Elite Eight -- Cliffhanger

The top performers from opening night of the boys basketball district playoffs

8. Jordan Dasuqi -- Clarkston
Dasuqi came up huge when Clarkston needed him most on Monday night as the Wolves fought off an upset bid from Lake Orion. The Clarkston senior drilled a pair of fourth quarter 3-pointers as Clarkston saw its lead go from just a couple of points to double digits in a matter of minutes in the final frame. Dasuqi also poured in 13 of his game-high 21 points in the district opener in the second half as Clarkston advanced to the district semifinals.

7. Nathan Drews -- Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest
Drews found success from all over the floor for the Crusaders in Monday night's 23-point district opening win over Madison Heights Madison as he poured in a game-high 24 points as he knocked down three 3-pointers and nine total shots from the field as Lutheran Northwest.

6. Garrett House -- Birmingham Roeper
House was a force on Monday night for the Roughriders as he knocked down 13 shots from the field on his way to 27 points to lead Roeper to a 15-point win over Auburn Hills Christian in the district opener as House and the Roughriders moved on into the district semifinal where they will face Warren Macomb Christian.

5. Cam Cavazos -- Royal Oak Shrine
The Shrine junior continues to be one of Oakland County's best kept secrets as Cavazos once again proved to be dominant on Monday night. Cavazos scored a game-high 26 points in a district opener as he led the Knights to a convincing win over Pontiac Academy For Excellence and into the district semifinals.

4. Quincy Norman -- Waterford Mott
Norman was once again a workhorse in the post for the Corsairs on both ends of the court on Monday night as the Mott senior scored a game-high 18 points while swatting eight shots and grabbing a handful of rebounds to lead the Corsairs to a narrow win over Auburn Hills Avondale and into a district semifinal game with Pontiac.

3. Arben Camaj -- Rochester
Camaj has been as good as it gets in recent weeks as the Rochester senior center once again put together a dazzling performance on Monday night. Camaj poured in a game-high 26 points to lead the Falcons to a district opening win over Utica Ford and further proving that the Falcons are far from a "One man show." With the way Camaj is playing and with James Young returning from injury (scoring 16 points on Monday), the Falcons are a team that could make a deep run in the state tournament.

2. Paris Bass -- Birmingham Seaholm
On just about any other night, Bass would have picked up top honors tonight as the Seaholm senior was simply dominant. Bass recorded a double-double of 33 points and 11 rebounds, while also dishing out five assists to lead the Maples to convincing win over Bloomfield Hills Andover. Bass was definitely a man on a mission on Monday night as he helped lead a Seaholm scoring attack that scored over 90 points to advance to the district semifinals.

1. Chris Cliff -- Walled Lake Northern
Can you say clutch? After Northern had blown a sizable fourth quarter lead in Monday's district opener, Cliff came up with as big of a shot as you will find in the postseason. Cliff had ice water running through his veins on Monday night as the super-soph took a pass near mid-court, turned, took a dribble and threw up a shot at the buzzer from just inside mid-court and found nothing but the bottom of the net to lead the Knights to a thrilling win over Farmington Hills Harrison. Cliff finished with 14 points on Monday as Northern advanced to the district semifinals, where it will face North Farmington, but the last three points were as good as it gets.

Boys Basketball District-By-District Preview

Linden District
Teams -- Holly, Fenton, Linden, Ortonville Brandon, Grand Blanc
Breakdown -- This district will likely come down to Grand Blanc, who continues to find ways to win, and Fenton, who picked up a district championship last season. But don't sleep on Holly, who could play spoiler as the Bronchos have had an eye opening season with a very young roster.
PICK -- Grand Blanc

Northville District
Teams -- Salem, Canton, Northville, Plymouth, Novi, Novi Detroit Catholic Central
Breakdown -- There are a few teams that could come out of this district, including Catholic Central, who did have a bit of a disappointing year, but the Shamrocks are battle tested and may have played the toughest schedule out of anybody in this district. But Canton is the best team in this district, and it will advance.
PICK -- Canton

U-D Jesuit District
Teams -- Detroit Mumford, U-D Jesuit, Detroit Henry Ford, Redford Union Farmington, Detroit Renaissance
Breakdown -- Not much of an argument here, Jesuit will move on.
PICK -- U-D Jesuit

Birmingham Groves District
Teams -- Southfield, Southfield-Lathrup, Oak Park, Birmingham Groves, Royal Oak, Berkley
Breakdown -- One of the best district out there, Southfield is in search of a fourth consecutive district title, while host Groves has been resurgent this season behind Kyle Ervin, Oak Park has flow under the radar, but you can't count out any team that has Jon-Jon Williams. I'm very tempted to go with Lathrup to come out of this district, but Southfield has been there and done that, and I think the Blue Jays will prevail.
PICK -- Southfield

North Farmington
Teams -- Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Northern, North Farmington, Farmington Hills Harrison, Lakeland
Breakdown -- I think this is the best district that involves Oakland County teams. Host North Farmington goes in as the favorite, but Walled Lake Central as well as Walled Lake Western along with Harrison could play spoiler if they can escape some tough first round games. But I think the Raiders will pick up the district title here behind their "Big 3" of Caleb Hogans, Sterling Sharp and Jeron "Buddha" Rogers. Not to look too far ahead, but North Farmington looks like a team that might not be limited to a district title and could make a deep run in the tournament as well.
PICK -- North Farmington

