Rochester Regional
Teams -- Troy, Romeo, Hartland, Lake Orion
Breakdown -- It's hard to pick against Romeo, which has Taylor Weaver, who has been one of the state's most dominating pitchers over the course of the past couple of years, but it won't be any easy task for Romeo to get past a tough Troy in the first game of the regional. Troy has plenty of balance throughout its lineup and the Colts have a pitcher, Taylor Schmidt, who recently threw a no-hitter in the district final and went head-to-head with another top pitcher in Haley Zemmer and came out on top. In the second game, there is another interesting pitching match-up between Hartland senior Abbie Minsker and Lake Orion freshman Sierra Gonzales. Minsker has been dominant all year long, while Gonzales has flown under the radar, while quietly emerged as one of the top aces in the OAA. I've gone back and forth between all four teams in this district and any of these teams has a legitimate shot at playing in the quarterfinals next week.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Troy 2, Romeo 1
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Lake Orion 3, Hartland 2
Regional Final Prediction: Lake Orion 4, Troy 2 (in 9 innings)
Novi Regional
Teams -- Birmingham Marian, South Lyon, Farmington Hills Mercy, Plymouth Canton
Breakdown -- This regional is Mercy's to lose, the Marlins are without a doubt the most complete team in the region and the Marlins can change the outlook of a game with one swing of the bat as the Marlins are cementing themselves as one of, if not the best power-hitting team in MHSAA history. Mercy can't overlook Canton, who played spoiler in the district final as it upset rival Plymouth and will could have to face Marian once again in the final, or a very experienced South Lyon squad. The first game between Marian and South Lyon will be interesting to see if the young Mustangs, which have a number of freshman on the team who are significant contributors can keep up with a South Lyon team that did plenty of damage in the KLAA this year and are ready to make a statement.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: South Lyon 7, Birmingham Marian 6
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Farmington Hills Mercy 7, Plymouth Canton 2
Regional Final Prediction: Farmington Hills Mercy 9, South Lyon 2
Bloomfield Hills Andover Regional
Teams -- Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Clawson, St. Clair, Richmond
Breakdown -- Notre Dame Prep has simply been a completely different team since Carly Joseph rejoined the Irish as she's shown that she hasn't missed a step since returning after missing part of the season. While Joseph has proven to be a force in the circle and at the plate in the district playoffs, as she allowed no earned runs in 13 innings on Saturday, while helping pace the Irish offense in a semifinal win over Cranbrook, topping St. Clair will be no easy task of the Irish want to advance to the quarterfinals. St. Clair will counter Notre Dame Prep's dual threat menace with one of their own in Brittany Schweiger, who is one of the best in the state when it comes to pitching and hitting, but I expect this regional final to be way closer than what most expect it to be.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Notre Dame Prep 4, Clawson 0
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: St. Clair 6, Richmond 1
Regional Final Prediction: Notre Dame Prep 5, St. Clair 4 (in 10 innings)
Madison Heights Bishop Foley Regional
Teams -- Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, Detroit Henry Ford, Allen Park Cabrini, Grass Lake
Breakdown -- There have been few teams who have bounced back better than Lutheran Northwest has this season, the Crusaders started the season with a disappointing 2-9 record, but have surged back as they have put together a 12-3 record in the second half of the season, which will likely help lead them past Henry Ford in the first game. But the winner of Cabrini and Grass Lake will probably end up being the regional champion as both teams have top 10 rankings in the state and are two of the most balanced teams around.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Lutheran Northwest 8, Henry Ford 4
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Allen Park Cabrini 5, Grass Lake 2
Regional Final Prediction: Allen Park Cabrini 7, Lutheran Northwest 2
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian Regional
Teams -- Portland St. Patrick, Webberville, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, New Lothrup
Breakdown -- This regional will come down to the Laker's pitching, because there is no question that they can hit and produce runs with some of the best teams in the area. Much like the baseball regional, there isn't a clear cut favorite to come out of this regional as all four teams have put been very solid, but not dominant over the course of the last couple of months, which means this regional is wide open. The difference that will tip the scales in Lakes' favor will be senior Abby Kline, who has shown that she can take over a game and shut down opposing hitting attacks, and that should be the difference on Saturday.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Portland St. Patrick 6, Webberville 4
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: WOLL 5, New Lothrup 1
Regional Final Prediction: WOLL 4, Portland St. Patrick 0
Grosse Point Woods University of Liggett Regional
Teams -- Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, Westland Huron Valley, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, Wixom St. Catherine
Breakdown -- Last week was obviously a special one for Wixom St. Catherine and without a doubt is the best story in high school sports right now. After finishing the season with a 17-5 record, Wixom St. Catherine flew under the radar and pulled off a bit of a surprise by winning a district title in the team's first year by upsetting Royal Oak Shrine in the district final. But the semifinal game on Saturday will be a very difficult task facing Wixom St. Catherine as it will play regional host Liggett, which finished the season as a top five team in the state. Liggett is without a doubt the favorite to come out of this region, considering its high ranking in the state, but if junior hurler Mary Greene can keep Wixom St. Catherine in the game with the Knights, there could be another surprise in the making.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Inter-City Baptist 7, Huron Valley 3
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: GPW Liggett, 4, Wixom St. Catherine 2
Regional Final Prediction: GPW Liggett 6, Inter-City Baptist 3
Friday, June 7, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Oakland County Regional Baseball Predictions
Rochester Regional
Teams -- Hartland, Lake Orion, Rochester Adams, Stoney Creek
Breakdown -- Pitching should dominate this regional, especially in the first semifinal game between Lake Orion and Hartland, which will be a rematch of last year's regional final where Hartland edged out the Dragons to move on. Lake Orion has all of the pitching you look for from a team that has eyes for Battle Creek, with Nick Deeg, Brad Schaenzer and Josh Bays. But Hartland will counter with another very good pitching staff that features Michigan State commit Jake Lowery. On the other side, of the regional semifinals, it will be interesting to see if Rochester Adams can continue to play spoiler, or if the Cougars can pick up a fourth straight win over the Highlanders this season. Chances are the first semifinal will come down to which team can have the most success offensively, and then hope that they can match up in pitching with either Lake Orion or Hartland in the final.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Lake Orion 4, Hartland 2
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Rochester Adams 3, Stoney Creek 2
Regional Final Prediction: Lake Orion 5, Rochester Adams 1
Novi Regional
Teams -- Northville, North Farmington, Birmingham Brother Rice, Walled Lake Northern
Breakdown -- Barring a major upset, this regional belongs to Brother Rice, the Warriors are one of, if not the most complete team in the state in terms of pitching and hitting and the depth that comes with both of those categories. Walled Lake Northern could be able to hang in with Brother Rice in the early stages of their semifinal, but Brother Rice will be hard to slow down. It seemed as if North Farmington had eyes on planning for regionals even during the district playoffs as they chose to save senior ace Sterling Sharp, and go with some of the younger pitchers on the staff, and I think that will pay off in the semifinal on Satuday. If anybody can or will compete with Brother Rice in the regional final, it would be North Farmington because to the Senior-Frosh duo of Sharp and Alex Darden.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Brother Rice 8, WL Northern 4
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: North Farmington 5, Northville 4
Regional Final Prediction: Brother Rice 5, North Farmington 2
Bloomfield Hills Andover Regional
Teams -- Clawson, Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Richmond, St. Claire.
Breakdown -- Heading into the playoffs, there wasn't any question of whether or not St. Mary's could hit, as the Eaglets have proven to be one of the best teams around when it comes to offensive production. However, there were questions about whether the Eaglets had enough pitching to make a run in the postseason. But Connor Bowers has answered each and every one of those questions so far as he's emerged as a true ace over the course of the last month and should be able to help pitch the Eaglets into contention for the regional. Assuming that St. Mary's meets up with St. Claire in the regional final, it will be a tall task for the Eaglets to move past a top five team in the state, but the Eaglets lineup paired with the emergence of Bowers will be enough for St. Mary's to advance to the quarterfinals.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Orchard Lake St. Mary's 7, Clawson 3
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: St. Claire 2, Richmond 0
Regional Final Prediction: OLSM 4, St. Claire 1
Madison Heights Bishop Foley Regional
Teams -- Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Harper Woods, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Allen Park Cabrini
Breakdown -- There's not a whole lot to say about this regional. It's not a matter of if the Ventures are going to win, but how many runs they will win by in both games on Saturday. Bishop Foley has been dominant all year long and are now in a regional with three teams that have sub-.500 records on the year. Everything is lined up perfectly for the Ventures to get back to Battle Creek and be in serious contention for a third straight state title.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Bishop Foley 12, Harper Woods 2
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Allen Park Cabrini 3, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 1
Regional Final Prediction: Bishop Foley 11, Allen Park Cabrini 1
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian Regional
Teams -- Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, New Lothrup, Portland St. Patrick, Potterville
Breakdown -- Throughout much of the season, Lakes has had some offensive inconsistencies, but one of the things that hasn't been inconsistent is the dominant pitching that the Lakers have to offer. For a Division 4 team to have as good and as deep of a pitching staff as Lakes has is something that can't be overlooked in the playoffs, and with Jake Glover, Steven Scott and Colt Moran holding down the rotation, the Lakers have a better than good chance to advance to the quarterfinals. One thing that also plays into Lakes' hands is the fact that there isn't a single overly dominant team in this regional, once again giving the Lakers the upper hand considering that pitching staff.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 5, New Lothrup 1
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Portland St. Patrick 7, Potterville 6
Regional Final Prediction: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 2, Portland St. Patrick 0
Grosse Point Woods University of Liggett Regional
Teams -- Grosse Pointe Woods University of Liggett, Royal Oak Shrine, Plymouth Christian, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist
Breakdown -- With all due respect to the Plymouth Christian and Inter-City Baptist, this regional will come down to the first semifinal game between Shrine and Liggett. Liggett has simply been too tall of a task for the Knights in recent years, but if there's any year where the Knights could unseat Liggett, it could be this year. Shrine has plenty of pitching behind the arms of Connor Francek and Mike Cobbledick and that could give the Knights just enough to get by the perenial D-4 power that is Liggett. This game will come down to whether or not Shrine can generate any type of offensive production against Oakland University commitment Connor Fannon, and I think they just might be able to do that. Since the beginning of the playoffs, I have been calling for a Shrine vs. WOLL quarterfinal and I'm not going against that now as Shrine will move on.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Shrine 4, Liggett 3
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Inter-City Baptist 7, Plymouth Christian 4
Regional Final Prediction: Shrine 7, Inter-City Baptist 3
Teams -- Hartland, Lake Orion, Rochester Adams, Stoney Creek
Breakdown -- Pitching should dominate this regional, especially in the first semifinal game between Lake Orion and Hartland, which will be a rematch of last year's regional final where Hartland edged out the Dragons to move on. Lake Orion has all of the pitching you look for from a team that has eyes for Battle Creek, with Nick Deeg, Brad Schaenzer and Josh Bays. But Hartland will counter with another very good pitching staff that features Michigan State commit Jake Lowery. On the other side, of the regional semifinals, it will be interesting to see if Rochester Adams can continue to play spoiler, or if the Cougars can pick up a fourth straight win over the Highlanders this season. Chances are the first semifinal will come down to which team can have the most success offensively, and then hope that they can match up in pitching with either Lake Orion or Hartland in the final.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Lake Orion 4, Hartland 2
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Rochester Adams 3, Stoney Creek 2
Regional Final Prediction: Lake Orion 5, Rochester Adams 1
Novi Regional
Teams -- Northville, North Farmington, Birmingham Brother Rice, Walled Lake Northern
Breakdown -- Barring a major upset, this regional belongs to Brother Rice, the Warriors are one of, if not the most complete team in the state in terms of pitching and hitting and the depth that comes with both of those categories. Walled Lake Northern could be able to hang in with Brother Rice in the early stages of their semifinal, but Brother Rice will be hard to slow down. It seemed as if North Farmington had eyes on planning for regionals even during the district playoffs as they chose to save senior ace Sterling Sharp, and go with some of the younger pitchers on the staff, and I think that will pay off in the semifinal on Satuday. If anybody can or will compete with Brother Rice in the regional final, it would be North Farmington because to the Senior-Frosh duo of Sharp and Alex Darden.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Brother Rice 8, WL Northern 4
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: North Farmington 5, Northville 4
Regional Final Prediction: Brother Rice 5, North Farmington 2
Bloomfield Hills Andover Regional
Teams -- Clawson, Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Richmond, St. Claire.
