), Nathan Piggott (DB, Jr.), Henry Kotila (DL, Sr.), Elliot Booth (DB, Sr.), Alex Beaubien (DB, Sr.)

Strengths: Athens has plenty of experience returning with seven starters back on offense and six on the defensive side of the ball.

Areas to Improve: After searching last year for skill-position weapons, it's the trenches where Athens is young and lacks experience this fall.

Outlook: Cook, who believes this year's team comes in strong and more athletic than it has been in his first several years guiding the Red Hawks, also talked at OAA media day about an improved schedule. Hoping to get back above .500 as it was in Cook's first year there, Athens' more challenging slate begins with the reigning OAA Blue champs, Seaholm.

ROCHESTER HILLS – Coaches came to the podium at Rochester High School and repeatedly heaped praise upon the strength of the conference at Friday’s Oakland Activities Association football media day.

Cliché? Perhaps, but arguably no less true.

“Going into the season, we tell these guys every game it’s going to be a grind, a battle week in and week out,” Clarkston coach Justin Pintar said.

“A lot of coaches have talked about the depth of this league, but just know it’s a grind every single week,” added West Bloomfield coach Zach Hilbers.

Said Oak Park coach Greg Carter, “I’ve been coaching high school football a long time and I can definitely be someone who can validate the fact that this league is so tough … Regular season games are very difficult and it prepares you to go a long way in the tournament.”

Others brought numbers to back up the assessment.

“We say this every single year — and I think it goes because it’s continually true — how great of a league this is,” Rochester coach and emcee Erik Vernon said. “We’re returning two state champions, but it’s not just the top of it, it’s the depth of it. I went back to the year 2000, so 23 seasons, and in (that time) the OAA has had at least one team in the semifinals every single year but two, so 21 of the 23.”

Another veteran coach to the league, Lake Orion’s Chris Bell, provided some stats to reinforce the argument. “The past 15 years, we’ve had 15 teams playing for a state champion, with eight state champions combined in that time. And for the first time in a long time, we’ve got some (different) crossovers in addition to your ordinary crossovers. Playing great teams in this league (sharpens you).”

Vernon made sure to give credit to the quality of the players, but also his peers, saying, “The level of coaching that takes place here in the OAA is top-notch. We have hall of famers, and others, if they’re not hall of famers yet, a lot have coached under them. You really have to be on your game every single week. The potential for a team to pull an upset is really high because of the level of coaching.”

In the annual coaches poll, Lake Orion received one more first-place vote, but West Bloomfield was picked to finish atop the OAA Red.

Birmingham Groves, who took second in the division in 2023, was tabbed to win the OAA White. The Falcons’ rivals, Seaholm got picked atop the OAA Blue, and the Maples, who won it last season, received two first-place votes alongside Oak Park.

Undefeated in the OAA Gold last fall, Avondale remained the favorite in the division in the coaches’ eyes, as the Yellow Jackets took all the first-place nods.

The results of the 2024 OAA preseason coaches poll:

OAA RED

West Bloomfield (1)

Lake Orion (2)

Clarkston

Oxford

Rochester Adams

 

OAA WHITE

Birmingham Groves (2)

Harper Woods

Rochester

Southfield A&T/Stoney Creek (tie)

 

OAA BLUE

Birmingham Seaholm (2)

Oak Park (2)

North Farmington

Troy

Farmington

Bloomfield Hills

Troy Athens

OAA GOLD

Auburn Hills Avondale (3)

Ferndale

Royal Oak

Berkley

Pontiac

 

Head coach Justin Cessante has watched just pieces of the tape of Detroit Catholic Central’s 24-17 playoff loss to Northville that ended the first season in charge of his alma mater.

He didn’t much lament last year’s 7-2 regular season – one loss came to a state finalist in Warren De La Salle, the other to a champion in Toledo Catholic Central – but that postseason defeat left a different, undesired taste.

“It ended on a sour note in a team we thought we should have beat, played us really tough, and was better than us on that day,” Cessante said at last week’s Catholic League Media Day. “But we talk about bearing a cross and being better for it. I think this team’s work ethic and mentality has definitely changed, especially when you kind of get suckerpunched (like that).”

The Shamrocks seem to understand the kind of talent they have returning to right the wrong in this year’s follow-up effort.

Cessante rattles off names like defensive lineman Danilo Gubernich, offensive linemen Mason Perry and Benny Eziuka, or Jaden Pydyn. The list goes on of Shamrocks with the ability to play Division 1 at the next level.

But a group that showed itself to have unexpected upside during the 2023 journey has much to prove, according to Cessante. “We’re coming back with a lot of talent, which, I remind these guys all the time, it’s just potential,” he said. “We’ve done nothing yet. We’re still a green, inexperienced team.”

It’s no surprise to see Catholic Central have big names in the trenches, but Cessante praised some of the position groups not traditionally associated with CC’s excellence. “We’re definitely talented in places you don’t typically think Catholic Central has it,” he said, referring to receiver and defensive back in particular. “First and foremost, we want to establish ourselves upfront and run the football, but we want you to be honest and cover our guys on the outside or understand who we have in at tight end or in the slot can hurt you, or our back can come out of the backfield and can make plays.