Milford District
Teams -- Howell, Fowlerville, South Lyon, Hartland, Brighton, Milford
Breakdown -- This district will likely come down to Milford and South Lyon and the Lions are probably the favorite behind senior Luke Short. But South Lyon can't overlook its opening game of the tournament against Hartland, which could pull off the upset if the Lions are not careful. But the Lions should still survive to the regional playoffs.
PICK -- South Lyon

Bloomfield Hills Andover
Teams -- Bloomfield Hills Andover, Bloomfield Hills Lahser, Orchard Lake St. Mary's, West Bloomfield, Birmingham Seaholm, Birmingham Brother Rice
Brekdown -- This district is likely going to be a three horse race, with Lahser, St. Mary's and Seaholm all being legitimate contenders to walk away with a district championship. You can't count out Paris Bass and Seaholm, but this will probably come down to St. Mary's and Lahser. It's a tough call to make between the senior-laden Eaglets, and the junior-led Knights. This district final, if it happens, will be MUST SEE.
PICK -- Lahser

Troy District
Teams -- Troy, Troy Athens, Waterford Mott, Waterford Kettering, Pontiac, Auburn Hills Avondale
Breakdown -- This district belongs to the Corsairs, who are in search of their second straight district title. If Kahlil Malone and Quincy Norman can be their usual dominant selves, Mott should roll to another district title.
PICK -- Mott

Lake Orion District
Teams -- Lake Orion, Clarkston, Rochester Adams, Oxford, Romeo
Breakdown -- Clarkston and Rochester Adams will be meeting in the district final barring a monstrous upset and that will be a district final for the ages. You can never go wrong picking Clarkston to pull out a district title, but you can't go wrong with going with a team that didn't lose a single game during the regular season. The back-court matchup of Clarkton's Jordan Dasuqi and Akhemji Williams will be another must-see aspect of this potential district final, but the difference maker will be Zack Littleson will be the x-factor in this district finals as the Highlanders will remain unbeaten.
PICK -- Adams

Sterling Heights Stevenson District
Teams -- Rochester, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Stoney Creek, Utica Ford, Utica Eisenhower, Utica
Breakdown -- It's pretty simple, if James Young is able to play, then the Falcons will roll to a district title. If he can't play Rochester will struggle mightily if it can make it to the district final. If Arben Camaj can continue his stellar play, Rochester could make it into the district final without Young, but it'd be hard for the Falcons to pick up a district title without their star seeing the floor at all in any of the next three games. But I think Young will be back in time for the district final, which means big things for Rochester.
PICK -- Rochester

Ferndale District
Teams -- Ferndale, Ferndale University, Southfield Bradofrd, Detroit Old Redford, Warren Fitzgerald, Hazel Park
Breakdown -- This district is as much of a toss up as you're going to find, outside of Warren Fitzgerald. Ferndale, which struggled all season long, could be a sleeper here, but this district will belong to Fitzgerald.
PICK -- Fitzgerald

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep District
Teams -- Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, Macomb Lutheran North, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, Clawson, Madison Heights Lamphere
Breakdown -- Take a guess. Hint: this team  has a history of dominating the district tournament.
PICK -- Country Day

Livonia Clarenceville District
Teams -- Livonia Clarenceville, South Lyon East, Detroit Community, Detroit CMA, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Detroit Cesar Chavez
Breakdown -- This one is just as easy to predict as the previous district.
PICK -- Detroit Community

Royal Oak Shrine District
Teams -- Royal Oak Shrine, Pontiac Academy For Excellence, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, West Bloomfield Jewish Academy, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, Madison Heights Madison, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
Breakdown -- Bishop Foley is the favorite to pick up yet another district title, and could make it look easy, but don't sleep on Pontiac Academy For Excellence, who had its breakout season this year and could put some pressure on the Ventures, but I still believe DeAndre Jackson and Bishop Foley will advance.
PICK -- Bishop Foley

Birmingham Roeper District
Teams -- Auburn Hills Christian, Birmingham Roeper, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, Warren Macomb Christian, Eastpointe Eaton Academy
Breakdown -- Garrett Ross, Jake Doetsch and Nick Robak helped helped lead the Lakers to the CHSL C-D final a couple of weeks ago, and will help lead Lakes to a District title this week.

Clarkston Everest Collegiate District
Teams -- Clarkston Everest Collegiate, Flint Michigan School for the Deaf, Burton Madison, Burton St. Thomas More, Genessee Christian, Burton Faith
Breakdown -- Much like the Clarkston Everest girls basketball team, the Mountaineers boys team should make the district round of play look relatively easy.
PICK -- Clarkston Everest

TBA District
Teams -- Southfield Christian, Detroit Universal Academy, Novi Franklin Road Christian, Detroit Davis Aerospace
Breakdown -- There's no potential upset, there's no surprise in the making. Southfield Christian will role in its first two games as the Eagles will look to repeat as state champions.
PICK -- Southfield Christian

Elite Eight -- On To The Next One

Breaking down the top performances from Friday's girls basketball district finals action

8. Marissa Cotton -- Farmington Hills Harrison
Cotton continued her strong play in district play as the Harrison senior scored a game-high 14 points to lead the Harrison attack, which saw three different players score in double figures (Amber Stephens - 13, Kyla Roland 10 pts, 10 rebounds). Cotton, who scored 52 points in the three district games, helped lead the Hawks to their first ever basketball district championship.