Breakdown -- Heading into the playoffs, there wasn't any question of whether or not St. Mary's could hit, as the Eaglets have proven to be one of the best teams around when it comes to offensive production. However, there were questions about whether the Eaglets had enough pitching to make a run in the postseason. But Connor Bowers has answered each and every one of those questions so far as he's emerged as a true ace over the course of the last month and should be able to help pitch the Eaglets into contention for the regional. Assuming that St. Mary's meets up with St. Claire in the regional final, it will be a tall task for the Eaglets to move past a top five team in the state, but the Eaglets lineup paired with the emergence of Bowers will be enough for St. Mary's to advance to the quarterfinals.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Orchard Lake St. Mary's 7, Clawson 3
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: St. Claire 2, Richmond 0
Regional Final Prediction: OLSM 4, St. Claire 1
Madison Heights Bishop Foley Regional
Teams -- Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Harper Woods, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Allen Park Cabrini
Breakdown -- There's not a whole lot to say about this regional. It's not a matter of if the Ventures are going to win, but how many runs they will win by in both games on Saturday. Bishop Foley has been dominant all year long and are now in a regional with three teams that have sub-.500 records on the year. Everything is lined up perfectly for the Ventures to get back to Battle Creek and be in serious contention for a third straight state title.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Bishop Foley 12, Harper Woods 2
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Allen Park Cabrini 3, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 1
Regional Final Prediction: Bishop Foley 11, Allen Park Cabrini 1
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian Regional
Teams -- Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, New Lothrup, Portland St. Patrick, Potterville
Breakdown -- Throughout much of the season, Lakes has had some offensive inconsistencies, but one of the things that hasn't been inconsistent is the dominant pitching that the Lakers have to offer. For a Division 4 team to have as good and as deep of a pitching staff as Lakes has is something that can't be overlooked in the playoffs, and with Jake Glover, Steven Scott and Colt Moran holding down the rotation, the Lakers have a better than good chance to advance to the quarterfinals. One thing that also plays into Lakes' hands is the fact that there isn't a single overly dominant team in this regional, once again giving the Lakers the upper hand considering that pitching staff.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 5, New Lothrup 1
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Portland St. Patrick 7, Potterville 6
Regional Final Prediction: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 2, Portland St. Patrick 0
Grosse Point Woods University of Liggett Regional
Teams -- Grosse Pointe Woods University of Liggett, Royal Oak Shrine, Plymouth Christian, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist
Breakdown -- With all due respect to the Plymouth Christian and Inter-City Baptist, this regional will come down to the first semifinal game between Shrine and Liggett. Liggett has simply been too tall of a task for the Knights in recent years, but if there's any year where the Knights could unseat Liggett, it could be this year. Shrine has plenty of pitching behind the arms of Connor Francek and Mike Cobbledick and that could give the Knights just enough to get by the perenial D-4 power that is Liggett. This game will come down to whether or not Shrine can generate any type of offensive production against Oakland University commitment Connor Fannon, and I think they just might be able to do that. Since the beginning of the playoffs, I have been calling for a Shrine vs. WOLL quarterfinal and I'm not going against that now as Shrine will move on.
Regional Semifinal Prediction #1: Shrine 4, Liggett 3
Regional Semifinal Prediction #2: Inter-City Baptist 7, Plymouth Christian 4
Regional Final Prediction: Shrine 7, Inter-City Baptist 3
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Loyola's McDowell, Southfield's Marshall joining forces?
Over the course of the past couple of days it has become clear that Detroit Loyola star defensive lineman Malik McDowell will be transferring out of Loyola for his senior season for unknown reasons.
Now the rumor mill is starting to spin and places are being named where the highly coveted defensive line menace could end up and one of the destinations that continues to be named over and over again has been Southfield.
That would mean that arguably the best defensive end in the state, Lawrence Marshall, who has committed to Michigan, along with the best defensive tackle in the state, McDowell, who is widely considered as the best player in the state as well, could end up playing next to one another on the defensive line this fall.
If these rumors are true, and McDowell ends up at Southfield this fall, Marshall and McDowell could help form half of what could be one of the best defensive line units that the state of Michigan has seen in the past 20 years and possibly beyond that.
Last season Marshall tallied six sacks, and over 100 tackles from his defensive end position, while McDowell racked up 16 sacks last year along with 12 in 2011 to go along with averaging 65 tackles in each of the last two seasons.
McDowell has picked up some big time offers over the course of the last couple of years, including ones from Michigan, Michigan State as well as Alabama and Florida.
Those two on the same defensive line, is just flat out scary and could make for a very, VERY, long season for quarterbacks in the OAA White this fall.
Now the rumor mill is starting to spin and places are being named where the highly coveted defensive line menace could end up and one of the destinations that continues to be named over and over again has been Southfield.
That would mean that arguably the best defensive end in the state, Lawrence Marshall, who has committed to Michigan, along with the best defensive tackle in the state, McDowell, who is widely considered as the best player in the state as well, could end up playing next to one another on the defensive line this fall.
If these rumors are true, and McDowell ends up at Southfield this fall, Marshall and McDowell could help form half of what could be one of the best defensive line units that the state of Michigan has seen in the past 20 years and possibly beyond that.
Last season Marshall tallied six sacks, and over 100 tackles from his defensive end position, while McDowell racked up 16 sacks last year along with 12 in 2011 to go along with averaging 65 tackles in each of the last two seasons.
McDowell has picked up some big time offers over the course of the last couple of years, including ones from Michigan, Michigan State as well as Alabama and Florida.
Those two on the same defensive line, is just flat out scary and could make for a very, VERY, long season for quarterbacks in the OAA White this fall.
Monday, May 6, 2013
By The Numbers -- Country Day's Keener Steps Down
When looking at Keener's body of work in his time at County Day, the numbers speak for themselves.
- 677. His 677 wins is second most in MHSAA history
- 9. Keener won nine state championships while in charge of the Country Day program, most recently this past season, and won those state titles in a number of different ways, whether it was with his team's that featured a Battier or a Webber, or his team with Ray McCallum and Amir Williams. Or this past season, where there wasn't a true star, or even one of the big near seven footers protecting the paint, but Keener and his staff, still managed to coach their way to a state title.
- 35. Keener spent 35 years as the head coach of the Yellowjackets and averaged nearly 20 wins per season.
- Zero. That's the number of state championships the Country Day basketball program won before Keener's arrival.
- 25. The number of games that Desert Mountain, the team in Arizona that Keener will take over for won last season on its way to an appearance in the state semifinals, so it's safe to say that Keener will still have a lot to work with out west.
- 25. The number of games that Desert Mountain, the team in Arizona that Keener will take over for won last season on its way to an appearance in the state semifinals, so it's safe to say that Keener will still have a lot to work with out west.
- Lastly, there's not an exact number for this, but the number of college and NBA players Keener helped produce from Country Day is too high to keep track of, which is a tribute to the job that Keener and his has done in the past 35 years.
The timing was right for Keener to leave Country Day for a number of different reasons, but most importantly, it was for family reasons because Keener and his wife are heading to Arizona to be closer to their son who is in Arizona for college and for the job at Desert Mountain was probably too good to pass up. Also, it's very fitting that arguably the most successful coach in MHSAA history gets to go out on top after winning his ninth state title less than two months ago.
The timing was right for Keener to leave Country Day for a number of different reasons, but most importantly, it was for family reasons because Keener and his wife are heading to Arizona to be closer to their son who is in Arizona for college and for the job at Desert Mountain was probably too good to pass up. Also, it's very fitting that arguably the most successful coach in MHSAA history gets to go out on top after winning his ninth state title less than two months ago.
Country Day cannot replace Keener, the amount of wins and state titles the Yellowjackets had in his time wont be matched for a very long time, and expecting Keener's successor to do so would be unfair. However, the best person to be Keener's successor is his top assistant, Rick Palmer, who is one of the top X's and O's coaches in the state.
What will help Palmer's case in the Country Day coaching search is the support he will have from the returning Country Day players as well as the support from the player's families. But possibly the most important support that Palmer will likely have is the support from Keener, who will likely give his full endorsement to his top assistant, and support like that cannot go ignored in the coaching search, and it likely won't.
Country Day should take its time to find its next coach and should open up its coaching search to a number of in-state and possibly out of state applicants. The list of qualified coaches trying to land the job that is arguably the best coaching job in the state of Michigan will be long and there will be several names that should be taken under serious consideration. Names that could fly under the radar for the job at Country Day could be Mike Massucci, who is the current head coach at Royal Oak, and Fred Massey, who played a big role in the development of several of County Day's big men.
What will help Palmer's case in the Country Day coaching search is the support he will have from the returning Country Day players as well as the support from the player's families. But possibly the most important support that Palmer will likely have is the support from Keener, who will likely give his full endorsement to his top assistant, and support like that cannot go ignored in the coaching search, and it likely won't.
