The Holly boys hoop crew is so stacked it's downright scary. The defending Flint Metro League champion Bronchos are locked & loaded for some CAGE CRAZINESS in 2015……..and 2016, too!

Man is TEAM BAYLIS a bunch of Burney-Certified BALLERS or what?

Alright let's ROLL CALL IT:

Jake Daniels – Might be the best player in all of Oakland County……YEAH, I SAID IT!!!

Kyle Woodruff – Might be the best long-distance sniper in the whole state……Book it!!

Josh Simms – Terrorizing combo guard with elite athleticism and a fearless demeanor when in the heat of battle on the hardwood

Parker Rowse – Crafty vet at the point, the type of floor general with few equals in the area in terms of composure, grit and court IQ

Morgan Baylis – Long and active defender on the wing who loves to mix it up on the glass and is a great passing forward

Isaac Casillas – Gunner in the backcourt with limitless range and ice in his veins

Adam Tooley – Sir-Grind-A-Lot Special with an improving outside game

Trevor Bland – He plays on the block and his nickname is McFilthy….'NUFF SAID!!

Steve Redmond – Nails-tough floor general that has speed, tenacity and finishing ability

Ian Hodges – Slick southpaw guard with a nose for the bottom of the net

Scott Maki – Master marksmen...BOMBS AWAY, homeboy

Paris Partee –  He plays in the post and his nickname is McNasty 'Nuff Said!

Blake Staffne & Jonathon Waltz – Gutty bench barons

 

FIVE FOR FIGHTING – Top OC outings in the state football finals at Ford Field Saturday

1 Nolan Eriksen (Clarkston Jr. RB) – BEASTMODE achieved…..looked like "Shady" McCoy while busting loose for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground in the C-Town repeat riot

2 Brandon Adams (OL St. Mary's Jr. RB) – All heart……'Nuff Said!!....only td of the game in OLSM dub

3 D.J. Zezula (Clarkston Sr. QB) – This kid is one of the area's all-time greats at the field general position

4 Cole Chewins (Clarkston Sr. DL-TE) – Special, special player, special, special young man!!

5 Dwayne Chapmen (OL St. Mary's Soph. LB) – BREAKOUT BALLER ALERT; only a sophomore he led the Eaglets' 'D' with 7 tackles and also snagged a pick in his knockout effort

Here's a stat breakdown for the Orchard Lake St. Mary's Eaglets heading into Saturday night's state football finals

Brandon Tabone (Jr. Qb) – 1010 yards, 12 touchdowns....Just so steady!!

Brandon Adams (Jr. RB) – 1240 yards and 15 touchdowns.....simply put, a Burney Certified 'G' as in GARGANTUAN GAME CHANGER!!....please make a note before it's too late

KJ Hamler (Soph. WR) – 630 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns.....Think the OC Golden Tate....Yeah I said it!!

Tyson Smith (Sr. CB) – An OC-best 8 picks.....You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him....Take it 2 the bank!!

Josh Ross (Soph. LB) – 100 tackles, 15 of the lost yardage variety.....This is a major statement: Baby Doomsday could wind up the greatest linebacker to ever play in the county by the end of his career in two years....BOOK IT!

These 'Cats can play.

Oxford is suddenly a basketball school. The football-obsessed Wildcats' community has a boys hoops squad they can be mighty proud of for the upcoming campaign. Think razor-sharp and ready to rock-n-roll like an Elvis Pressley concert.

TEAM HENNING won the OAA Blue last season and this year, it returns the bulk of its rip-roaring rotation of cage fiends.

Alright let's ROLL CALL it!!

Jamal Thomas – Tough, crafty, athletic & smart sophomore floor general with an upside at the prep level that is through the roof

Del Alexander – "Sleeper Superstar" with length, drive, flawless slashing and finishing ability, pogo-stick hops, aggressiveness on the boards and the right attitude on and off the court…..'NUFF SAID!!