7. Kara Holinski -- Birmingham Marian
Holinski scored a team-high 14 points on Friday night as she helped lead a balanced scoring attack for Marian, who rolled to a dominating win over West Bloomfield as the Mustangs advanced to the regional semifinals. The Marian sophomore buried three 3-pointers in the first half, where she tallied 13 of her 14 points as Marian put West Bloomfield away early on.

6. Ava Doetsch -- Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
Doetsch, who recently went over the 1,000 career point mark, scored a game-high 15 points for the Lakers, who survived an upset bid from Birmingham Roeper in Friday's district final. Doetsch came up clutch down the stretch for the Lakers as she knocked down four of her final six free throw attempts to ice the game away and Lakes once again won a district title.

5. Allie Gorcyca/Taylor Jones -- Farmington Hills Mercy
Jones poured in a game-high 18 points, while Gorcyca added in 14 more to lead the Mercy attack to a convincing district final win over Detroit Mumford on Friday night. Jones helped lead the Marlin's offense when it came to driving to the hoop, while Gorcyca was her usual sharp-shooting self as the Marlins moved on to the regional semifinals.

4. Erika Davenport -- Clarkston
After Davenport's performance against Oxford in the district final, the sophomore should be nicknamed "The Eraser," as the sophomore swatted five shots to help lead a Clarkston defensive attack which allowed just 17 Oxford points and just two second half field goals. Davenport also recorded a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds as Clarkston picked up another district title.

3. Kristen Massey -- Novi Franklin Road Christian
Massey did just about everything she could on Friday night to give Franklin Road a shot to pick up a district title. Massey poured in an impressive 38 points, while knocking down 15 of her 20 free throw attempts in a narrow loss to Plymouth Christian.

2. Lucia Westrick -- Clarkston Everest Collegiate
Westrick was simply unstoppable on Friday as the Clarkston Everest star recorded a double-double of 34 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers to a district title. Westrick drained 16 shots from the field to account for 32 of her 34 points as Clarkston Everest picked up its 18th win of the season.

1. Christina Green - Southfield-Lathrup
Green was flat out dominant in Friday's district final win over Royal Oak, as the senior center recorded a monstrous double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds while blocking three shots. Green came up big in the third quarter as she accounted for 10 of her 24 points as she helped Lathrup take its lead to double digits for the first time all game as the Chargers advanced to the regional round for the third straight year.

Girls Basketball District Finals Predictions

Farmington Hills Mercy vs. Redford Union/Detroit Mumford
The Marlins have made it look easy through the first two round of the state tournament, and you can exprect more of the same in the district final regardless of who Mercy will be playing. Look offensive success early and often from Candice Leatherwood in this one.
Pick: Mercy

Southfield-Lathrup vs. Royal Oak
I rarely go back on predictions I make earlier in the week, but this is one of those rare occasions. I have flip flopped on this district final for about a week now and now I give the edge to Royal Oak, who will be playing in the district final on its home court and along with the fact that senior Sami Stormont has put together two near triple-doubles in the first two games of districts.
Pick: Royal Oak

Waterford Mott vs. Auburn Hills Avondale
The Corsairs came away with the big upset on Monday, and you can bet that Lauren Hung and Co. won't let the chance to win a district title tonight slip away. Look for Hung along with Vanessa Bolling and Jaime Carter to lead Mott to the regional round of the playoffs.
Pick: Mott

Farmington Hills Harrison vs. Walled Lake Western
There will be plenty of young talent showcased in this district final, with Harrison's trio of Amber Stephens, Kristen Nelson and Kyla Roland and Western star sophomore Jayla Nichols. But the player who has had arguably the best two games in this district has been Harrison senior Marissa Cotton. Look for Cotton to put together yet another near-20 point game tonight to lead Harrison to its first ever district title.
Pick: Harrison

Hartland vs. South Lyon
It's possible we could see an upset in this game, but since struggling in the KLAA tournament, Hartland and junior Lindsey Pajot seems to have returned to regular season form.
Pick: Hartland

West Bloomfield vs. Birmingham Marian
Marian looks like a team on a mission this year and made it look easy in Wednesday's district semifinal win over Bloomfield Hills Andover. Kara Holinski, and Kylin Bulluck will pick up where they left off and lead the Mustangs to a district title tonight.
Pick: Marian

Oxford vs. Clarkston
There could be an upset pulled off here, as Oxford is one of the best defensive teams you will find in this area. But Clarkston seems like it has too much depth for most teams to hand as Erika and Erin Davenport along with Delaney Kenny will help lead the Wolves to a district title.
Pick: Clarkston in OT