Country Day should take its time to find its next coach and should open up its coaching search to a number of in-state and possibly out of state applicants. The list of qualified coaches trying to land the job that is arguably the best coaching job in the state of Michigan will be long and there will be several names that should be taken under serious consideration. Names that could fly under the radar for the job at Country Day could be Mike Massucci, who is the current head coach at Royal Oak, and Fred Massey, who played a big role in the development of several of County Day's big men.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Bloomfield Hills High School Names Graves as Head Basketball Coach
Over the course of the past few years Bloomfield Hills Lahser has seen its basketball program go to new heights behind the trio of Yante Maten, Armand Cartwright and Khalil Gracey, along with head coach Duane Graves..
But with Lahser merging with Bloomfield Hills Andover to form the new Bloomfield Hills high school starting next year, there was some doubt that the junior trio along with Graves would still be together as the Blackhawks opened up their coaching search which rumored to come down to Graves and Andover head coach Jeff Rubin.
But as of Friday morning it was rumored that Graves had received and accepted the job offer to be the head coach of the Bloomfield Hills Blackhawks, however Bloomfield Hills Schools only said that the job had been offered to Graves.
Graves later confirmed that he received the job on twitter.
Since Graves took over for Lahser back in 2011, the Knights have been one of the fastest rising basketball programs in Oakland County as the Knights have won both district and league titles in each of the past two seasons, and made a trip to the regional final in this past season.
Keeping Graves was the right choice for Bloomfield Hills considering that in just a couple of years, Graves helped turn things around in a hurry for Lahser as he helped lead the Knights to a pair of district titles after they had a drought of over 10 years. The hiring also made a lot of sense because Graves has helped develop the Knights with the core of Maten, Cartwright and Gracey and has now helped put the Blackhawks into a position where they could be serious contenders to make an appearance at the Breslin Center for next year's state finals.
This is no knock on Rubin, who proved to be one of the area's top coaches over the past couple of years as well in his time with Andover as he helped lead the Barons to an 11-10 record. There's no doubt in my mind that Rubin will once again be on the sidelines, helping lead another strong team in the area.
Next season, the Knights will have high expectations as they will return the soon-to-be senior trio as well as a number of other steady contributors that suited up for the Barons and Knights last season.
But with Lahser merging with Bloomfield Hills Andover to form the new Bloomfield Hills high school starting next year, there was some doubt that the junior trio along with Graves would still be together as the Blackhawks opened up their coaching search which rumored to come down to Graves and Andover head coach Jeff Rubin.
But as of Friday morning it was rumored that Graves had received and accepted the job offer to be the head coach of the Bloomfield Hills Blackhawks, however Bloomfield Hills Schools only said that the job had been offered to Graves.
Graves later confirmed that he received the job on twitter.
I'm pleased to announce that I have been name varsity boys basketball coach for the Bloomfield Hills Black Hawks Thanks for all the support
— Lahser Knights Bball (@LahserKnightsBB) April 19, 2013
Since Graves took over for Lahser back in 2011, the Knights have been one of the fastest rising basketball programs in Oakland County as the Knights have won both district and league titles in each of the past two seasons, and made a trip to the regional final in this past season.
Keeping Graves was the right choice for Bloomfield Hills considering that in just a couple of years, Graves helped turn things around in a hurry for Lahser as he helped lead the Knights to a pair of district titles after they had a drought of over 10 years. The hiring also made a lot of sense because Graves has helped develop the Knights with the core of Maten, Cartwright and Gracey and has now helped put the Blackhawks into a position where they could be serious contenders to make an appearance at the Breslin Center for next year's state finals.
This is no knock on Rubin, who proved to be one of the area's top coaches over the past couple of years as well in his time with Andover as he helped lead the Barons to an 11-10 record. There's no doubt in my mind that Rubin will once again be on the sidelines, helping lead another strong team in the area.
Next season, the Knights will have high expectations as they will return the soon-to-be senior trio as well as a number of other steady contributors that suited up for the Barons and Knights last season.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Oakland County Softball Preview - Top Players
1. Haley Zemmer - Troy Athens
Zemmer is arguably the area's best pitcher, but what gives her the edge over some of the other players in Oakland County is her ability to not only dominate in the circle, but her ability to dominate in the batter's box as well. Zemmer finished last year with an ERA of just over 1.00 and struck out a whopping 323 batters while tallying 31 wins. Offensively, she was nearly just as good as Zemmer hit nearly .500 on the season, while driving in almost 50 runs. Zemmer is already committed to play for Oakland..
2. Sarah Gutknecht - Farmington
Without a doubt the best offensive player that Oakland County has to offer, Gutknecht makes it look easy at the plate as she hit just under .600 last season in her junior campaign, while driving in and scoring 30 runs. Gutknecht is also one of the area's top defensive players as you will rarely, if ever, see her make an error at her shortstop position. Gutknecht has signed to play for Michigan State.
3. Selena Hicks - Lakeland
Hicks is the second half of the argument when it comes down to the best pitcher in Oakland County as she's proven to be an ace since she started pitching for the Eagles. Hicks finished with a 16-3 record last season in the circle for the Eagles as she helped lead Lakeland to Battle Creek after going 23-5 with an ERA of just over 1.00 in her sophomore campaign.
4. Sydney Heath - Troy
It's not often you find someone who hasn't played a specific sport on the high school scene for two years, but still manages to earn a scholarship offer to play that sport. But that's exactly the case for Heath, who spent the last couple of years as a star on the Troy track and field squad, but will play softball for the Colts after receiving and accepting an offer to play for Michigan State. Look for Heath to be a steady force in the Troy lineup, while also being one of the best defensive outfielders that Oakland County has to offer.
5. Jordan Lennington - Birmingham Seaholm
Lennington has been as consistent as it gets over the past four years for the Maples, as she's entering her fourth year as a starter for Seaholm. Last season, Lennington hit over .500 and almost 30 RBI in her junior season, while hitting three home runs and five triples, but what might be the most impressive stat from last season for Lennington was the fact that she struck out just two times all season long.
6. Sydney Hasselbach - Clarkston
The most imposing power threat in Oakland County, Hasselbach has the ability to change the outlook of a game with just one swing. Last season Hasselbach hit over 10 home runs and drove in over 60 runs while hitting .546 in the middle of the Clarkston lineup. Look for the senior catcher to do plenty of damage from behind the plate as well as she's proven to be one of the best when it comes to slowing down opposing running attacks.
7. Kelly Merkle - Lakeland
Merkle is another power hitter that will likely give opposing teams nightmares after her big season in 2012. Look for Merkle to help solidify a dangerous Lakeland lineup from the middle of the order and will have plenty of opportunities to pick up the RBI this season. Last year, Merkle hit over .500 for the Eagles as she helped lead the Eagles to a somewhat surprising season, which ended in Battle Creek.
8. Jackie Murphy - Farmington Hills Mercy
Murphy has some big shoes to fill this season as she'll replace Kayce Nieto as the ace of the Mercy pitching staff and she'll likely do some serious damage for the Marlins in the circle this year. Look for a big season from Murphy offensively as well as she proved to be one of the most consistent and lethal hitters that Oakland County had to offer last season.
9. Madison Burgess - Lakeland
Burgess is as good as it gets when it comes to lead-off hitters as she had a monstrous sophomore season last year and figures to do much of the same in her junior year this season. Last season Burgess hit over .450 and had an on-base percentage of .525 while proving to be arguably the best base-stealing threat in the county after swiping nearly 40 bases last year.
10. Zoe Schmerin - Birmingham Groves
Schmerin can flat out hit the ball as well as anyone in Oakland County as she's proven to be able to hit for both power and average and is one of, if not the best defensive catcher in the area. Last year, Schmerin hit well over .500 in her junior campaign, while also tallying two home runs and hitting 45 RBI to help lead the offensive attack for the Falcons and you can expect more of the same out of the senior catcher this season as well.
11. Devon Schomberg - Waterford Mott
One of the best when it comes to finding ways to get hitters out and is capable of striking out just about anybody, at any time.
12. Meg Tarrance - Farmington Hills Mercy
One of the leaders of the Mercy squad and has proven to be an offensive threat over the last couple of years in the middle of the Marlin's batting order.
13. Rachel Waynick - Waterford Mott
Will miss some time early on because of a torn ACL, but when she returns near midseason will likely pick up where she left off as one of the top hitters in the area, capable of getting on base at any time.
14. Jessica Mehr - South Lyon
It's almost impossible to keep Mehr off the base-paths, especially after last season where she hit nearly .600 as a sophomore and should do more of the same this year.
15. Madeline Maday - Clarkston
One of the rising stars of the circle, Maday was flat out dominant in her freshman campaign as she posted an ERA just north of .90 and struck out almost 230 batters.
16. Sydney Jones - South Lyon East
Another player who is one of the area's fastest rising players, Jones had a dominant season in 2012, and will look to have yet another strong season in her junior campaign.
17. Alicia Gronowski - Lake Orion
Gronowski has proven to do just about everything for the Dragons as she is not only one of the area's best hitters, but has also been a top defensive player and pitcher as well.
18. Taylor Steinhelper - Waterford Kettering
One of the best top of the order hitters out there, Steinhelper has proven she can get on base with the best of them after hitting .470 last year and his a threat on the bases after stealing 32 bases and scoring 42 runs.
19. Carly Banchiu - Waterford Mott
Another piece to the terrific trio that Mott has to offer, Banchiu figures to have a big senior season after missing her junior campaign with a torn ACL, look for her to return to her sophomore form where she became one of the best hitters around.
20. Karissa Gawronski - Lakeland
Another Lakeland player who had a breakout season of sorts last year, Gawronski was as consistent of a No. 2 hitter as there is after posting a .495 batting average as a sophomore.
21. Nikki Wald - North Farmington
Should help lead the offensive attack for the Raiders after hitting nearly .500 with 45 runs last year and is also a top notch defender at her third base position.
22. Kaitlyn Kendall - North Farmington
Will help solidify the middle of the North Farmington lineup as she's shown she can be one of the best around when it comes to driving in runs after tallying 44 RBI in her junior seasons.
23. Mackenzie Norton - Waterford Kettering
The ace of the Captains pitching staff, Norton picked up 25 wins in her sophomore season should be dominant once again this year and should be one of the main hitters in the Kettering order.
24. Anika Wiesinger - Lakeland
Wiesinger is as good of an ace as there is in Oakland County, but is the No. 2 pitcher on the Lakeland staff. As a junior, Wiesinger picked up 20 wins in the circle last season and pitching along with Selena Hicks should prove to be a dominant 1-2 punch for the Eagles this year.
25. Megan Keller - North Farmington
Keller should be another consistent bat in the middle of the Raider's order after posting a .463 batting average and had five home runs along with 33 RBI as a sophomore.
