Two teams from the rough and rugged OC remain alive to play for state championships this weekend at Ford Field - CC and OL St. Mary's. The Shamrocks rocked and rolled to a 31-0 stomping of Holt in a D1 semi and The Eaglets soared over a previously-undefeated De Witt team 44-27, behind QB Rober Bolden's 4 TD's.

Way to go fellas, so ya at The Dome!

Orchard Lake St.  Mary has been going up against East Grand Rapids so much these past three seasons, head coach George Porritt and the Eaglets athletic brass should consider having the Catholic League extend an invitation to EGR to join the conference full-time. OLSM will play EGR for a D3 state title this weekend at Ford Field, in a re-match of the 2007 championship game and the '09 season opener, both EGR wins.  This weekend's tilt will be the fourth time these programs have squared off in two years. Since 2007, the Eaglets have yet to defeat their opponents from the western part of the state, but Burney suspects that this is their year to win it all – ipso ergo OLSM defeats EGR for the crown and the Eaglets' state title since 2000 on its way.   

Burney wants to apologize to CC's senior fullback Niko Palazeti, who was short changed some 30 yards in my game column from Sunday's paper. I tallied the bulldozing Shamrock runner for 142 yards and two rushing scores, but the Detroit News had him for almost 175 yards. I'm going to say the News had it right and I must have mis-calculated (Even though Burney is a prep sports machine in most every way possible, math has never been his strong suit). So, in saying that, I send out my further propers to my boy, "The Notorious N.I.P." – 'cause he runs like BIGGIE SMALLS used to rap – who really had a better game in CC's 31-0 beat down of Holt in a D1 semi-final than I gave him credit for.  Alright, so here's how were going to solve this same problem from happening this weekend in the state final against SH Stevenson. "Biggie" Palazeti is going to go for an even 200 yards on the ground and make the addition nice and even for Burney as he barrels his way for another pair of scores while bringing home CC's first state title since 2003. and oh, by the way, Burney also wants to shout out to Palazeti's backfield-mate the ever-shifty and slick Anthony "The Captain of Cahos" Capatina, who scampered for a respectable 85 yards and one score - a 16-yarder in the firsr quarter of the Holt game to kick-off the contest's scoring.