Stoney Creek vs. Utica Ford
The Stoney Creek defense has been on another level through the first two games of the playoffs as the Cougars have held their first two opponents to just 25 points in each game. Look for more of the same defense from Stoney Creek as well as a balanced scoring attack to lead the Cougars to a district title.
Pick: Stoney Creek

Ferndale vs. Ferndale University/Southfield Bradford
Just like the Mercy district final, it's not going to make much of a difference who Ferndale will play in the final simply because this district belongs to the Eagles and Micaela Ellis.
Pick: Ferndale

Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Macomb Lutheran North
Take a guess. Hint: Asia Doss and Brittany Washington will once again be leading their team to a district title.
Pick: Country Day

Madison Heights Madison vs. Detroit Allen Academy
Madison looked nearly unstoppable in its 50 point win over Detroit Winans academy on Wednesday, and I doubt, Detroit Allen will be able to slow Madison down tonight.
Pick: Madison

Auburn Hills Oakland Christian vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Look for a defensive battle in this game, but the team with just a little bit more offensive punch will be Bishop Foley, thanks to Emma Wonsil.
Pick: Bishop Foley

Novi Franklin Road Christian vs. Plymouth Christian
This was a district final that I flat out got wrong and after seeing Kristen Massey's 37 point output on Wednesday, I may have overlooked Novi Franklin Road. Look for another brilliant performance from Massey to lead the Warriors to a district title.
Pick: Franklin Road

Birmingham Roeper vs. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
Both teams look like they are on a mission to pick up a district title, but Ava Doetsch (who just went over the 1,000 career point mark), Lexie Robak and Jessica Parry have all been there and done that (Four times) and they will have the edge tonight.
Pick: WOLL

Clarkston Everest Collegiate vs. Burton St. Thomas More
Speaking of teams who have made it look easy so far in the state tournament, Everest has been dominant so far as it has allowed less than 35 points in the first two games of district play, and you can expect that to continue tonight.
Pick: CEC

Elite Eight -- Stayin' Alive

The top performers from Wednesday's Girls Basketball District Semifinal Action

8. Allyssa Copely -- Holly
Copely put together a solid double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds on in Wednesday's semifinal as she helped keep Holly stay within striking range in a loss to Fenton.

7. Dominique Zigo -- Lakeland 
Zigo put together a dominant second half of basketball as the Lakeland junior scored 14 of Lakeland's 15 fourth quarter points and scored a game-high 24 points in a loss to Walled Lake Western.

6. Becky VanSloten -- Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
VanSloten was nearly unstoppable on Wednesday night as she recorded a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds as she led Oakland Christian past Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart and into the district finals.

5. Lauren Hung -- Waterford Mott
After leading the Corsairs past Waterford Kettering on Monday, Hung helped lead Mott to a much easier win over Troy Athens on Wednesday. Hung scored 21 points on 10 field goals to lead the Corsairs into a district final game against Auburn Hills Avondale.

4. Marissa Cotton -- Farmington Hills Harrison
Cotton was at it again on Wednesday night as she matched her 19 point effort on Monday with 19 more points to help lead Harrison past Walled Lake Northern and into a district finals matchup against Walled Lake Western.

3. Jayla Nichols -- Walled Lake Western
Nichols was a force on both sides of the basketball on Wednesday night as the Western sophomore poured in 20 points, while grabbing seven rebounds and coming away with five steals as she helped lead the Warriors past Lakeland and into the district finals.

2. Kristen Massey -- Novi Franklin Road Christian
Massey was as close to unstoppable as it gets on Wednesday night as the Franklin Road junior poured in an impressive 37 points to lead the Warriors past Wixom St. Catherine. Even more impressive was that Massey buried 21 of her 27 free throw attemtpts to send Franklin Road into a district final game against Plymouth Christian.

1. Sami Stormont -- Royal Oak
Stormont picked up where she left off on Monday night as she put together another 28 point performance to go along with eight rebounds and six steals to lead Royal Oak into a district finals showdown against Southfield-Lathrup.

Elite Eight -- Opening Arguments

Breaking down some of the top performances in the district opener

8. Breanna Bias/Jessica Mehr -- South Lyon
The South Lyon two-headed monster came up huge for the Lions as they both poured in double-digit points on Monday night to lead South Lyon past Fowlerville. Bias scored 15 points, while hauling in 11 rebounds, while Mehr scored a game-high 18 points in the district opener to help lead South Lyon into a district semifinal game against Milford..

7. Jaimee Beckett -- Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Beckett quietly had a dominant night in the post for Cranbrook on Monday night as she scored a game-high 18 points, while also coming away with eight rebounds and four blocks to lead the Cranes to a convincing win over Clawson and on to the district semifinals where they will face Country Day.

6. Grant Luzynski -- Walled Lake Northern/Patrick Carney -- Novi
Both of these goaltenders had a lot to do with the battle that would never end between Novi and Walled Lake Northern on Monday. Both net-minders made over 50 saves on Monday night, but Luzynski came up huge in the overtime sessions, turning away 31 shots in overtime, including a penalty shot to help Northern survive the five overtime thriller and advance in the state tournament.