15 More To Keep An Eye On (NO ORDER)
1. Autumn Cervantez - Oxford
2. Cori Mittelbrun - Troy
3. Julie Malear - Lake Orion
4. Taylor Krumm - Walled Lake Central
5. Veronica Dyer - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
6. Emma Colegrove - Waterford Kettering
7. Maggie Vosler - Southfield Christian
8. Angie Mastromatteo - Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes/Clarkston Everest
9. Kelly McCassland - Rochester Adams
10. Erika Meyers - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
11. Katelyn Hendershott - Ortonville Brandon
12. Elizabeth Carlson - Farmington Hills Mercy
13. Mamie Talty - Birmingham Groves
14. Verca Barnwell - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
15. Lexi Hamilton - Birmingham Seaholm
Zemmer is arguably the area's best pitcher, but what gives her the edge over some of the other players in Oakland County is her ability to not only dominate in the circle, but her ability to dominate in the batter's box as well. Zemmer finished last year with an ERA of just over 1.00 and struck out a whopping 323 batters while tallying 31 wins. Offensively, she was nearly just as good as Zemmer hit nearly .500 on the season, while driving in almost 50 runs. Zemmer is already committed to play for Oakland..
2. Sarah Gutknecht - Farmington
Without a doubt the best offensive player that Oakland County has to offer, Gutknecht makes it look easy at the plate as she hit just under .600 last season in her junior campaign, while driving in and scoring 30 runs. Gutknecht is also one of the area's top defensive players as you will rarely, if ever, see her make an error at her shortstop position. Gutknecht has signed to play for Michigan State.
3. Selena Hicks - Lakeland
Hicks is the second half of the argument when it comes down to the best pitcher in Oakland County as she's proven to be an ace since she started pitching for the Eagles. Hicks finished with a 16-3 record last season in the circle for the Eagles as she helped lead Lakeland to Battle Creek after going 23-5 with an ERA of just over 1.00 in her sophomore campaign.
4. Sydney Heath - Troy
It's not often you find someone who hasn't played a specific sport on the high school scene for two years, but still manages to earn a scholarship offer to play that sport. But that's exactly the case for Heath, who spent the last couple of years as a star on the Troy track and field squad, but will play softball for the Colts after receiving and accepting an offer to play for Michigan State. Look for Heath to be a steady force in the Troy lineup, while also being one of the best defensive outfielders that Oakland County has to offer.
5. Jordan Lennington - Birmingham Seaholm
Lennington has been as consistent as it gets over the past four years for the Maples, as she's entering her fourth year as a starter for Seaholm. Last season, Lennington hit over .500 and almost 30 RBI in her junior season, while hitting three home runs and five triples, but what might be the most impressive stat from last season for Lennington was the fact that she struck out just two times all season long.
6. Sydney Hasselbach - Clarkston
The most imposing power threat in Oakland County, Hasselbach has the ability to change the outlook of a game with just one swing. Last season Hasselbach hit over 10 home runs and drove in over 60 runs while hitting .546 in the middle of the Clarkston lineup. Look for the senior catcher to do plenty of damage from behind the plate as well as she's proven to be one of the best when it comes to slowing down opposing running attacks.
7. Kelly Merkle - Lakeland
Merkle is another power hitter that will likely give opposing teams nightmares after her big season in 2012. Look for Merkle to help solidify a dangerous Lakeland lineup from the middle of the order and will have plenty of opportunities to pick up the RBI this season. Last year, Merkle hit over .500 for the Eagles as she helped lead the Eagles to a somewhat surprising season, which ended in Battle Creek.
8. Jackie Murphy - Farmington Hills Mercy
Murphy has some big shoes to fill this season as she'll replace Kayce Nieto as the ace of the Mercy pitching staff and she'll likely do some serious damage for the Marlins in the circle this year. Look for a big season from Murphy offensively as well as she proved to be one of the most consistent and lethal hitters that Oakland County had to offer last season.
9. Madison Burgess - Lakeland
Burgess is as good as it gets when it comes to lead-off hitters as she had a monstrous sophomore season last year and figures to do much of the same in her junior year this season. Last season Burgess hit over .450 and had an on-base percentage of .525 while proving to be arguably the best base-stealing threat in the county after swiping nearly 40 bases last year.
10. Zoe Schmerin - Birmingham Groves
Schmerin can flat out hit the ball as well as anyone in Oakland County as she's proven to be able to hit for both power and average and is one of, if not the best defensive catcher in the area. Last year, Schmerin hit well over .500 in her junior campaign, while also tallying two home runs and hitting 45 RBI to help lead the offensive attack for the Falcons and you can expect more of the same out of the senior catcher this season as well.
11. Devon Schomberg - Waterford Mott
One of the best when it comes to finding ways to get hitters out and is capable of striking out just about anybody, at any time.
12. Meg Tarrance - Farmington Hills Mercy
One of the leaders of the Mercy squad and has proven to be an offensive threat over the last couple of years in the middle of the Marlin's batting order.
13. Rachel Waynick - Waterford Mott
Will miss some time early on because of a torn ACL, but when she returns near midseason will likely pick up where she left off as one of the top hitters in the area, capable of getting on base at any time.
14. Jessica Mehr - South Lyon
It's almost impossible to keep Mehr off the base-paths, especially after last season where she hit nearly .600 as a sophomore and should do more of the same this year.
15. Madeline Maday - Clarkston
One of the rising stars of the circle, Maday was flat out dominant in her freshman campaign as she posted an ERA just north of .90 and struck out almost 230 batters.
16. Sydney Jones - South Lyon East
Another player who is one of the area's fastest rising players, Jones had a dominant season in 2012, and will look to have yet another strong season in her junior campaign.
17. Alicia Gronowski - Lake Orion
Gronowski has proven to do just about everything for the Dragons as she is not only one of the area's best hitters, but has also been a top defensive player and pitcher as well.
18. Taylor Steinhelper - Waterford Kettering
One of the best top of the order hitters out there, Steinhelper has proven she can get on base with the best of them after hitting .470 last year and his a threat on the bases after stealing 32 bases and scoring 42 runs.
19. Carly Banchiu - Waterford Mott
Another piece to the terrific trio that Mott has to offer, Banchiu figures to have a big senior season after missing her junior campaign with a torn ACL, look for her to return to her sophomore form where she became one of the best hitters around.
20. Karissa Gawronski - Lakeland
Another Lakeland player who had a breakout season of sorts last year, Gawronski was as consistent of a No. 2 hitter as there is after posting a .495 batting average as a sophomore.
21. Nikki Wald - North Farmington
Should help lead the offensive attack for the Raiders after hitting nearly .500 with 45 runs last year and is also a top notch defender at her third base position.
22. Kaitlyn Kendall - North Farmington
Will help solidify the middle of the North Farmington lineup as she's shown she can be one of the best around when it comes to driving in runs after tallying 44 RBI in her junior seasons.
23. Mackenzie Norton - Waterford Kettering
The ace of the Captains pitching staff, Norton picked up 25 wins in her sophomore season should be dominant once again this year and should be one of the main hitters in the Kettering order.
24. Anika Wiesinger - Lakeland
Wiesinger is as good of an ace as there is in Oakland County, but is the No. 2 pitcher on the Lakeland staff. As a junior, Wiesinger picked up 20 wins in the circle last season and pitching along with Selena Hicks should prove to be a dominant 1-2 punch for the Eagles this year.
25. Megan Keller - North Farmington
Keller should be another consistent bat in the middle of the Raider's order after posting a .463 batting average and had five home runs along with 33 RBI as a sophomore.
15 More To Keep An Eye On (NO ORDER)
1. Autumn Cervantez - Oxford
2. Cori Mittelbrun - Troy
3. Julie Malear - Lake Orion
4. Taylor Krumm - Walled Lake Central
5. Veronica Dyer - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
6. Emma Colegrove - Waterford Kettering
7. Maggie Vosler - Southfield Christian
8. Angie Mastromatteo - Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes/Clarkston Everest
9. Kelly McCassland - Rochester Adams
10. Erika Meyers - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
11. Katelyn Hendershott - Ortonville Brandon
12. Elizabeth Carlson - Farmington Hills Mercy
13. Mamie Talty - Birmingham Groves
14. Verca Barnwell - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
15. Lexi Hamilton - Birmingham Seaholm
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Oakland County Baseball Preview - Top Players
1. Matt Ruppenthal - Birmingham Brother Rice
Ruppenthal was as dominant as it gets in his freshman and sophomore campaigns and only figures to get better in the next two seasons on the mound for the Warriors. The junior ace finished last year with an ERA of under 1.00 and averaged about 1.5 strikeouts per inning last year and will help lead the way for a loaded but youthful Brother Rice squad this year which has its eyes on a state title. Ruppenthal has already committed to play for perennial college power Vanderbilt.
2. Nick Deeg - Lake Orion
The OC's "Big Unit," Deeg is the definition of a power lefty who can carve batters up, or just simply overpower them. Last year Deeg averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning and finished with an ERA of just a hair over 2.00 and should have another big year as one of the two aces for the Dragons. The senior will also be one of the most dangerous hitters in Oakland County this year as well as he hit over .400 last year and drove in just under 40 runs in his junior campaign. Deeg has signed with Central Michigan.
3. Brad Schaenzer - Lake Orion
Speaking of dominant lefties, Schaenzer is another Lake Orion left handed hurler that can shut down opposing offensive attacks. Much like Deeg, Schazenzer had an ERA just over 2.00, while tallying nine wins last season and showed the ability to rack up the strikeouts at any given time. Schaenzer has continued to pick up some big time D-1 offers and the 1-2 punch of him and Deeg could help lead the Dragons to Battle Creek this year.
4. Sterling Sharp - North Farmington
Whenever Sharp is on the mound for the Raiders, it's almost a guarantee that North Farmington will pick up the win after the senior hurler went a perfect 7-0 as a junior last year with an ERA south of 2.00. Sharp is committed to Eastern Michigan, but could be one of a handful of Oakland County players who could be drafted in the MLB draft.
5. Garrett Schilling - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Only a junior this year, but in the past two seasons Schilling has become one of the best aces in Oakland County this season. In his freshman and sophomore seasons, Schilling has yet to lose a game on the mound for the Ventures as he's posted a 15-0 record while playing a key role on the back-to-back Division 3 state championship teams at Bishop Foley. The junior ace is also a dangerous hitter and is an outstanding defensive shortstop as well.
6. Johnny Slater - Southfield-Lathrup
Slater is already arguably the best player in Southfield-Lathrup history after hitting almost .600 in his junior season last year. This year you can expect more of the same from the Charger's star as he figures to be not only one of the best hitters in the area, but he's also an excellent defender in the outfield and will once again be the ace of the Southfield-Lathrup staff. Slater has signed to play for Michigan in college.
