Bonus Bytes - Rapid Fire

Jake Slobin, a starting sophomore offensive tackle for the FH Harrison, could be the best kept secret in the Class of 2013

Is it just me or is the only thing that is halfway decent about the UofM defense this season on the football field are OC gridiron studs, Mike Martin (DT-CC) and Kenny Demens (LB-DCD)?

SUPERSONIC UPSET SPECIAL ALERT: Ferndale will qualify for the MHSAA football playoffs this Friday night by pulling the upset over OAA Blue champ Hazel Park…..McTear to McTear for the winning-score in OT sends the Eagles fans into a frenzy

I love me some Walled Lake Northern Knights soccer – These guys are pure grit and guts, scratching and clawing with tenacity in everything they do on the pitch (Shootout-win on Wed night over Lakeland)…….And what an amazing job head coach Chris Stevanovic has done molding that program from literally nothing into a county powerhouse

On the subject of prep soccer in the city of Walled Lake, I can't believe WL Western star goaltender Jimmy Hague is only a FRESHMAN…now that's SCARY

Burney was sad to see some outstanding high school soccer careers come to close this week: guys like Chris Stewart (Rochester), Kyle Alesheski (WL Western) and Jarrett Kersten (Clarkston) come to mind

About a week and a half ago, I wrote my weekly prep column in the Oakland Press about all the super-skilled brother combos that are competing on the local high school football scene this year. Here a few glaring ommissions:

1The Annese Bros (RH Adams) – Tony and Phil are the catalysts of the Highlanders offense and a dynamic pair to say the least

2 The Calvano Bros (Clarkston) – Chris and Sean are both important cogs in the Wolfpack's excellent defense

3 The Slobin Bros (FH Harrison) – Doesn't get much better than sophomore Jake blocking for senior Steve and his backfield-mate Austin Hunter this fall….CAN U SAY PERFECT SEASON?

Between prep football coaching legends, Tom Mach (CC, Al Fracassa (Brother Rice) and John Herrington (FH Harrison) they have 29 state championship rings

The smartest move Coach Fracassa has made this whole season was to move senior Jimmy Pickens back to defense on a permanent basis – I know the logic was to safe Pickens for his workload as a ball carrier on offense, but he's just too good of a leader and defender to not have at safety on every play. TRANSLATION: FOUR STRAIGHT 'W's

Farmington LB Justin Roe has been getting the job done in a major way all season long in the murky and thankless shadows of the Falcons very potent and headline-grabbing offense

Disappointed to see my boys over at Birmingham Seaholm taking such a nosedive in the second half of the football season, especially after such an inspiring start to the season – Have no fear Maples fans, things WILL get better

Jason Gamble of WL Western plays football on the offensive and defensive line like he pitches from the baseball mound in the spring – PURE POWER AND VELOCITY

Former OC hoop king, Marlin Mason (FH Harrison), now at Detroit Cass Tech recently verbally committed to play his college ball at Cleveland State. If Mason would have stayed with the Hawks, Coach Mantyla would have had one heck of a frontcourt coming back this season in him, Evan Patton and Devin Funchess

Out on the Macomb County gridiron scene, watch for SH Stevenson's Jeremy Locklear, a standout junior defensive back, next season as Burney is sure Stevenson will comes back strong from an uncharacteristically down campaign this fall with gusto in 2011 courtesy of the hard hitting Locklear and co.

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