5. Marissa Cotton -- Farmington Hills Harrison
Cotton was beyond dangerous from beyond the arc as she knocked down five 3-pointers on Monday to help lead Harrison to a narrow win over North Farmington. Cotton, the lone senior on the Hawks roster poured in 14 of her game-high 19 point on Monday night in the first half as she helped spark the rest of the Harrison team as the Hawks took a one-point lead into halftime.

4. Allyssa Copely -- Holly 
Copely did a little bit of everything in Holly's district opening win over Flint Metro League foe Ortonville Brandon as the Broncho's star center tallied 16 points on Monday night to go along with seven rebounds and four blocks as Holly advanced to the district semifinals where it will face Fenton, who Holly split the regular season series with.

3. Lauren Hung -- Waterford Mott
Plenty of people (myself included) overlooked the Corsairs in this district, but Hung and Mott made us think twice. After falling at the hands of Kettering three times earlier in this season, Hung would not be denied of a win on the fourth (and most important) attempt as she poured in a game-high 21 points to help Mott finally pick up a win over the Captains and advanced to the district semifinals where it will face Troy Athens.

2. Shannon Wilson -- Bloomfield Hills Andover
Wilson couldn't be stopped on either end of the floor in Andover's win over Lahser as the Baron's star poured in 23 points to lead the offensive attack for Andover, while also coming away with 11 steals to lead the defensive charge. Wilson also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out eight assists as she came extremely close to picking up a very rare quadruple-double.

1. Sami Stormont -- Royal Oak
Stormont was on a mission last night and led the way to an opening round win as the senior nearly outscored Southfield by her self, scoring 28 points in a 50-29 win over the Blue Jays. Stormont fell just one steal shy of a triple double as she finished with 10 rebounds and nine steals, while dishing out five assists as she helped lead the Ravens to the district semifinals on Royal Oak's home floor.

Girls Basketball District-by-District Preview

Grand Blanc District
Teams -- Grand Blanc, Holly, Fenton, Ortonville Brandon, Linden
Breakdown -- This district should come down to Grand Blanc and Holly as long as the Bronchos can avoid upset bids against Ortonville Brandon and Fenton. Star center Allyssa Copley will once again grab the attention of opposing defenses throughout the tournament, but if sophomore Abby Lewandowski and Kaitlyn Smith can continue to find success like they were able to during the regular season, Holly will pick up a district title and move on to the regional round.
PICK -- Holly

Canton District
Teams -- Plymouth, Salem, Canton, Novi, Northville,
Breakdown -- There are two favorites in this district, Novi and Canton, who each picked up a KLAA division title this year by tallying 18 wins on the season. The two teams faced off a little less than two weeks ago as Canton picked up the overtime win in the second round of the KLAA tournament, but if Novi is at full strength, look for the Wildcats to earn some revenge and pick up the district title.
PICK -- Novi

Farmington Hills Mercy District
Teams -- Farmington Hills Mercy, Farmington, Detroit Mumford, Detroit Henry Ford, Redford Union, Detroit Renaissance
Breakdown -- The two favorites in this district are Renaissance and Mercy, who will likely face off in the second round of districts on Wednesday night. The key for the Marlins throughout the tournament will be to get the perimeter game going early and often with Allie Gorcyca and Candice Leatherwood, which should open things up inside. If Mercy is able to do that, it will likely win a district title on its home floor.
PICK -- Mercy

Royal Oak District
Teams -- Oak Park, Royal Oak, Berkley, Southfield-Lathrup, Southfield-Lathrup, Birmingham Groves
Breakdown -- Without a doubt, the favorite here is Lathrup, who is one of the more balanced teams you're going to find in the tournament. Sydni Davis, Christina Green and Co. should help lead the Chargers onto the regional round. However, Sami Stormont and Royal Oak are flying under the radar, which makes them even more dangerous. I still believe that Lathrup will win this district, but the Ravens will be more than motivated to win a district title in Stormont's final state playoff tourney.
PICK -- Lathrup

North Farmington District
Teams -- North Farmington, Farmington Hills Harrison, Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Northern, Lakeland
Breakdown -- The best game of the first round of districts is without a doubt the game between North Farmington and Harrison and the winner of that game will likely advance to the district final where it will face either Western or Lakeland. Harrison is the most complete team in this district, so it's hard to pick against the Hawks to advance to the regional round, but they will a very difficult path. The biggest challenge outside of the Raiders for Harrison would likely be Western if it is at full health after dealing with some injury issues towards the end of the season. But I expect senior Marissa Cotton, along with underclassmen Amber Stephens, Kyla Rowland and Kirsten Nelson to lead the Hawks to their first ever district title.
PICK -- Harrison

Fowlerville District
Teams -- Harltand, Brighton, Fowlerville, South Lyon, Howell, Milford
Breakdown --This district will likely belong to either Hartland or Brighton, who battled all season long for the KLAA West crown. Brighton picked up two wins this season over Hartland, and I don't think Lindsay Pajot and Co. will let that happen for a third time this year as the Eagles will pick up a first round win over Brighton and will roll to a district title.
PICK -- Hartland