7. Connor Mohr - Farmington
Mohr has shown over the last few years that he can do just about everything as the Michigan State commit has proven to be a stellar defensive player and has been an ace on the Falcon pitching staff. Mohr is also a big time hitter and a speedster on the base-paths as he continued to rack up the triples and steals in his junior season which got him serious recognition from D-1 colleges.
8. Grant Reuss - Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Another Oakland County pitcher that can impose his will on hitters as Reuss has a lethal fastball that can blow batters away and also has the off-speed pitches to fool hitters as well. Reuss fanned a number of batters last season in his sophomore campaign and should continue to pile up the strikeouts in his junior season. Reuss has already committed to play for Michigan at the next level.
9. Dazon Cole - Pontiac
Much like Slater, Cole is arguably the best player in Pontiac history, and will have a chance to solidify that in his final two year of high school. Cole is as good of an ace as there is out there as he had an ERA under 1.00 as a sophomore last season and averaged more than a strikeout per inning. The junior is also a dangerous offensive player after hitting over .400 in his sophomore season and is a defensively sound shortstop as well. Cole has committed to play for Central Michigan.
10. Andrew Gonzalez - Walled Lake Western
Gonzalez is the definition of a fireballer, a pitcher who can just blow hitters away with his fastball and also knows how to put hitters away with some of his off-speed pitches as well. After sitting behind Cam Vieaux and Jason Gamble in the rotation last year, Gonzalez will step into the role of being the Warrior's ace this season. Look for Gonzalez to be a key contributor in the Western lineup as well as he's proven to be a dangerous hitter as well. The junior has already committed to play for Michigan State.
11. Nik Heglin - Walled Lake Western
Heglin is as pure of a hitter as you're going to find as he's been a .500 hitter in each of the last two seasons and we'll likely see more of the same in his senior season this year. Heglin is also a standout defensively as he's made big time plays from the outfield with his glove and can get to just about any ball hit in his general direction with his speed. Heglin hasn't committed as of yet, but could start to see the offers start to pile up late, like his former teammate Cam Vieaux saw last season.
12. Ty Kiafoulis - Birmingham Brother Rice
Arguably the most powerful bat in the county this season, Kiafoulis can flat out punish opposing pitching on at almost any time and against almost any pitch. This year, Kiafoulis will be one of the few veteran presences on this year's Warriors squad as he will be playing in his third season at the varsity level. Kiafoulis recently committed to play for Michigan.
13. Nick Plummer - Birmingham Brother Rice
Plummer is the definition of a 5-tool player as the Brother Rice star soph proved in his freshman season that he can do it all. A very good hitter who can hit for average and power and is a legitimate threat to swipe a bag at any time and is one of the best outfield defenders you're going to find in terms of his glove as well as his arm.
14. Nate Morris - Oxford
Another fireballer with a live arm that Oakland County has to offer this season, whenever Morris is pitching for Oxford, the Wildcats have a better than good chance to win because of the junior ace's ability to shut down opposing bats. Morris has verbally committed to play for Michigan State.
15. Mike Azzopardi - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
Azzopardi proved that he could do it all last season as a junior, showing the ability to be one of the most consistent bats that Oakland County had to offer, hitting just under .500 for the season, while also flashing the leather several times in the field as well. Look for Azzopardi to take over the Country Day pitching staff as well as the senior could step into the role of being the Yellowjackets' ace this spring.
16. Nick Bredeson - Bloomfield Hills Andover
It's not often you see a Division one commit transfer into a school, but that's exactly what Andover saw this season. Bredeson, who spent the last few seasons at Brother Rice and caught the eye of several college scouts while led to him receiving and accepting an offer to play for Ohio. Look for Bredeson to help manage an Andover pitching staff which should be good once again this year.
17. Will Salter - Orchard Lake St. Mary's
Salter, much like Bredeson, is a stellar defensive catcher that will not only does a good job of helping pitching staffs, but also makes life hard for opposing base-stealers. Look for the junior to also do some damage offensively this year as he will look to help solidify the middle of the Eaglets batting order. Salter has committed to play for Michigan State
18. Ryan Roman - Madison Heights Lamphere
Roman can do just about everything offensive and showed that last year in his junior season where he showed he could hit for average and for power, while also proving to be one of the area's biggest base-stealing threats. Look for much of the same this year from Roman, who is also a top of the rotation pitcher for the Rams.
19. Josh Smith - Birmingham Brother Rice
One of the unknown stars that Oakland County has to offer, but is likely to have a big breakout year as he will pair with Ruppenthal to make a stellar 1-2 punch for the Warrior rotation. Smith, a lefty, obviously shined in the high school offseason and during the summer where he pitched so well that he earned a scholarship offer from Kentucky, which he later accepted.
20. Nate Grys - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Grys, who was a key contributor for the Ventures in their state championship run, has proven to be a lethal hitter in the Bishop Foley lineup, and made opposing teams pay all year long from his No. 9 spot in the order. Grys, who's committed to Western Michigan, figures to only get better in the next three seasons at Bishop Foley.
21. Marlon Pruitt - Bloomfield Hills Andover
Pruitt has some big shoes to fill at Andover as he will look to step into the role of being the ace of the Baron's pitching staff, replacing Gabe Berman, who was the ace last season. But so far, so good for Pruit who looks like he's in midseason form as he pitched a complete game one-hitter on Tuesday as he struck out 16 Avondale batters for the win. Look for Pruitt to continue to dominate in the role of ace of the final edition of the Andover squad.
22. Brad Baldwin - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Baldwin is entering his third year as a starter for the Ventures this year, where he will be the everyday second baseman for Bishop Foley in his junior season. Baldwin has been one of the most consistent offensive and defensive players in Oakland County over the course of his career and hit .450 last year and committed just three errors as a sophomore.
23. Nick Harris - Novi Franklin Road Christian
Harris is as consistent as it gets for Franklin Road as he's shown the ability to be not only one of the most consistent and dangerous hitters around, but one of the most sure-handed players around from his shortstop position. Harris hit over .500 last season offensively for the Warriors and rarely makes any defensive mistakes in the field.
24. Trevor Bonnivier/Todd Bonnivier - Waterford Mott
The brotherly duo makes up one of, if not the best 1-2 punch on the left side of the infield as Trevor handles the duties at third base, while Todd holds down shortstop. Last season, Trevor batted nearly .450 last season, while Todd hit well over .300 and both hit over 25 RBI to help lead the offensive attack for the Corsairs.
25. Nick Mazzone - Clarkston
Mazzone is a flat-out speed demon on the base-paths and uses that same speed to track down just about any ball hit his way in the outfield. Mazzone hit over .450 last season in his junior season and also swiped 20 bases as well and will help solidify the Clarkston lineup this spring.
15 More players to keep an eye on (NO ORDER)
1. Tyler Thompson - Farmington
2. Michael Hodgins - Orchard Lake St. Mary's
3. Brett Gustafson - Walled Lake Central
4. Randy Righter - Birmingham Brother Rice
5. Ryan Lambrecht - Lake Orion
6. Julian Jones - Orchard Lake St. Mary's
7. Alex Malzone - Birmingham Brother Rice
8. Jack Flynn - Lakeland
9. Austin Lukaschewski - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
10. Nick Vogelmeier - Lake Orion
11. David Walczyk - Walled Lake Western
12. Cole Lubin - Walled Lake Northern
13. Nate Wierzgac - Novi Detroit Catholic Central
14. Ian Kobernick - Berkley
15. Billy Malak - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Ruppenthal was as dominant as it gets in his freshman and sophomore campaigns and only figures to get better in the next two seasons on the mound for the Warriors. The junior ace finished last year with an ERA of under 1.00 and averaged about 1.5 strikeouts per inning last year and will help lead the way for a loaded but youthful Brother Rice squad this year which has its eyes on a state title. Ruppenthal has already committed to play for perennial college power Vanderbilt.
2. Nick Deeg - Lake Orion
The OC's "Big Unit," Deeg is the definition of a power lefty who can carve batters up, or just simply overpower them. Last year Deeg averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning and finished with an ERA of just a hair over 2.00 and should have another big year as one of the two aces for the Dragons. The senior will also be one of the most dangerous hitters in Oakland County this year as well as he hit over .400 last year and drove in just under 40 runs in his junior campaign. Deeg has signed with Central Michigan.
3. Brad Schaenzer - Lake Orion
Speaking of dominant lefties, Schaenzer is another Lake Orion left handed hurler that can shut down opposing offensive attacks. Much like Deeg, Schazenzer had an ERA just over 2.00, while tallying nine wins last season and showed the ability to rack up the strikeouts at any given time. Schaenzer has continued to pick up some big time D-1 offers and the 1-2 punch of him and Deeg could help lead the Dragons to Battle Creek this year.
4. Sterling Sharp - North Farmington
Whenever Sharp is on the mound for the Raiders, it's almost a guarantee that North Farmington will pick up the win after the senior hurler went a perfect 7-0 as a junior last year with an ERA south of 2.00. Sharp is committed to Eastern Michigan, but could be one of a handful of Oakland County players who could be drafted in the MLB draft.
5. Garrett Schilling - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Only a junior this year, but in the past two seasons Schilling has become one of the best aces in Oakland County this season. In his freshman and sophomore seasons, Schilling has yet to lose a game on the mound for the Ventures as he's posted a 15-0 record while playing a key role on the back-to-back Division 3 state championship teams at Bishop Foley. The junior ace is also a dangerous hitter and is an outstanding defensive shortstop as well.
6. Johnny Slater - Southfield-Lathrup
Slater is already arguably the best player in Southfield-Lathrup history after hitting almost .600 in his junior season last year. This year you can expect more of the same from the Charger's star as he figures to be not only one of the best hitters in the area, but he's also an excellent defender in the outfield and will once again be the ace of the Southfield-Lathrup staff. Slater has signed to play for Michigan in college.
7. Connor Mohr - Farmington
Mohr has shown over the last few years that he can do just about everything as the Michigan State commit has proven to be a stellar defensive player and has been an ace on the Falcon pitching staff. Mohr is also a big time hitter and a speedster on the base-paths as he continued to rack up the triples and steals in his junior season which got him serious recognition from D-1 colleges.
8. Grant Reuss - Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Another Oakland County pitcher that can impose his will on hitters as Reuss has a lethal fastball that can blow batters away and also has the off-speed pitches to fool hitters as well. Reuss fanned a number of batters last season in his sophomore campaign and should continue to pile up the strikeouts in his junior season. Reuss has already committed to play for Michigan at the next level.
9. Dazon Cole - Pontiac
Much like Slater, Cole is arguably the best player in Pontiac history, and will have a chance to solidify that in his final two year of high school. Cole is as good of an ace as there is out there as he had an ERA under 1.00 as a sophomore last season and averaged more than a strikeout per inning. The junior is also a dangerous offensive player after hitting over .400 in his sophomore season and is a defensively sound shortstop as well. Cole has committed to play for Central Michigan.