Connor Elzerman – "Sleeper Superstar" with as sweet a stroke from the perimeter as there is in Metro Detroit, a deadly mid-range game and ice in his veins in crunch time

Mason Vires – Judging by the offseason, this OC MAD GUNNER is gearing for the early frontrunner slot in the OAA MIP race, he's bigger, stronger and more complete than ever. So let's review, now, Vires (a transfer from Clarkston) is not simply an ace long-range bomber from beyond the arc, but also a serious threat to beat you off the dribble to the tin and either score it or find an open teammate via his newly-found playmaking streak

Jordan Jaden – Fireplug guard and fierce competitor, will be one of the best sixth-men in the area out of the backcourt

Jeremy Mullen – Big fella with a nice touch inside and out, prototypical "glue guy"

Ray Luvine – Fast-rising sophomore stud of a guard that loves to mix it up and is ready to shine in his first year of varsity comp

The Raiders are ready to jam. As in TEAM NOGO should be sponsored by Smuckers on the hardwood this winter.

North Farmington brings back basically its entire lineup from last year's 14-7 boys hoops squad.

Here's a watch list for 2015

Jeron (Buddha) Rogers – Silky smooth '3' with ALL THE RIGHT MOVES....top small forward in the state, scintillating mix of power and precision, whether in the half-court set, on the glass, or on the break

Anthony Qasawa – Might be the most underrated perimeter player in the OAA, just a workhorse with a soft touch and a crafty skill set

Jacob Joubert – BREAKOUT SPECIAL!! This will be 'JJ's' coming out party….has grown into his body, bigger, stronger, faster, smarter…..will be a force at a combo guard         

Alex Darden – D1 baseball recruit (Cincinnati) with a banger's mentality in the post but the finesse game to knock down the jumper

Evan McMurray – E-MACK is a straight gamer and a STRAIGHT G, on and off the court, long and active on the wing, ties together a lot of loose ends coming off the pine

Daion Jennings – Burly and high-energy on the block, enforcer-type…think a prep version of Old School Ricky Mahorn (Bad Boys '89)

Josh (Baby Hoags) Hogans – Great bloodline, fast-improving skill-set at the point, outstanding natural instinct for the positon, players much bigger than his size

Maher ("Lefty") Tcholakian – RAIDERSNATION Sir Grind-A-Lot Special Pt. 1….'Nuff said!!

Sassoon ("Righty") Tcholakian – RAIDERSNATION Sir Grind-A-Lot Special Pt 2…'Nuff Said!!

Kyle Penny – RaidersNation Sir-Grind-A-Lot Special Pt. 3…'Nuff said!!

 

 

The Hawks' Nest will be more like a hornets' nest this winter on the girls hardwood at FH Harrison.

The defending OAA Red-champions HAWKS will be stinging with deadly efficiency from the opening jump of the 2015 campaign, unleashing a dangerous, veteran-laded lineup of college-recruits and role players that blend together to be one of the top ball clubs in the state.

Alright, let's Roll Call It with the Team MICKLASH MAULER MOD SQUAD

Kristen Nelson – "Junior Juggernaut" with a nose for the hoop and a killer instinct in the backcourt like few around...this gal is the definition of a 0-to-100 Hustler!!

Amber Stephens – "Junior Juggernaut" with a nose for the hoop and a killer instinct in the backcourt like few around...this gal is the definition of a 0-to-100 Hustler!!

Kyla Roland – Brutal force on the block with an endless motor, superior finishing ability at the rack and exceptional leadership skills

Deja Hunter & Katie Conrad – Duo of Lady Grind-A-Lot role players that just get the job done and do whatever is asked of them on the floor to make their squad better

Galen Young – Maybe the top reserve post player in South Oakland County

 

Walled Lake Western's football program recently got a brand-named transfer.

I'm talking about sophomore defensive lineman Bryce Brand, a 6-foot-2, 265-pound manchild that enrolled in school in October and has played in the Catholic League the past two seasons at University of Detroit-Jesuit.

