Updated Oakland County football commitment list (Will be updated often until Wednesday, Feb. 1)

Updated list of Oakland County football commits as of 1/19/2012. Please let me know if there is someone that is missing on this list or if a correction needs to be made and it will be updated ASAP. List is in no particular order UPDATE: FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF WEDNESDAY'S SIGNINGS WITH ALL SPORTS INCLUDED, VISIT www.Miprepzone.com/Oakland Mario Ojemudia, Farmington Hills Harrison (MICHIGAN) Dylan Anderson, Birmingham Brother Rice (CENTRAL MICHIGAN) Aaron Burbridge, Farmington Hills Harrison (MICHIGAN STATE) Matt Godin, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (MICHIGAN) Tony Annese, Rochester Adams (CENTRAL MICHIGAN) Bryan Green, Farmington (AKRON) Leviticus Payne, Southfield (CINCINNATI) Ron Thompson, Southfield (SYRACUSE) Jamal Lyles, Southfield-Lathrup (MICHIGAN STATE) Devin Church, Brother Rice (ILLINOIS) C.J. Brathwaite, West Bloomfield (KENT STATE) Matt Dellinger, Clarkston (KENT STATE) Collin Goetz, Oxford (CENTRAL MICHIGAN) Spencer McInnis, Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s (MIAMI of OHIO) Devin Funchess, Farmington Hills Harrison (MICHIGAN) James Ross, Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s (MICHIGAN) Prescott Line, Oxford (SOUTHERN METHODIST) Chauncey Briggs, West Bloomfield (SOUTHERN METHODIST) Zach Hill, Walled Lake Central (KALAMAZOO COLLEGE) Danny Larkins, Madison Heights Madison (TOLEDO) Andrew Aurand, Troy Athens (Western Michigan) Matt Doneth, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (CORNELL) Lucas Sanders, Clarkston (WAYNE STATE) Sean Charette, Lake Orion (GRAND VALLEY STATE) Marvin Jefferson, Farmington (WAYNE STATE) Troy Sassack, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (GRAND VALLEY STATE) David Talley, Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s (GRAND VALLEY STATE) Nate Cole, Bloomfield Hills Lahser (GRAND VALLEY STATE) Joe Warner, Birmingham Brother Rice (GRAND VALLEY STATE) Jake Widmer, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (SAGINAW VALLEY STATE) Eddie Kidd, Birmingham Brother Rice (Decommitted from Northern Michigan) Jake Vento, Farmington Hills Harrison (GRAND VALLEY STATE) James Hendrix, Birmingham Brother Rice (WAYNE STATE) Mitch Robinson, Auburn Hills Avondale (NORTHWOOD) Cody Ellwanger, Birmingham Brother Rice (NORTHWOOD) Joey Goss, Clarkston (OHIO DOMINION) Keon Collier, Birmingham Groves (NORTHERN MICHIGAN) Kyle Croskey, West Bloomfield (MARIAN) Cedric Hill, Southfeield (NOTRE DAME COLLEGE) Ken Russ, Farmington Hills Harrison (HOWARD) Aaron Hess, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (HILLSDALE) Kyle Cooper, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (HILLSDALE) Jacob Romeo, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO)

Josh Curtis, Farmington (MOOREHEAD STATE)
Tyler Roth, Bloomfield Hills Lahser (PENN)
Alex Barta, Clarkston (NAVY)
Marlon Hairston, Birmingham Detroit Country Day (NORTHWOOD)
Garret Wiska, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (NOTRE DAME COLLEGE)
Jacquis Woods, North Farmington (SIENNA HEIGHTS)
Brandon Watkins, Southfield (NOTRE DAME COLLEGE)




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Pair of OC running backs heading to the MAC

Over the past two days, a couple of Oakland County gridiron running backs have made the decision to play at the MAC level. Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s Spencer McInnis committed to Miami (OH) and West Bloomfield’s C.J. Brathwaite has decommited from Washington State and is now headed to Kent State.