10. Andrew Gonzalez - Walled Lake Western
Gonzalez is the definition of a fireballer, a pitcher who can just blow hitters away with his fastball and also knows how to put hitters away with some of his off-speed pitches as well. After sitting behind Cam Vieaux and Jason Gamble in the rotation last year, Gonzalez will step into the role of being the Warrior's ace this season. Look for Gonzalez to be a key contributor in the Western lineup as well as he's proven to be a dangerous hitter as well. The junior has already committed to play for Michigan State.
11. Nik Heglin - Walled Lake Western
Heglin is as pure of a hitter as you're going to find as he's been a .500 hitter in each of the last two seasons and we'll likely see more of the same in his senior season this year. Heglin is also a standout defensively as he's made big time plays from the outfield with his glove and can get to just about any ball hit in his general direction with his speed. Heglin hasn't committed as of yet, but could start to see the offers start to pile up late, like his former teammate Cam Vieaux saw last season.
12. Ty Kiafoulis - Birmingham Brother Rice
Arguably the most powerful bat in the county this season, Kiafoulis can flat out punish opposing pitching on at almost any time and against almost any pitch. This year, Kiafoulis will be one of the few veteran presences on this year's Warriors squad as he will be playing in his third season at the varsity level. Kiafoulis recently committed to play for Michigan.
13. Nick Plummer - Birmingham Brother Rice
Plummer is the definition of a 5-tool player as the Brother Rice star soph proved in his freshman season that he can do it all. A very good hitter who can hit for average and power and is a legitimate threat to swipe a bag at any time and is one of the best outfield defenders you're going to find in terms of his glove as well as his arm.
14. Nate Morris - Oxford
Another fireballer with a live arm that Oakland County has to offer this season, whenever Morris is pitching for Oxford, the Wildcats have a better than good chance to win because of the junior ace's ability to shut down opposing bats. Morris has verbally committed to play for Michigan State.
15. Mike Azzopardi - Birmingham Detroit Country Day
Azzopardi proved that he could do it all last season as a junior, showing the ability to be one of the most consistent bats that Oakland County had to offer, hitting just under .500 for the season, while also flashing the leather several times in the field as well. Look for Azzopardi to take over the Country Day pitching staff as well as the senior could step into the role of being the Yellowjackets' ace this spring.
16. Nick Bredeson - Bloomfield Hills Andover
It's not often you see a Division one commit transfer into a school, but that's exactly what Andover saw this season. Bredeson, who spent the last few seasons at Brother Rice and caught the eye of several college scouts while led to him receiving and accepting an offer to play for Ohio. Look for Bredeson to help manage an Andover pitching staff which should be good once again this year.
17. Will Salter - Orchard Lake St. Mary's
Salter, much like Bredeson, is a stellar defensive catcher that will not only does a good job of helping pitching staffs, but also makes life hard for opposing base-stealers. Look for the junior to also do some damage offensively this year as he will look to help solidify the middle of the Eaglets batting order. Salter has committed to play for Michigan State
18. Ryan Roman - Madison Heights Lamphere
Roman can do just about everything offensive and showed that last year in his junior season where he showed he could hit for average and for power, while also proving to be one of the area's biggest base-stealing threats. Look for much of the same this year from Roman, who is also a top of the rotation pitcher for the Rams.
19. Josh Smith - Birmingham Brother Rice
One of the unknown stars that Oakland County has to offer, but is likely to have a big breakout year as he will pair with Ruppenthal to make a stellar 1-2 punch for the Warrior rotation. Smith, a lefty, obviously shined in the high school offseason and during the summer where he pitched so well that he earned a scholarship offer from Kentucky, which he later accepted.
20. Nate Grys - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Grys, who was a key contributor for the Ventures in their state championship run, has proven to be a lethal hitter in the Bishop Foley lineup, and made opposing teams pay all year long from his No. 9 spot in the order. Grys, who's committed to Western Michigan, figures to only get better in the next three seasons at Bishop Foley.
21. Marlon Pruitt - Bloomfield Hills Andover
Pruitt has some big shoes to fill at Andover as he will look to step into the role of being the ace of the Baron's pitching staff, replacing Gabe Berman, who was the ace last season. But so far, so good for Pruit who looks like he's in midseason form as he pitched a complete game one-hitter on Tuesday as he struck out 16 Avondale batters for the win. Look for Pruitt to continue to dominate in the role of ace of the final edition of the Andover squad.
22. Brad Baldwin - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Baldwin is entering his third year as a starter for the Ventures this year, where he will be the everyday second baseman for Bishop Foley in his junior season. Baldwin has been one of the most consistent offensive and defensive players in Oakland County over the course of his career and hit .450 last year and committed just three errors as a sophomore.
23. Nick Harris - Novi Franklin Road Christian
Harris is as consistent as it gets for Franklin Road as he's shown the ability to be not only one of the most consistent and dangerous hitters around, but one of the most sure-handed players around from his shortstop position. Harris hit over .500 last season offensively for the Warriors and rarely makes any defensive mistakes in the field.
24. Trevor Bonnivier/Todd Bonnivier - Waterford Mott
The brotherly duo makes up one of, if not the best 1-2 punch on the left side of the infield as Trevor handles the duties at third base, while Todd holds down shortstop. Last season, Trevor batted nearly .450 last season, while Todd hit well over .300 and both hit over 25 RBI to help lead the offensive attack for the Corsairs.
25. Nick Mazzone - Clarkston
Mazzone is a flat-out speed demon on the base-paths and uses that same speed to track down just about any ball hit his way in the outfield. Mazzone hit over .450 last season in his junior season and also swiped 20 bases as well and will help solidify the Clarkston lineup this spring.
15 More players to keep an eye on (NO ORDER)
1. Tyler Thompson - Farmington
2. Michael Hodgins - Orchard Lake St. Mary's
3. Brett Gustafson - Walled Lake Central
4. Randy Righter - Birmingham Brother Rice
5. Ryan Lambrecht - Lake Orion
6. Julian Jones - Orchard Lake St. Mary's
7. Alex Malzone - Birmingham Brother Rice
8. Jack Flynn - Lakeland
9. Austin Lukaschewski - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
10. Nick Vogelmeier - Lake Orion
11. David Walczyk - Walled Lake Western
12. Cole Lubin - Walled Lake Northern
13. Nate Wierzgac - Novi Detroit Catholic Central
14. Ian Kobernick - Berkley
15. Billy Malak - Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Boys Basketball State Semifinal Predictions
Class D
Southfield Christian vs. Lansing Christian
Southfield Christian is as battle tested as it gets this year as the Eagles have found ways to beat some of the top teams in the area in Class A and B. What makes Southfield Christian's run even more impressive this year is that they have zero seniors on this year's squad and are winning like a senior-laden squad. The Eagles are finding a way to win some of the closest games possible, like a two-point win over Climax-Scotts in the quarterfinals and a come from behind win over Inter-City Baptist to win in overtime. They may not be seniors, but Bakari Evelyn, Lindsey Hunter IV and Damarco White are playing exactly like seniors so far in the playoffs, and it's a big reason why the Eagles are back at the Breslin and why they will be playing for a second straight state title on Saturday.
PREDICTION: Southfield Christian 71, Lansing Christian 64
Powers North Central vs. Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian
Tri-Unity Christian is ranked No. 1 in Class D for a reason, aside from a narrow win over Muskegon Catholic Central, the defenders have made their postseason run look pretty easy. Powers North Central has had some convincing wins of their own so far in the playoffs, but have been challenged at times during this run, and the top ranked team in Class D will be too tall of a challenge for North Central.
PREDICTION: Tri-Unity Christian 66, Powers North Central 59
Class B
Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Cadillac
Country Day is in cruise control right now as the Yellowjackets have won each of their first six playoff games by a margin of 18 points or more. What's made Country Day even more dangerous during the playoff run is that Mory Diane and Austin Price are simply shooting the lights out for the Yellowjackets, while Edmund Sumner continues to get better and better, which creates a ton of mismatches all over the court for opposing teams. Country Day doesn't have its usual "aircraft carrier," as head coach Kurt Keener puts it, roaming the paint for the Yellowjackets, but the tandem of Chris Wright and Moe Ways with Poet Thomas coming off of the bench have been the unsung heroes for Country Day all season long.
PREDICTION: Country Day 81, Cadillac 65
Detroit Community vs. Wyoming Godwin Heights
Don't let the 17-9 record fool you, Detroit Community has played a very tough schedule this year, which includes narrow losses to Southfield Christian, Detroit Pershing and Detroit Southeastern and also suffered a loss at the hands of Romulus, and all four of those teams were in the Elite 8 of the tourney and three are still alive in the Final 4. Godwin Heights will prove to be a bit of a challenge for Community, but this battle tested Hurricane's team, led by South Florida commit Byron Ziegler, will move on to the state finals.
PREDICTION: Community 74, Godwin Heights 71 in OT
Class A
Romulus vs. Grand Rapids Christian
After beating top ranked Pershing in a wild quarterfinal game on Tuesday, this Romulus team has state champion written all over it. Romulus is one of, if not the best defensive teams you're going going to find in the state, it has also shown that it can score with the best teams around and that came out against Pershing in an impressive 93-91 win. Grand Rapids Christian does have a few players that you have to look out for, including Drake Harris, but Romulus has difference makers all over the court with Wes Clark who will play for Missouri, EC Matthews, who has signed with Rhode Island, Leo Edwards, who is headed to Louisiana Tech, and Jalon Plummer who has a few offers as well. Romulus just has too much for most teams to handle and that will likely lead to a state championship.
PREDICTION: Romulus 83, Grand Rapids Christian 68
Detroit Southeastern vs. Saginaw
Detroit Southeastern managed to knock off the last Class A team from Oakland County and did an outstanding job of limiting Rochester star James Young in the quarterfinals, but Saginaw should be the toughest test of the playoffs for the Jungaleers to this point. Before its four-point quarterfinal win over Ypsilanti, the Trojans were in cruise control as they were dominating almost every team in their path.
PREDICTION: Saginaw 74, Southeastern 70
Class C
Monroe St. Mary's Catholic Central vs. Flint Beecher
This game comes down to one player in my mind, and his name happens to be Monte Morris who can also go by the name of Mr. Basketball nowadays. Morris should create all sorts of trouble for MSMCC and that should show early and often in this game. If MSMCC can limit and slow down Morris, then it will have a chance to win, but nobody's been able to do that yet this year, and Beecher will move on to the state finals.