Spunky and sound in pass-rush and run-stop formations, this BRAND NEW Team Z Diaper Dandy is one of the top players in the state's Class of 2017. His big brother is senior U-D Jesuit quarterback and Air Force-commit Ryan Brand, who started his prep career in Oakland County at Farmington Hills Harrison.

Expect to see Baby B Brand balling out on the OC GRID scene in 2015, kicking tails and taking names for the Warriorsnation 'D'and blasting off into the stratosphere in the recruiting game. He recently picked up his first college scholarship offer from Bobby Petrino and Louisville.

Defending OAA White-champion Rochester Adams girls cage crew is moving up in the world…..to the OAA Red. New Coach, New League, same toughness, talent and will to compete

Already Let's Roll Call It:

Amber Jamison – Best power forward in the OC!!!.....Take it 2 tha bank!!....Can go for a double-double in her sleep…….

Raiven Owuso – Does so much on the floor to make a team and her teammates better.....Triple A Special, as in active, agile and aggressive at ALL TIMES!

Ryian Owuso – Baby version of above

Deja Dinkins – High-impact transfer at the point, could be THE difference-maker this winter at the Highlander Hoop Hotel

Olivia Argeros – Invaluable role player with great natural instinct, athleticism and leadership ability

Farmington Hills Mercy is ready re-up the ante and re-load the program's shooting gallery on the girls basketball floor this winter. The Marlins won the Catholic League and advanced into the Class A final four last season.

Alright, let's ROLL CALL the Fresh Troop in Team MorrisLAND

Taylor Jones – Best wing player in the county….Take it 2 tha Bank!!

Sierra Wangler – BREAKOUT BALLER ALERT: This Lady Grind-A-Lot is smart, skilled and hungry for the hoop…would already be a star on most squads but had to fill role-player status the past couple years on the stacked Marlins. The same grit and aggressive style as her big sis (Michigan guard Halle Wangler), with some added finesse  

Zora Pullen – BREAKOUT BALLER ALERT PT 2: The Z-FACTOR will be a major cog in Mercy's Cage Wheel in 2015

The Schluter Gals (Jordyn and Jenna) – Just call this pair the TNT TWINS 'cuz these two sisters are ready to explode onto the local prep hooping scene like two sticks of DYNAMITE….that's a Burney-Certified Guarantee!!

Jordan Johnson – Velvety-stroking sniper from long distance

The Clarkston Wolfpack will be quite formidable on the girls basketball court this winter…….Again.

Aka The Pack Is Back!!

Alright, let's roll call it

Erika Davenport – The best overall player in all of Metro Detroit….BEAST MODE 24-7...Yeah I said it!!!

Kayla Russell – This will be a very special year on the hardwood for C-Town's 'Special K'

Jessica Altene – Solid, consistent, always doing something to give her club an edge out there

Ashley Skaggs – Lady-Grind-A-Lot that does all the little things to help a team win

Taylor Mullens – Let me mull this over….ok, it's official my main hooping homegirl Taylor just reached Swagger Level Three Hundred Thousand Trillion…..Make a note!!

Kayla Luchenbach – Diaper Dandy Alert: Fab Frosh Phenom in the building!!

The girls hoop crew at defending Class A state champion Birmingham Marian has the best starting five in the MHSAA……That's a Burney Certified Guarantee!!!

Can u say REPEAT?

Alright let's ROLL CALL it:

Mustangs Baller Roll Call

Bailey Thomas – Consistently deadly running the point, The OC Lady Chris Paul!!....Take it 2 tha Bank!

Samantha Thomas – Fundamentally-sound superstar-in-the-making and big-play machine at a forward spot…top tenth-grader in the state!!!!....Yeah I said It!!!

Kara Holinski – Heady grinder and leader, dangerous inside-and-out, the ultimate competitor with an excellent floor IQ

Jaeda Robinson – Athletic, active and soft-shooting two-guard that can defend, convert on transition and take it to the basket if you play her too close on the perimeter

Brittany Gray – Maybe the most underrated player in the whole state, the ultimate "glue gal" that can also drop a 20-spot on you if you don't pay her enough mind on 'D'

OC Football Power Index – State Semifinals

1 Clarkston – Wolfpack pigskin prowler Jack McKillop is a MCBaller and MCSHOTcaller!!! C-Town is on a mission!!! Can u say Twice As Nice?