Birmingham Marian District
Teams -- Birmingham Marian, Bloomfield Hills Lahser, Bloofield Hills Andover, Birmingham Seaholm, West Bloomfield
Breakdown -- It's going to be hard to pick against the host Mustangs, but their biggest competition in this district could come from Andover and star Shannon Wilson in the second round. Marian has proven to be one of the most complete teams in Oakland County this season and that showed in the Mustang's CHSL title run. Look for senior Kilyn Bulluck, sophomore Kara Holiniski and freshman Bailey Thomas to continue their strong play as they lead Marian to a district title.
PICK -- Marian

Troy Athens District
Teams -- Troy Athens, Pontiac, Troy, Waterford Mott, Waterford Kettering, Auburn Hills Avondale
Breakdown -- This district is Kettering's to win, but the biggest roadblock for the Captains is in the first round. Kettering will have to play rival Mott for a fourth time this season, and most coaches will tell you it's hard to beat a team three times in a season, and in order to make it past the opening round, Kettering will have to pull of a fourth straight wins over the Corsairs. It will be tough, but I expect Kettering to pick up a second straight regional title behind seniors Shelby Watts and Taylor Steinhelper.
PICK -- Kettering

Oxford District
Teams -- Oxford, Rochester Adams, Romeo, Lake Orion and Clarkston
Breakdown -- Clarkston is the favorite in this district, but don't sleep on Rochester Adams or Oxford, who have both proven to be very dangerous teams this season. One of the keys to this district will be the post play as all three teams, Clarkston (Erika Davenport), Adams (Amber Jamison) and Oxford (Shelby Davis) have dangerous threats at the forward/center positions. But what will separate Clarkston from the rest will be the guard play as the Wolves have one of the most experienced back courts around in Delaney Kenny and Erin Davenport.
PICK -- Clarkston

Rochester District
Teams -- Utica Eisenhower, Stoney Creek, Rochester, Utica Ford, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Utica
Breakdown -- The two Oakland County Teams in this district could end up playing in the final as Rochester and Stoney Creek are the two most balanced teams out of the six teams. The edge will likely go to Stoney Creek because of the inside-outside play from a number of different contributors, including Lauren and Natalie Voss. But don't sleep on the Falcons and Zhana Randolph who have proven to be as dangerous as anybody all season long.
PICK -- Stoney Creek

District TBD
Teams -- Ferndale, Detroit Old Redford, Southfield Bradford, Warren Fitzgerald, Hazel Park, Ferndale University
Breakdown --  It's a clear path for Ferndale to pick up a district title, and barring a major slip up by the Eagles, Micaela Ellis and Co. will cruise into the regional round of action.
PICK --  Ferndale

Clawson District
Teams -- Clawson, Bloomifeld Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Macomb Lutheran North, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, Madison Heights Lamphere
Breakdown -- No explanation needed. Yellowjackets roll.
PICK -- Country Day

South Lyon East District
Teams -- Detroit Community, Detroit Communication and Media Arts, Detroit Cesar Chavez, Livonia Clarenceville, South Lyon East, Livonia Ladywood, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard.
Breakdown -- This District will likely be decided in the opening round when host South Lyon East and Livonia Ladywood face off. South Lyon East and Gabi Bird will be more than motivated to pull off a minor shocker, but the Blazers will be a huge road block if the Cougars want to win a district title. Ladywood is the favorite, but this time of year was meant for upsets.
UPSET SPECIAL PICK -- South Lyon East

Madison Heights Madison District
Teams -- Detroit Allen Academy, Detroit Winans Academy, Madison Heights Madison, Highland Park Renaissance Academy
Breakdown -- Speaking of host teams moving on to regionals, that's how this district is set up for Madison. Look for Amber Thomas and Dasha Gould to have a couple of big games during district play to lead the Eagles to a District championship.
PICK -- Madison

Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest District
Teams -- Royal Oak Shrine, Pontiac Academy for Excellence, West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart.
Breakdown -- If this district didn't include Bishop Foley, it would be a toss up. However, Bishop Foley is in this district, and the Ventures will be the ones advancing to the regional round. Look for big time performances from Emma Wonsil and Abigail Lama to lead the way for Bishop Foley.
PICK -- Bishop Foley

Plymouth Christian District
Teams -- Southfield Christian, Novi Franklin Road Christian, Plymouth Christian, Detroit Westside Christian, Wixom St. Catherine.
Breakdown -- This district will have no shortage of star power with Southfield Christian's Charity Godbold and Novi Franklin Road Christian's Kristen Massey and barring some kind of unheard of shocker, we will see these two face off in the district final. I will give the slightest edge to Southfield Christian in this district, considering Godbold has a history of big time performances in the playoffs (2011 playoffs vs. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes), but do not sleep on the Warriors and Massey either, as that district final will be MUST SEE.
PICK -- Southfield Christian

Sterling Heights Parkway Christian District
Teams -- Parkway Christian, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, Birmingham Roeper, Warren Macomb Christian, Auburn Hills Christian.
Breakdown -- It's been a nice season for Birmingham Roeper, but a nice season simply won't match-up with the 3-time defending state champion Lakers here. It might make for a much closer district final game than what we've seen in recent years, but the Lakers should move on to the regional round with ease once again.
PICK -- WOLL