The two running backs are different in style, McInnis runs with a bit more power and Brathwaite was one of the more flashier running backs in Oakland County last season, but both should have success at the next level.

In the Division 3 state title game, McInnis had what might have been his best game of his high school career as he carried the ball 23 times for 213 yards and found the end zone three times in the Eaglets’ 45-7 drubbing of Mount Pleasant. It’s possible that with his performance in his final game solidified his chances of landing at the D-1 level. Make no mistake though, McInnis isn’t a one-dimensional running back, he has plenty of speed which, combined with his power, should separate him from the rest at Miami (OH).

Brathwaite seemed like a lock to head to Washington State after verbally committing to the Cougars in early december, but apparently had a change of heart as he made his commitment closer to home in Kent State. Brathwaite accumulated over 1,500 total yards in his senior season, proving to be very valuable in a number of ways as he rushed for 1,000 yards and received for another 500 yards out of the backfield.

As a senior, McInnis rushed for 1,550 yards on 203 carries and scored 25 touchdowns on the year and was named to the Army All-American game as a fullback according to Scout.com. Along with Washington State and Kent State, Brathwaite also received offers from Arizona State and North Dakota State.


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Brother Rice's Devin Church decommits from Northern Illinois; commits to Illinois

On Sunday night, Birmingham Brother Rice running back Devin Church recommitted from Northern Illinois and committed to a school that is about 170 miles south at the University of Illinois.

Last season Church broke the Brother Rice single season rushing record as he rushed for 1,918 yards including a dominant 33 carry, 244 yard, three touchdown performance in the Division 2 State Title game as Brother Rice beat Lowell and had another 200+ yard performance in the Warrior's semifinals win over Detroit Martin Luther King.

New Illinois head coach Tim Beckman recruited Church when Beckman was the head coach at Toledo, was hired on December 9th and had his contract official approved last Friday and almost immediately received the verbal commitment from Church. Church is the fourth player for the class of 2012 to commit to the Illini since Beckman took over.

Church is considered as a three star recruit by Rivals.com and previously received offers from Boston College and Bowling Green.

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Girls Basketball Top 10

1. Clarkston
The Wolves continue to show that they’re the deepest team in the county as it seems like a new player steps up big each game. Credit depth and defense to Clarkston’s unblemished record so far.

2. Birmingham Detroit Country Day
The backcourt of Areial Powers and Amber Deane is second to none in Oakland County and as long as the two continue to play at a high level, Country Day will remain one of the state’s top teams.

3. Waterford Kettering
Kettering’s defense is as good as it gets, continuously holding teams to low point totals. You can’t forget that the Captains can score the ball too, and that mix of offense and defense is exactly why they continue to be one of the most dangerous teams around.

4. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
Lakes has played on the edge over the past few weeks with a couple of narrow wins, but that proves that the experienced Lakers know how to win, and that is as important as anything in close games.

5. Royal Oak
Sami Stormont has been one of the most consistent performers in Oakland County. With her ability to score 30 points and grab 10 rebounds on just about any night, Royal Oak is a tough team to beat.

6. Farmington Hills Mercy
There might be a few bumps in the road here and there because of the number of young players on the Mercy squad, but the Marlins have made a statement that they are for real, and it shows in their 8-2 record this season.

7. (TIE) Auburn Hills Avondale
With its only division loss coming at the hands of unbeaten Clarkston, Avondale is still a team to keep an eye on, especially after the show that Hannah Little and Carolyn Gracey put on against Pontiac on Thursday night, combining for 38 points.

7. (TIE) Holly
Allyssa Copely has been one of the top interior players in the county this season, consistently picking up double-doubles, and the sophomore is only going to get better. Don’t forget about Jessica Beeler and Lauren Maher who can also score in bunches for the Bronchos.

8. Rochester Adams
Even though the Highlanders fell to Lake Orion on Thursday night, they still remain the favorites in the OAA White with a very good starting five, as any is capable of having a big game at any time.