2 Southfield – That crystal ball that forecasted TEAM CONLEY appearing at Ford Field in 2013 was merely a season off, it's the 2014 club that will be playing in LEOLAND come TURKEY TIME….Take it 2 Tha Bank!!

3 OL St. Mary's – Lots of jubilant jamming J's on the Eaglets 'D…..Josh Ross, Josh Dabney, Jared Mosley…..man, these boys should be greeted with 'Here Comes The Boom' entrance music every time they march onto the turf

4 FH Harrison – Nothing but heart, hunger and determination this season in HAWKSNATION….senior Donte Eubanks is the Patrick Peterson of the OC…….CRAZYGOOD cover-corner

5 Birmingham DCD – Last week in the regionals vs Chelsea (21-0 shutout) was the best job of coaching I seen from TEAM MAC in a long time……The 'Jackets staff went all LOMBARDI on the bulldogs

 

Some boys basketball quick hits with the start of practice beginning this week;

Pontiac has hired esteemed sideline general Ben Kelso to head the Phoenix ship this season, replacing Robert Rogers, the only coach in Oakland County history to lead a team to back-to-back state championships at the Class A level (Pontiac Northern 2001-2002). Kelso has some state title rings of his own – as in three straight on the bench at Detroit Cooley (1987-88-89). He was at Waterford Kettering last season. He had prior stints at Detroit Central, Detroit Mumford and Southfield.

Kakaun Williams, an athletic all-league power forward who played for Kelso at Kettering last year, has returned to the area after spending the last couple months in Florida and will be playing his senior year at Waterford Mott. Williams will team with Timmy "Mr. Grind-2-Shine" Williams & 'Don Juan' Webb (another of Kelso's former players at Kettering) to give TEAM JAYSON an explosive WILLIAMS EXPRESS and probably one of the top inside-outside combos in their league (KLAA Central).

Keep an eye on Clarkston fab frosh Foster Loyer to make an immediate impact come next month when the season tips off. He's going to start in the backcourt and his game is mature and developed enough where he should resemble a young Dane Fife (1998 Mr. Basketball) by the end of the 2015 campaign. HE'S THE REAL DEAL HOLYFIELD  Ya heard it hear, first!!

 

 

 

The Cleveland St. Vikings conquered a big piece of the Oakland County boys basketball recruiting landscape for the area's Class of 2015 by snatching a commitment from North Farmington small forward Jeron (Buddha) Rogers.

A four-year starter with the Raiders, the 6-foot-6 Rogers is the top recruit in the county's senior class.  His father is retired NBA vet Carlos Rogers (Detroit Northwestern).

Over the past two seasons, North Farmington aka TEAM NOGO's Buddha Baller has averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per outing. As a sophomore in 2013, Rogers helped spark RAIDERSNATION to a Class A district championship.

First-rate from downtown, mid-range and running the break in the transition game, he's got a relentless motor and work ethic. The improvements he's made in his offensive arsenal have been noteworthy – not many kids in the area have upped the ante on their skill-set and diversified their recruiting package more than Rogers has since busting onto the local prep scene as a Fab Frosh three years ago.

Cleveland State went 21-12 last season under head coach Gary Waters, a sideline general with ties to Metro Detroit (Detroit Mackenzie grad, played at Ferris State, former asst coach at FSU and Eastern Michigan).

Rogers and his North Farmington club are expected to be one of the area best hoop squads this winter.

A pair of Oakland County's most dynamic and diverse talents on the girls basketball court are destined for the Mid-American Conference to do their college hooping.

Yesterday afternoon, North Farmington senior point guard Megan Carter signed with Kent State and South Lyon East senior forward Gabrielle Bird inked with Central Michigan.

Are those two great grabs or what?

Both are monsters in the stat sheet – Carter averaged 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals a game and Bird pumping in 18 points and 10 boards an outing.