PREDICTION: Beecher 82, MSMCC 67
Laingsburg vs. Negaunee
Both teams have shown that they can play some top notch defense, and have shown the ability to score the ball with ease in some games as well, but the difference in this game could be Negaunee's Tyler Jandron, who averages nearly 20 points per game and has led his team to a near perfect 24-1 record on the year. Laingsburg is more than capable of handing Negaunee its second loss of the season, by Jandron should help the Miners survive.
PREDICTION: Negaunee 63, Laingsburg 62 in OT
Southfield Christian vs. Lansing Christian
Southfield Christian is as battle tested as it gets this year as the Eagles have found ways to beat some of the top teams in the area in Class A and B. What makes Southfield Christian's run even more impressive this year is that they have zero seniors on this year's squad and are winning like a senior-laden squad. The Eagles are finding a way to win some of the closest games possible, like a two-point win over Climax-Scotts in the quarterfinals and a come from behind win over Inter-City Baptist to win in overtime. They may not be seniors, but Bakari Evelyn, Lindsey Hunter IV and Damarco White are playing exactly like seniors so far in the playoffs, and it's a big reason why the Eagles are back at the Breslin and why they will be playing for a second straight state title on Saturday.
PREDICTION: Southfield Christian 71, Lansing Christian 64
Powers North Central vs. Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian
Tri-Unity Christian is ranked No. 1 in Class D for a reason, aside from a narrow win over Muskegon Catholic Central, the defenders have made their postseason run look pretty easy. Powers North Central has had some convincing wins of their own so far in the playoffs, but have been challenged at times during this run, and the top ranked team in Class D will be too tall of a challenge for North Central.
PREDICTION: Tri-Unity Christian 66, Powers North Central 59
Class B
Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Cadillac
Country Day is in cruise control right now as the Yellowjackets have won each of their first six playoff games by a margin of 18 points or more. What's made Country Day even more dangerous during the playoff run is that Mory Diane and Austin Price are simply shooting the lights out for the Yellowjackets, while Edmund Sumner continues to get better and better, which creates a ton of mismatches all over the court for opposing teams. Country Day doesn't have its usual "aircraft carrier," as head coach Kurt Keener puts it, roaming the paint for the Yellowjackets, but the tandem of Chris Wright and Moe Ways with Poet Thomas coming off of the bench have been the unsung heroes for Country Day all season long.
PREDICTION: Country Day 81, Cadillac 65
Detroit Community vs. Wyoming Godwin Heights
Don't let the 17-9 record fool you, Detroit Community has played a very tough schedule this year, which includes narrow losses to Southfield Christian, Detroit Pershing and Detroit Southeastern and also suffered a loss at the hands of Romulus, and all four of those teams were in the Elite 8 of the tourney and three are still alive in the Final 4. Godwin Heights will prove to be a bit of a challenge for Community, but this battle tested Hurricane's team, led by South Florida commit Byron Ziegler, will move on to the state finals.
PREDICTION: Community 74, Godwin Heights 71 in OT
Class A
Romulus vs. Grand Rapids Christian
After beating top ranked Pershing in a wild quarterfinal game on Tuesday, this Romulus team has state champion written all over it. Romulus is one of, if not the best defensive teams you're going going to find in the state, it has also shown that it can score with the best teams around and that came out against Pershing in an impressive 93-91 win. Grand Rapids Christian does have a few players that you have to look out for, including Drake Harris, but Romulus has difference makers all over the court with Wes Clark who will play for Missouri, EC Matthews, who has signed with Rhode Island, Leo Edwards, who is headed to Louisiana Tech, and Jalon Plummer who has a few offers as well. Romulus just has too much for most teams to handle and that will likely lead to a state championship.
PREDICTION: Romulus 83, Grand Rapids Christian 68
Detroit Southeastern vs. Saginaw
Detroit Southeastern managed to knock off the last Class A team from Oakland County and did an outstanding job of limiting Rochester star James Young in the quarterfinals, but Saginaw should be the toughest test of the playoffs for the Jungaleers to this point. Before its four-point quarterfinal win over Ypsilanti, the Trojans were in cruise control as they were dominating almost every team in their path.
PREDICTION: Saginaw 74, Southeastern 70
Class C
Monroe St. Mary's Catholic Central vs. Flint Beecher
This game comes down to one player in my mind, and his name happens to be Monte Morris who can also go by the name of Mr. Basketball nowadays. Morris should create all sorts of trouble for MSMCC and that should show early and often in this game. If MSMCC can limit and slow down Morris, then it will have a chance to win, but nobody's been able to do that yet this year, and Beecher will move on to the state finals.
PREDICTION: Beecher 82, MSMCC 67
Laingsburg vs. Negaunee
Both teams have shown that they can play some top notch defense, and have shown the ability to score the ball with ease in some games as well, but the difference in this game could be Negaunee's Tyler Jandron, who averages nearly 20 points per game and has led his team to a near perfect 24-1 record on the year. Laingsburg is more than capable of handing Negaunee its second loss of the season, by Jandron should help the Miners survive.
PREDICTION: Negaunee 63, Laingsburg 62 in OT
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Boys Basketball Quarterfinals Predictions
Detroit Southeastern vs. Rochester
Breakdown -- Chances are, we're going to see a more that motivated James Young on Tuesday night, which is bad news for Southeastern. After being snubbed in the Mr. Basketball voting where he finished in 3rd place, Young might be out to make a statement on Tuesday night. Look for the Kentucky-bound star to put up a monstrous double-double, but don't forget about Arben Camaj, the second half of the Rochester front-court duo to have a big game as well as the majority of Southeastern's attention will be turned to Young throughout the game. Southeastern made it look easy in its first three postseason games and had just enough to outlast L'Anse Creuse North in the regional final, but Rochester will be the toughest test of the postseason for the Jungaleers.
X-Factor(s) -- Manny Mendoza/Mike Murri -- Rochester
Everybody knows about Rochester's ability to score and who are the top scorers for the Falcons, but Mendoza and Murri are two of the best defensive stoppers you're going to find in the tournament. Both are capable to scoring in double figures on just about any night, and they could do that on Tuesday night, but what will be the difference in the game will be the defensive play from Mendoza and Murri, should help limit a strong scoring attack from Southeastern.
Why Rochester Will Win: It's pretty simple, if Young and Camaj can continue to be double-double machines in the post for the Falcons, then it'd be pretty hard to imagine Rochester losing. If they can make life tough inside for Southeastern, Rochester will be making its first trip to the quarterfinals since 1950 a memorable one.
Everybody knows about Rochester's ability to score and who are the top scorers for the Falcons, but Mendoza and Murri are two of the best defensive stoppers you're going to find in the tournament. Both are capable to scoring in double figures on just about any night, and they could do that on Tuesday night, but what will be the difference in the game will be the defensive play from Mendoza and Murri, should help limit a strong scoring attack from Southeastern.
Why Rochester Will Win: It's pretty simple, if Young and Camaj can continue to be double-double machines in the post for the Falcons, then it'd be pretty hard to imagine Rochester losing. If they can make life tough inside for Southeastern, Rochester will be making its first trip to the quarterfinals since 1950 a memorable one.
PREDICTION: Rochester 64, Southeastern 60
Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Flint Powers Catholic
Breakdown -- This is one of the more lopsided matchups you're going to see this late in the state tournament as Flint Powers entered the postseason this year with a record of under .500, while Country Day has its record sitting at 22-3 on the season. This game should be all Country Day on Tuesday night because of the guard play as Edmund Sumner, Austin Price and Mory Diane have proven to be too much for teams to handle all season long and that shouldn't change against Flint Powers. Flint Powers has made its way to the quarterfinals for a reason, and they're not to be taken lightly on Tuesday night as they've strung together five consecutive wins to make it to this point, but as long as the Yellowjackets can continue to play like they have in recent weeks, they will be returning to the Breslin Center once again.
X-Factor(s) -- Chris Wright/Moe Ways -- Country Day
The back-court trio of Sumner, Price and Diane are the three that have and will continue to get plenty attention from opposing defenses, but Wright and Ways are just as dangerous in the post for Country Day. If Country Day can continue to get the workmanlike efforts from Wright and Ways along with Poet Thomas, the Yellowjackets will be a tough team to beat not only in the quarterfinals, but in the semifinals and finals as well.
Why Country Day Will Win: Two words: Edmond Sumner. Sumner has been on another level for the past month and it doesn't look like there's anything that can (or will) slow him down during this playoff run. Wheter it's scoring the ball, or dishing it out, Sumner has been nearly unstoppable throughout the playoffs and when he's unstoppable, so are the Yellowjackets.
The back-court trio of Sumner, Price and Diane are the three that have and will continue to get plenty attention from opposing defenses, but Wright and Ways are just as dangerous in the post for Country Day. If Country Day can continue to get the workmanlike efforts from Wright and Ways along with Poet Thomas, the Yellowjackets will be a tough team to beat not only in the quarterfinals, but in the semifinals and finals as well.
Why Country Day Will Win: Two words: Edmond Sumner. Sumner has been on another level for the past month and it doesn't look like there's anything that can (or will) slow him down during this playoff run. Wheter it's scoring the ball, or dishing it out, Sumner has been nearly unstoppable throughout the playoffs and when he's unstoppable, so are the Yellowjackets.
PREDICTION: Country Day 82, Flint Powers 66
Southfield Christian vs. Climax-Scotts
Breakdown -- A rematch of last year's Class D state title game where the Eagles beat Climax-Scotts in a blowout. This year's game should be much closer considering the fact that the Panthers will be looking for revenge after suffering a bit of an embarrassing loss in last season's championship game. A big match-up to look out for will be between Climax-Scotts 6-foot-7 forward Malachi Satterlee and Southfield Christian's Damarco White, who stands at about the same height. But the difference in this game, will be Southfield Christian guards, Bakari Evelyn and Lindsey Hunter IV, who might be the best back-court duo in all of Class D and now with junior Leonard Crosby starting to come into his own, the Eagles will be a tough team to beat in the final three games of the season.
X-Factor(s) -- Damarco White/Eugene "Marlo" Brown -- Southfield Christian
Neither of these two players were apart of Southfield Christian's state title run last season, as White was playing for Southgate Anderson, while this is Brown's freshman season. But both have played a huge role in Southfield Christian's success as they've controlled the front-court all season long, dominating on the glass, while locking down some of the best inside threats in the area. The Eagle's duo will have their hands full with Satterlee and Climax-Scotts, but if they can do just enough to limit the Panthers inside, Southfield Christian will be returning to the Breslin for a second consecutive year.
Why Southfield Christian Will Win: It's going to come down to the guard play, the back-court duo of Evelyn and Hunter IV along with Crosby should give Climax-Scotts all sorts of trouble. If that happens, look for the guards to open up the inside game for the Eagles as Brown, White and Kam Garner should make for difficult matchups all over the court because of their athleticism and ability to score inside.