9. Madison Heights Bishop Foley
The Ventures stumbled a bit after their 7-0 start, but with scores and defenders like Jackie Bieniewwicz, Colleen Szakacs, Megan VanFleteran, and Emma Wonsil, the Ventures are still as good as most teams in the County.

10. Novi
The Wildcats have put together some impressive defensive performances this season, holding teams to less than 20 points in five of their eight wins this season. It’s going to be a huge task for teams to overcome the suffocating Novi defense.

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Boys Basketball Top 10

1. Clarkston
Picked a bad night to have an off-night against Detroit Community, but the Wolves still remain as the best team in the county. Defensively, Clarkston has been second to none, even on Tuesday the Wolves held a Community team that had been averaging nearly 80 points per game to less than 50, and that's what separates them from the rest of Oakland County.

2. Southfield-Lathrup
Jonathan Williams might be playing the best basketball out of anybody in the state this year. Williams has scored 30+ points on several occasions already this year and is one of the better passers around.

3. Birmingham Detroit Country Day
The Yellowjackets are starting to come into form this season, but aren’t the usual Country Day teams from years past. No longer is there a single player to carry the Yellowjackets anymore, but rather they are getting it done with all-around team efforts.

4. Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Corey Green can do it all for the Ventures, but there are several other players that are helping them become a complete team

5. Pontiac
Vezzie Carthane might be the best passer in the county… And he’s only a sophomore. Pontiac is going to be a dangerous team come playoff time with Carthane and the scorers that the Phoenix have.

6. Rochester
Taylor Perry seems to be getting stronger and stronger each and every day and so does Paris Periera. Teams are finding out that it’s close to impossible to stop either of them when they’re on the court.

7. Troy Athens
The duo of Marcarius Coakley and Caleb McIntosh just might be the best 1-2 punch in the county with Coakley’s inside presence and McIntosh’s ability to knock down shots from the outside.

8. Novi Detroit Catholic Central
The Shamrocks finally looked like they were expected to this season in their win over U-D Jesuit on Friday, putting up some solid offensive numbers while playing their usual suffocating defense.

9. Southfield Christian
The Eagles are one of the deepest teams in the county when it comes to finding sources of offense which is going to make them dangerous come tournament time.

10. Milford
The Mavericks have been one of, if not the top defensive teams in the county and while their offense wow you, they’re scoring enough to outlast opponents.

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Battle of the Unbeatens

A quick look at the few remaining unbeatens left in Oakland County


Milford (Boys) has continued to get the job done quietly on the court as the Mavericks have somehow flown under the radar as they’ve sprinted out to an 8-0 start this season. It might not be the prettiest brand of basketball, but Milford has managed to slow opposing teams down and keep the scoring to a minimum which plays right into the Mavericks hands. The Mavericks have scored 50 or more points just once this season, but have kept most opponents to 35 points or less all season long. Many will continue to sleep on Milford because its point totals don’t jump off of the score sheets, but make no mistake, the Mavericks defense is for real.

Clarkston (Boys) has been by far the best team in Oakland County and has emerged as one of the top teams in the state. The Wolves are by far the most effective shooting team in the County, but their ability to defend and rebound is what sets them apart from the rest. Even though the Wolves aren’t the biggest team around, they are one of the top rebounding teams in the state with their mentality of crashing the board and contesting every shot. If the Wolves can keep this pace up, and there’s no reason to believe that they won’t, they are well on their way to a trip to the Breslin this spring.

Madison Heights Bishop Foley (Boys) has answered every challenge they’ve faced so far, but its biggest tests will come over the next week or two with some big games looming. All season long the Ventures have been one of the toughest teams in the county in a number of ways. They have legitimate scorers across the board, starting with Corey Green who can do just about everything, averaging over 20 points per contest to go with 12 boards per game as well, but the Ventures also remain a very stout defensive team as well. Keep an eye on them as the season progresses.

