Orchard Lake St. Mary's is the most dangerous .500 basketball team I've seen in this area in a long time.

Don't be surprised at all if the Eaglets boys hoopsters make their third consecutive trip into the Class A Elite 8 next month.

Per usual, St. Mary's took a little while to get its basketball legs underneath them coming off a deep playoff run in football.

Now, the Eaglets are cruising, winning seven of their last nine ball games.

On Wednesday, they lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Warren De La Salle in the CHSL tournament semifinals.

Back on Saturday, they jumped out to a 52-6 lead in the tourney quarterfinals against Pontiac NDP before coasting to a 71-25 throttling of the Fighting Irish.

At the top of the OLSM attack is seniors Sam McClendon and Matt Linehan and super soph Ted McCree. McClendon is a four-year starter and a dynamite floor general with an incredibly versatile style of game. Linehan is a college-bound quarterback (Idhao) on the gridiron and a deadly outside shooter on the hardwood. McCree, who plays on the wing and has equally lethal mid-range and long-distance skills, has quickly established himself one of the best sophomores in Oakland County.

The Eaglets post game is held down by gritty bangers like juniors Peter Bonde, Nate Conrad and Luke Bauss.

Football stars Jalen Watts-Jackson and Lamon Mathison are athletic and heady guards and flank McClendon and Linehan in the backcourt. Watts-Jackson, a high-level D1 college prospect at wide receiver on the football field, is the Eaglets' ace defensive-stopper.

All Burney can say is WATCH OUT if you see the TEAM PORRITT PLAYMAKERS rolling towards you in these next few weeks. The months of March and November belong to George Porritt, St. Mary's basketball and football coach aka the SORCERER OF THE SIDELINES!!!

THAT'S A FACT!!!