Flint School for the Deaf District
Teams -- Clarkston Everest Collegiate, Genesee Christian, Flint Madison Academy, Flint Michigan School for the Deaf, Burton Faith, Burton St. Thomas More Academy
Breakdown -- I'll be honest, I'm not completely familiar with all of the Genesee County teams playing in this district, but I do know that those teams will have their hands full with Clarkston Everest. Look for top performances from Lucia Westrick, Ashley Lowney and Mary Jo Allen to lead Everest to a District title.
PICK -- Clarkston Everest Collegiate 

Rapid Reaction: National Signing Day Edition

Big Winners: Grand Valley State and Ferris State
To put it simply, the Lakers and Bulldogs cleaned up this year. Not just on talent from Oakland County, but statewide talent:
Grand Valley State reeled a dangerous trio from Southfield, Tre Walton, Brandon Bean and  Jeff Madison, while also picking up Jake Slobin (See Below), and bringing in a very underrated and accomplished quarterback in Grand Blanc's Bart Williams along with Clarkston's Chris Calvano. Don't forget about St. Mary's running back Parker McInnis, who had a D-1 offer from Eastern Michigan on the table, but decided to sign with the Lakers.
Ferris State brought in a very talented class as well, bringing in Slobin's teammate, Garius Coleman and Anthony Darkangelo, one of the more dominant two way players in Oakland County this year, along with Malik Washington, Brandon Harding and Brian Williams, who all played key roles in Oak Park's resurgence last fall as well as Farmington defensive lineman Michael Purry.

Biggest Sleeper: Nick Boswell (Birmingham Detroit Country Day)
Boswell was overlooked by some D-1 schools, but did have offers to play at lower levels of football and decided to accept a preferred walk-on spot at Western Michigan. A LOT of teams missed on the Country Day linebacker, who proved to be one of the most sure tacklers in Oakland County last season.

Biggest Sleeper Part II: Chaz Miller (Lake Orion)
Miller has flown under the radar for some reason, but has proven to be a serious play-making threat on just about every down during his high school career with the Dragons. That shouldn't change once he gets to Saginaw Valley State as he should prove to be a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses over the course of the next few years.

Biggest Steal: Jake Slobin (Farmington Hills Harrison)
It hasn't changed since his commitment, and it's not going to change now. Slobin still remains as the biggest steal to come out of Oakland County this year. Slobin was a tackling machine from his defensive line position last year and Grand Valley State should expect more of the same over the course of the next few years.

Biggest Steal Part II: Anthony Darkangelo (Catholic Central)
Darkangelo, much like Slobin, in my mind showed he was a D-1 prospect throughout his high school career, so for Ferris State to manage to get him on campus is huge for the Bulldogs. Darkangelo proved to be a menace on offense and defense as he piled up the rushing yards and tackles for the Shamrocks, who made it to Ford Field in back-to-back seasons.

Biggest Surprise: Poet Thomas (Birmingham Detroit Country Day)
When it came down to his final few teams he was considering, it might not be that big of a surprise that Thomas chose Texas Tech over the likes of Syracuse and Arkansas Pine-Bluff. But with an offer from Florida on the table, it came as a bit of a surprise that the Gators weren't in the top couple of teams under consideration.

Smallest Surprise: Jon Reschke (Brother Rice)
Reschke has had Michigan State as his top choice for a while now and even as some big offers continued to roll in for the senior linebacker, he stuck with Michigan State. So there was no surprise to be had on Wednesday when he officially became a Spartan.

Oakland County Boys Basketball -- Cruise Control

1. Birmingham Detroit Country Day
The Yellowjackets haven't left the top spot in the rankings all season long, and that might not change either. Country Day is more complete and dangerous than last year's team which made a run to the final four, and that's saying a lot.

2. Rochester Adams
If any team can knock Country Day out of the top spot, it's the Highlanders. Senior forward Zack Littleson is playing as well as anybody in the state right now, averaging over 30 points and nine rebounds in his last two games alone.

3. Clarkston
After hitting a bit of a bump in the road that knocked the Wolves all the way down to No. 10 in my rankings, Clarkston has surged back into the front with a strong couple of weeks, including an impressive showing in a win over North Farmington.

4. Rochester
The Falcons might have the best rebounding duo in the state with star James Young playing alongside Arben Camaj as both are averaging double-doubles for Rochester. Both have also been menaces on defense with Young averaging nearly five steals and Camaj averaging five blocks per contest.

5. Southfield
It's been a bit of a rough patch for the Blue Jays as of late, but a big reason for that has been a tough stretch in the scheduling. Expect Southfield to once again be back in the fold of the top 2-3 teams very soon.

6. Walled Lake Central
The Vikings have continued to be one of the pleasant surprises in the area this year and have now shot all the way up to No. 6 in the rankings. A big reason for that has been the standout duo of T.J. Warren and Phil Nelson, who have been nightmares for most teams to defend this season.

7. North Farmington
The loss to Clarkston was ugly on Friday night, there's no denying that, but the Raiders still remain as one of the more dangerous teams in Oakland County with seniors Caleb Hogans and Sterling Sharp as well as sophomore Jeron "Buddha" Rogers. Also look for Cameron and Alex Darden to be key X-Factors down the stretch for North Farmington.