“We have a lot of guys who can run and catch, and they’re extremely athletic. I think with team speed, there’s only so much you can teach, and we’ve got some god-given speed this year.”

It wasn’t necessarily something that he and his staff were aware of prior to last year.

“Injuries really were what made us bring up young guys,” Cessante said. “It made us see how much talent we have. Not only with the juniors, but the sophomores, and started to see, ‘Man, these guys could be a pretty good unit when we pair them together next year.’ They’ve really become that through a lot of hard work and dedication.”

One score was all that separated the Shamrocks in those losses to De La Salle and Northville last year. It’s not hard to fathom that with all the talent, they could turn those into wins and make a deep playoff push this fall.

But Cessante, who succeeded Dan Anderson as the 13th head coach in program history and was a back-to-back state champion (1997-98) as a player in addition to a long-time staffer before finally taking the helm, welcomes the expectations while knowing the process will be what produces the desired results.

“A lot of people ask me (about the pressure), being a former Shamrock and being blessed enough to coach on a state championship team and play on two of them,” Cessante said. “The pressure is really internal. You want to do well for your community, brothers, and people who are happy to see you in the leadership position there. You pour resources into something, whatever it is in life, and want it to bear fruit. That’s the pressure.

“As far as worrying about getting this or that result, I honestly don’t care about that. I care about doing the right things, and those right things are going to eventually pay off.”

The Shamrocks open the season at Dearborn on Aug. 29.

FARMINGTON HILLS – A challenge is nothing new to first-year Brother Rice head coach Aaron Marshall.

The one-time Brother Rice player, succeeding Adam Korzeniewski after his seven seasons, Marshall arrives back at the school with quite the recent resume.

Marshall took the reins at Southfield A&T in 2021 after the school had endured four consecutive losing seasons and had to change its ways to reach the heights that the student-athletes there were capable of.

“We started over when I became head coach there,” Marshall said. “We went 2-7 in Year 1 and kind of had to change the culture. I told the AD and everybody, ‘We’re going to lose some games.’ I’m sitting guys, doing whatever, because we have to change the culture from a discipline standpoint. It’s never a talent issue.

“He understood and trusted me, and we went from 2-7, to 8-3, to 13-1 and state champs. So changing the culture over there was the main goal. I task my coaches with, ‘Hey, if we don’t win, it’s on us.’ The boys are going to follow whatever we lead. I had a lot of support from everyone at Southfield, and it worked out.”

Now, after a year at Detroit Northwestern and eight in total on the staff at A&T, Marshall arrives to try and take a Warriors program that hasn’t traditionally needed drastic transformation to reach the above-.500 level, but there are certainly similarities in his past challenge and the newest one.

Marshall talked at Wednesday’s Catholic League media day about what he learned in these past few years, and focused on the opposition his former Warriors faced. “Just being in a tough league like we were in last year, and even with our non-conference schedule opening up with Cass Tech the last two years, we love to be battle-tested. That’s one thing that I learned from being over there, and I learned that from Coach (Tim) Conley who I worked for as offensive coordinator, scheduling tough teams in Week 1. A lot of people shy away from that, and I’ve never done that because of him. I want to know where we are.”

It sounds like that will be a constant with his new Warriors, too, as Marshall laughed about the notion that Brother Rice’s slate would pose anything different from what he experienced in Southfield.

“I want to know where we are,” Marshall said, “and going into this tough Catholic League, oh my goodness. I don’t know if it gets tougher. This challenge (here) is even more, for a lack of a better word, even more tough. But I’m excited for it.”

The Warriors are coming off a winless season, and will immediately look to change the narrative when they open against Roseville at Lawrence Tech University on Aug. 30. The Panthers, coming off an 8-4 campaign, blanked Brother Rice 41-0 in last season’s meeting, but Marshall is optimistic from what he’s seen this summer despite another unsurprisingly daunting set of opponents in store.

“We’ve implemented new offensive and defensive things, and then kept some of the things that the boys are used to,” Marshall said. “We didn’t come in as a staff and say, ‘You’re going to learn and forget this.’ No, we watched film and if there was something the boys did really well last year, it was, ‘Hey, we’ll keep this.’ So we’ve kind of combined the things we’ve brought in mixed with the things they already like, which I think they’re excited about as well and makes them more comfortable.”

Keeping it fast and simple is part of the key in the transition, and Marshall emphasized the importance of players stepping up to guide themselves. “I think it’s allowing your seniors to lead and forcing them to lead,” he said. “I’m big on that. Our seniors so far have stepped up to the plate and answered the bell, and once they understand everything that happens to them, they’re responsible for it, it trickles down to everyone else. That’s the first thing I did was attack from the standpoint of it being their team and not mine. I’m here to service and assist you.

“This is not Coach Marshall’s team and we’ll go as far as you take us. We have a player-led team, and that’s when you experience success. You don’t experience success when coaches have to lead the team. So if you can figure out a way to get your seniors, or leaders, whoever they may be, to step up to the plate, that’s when you experience success. So far, we’ve been really good at accomplishing that.”