PREDICTION: Southfield Christian 75, Climax-Scotts 63
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Girls Basketball Quarterfinal Predictions
Birmingham Marian vs. Grosse Pointe South (At Detroit Mercy)
Breakdown: Grosse Pointe South has won 22 straight games this season after losing the season opener to Illinois power Chicago Whitney Young, and the Blue Devils have won each of their tournament games by double digits so far. But aside from the opening game of the season for South, Marian might be the toughest test for the Blue Devils this season. Marian has continued to be one of the most consistent teams in the area, behind one of the most consistent scoring attacks around as the Mustangs have several players capable of taking over a game on both ends of the floor.
X-Factor: Kilyn Bulluck, Birmingham Marian
Bulluck has controlled the paint for the Mustangs all season long and if she is able to do that in the quarterfinal game, she should help Marian move onto the semifinals. Bulluck wont have to score a ton of points for Marian to advance, but if she can play her usual strong defense and continue to be one of, if not the best rebounder on the floor, the Mustangs will have a chance.
Why Marian Will Win: The Mustangs have had an impressive run through the playoffs so far as they had a dominant showing during district play and followed that up with a strong win over Avondale in the regional semifinals and then outlasted a tough Clarkston squad in the regional final. Look for some of the Marian young guns, like Bailey Thomas and Kara Holinski to continue their strong postseason play as the Mustangs will continue to show off their depth.
Why GPS Will Win: The record speaks for itself and it seems like the Blue Devils have only gotten stronger in the postseason and the play they've gotten out of their seniors in the playoffs has helped Grosse Pointe South make the postseason run look easy so far.
PREDICTION: Marian over Grosse Pointe South in OT
Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Flint Powers (At Yale)
Breakdown: County Day just seems like it is destined to play in the quarterfinals each and every year. Even when the Yellowjackets trailed Chandler Park by two baskets with less than 30 seconds left to play in the regional semifinals, Country Day still managed to find a way to get back to the quarterfinals. Now the Yellowjackets are looking like a safe bet to return to the Breslin Center as they should go into Tuesday's game as the prohibitive favorite. Country Day will have to find a way to slow down Charger's senior Kim Berry, who is averaging close to 15 points a game and there are two other players on the Flint Powers roster that average double-digit points per contest.
X-Factor: Asia Doss, Country Day
It's hard to say a team's star play can also be the X-factor, but as Asia Doss goes, so do the Yellowjackets, and that proved to be true in the win over Chandler Park. Trailing by four with 25 seconds left, Doss rattled off a quick four points to force overtime and the Yellowjackets rolled from there. If Doss can keep up her strong scoring ways and continue to be a distributor at point guard, Country Day shouldn't have much trouble with advancing to the semifinals.
Why Country Day Will Win: The Yellowjackets will win if their "Big 3" of Doss, Brittany Washington and Tianna Glimpse can continue their strong play, it's that simple, and that's been the case for Country Day all season long. If they can continue to score and defend like they have during the playoff run, the Yellowjackets will be back at the Breslin Center.
Why Flint Powers Will Win: Flint Powers has a "Big 3" of its own with Berry, Michela Coury and Ally Haran, who all average 10 points or more per game and if they can manage to stay close to their season average in points per game, the Chargers will have a good chance of advancing.
PREDICTION: Country Day over Flint Powers
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes vs. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (At Waterford Mott)
Breakdown: These two teams have already met once this year, as Lakes picked up a 50-38 win, thanks to a big second half. Sacred Heart had a lead at halftime, but Lakes outscored the Irish by 13 points in the second half on the way to the early season win. The Lakers will once again look to its trio of seniors, Lexie Robak, Ava Doetsch and Jessica Parry, who have three state championship rings so far, to help lead the way to another playoff win and keep the hopes for a 4-peat alive. Sacred Heart will have to look for big games out of Sara and Erica Hansen, who are the only two players on the roster who are averaging more that 10 points per game, but the Lakers will go in as the favorites.
X-Factor(s): Jessica Parry/Anna Robb, Lakes
Parry has been one of the most consistent players around all season long, and that has carried over into the playoffs. With Parry playing well, it's freed things up for Robak and Doetsch, who defenses usually key in on, and Parry has been able to take advantage of that. Parry has also stepped into the point guard role for the Lakers as she has found ways to create scoring opportunities for herself as well as the rest of the team all year. Robb, who has also been a consistent contributor all season long for the Lakers and has proven to be one of the best defenders around throughout the year for Lakes. Look for Robb to help shut down the the Sacred Heart scoring attack as the Lakers will try to advance to the Breslin Center once again.
Why WOLL Will Win: The Lakers should win this game after proving that they are more than capable of beating Sacred Heart, but the key to this win for Lakes will be some of the lesser known contributors. Everybody knows that Doetsch, Robak and Parry will get their nightly points, rebounds and assists, but players like Robb, Shelby Mann, Haley Howell, Gabrielle Troy and Lindsey Ross along with others, will help make an impact on both ends of the floor to help lead the Lakers. The Lakers will also have a serious home court advantage on Tuesday night as the game will be played right around the corner at Waterford Mott, while Sacred Heart will have to make the 2 hour drive, which could play a pretty big role in the outcome of Tuesday's game.
Why Sacred Heart Will Win: It's pretty simple for the Irish, if they can get strong showings in the quarterfinals from Sara and Erica Hansen, they will have a chance to unseat the defending state champions. If they can't, then it will be a long day in Waterford and an even longer drive back to Mt. Pleasant for Sacred Heart.
PREDICTION: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes over Sacred Heart
Breakdown: Grosse Pointe South has won 22 straight games this season after losing the season opener to Illinois power Chicago Whitney Young, and the Blue Devils have won each of their tournament games by double digits so far. But aside from the opening game of the season for South, Marian might be the toughest test for the Blue Devils this season. Marian has continued to be one of the most consistent teams in the area, behind one of the most consistent scoring attacks around as the Mustangs have several players capable of taking over a game on both ends of the floor.
X-Factor: Kilyn Bulluck, Birmingham Marian
Bulluck has controlled the paint for the Mustangs all season long and if she is able to do that in the quarterfinal game, she should help Marian move onto the semifinals. Bulluck wont have to score a ton of points for Marian to advance, but if she can play her usual strong defense and continue to be one of, if not the best rebounder on the floor, the Mustangs will have a chance.
Why Marian Will Win: The Mustangs have had an impressive run through the playoffs so far as they had a dominant showing during district play and followed that up with a strong win over Avondale in the regional semifinals and then outlasted a tough Clarkston squad in the regional final. Look for some of the Marian young guns, like Bailey Thomas and Kara Holinski to continue their strong postseason play as the Mustangs will continue to show off their depth.
Why GPS Will Win: The record speaks for itself and it seems like the Blue Devils have only gotten stronger in the postseason and the play they've gotten out of their seniors in the playoffs has helped Grosse Pointe South make the postseason run look easy so far.
PREDICTION: Marian over Grosse Pointe South in OT
Birmingham Detroit Country Day vs. Flint Powers (At Yale)
Breakdown: County Day just seems like it is destined to play in the quarterfinals each and every year. Even when the Yellowjackets trailed Chandler Park by two baskets with less than 30 seconds left to play in the regional semifinals, Country Day still managed to find a way to get back to the quarterfinals. Now the Yellowjackets are looking like a safe bet to return to the Breslin Center as they should go into Tuesday's game as the prohibitive favorite. Country Day will have to find a way to slow down Charger's senior Kim Berry, who is averaging close to 15 points a game and there are two other players on the Flint Powers roster that average double-digit points per contest.
X-Factor: Asia Doss, Country Day
It's hard to say a team's star play can also be the X-factor, but as Asia Doss goes, so do the Yellowjackets, and that proved to be true in the win over Chandler Park. Trailing by four with 25 seconds left, Doss rattled off a quick four points to force overtime and the Yellowjackets rolled from there. If Doss can keep up her strong scoring ways and continue to be a distributor at point guard, Country Day shouldn't have much trouble with advancing to the semifinals.
Why Country Day Will Win: The Yellowjackets will win if their "Big 3" of Doss, Brittany Washington and Tianna Glimpse can continue their strong play, it's that simple, and that's been the case for Country Day all season long. If they can continue to score and defend like they have during the playoff run, the Yellowjackets will be back at the Breslin Center.
Why Flint Powers Will Win: Flint Powers has a "Big 3" of its own with Berry, Michela Coury and Ally Haran, who all average 10 points or more per game and if they can manage to stay close to their season average in points per game, the Chargers will have a good chance of advancing.
PREDICTION: Country Day over Flint Powers
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes vs. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (At Waterford Mott)
Breakdown: These two teams have already met once this year, as Lakes picked up a 50-38 win, thanks to a big second half. Sacred Heart had a lead at halftime, but Lakes outscored the Irish by 13 points in the second half on the way to the early season win. The Lakers will once again look to its trio of seniors, Lexie Robak, Ava Doetsch and Jessica Parry, who have three state championship rings so far, to help lead the way to another playoff win and keep the hopes for a 4-peat alive. Sacred Heart will have to look for big games out of Sara and Erica Hansen, who are the only two players on the roster who are averaging more that 10 points per game, but the Lakers will go in as the favorites.
X-Factor(s): Jessica Parry/Anna Robb, Lakes
Parry has been one of the most consistent players around all season long, and that has carried over into the playoffs. With Parry playing well, it's freed things up for Robak and Doetsch, who defenses usually key in on, and Parry has been able to take advantage of that. Parry has also stepped into the point guard role for the Lakers as she has found ways to create scoring opportunities for herself as well as the rest of the team all year. Robb, who has also been a consistent contributor all season long for the Lakers and has proven to be one of the best defenders around throughout the year for Lakes. Look for Robb to help shut down the the Sacred Heart scoring attack as the Lakers will try to advance to the Breslin Center once again.
Why WOLL Will Win: The Lakers should win this game after proving that they are more than capable of beating Sacred Heart, but the key to this win for Lakes will be some of the lesser known contributors. Everybody knows that Doetsch, Robak and Parry will get their nightly points, rebounds and assists, but players like Robb, Shelby Mann, Haley Howell, Gabrielle Troy and Lindsey Ross along with others, will help make an impact on both ends of the floor to help lead the Lakers. The Lakers will also have a serious home court advantage on Tuesday night as the game will be played right around the corner at Waterford Mott, while Sacred Heart will have to make the 2 hour drive, which could play a pretty big role in the outcome of Tuesday's game.
Why Sacred Heart Will Win: It's pretty simple for the Irish, if they can get strong showings in the quarterfinals from Sara and Erica Hansen, they will have a chance to unseat the defending state champions. If they can't, then it will be a long day in Waterford and an even longer drive back to Mt. Pleasant for Sacred Heart.
PREDICTION: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes over Sacred Heart
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