Green With Envy

Oakland County SHOWED ITS STUFF on the national stage on Saturday.

Specifically, I'm talking about in the Michigan State Spartans gridiron triumph over arch rival Michigan.

THE OC was ON-POINT in the EL for the Sparty football squad this weekend, DOING THEIR THANG and GETTING BUSY all up in the Wolverines grill all afternoon long Saturday in front of a national television audience.

No need to thank us Coach Dantonio, we got your back!!!!

Senior left guard Joel Foreman, a Spartans team captain hailing from Milford, made a mark in the MSU record book on Saturday, becoming the only player in school history to start on four straight teams that beat UofM. PRETTY IMPRESSIVE!!!

The only other times in Sparty history that the Green and White defeated the Maize and Blue four times in a row was back in 1934-37, 1950-53 and 1959-62.

Then, there was Burney'S main OC homeboy Edwin "Rock" Baker, again showing why he is soon to be an NFL first-rounder lugging the pigskin. Baker dazzled the home crowd and bewildered the Michigan defense to the tune of 175 yards and a one-yard touchdown run in the first half of the resounding Spartans' victory.

When he was in high school, Baker was a STRAIGHT MENACE. In both his junior and senior year he averaged 12 yards per carry, putting up a rotound 436 yards in a single game - second most in OC history - against Royal Oak in 2008.

Here is a list of all the OC Spartans;

Joel Foreman (Milford), Edwin Baker (Oak Park), Tyler Hoover (Novi), Ethan Ruhland (Lake Orion), Jordan Sanders (Rochester Adams), Dion Sims (OL St. Mary's), Jonathon Strayhorn (Oak Park), Taylor Calero (Southfield Christian), Kevin Muma (Troy) Tommy Vento (FH Harrison), Bennie Fowler (Birmingham DCD), Niko Palazeti (Novi Detroit CC), Kyle Selden (Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes), Chris Rucker (Birmingham DCD)

Quick notes;

Hoover is a two-year starter at defensive end for MSU

Sanders is the son of Detroit Lions Hall of Fame TE Charlie Sanders

Sims was all-state in both football and basketball with OL St. Mary's

Palazeti was the captain of the 2009 state champion Novi Detroit CC Shamrocks

Fowler started on both DCD's varsity football and basketball squads, helping take the 'Jackets gridiron gang to back-to-back state finals and the school's cage crew to consecutive quarterfinal appearances.

Ruhland captained the Lake Orion offensive line to a district championship as a senior in 2007

Vento quarterbacked FH Harrison to a state championship last year in his first season as a starter under center, throwing for close to 3000 yards and 31 touchdowns

Calero led Southfield Christian to the school's first ever playoff berth in only the program's third year of existence

Muma was an All-American kicker with Troy and as a senior stepped behind center and quarterbacked the Colts to the playoffs after kicking on their final four team the year prior