Just the thought of the loaded Lake Orion Dragons facing off with coaching legend Bud Rowley and his Oxford squad in the Wildcats inaugural game in the OAA to open up the 2010 high school football season next month gives me GOOSE BUMPS!!

Word is out that local prep football stud Valdez Showers, MH Madison's heavily-recruited dynamo of a RB/DB combo, might announce his college destination in the next few days.  Right now the Eagles' "Reign Man" is deciding between Big Ten schools Michigan, MSU, Iowa and Wisconsin and SEC powers, Florida and Auburn. Burney's feeling on this is that Showers is most likely headed to the DIRTY SOUTH for his collegiate career, which will almost certainly be played at the cornerback spot despite being a stat-munching, juke-expert of a prepster tailback in THE OC.

Condolences go out from Burney to the family of recently deceased Birmingham Seaholm varsity wrestling and softball coach Mike Hessling……Coach Mike was a great guy and will be dearly missed!

AAU HOOPS ROUNDUP

Reaching For The Stars

The REACH Legends have been downright dazzling in tourney play on the road over the last week, compiling a 7-1 record. During a tournament in Las Vegas, the squad of mega-ballers advanced all the way into the Elite Eight. OC hoopsters, Allen Robinson (OL St. Mary's) and Juwaan Moody (Pontiac), each came with their respective 'A' games, averaging over 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists combined in the Vegas run

Touching down in Anaheim, CA on Tuesday for their next tourney stop, the Legends have reeled off three straight victories. Leading the squad's efforts from the area cage brigade were Juwaan Moody (25 pts and 7 dimes) in game 1; Novi Detroit CC's Kyle Cooper (12 points, 6 reb) in game 2; and Moody (12 pts, 4 asst), along with Birmingham Brother Rice's Drew Holinski (10 points, 4 reb, 3 asst) in game 3. Also highlighting the team's offense in their recent hot streak has been former OC baller, Evan Webster, who just graduated from OL St. Mary's in June after three years on the Eaglets varsity roster. Webster continues to impress as he tries to play his way onto a roster at the next level this summer by showing well in front of college coaches. (his young age for his grade allows him to play an extra year of AAU ball). Stroking the rock from downtown at a very high-rate of profficiency (he was 6-8 in game 3 in Cali for a game-high 18 pts), Webster is finally being able to display some of his very marketable traits on the court that often got hidden during his prep career behind a stacked group of teammates.

Tough Luck

AH Avondale's feisty floor general Tony Harris drained what appeared to be a 15-foot game-winner from the right baseline at the buzzer in a tourney final in Orlando for Dorian's Pride, but the dramatic shot was taken off the scoreboard when the officials ruled that the Pride bench had called for a timeout prior to Harris' heroics. Sadly, that was the blow that officially took the wind out of the Pride's sails and they went on to lose in OT. Luck has not been on the side of the Pride this summer and its coach Tim McCormick as this was the fifth time in the last three months the team has lost in the final seconds of a tourney championship tilt.

Sniper Roll Call

Juniors-to-be Chris Dewberry (Waterford Mott) and Nick Tatu (Clarkston), two of the best long distance bombers the OC has to offer, each have kept things toasty behind the line while preparing for the 2011 season by touching up the twine just as much as ever on the summer circuit. Dewberry of the AAU Stars notched a 25-point outing last week as did Tatu of OAA Select two weeks ago. Both marksman drilled five triples apiece.