The Lake Show

LAKERS' SENIOR SIGNAL CALLER CONTINUES TO PUT ON SHOW THROUGH OFFSEASON, WOWING RECRUITERS AS HE READIES TO COMPLETE HIGH-QUALITY CAREER

Head coach Mike Boyd and his Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes football program have had quite a few spectacular football talents sport the Blue and White with the pride and purpose over the years. Because Boyd has traditionally been a fan of a Bo Schembechler-type offense – three yards and a cloud of dust, nothing fancy just hard-nosed, smashmouth and successful – through his 25 seasons-plus of leading the Lakers on the gridiron, not many of them have  been quarterbacks.

As a result, when gritty-gunslinger of a field general, Mike Sullivan, came on to the squad as a freshman in 2007, Boyd was forced to change up his offensive philosophy to better mesh with his new top-rate tosser, not to mention a player that would wind up being his starter under center for the next four seasons. The response to the shift has been a resounding success alas more of the same for Lakes from Sullivan, entering his senior campaign this fall as one of the top quarterbacks in Oakland County, and his tough-as-nails teammates: In other words, no matter what offense Boyd decides to run, the program continues to win as evidenced by the team's three consecutive playoff qualifications with Boyd's more vertically inclined play calling and Sullivan's school-record eclipsing performance throwing the pigskin downfield.

Since he plays at such a small school – WOLL is D8 – major colleges didn't come flooding to his doorstep right off the bat. This didn't dissuade Sullivan from striving to achieve his dream of playing D1 college football and his consistent improvement of the past three years added with a number of eye-catching showings at offseason camps and combines the last five months, has made that dream an almost-certain reality. Two weeks away from starting training camp as a fourth-year starter calling signals, he has several major and mid-major college football recruiters hot on his trail, a reward for his refined skill and hard work.

In 2009 as a junior, Sullivan (6-1, 165 lbs) threw for 1200 yards, 11 TD's and a 65% completion percentage. This summer, he's been on his grind double-time, attending over a dozen showcase camps and demonstrating to recruiters that despite hailing from a small school in the prep ranks, he can play just as efficient when matched up against players from bigger programs. The schools most interested in attaining his services at the D1 college level appear at this moment to be Western Michigan, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Cornell, Wyoming,Bowling Green and Toledo. Programs like Notre Dame, Michigan State, Ohio State, Cincinatti, Utah, UNLV and Vanderbilt have also showed interest in Sullivan.

Those in attendance at a recent 7-on-7 scrimmage held at Lake Orion got a preview of what is to come for defenses in the CHSL this year. Getting into a comfort zone early on, he picked apart a very good Lake Orion' 'D' for 4 TD's in a shootout with standout Dragons' QB Sean Charrette (4 TD's against Lakes in the same game).

With a solid nucleus returning for Boyd and the Lakers, including Sullivan, Austin Karbowski, Paul Goedeke and Anthony "The Koz Man" Caiozzo, WOLL has a solid shot at making a run to Ford Field this November and the D8 state championship game. Now, Koz Man, "Sully the Sidewinder" (my new nickname for Sullivan 'cause he has an arm like a cannon), "AK-47" (my new nickname for Karbowski 'cause he as deadly on the field as a AK 47 assault weapon) and "The Plow" (my new nickname for Goedekke 'cause he plows over/past anything in his way with reckless abandon) go out there on the field this fall and GET 'R DONE for your boy Burney……….I'm talking undefeated season, conference crown, TWO trips to Ford Field and another WOODEN MITTEN ……..er... state title for the school's trophy case!!!!!