Thoughts from Friday night's prep football action in Oakland County

I've said it before and I'll say it again; Southfield's Brandon Watkins is the best high school running back in the state of Michigan. Watkins put the Bluejays on his back Friday night and carried them to an exciting 27-14 come-from-behind victory over upstart Oak Park. "HIGH WATTAGE" WATKINS rushed for 210 yards on the ground, including the game-winning 5-yard score in the fourth quarter. His 86-yard KO return for a score tied the game 7-7 in the second half. Personally bringing down the curtain on any hopes of a Knights' comeback, he broke off a 52-yard touchdown in the final 90 seconds to wrap things up.

Do you know who is a great head coach; Jim Sparks at Clawson, this guy does a super job with a continually shrinking enrollment and budget. The Trojans ran their record to a perfectr 3-0 with a 48-0 trouncing of New Haven behind the standout play of guys like junior quarterback Blake Blue (TD'S) and seniors Deshawn Gilbert (2 TDs) & Deonte Hill (1 Td)

Devin Church is COOL as the OTHER SIDE of the PILLOW!!! Burney's boy DC went over the century mark for the third straight week in Birmingham Brother Rice 42-9 beatdown of Toledo St. Francis. Friday night, he added a spectacular 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to go with a 37-yarder on the ground

Plain and simple, Keon Collier is a MONSTER!!!! (180 yards, 4 TDs, including the 7-yard game-winner in Birmingham Groves thrilling38-37 DOUBLE OT win over Berkley)

ALL HAIL MAMA MCINNIS – Her sons Spencer and Parker combined for more than 100 rushing yards and 3 TDs in OL St. Mary's 44-0 blanking of Highland Park

Loved to see my main man Jack "The Ripper" Wangler GOING HARD for his baby bro, Jared – out since last week with a broken ankle – and snagging a 23-yard touchdown pass in RO Shrine's 42-0 shutout victory over Hamtramck.

Not enough words to describe what AH Avondale QB Mitch Robinson does on the gridiron; This kid KILLS the comp in SO MANY ways its downright silly. Last year, he carved them up with his arm. This year, he's doing it with his cannon and his wheels. On Friday, THE OC GUNSLINGER combined for over 300 yards of total offense and two TDS in the Yellow Jackets spine-tingling 23-20 defeat of BH Andover, which runs the squad's record to an unblemished 3-0

FROM THE OUT OF NOWHERE DEPT; TROY senior rb Oliver Jiang, playing his first game as the Colts featured runner, looked like an old pro, busting out for almost 200 yards on the ground and two touchdown. Just start calling him "The Juice" as in THE JUICE IS LOOSE 4 TEAM GRIFF!.

Was that Avondale kicker Kyle Sroka out there for the Yellow Jackets on Friday or was it JASON HANSON? Sroka went all HANSON on the Barons' booting a game-winning 45 FG to send the 'Jackets to the win

Burney says; ALL APOLOGIES to BH LAHSER. The Knights made Burney eats his prediction of a loss to Seaholm on Friday night, when TEAM LORIA brought the pain and out fought the Maples for a 20-0 triumph, covered in grit and determination.

On the subject of the Lahser Knights, CB Nate Cole is a BIG-PLAY SPECIALIST and possibly the most undervalued defensive back in the area. Cole went REVIS on Friday, making two picks and two fumble recoveries (one returned 60 yards for a TD)