8. Waterford Mott
The Corsairs, aside from a minor hiccup against Walled Lake Central, have been as hot as any team in Oakland County over the course of the past month or two. With senior point guard Khalil Malone and forward Quincy Norman, Mott has one of the best inside-outside duos you're going to find.

9. Farmington Hills Harrison
Another pleasant surprise in Oakland County this winter, Harrison has unexpectedly turned the OAA White division battle from a three horse race to a four horse race. With A.J. Freeman and Dorian Fields, who can knock down shots from anywhere along with sophomore forward John Rexroth, Harrison is going to be a team that nobody will want to face down the stretch.

10. Lake Orion
The Dragons are another team with a serious advantage over teams when it comes to inside-outside play. With guard Damonte Kruse and forwards John McCarty and Chaz Miller, Lake Orion is going to be a tough match-up for a number of teams come tournament time.

Stealing Oakland County

There have been plenty of steals throughout the recruiting process so far this season, so here is a list of some of the top Oakland County steals that some colleges have reeled in before National Signing Day.

Anthony Darkangelo -- Novi Detroit Catholic Central (Ferris State)
Darkangelo is an obvious D-1 talent in my opinion and showed it on both sides of the ball this season, proving to be one of the best tacklers around and showing off his ball carrying skills as well.

Jake Slobin -- Farmington Hills Harrison (Grand Valley State)
This might be the biggest steal on the gridiron in my mind. Slobin put up some serious gaudy numbers all season long from his defensive line position as he continued to pile up the sacks and tackles at an impressive rate.

Brandon Bean -- Southfield (Grand Valley State)
Bean was slowed by an injury this season, which may have hurt him in the recruiting process, but when he was healthy, the standout receiver was nearly unstoppable over the course of the past two seasons.

Parker McInnis -- Orchard Lake St. Mary's (Grand Valley State)
McInnis was another D-1 talent coming out of St. Mary's and had a reported offer from Eastern Michigan to prove it, but the star running back, who piled up 270 yards rushing in the state title game, chose to be yet another steal for GVSU.

Greg Weber -- Troy (Wayne State)
Weber was as good as anybody at busting open holes along the offensive line for the Colts this season. When the Colts were healthy this past season, they were as good as anyone at running the ball, and a big reason why was Weber.

Griffin Anderson -- Birmingham Brother Rice (Penn)
Anderson was one of the many unsung heroes for the Warriors over the past couple of seasons as he was one of the best at opening holes for standout running backs Devin Church, Brian Walker and Shon Powell.

Isaiah Gourdine -- Farmington (Bowling Green)
Gourdine was originally committed to play for Cincinnati a couple of months ago, but reopened the recruiting process when Jones accepted the job at Tennessee, which led to Bowling Green getting a big steal here. Gourdine is the definition of a ballhawk and had offers from the Big East and ACC.

Derric Williams -- Lake Orion (Eastern Michigan)
Williams is a hard hitting, sure tackling linebacker, who will likely pile up the tackles in his time with Eastern. Williams helped lead a dominating defense through a long state playoff run to the Division 1 state semifinals.

Collin Buchanan -- Southfield (Miami (OH))
Another dominating offensive lineman that Oakland County had to offer over the course of the past couple of seasons, Buchanan was one of the big reasons why Southfield found open lanes in the running game and kept its quarterbacks upright in recent seasons.

Since it's basketball season as well, I figured I'd include some recruiting steals from the OC hardwood

BOYS BASKETBALL
Jonathon "Jon-Jon" Williams -- Southfield-Lathrup (Toledo)
Williams is as big of a steal as you're going to find. The Lathrup floor general had plenty of interest from bigger schools throughout the recruiting process, but chose Toledo because he felt he could make an immediate impact, and that's probably exactly what he'll do for the Rockets.

Jordan Dasuqi -- Clarkston (Lake Superior State)
Dasuqi is one of the best around when it comes to scoring the basketball. Whether it's from the outside or going to the inside, Dasuqi has shown he can be a D-1 scorer throughout the last couple of years and that's exactly what the Lakers are getting from the Clarkston senior.

Caleb Hogans -- North Farmington (Spring Arbor)
If Williams is the biggest steal on the hardwood, Hogans is a close second. Hogans can do a little big of everything with the ball in his hands, whether it's handing out assists, knocking down 3-pointers (has had eight in a game this year) or drive to the basket and create his own shot. Spring Arbor is getting someone who can do just about anything when he has the ball.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Sydni Davis -- Southfield-Lathrup (Stetson)
Davis has been a player throughout her career at West Bloomfield and Lathrup, who has proven to be as good of a distributor as she is a scorer. Davis has been able to rack up the assists at times over the past few seasons, but has been a lethal scorer as well.

Sami Stormont -- Royal Oak (Northwood)
Northwood is getting as prolific of a scorer as you will find in Stormont, who can just flat out score the basketball. The senior has shown that she can score from the outside as well as the inside and has been a matchup nightmare for just about any opposing team.

Delaney Kenny -- Clarkston (Northwood)
Kenny is a player that can do a little bit of everything, the Clarkston senior has shown her ability to both score and a defend with some of the best, and has proven that she can be a distributor on the floor as well. Northwood has picked up two impressive steals from Oakland County in girls hoops.



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