Clarkston (Girls), now 10-0, seem to be doing just about everything right on offense and defense. On a night-in, night-out basis, the Wolves continue to find contributions from all over, and that’s what makes them so dangerous. You can’t just key in on a single player or two to slow them down, but you need to account for each and every one of the Clarkston players on the court at any given time, that’s just how deep this years edition of Clarkston is.

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Boys Basketball Top 10

1. Clarkston
The Wolves have sharpshooters just about everywhere, paired with their patented blue-collar defense, and Clarkston continues to emerge as one of the favorites to end up at the Breslin at the end of the year.

2. Birmingham Detroit Country Day
The Yellowjackets don’t have one of their traditional dominant teams like they’ve had in the past, but they still remain as one of the top teams in the county and continue to improve each week.

3. Southfield Lathrup
Lathrup has been impressive so far this year against some very good competition and has just continued to find big time production out of point guard Jon Jon Willams who continues to emerge as one of the state’s top PG’s.

4. Madison Heights Bishop Foley
The Ventures have continued to be one of the top scoring teams in Oakland County, with nearly 23 points per game from Corey Green (12 rebounds), 16.5 from Max Aleshire and Mike Oravetz who averages over 13 points per. These guys can flat out score.


5. Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s
The Eaglets have a ton of depth in the front court, and continue to be one of the most physical teams in the county whether scoring or defending.


6. Troy Athens
Quietly, Athens has been one of the County’s top teams because of great play from both inside and outside. With forward Marcarius Coakley and guard Caleb McIntosh, Athens has one of the top inside-out tandems around.


7. Pontiac
The Phoenix are bouncing back from a tough loss at the hands of Lathrup and next up for them is Clarkston on Thursday. By far the toughest stretch on the schedule this year for Pontiac.


8. Novi Detroit Catholic Central
One of the top defensive teams around, and the Shamrock’s seem to be turning things around after a bit of a slow start to the season.


9. Rochester
Winners of its last seven, Rochester looks like one of the most complete teams early on this season, playing well offensively (55 ppg), but have been playing lights out defensively, allowing just 44 points per game.


10. Walled Lake Northern
A big win over rival Walled Lake Western on Friday seems to have pushed Northern right into the mix in the KLAA, with forwards Gage Throgmorton and Ryan Soulet, Northern should be a team to keep you eye on as the season progresses.

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Girls Basketball Top 10

1. Birmingham Detroit Country Day
With Aerial Powers and Amber Deane in the backcourt, there are very few teams in the state that can match up well against the Yellowjackets,

2. Clarkston
It might not always be the prettiest brand of basketball, but the Wolves get the job done every night and their record can prove it. 8-0 with some of the most balanced play around.


3. Troy
The Colts can find an offensive kick from just about anywhere on the court, but what separates them from most teams is their ability to play equally as well on the defensive end. One of the most complete teams around.


4. Royal Oak
Eight games into the season and it just seems like Sami Stormont continues to get better with each passing game. And as she’s improved, so have the Ravens who now stand at 7-1.

5. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
Lakes has easily been one of the deepest teams in Oakland County this season, getting its scoring from a number of places on an every game basis to pair with its suffocating defense.

6. Waterford Kettering
Kettering’s newly named defense, “Defense Department,” tells the whole story for the captains this season as they are allow less than 35 points per game on average. Scoring on the Captains is a tall order for just about anyone.


7. Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Already off to an 7-0 start, Bishop Foley has had a number of scoring options and that has put the pressure on opponents late in games, because it’s not just one player they have to guard… It’s just about everyone on the court.


8. Auburn Hills Avondale
Avondale has played a tough schedule to this point this season, and while they’ve dropped a game or two here and there, they still remain one of the toughest teams around.


9. Bloomfield Hills Andover
Andover, who dropped its first game on Thursday night, continues to be one of the top offensive teams in the county with Shannon Wilson. Expect Andover to bounce back in a big way in its next game.


10. Southfield
Southfield, who handed Andover its first loss, seems to be one of the more balanced teams with its abilities to rebound and defend well, the Bluejays are definitely a team to keep an eye on.