Both reside in that little part of the OC called CLUTCH CITY – Attn: all current and future coaches, put the rock in these young ladies' hands with the game on the line and believe me you'll be rewarded

In other words

Both BALL OUT on a regular basis and should be considered armed and dangerous at all times on the hardwood…..Just so so deadly they should wear a warning label instead of a uniform!!

Coming soon to a local basketball floor near……check them out before it's too late!

 

FIVE FOR FIGHTING – Best underclassmen left in the local prep football playoffs

1 Josh Ross (OL St. Mary's Soph LB) – Might be the top middle linebacker in the whole state regardless of grade…Yeah, I Said It!!!

2 KJ Hamler (OL St. Mary's Soph WR) – Might be the top slot receiver in the whole state regardless of grade….Yeah I said it!!!

3 Steve Mann (Birmingham DCD Soph WR) – Superstar in the making….'NUFF SAID!!

4 Brendan Brown (FH Harrison Soph RB) – Will be the next great rock-rusher to come out of HAWKNATION…Take It 2 Tha Bank!!

5 Ryan Johnson (OL St. Mary's Soph RB) – Will be the next great rock-rusher to come out of the Eaglets' Nest…..Take it 2 Tha Bank!!

Oakland County HS football power index heading into regionals

1 Birmingham Brother Rice – There's a reason that BIG ORANGE hasn't lost in two years......perfection is spelled B.R.I.C.E....make a note!!

2 Clarkston – All due respect to the Fife family, asst coach Ryan Kaul and 2010 alum Tyler Scarlett, & others dare I say, D.J. Zezula is the best quarterback to ever play for the C-Town Wolfpack....Yeah I said it!!

3 OL St. Mary's – I want to see more of senior Ross Moore……this kid is a quiet playmaker on both sides of the ball

4 FH Harrison – Hawks junior linebacker-fullback Jared Char chars the competition on a regular basis...That's a Burnry Certified Fact!!

5 (tie) Southfield – Possibly the most dangerous team in the whole state right now....Take it 2 tha bank!!

5 (tie) WL Central – THIS is the season everyone in VIKINGS'VILLE dreamed of and has worked for since 2011…..drink it in, fellas, soak every moment up 'cuz you'll remember it for the rest of your lives!!

The Farmington Hills Harrison Hawks football team has the best defense in Oakland County

They could have the best defense in the whole darn state.

That's how active, aggressive, stifling and downright oppressive the Hawks 'D' is.

Last Friday night, the unit vexed and hexed high-powered WL Western at every turn of Harrison's 10-9 overtime win on the road to snatch a D2 district title, its' second in a row.

It's all because of the defense.

I'm talking Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain, The '85 Super Bowl Shuffle Bears, the 2000s Baltimore Ravens….Yeah, THAT level of elite!!

The Hawks top offensive threat, dazzling dual-threat quarterback Jevon Shaw is shelved for the rest of the season with a knee injury in the first-round of the playoffs. No worries, Harrison faithful, the 'D' has got EVERYONE's back on this.

Alright let's roll call it

Khalid Kareem (DE) – Shredding blockers and quarterbacks like a lettuce farmer, this kid is the hottest college recruit in the state and one of it's most lethal pass rushing prodigies the OC has see in quite a while

Mike Ojemudia (LB) – The 'O Factor' means out-of-this-world tenacity and playmaking...make a note!

Iwarii Smith (LB) – Could be the most improved player in the entire area....this kid is a straight FREAK sideline-to-sideline

Jared Char (LB) – Ferocious presence, pure grit, playa-hater proof!!

Donte Eubanks (CB) – Rugged, athletic and instinctive in man-to-man coverage, sticky and sweet like honey aka the OC Honey Bear

Devon Cook (S) - Just so clutch, so smart, so steady, so CASH MONEY!!

The Big A is going to the Big Ten.

Rochester Hills Adams girls basketball star Amber Jamison, a rugged, active and athletic post presence who runs the floor like gazelle, recently committed to Northwestern University in Chicago.

Jamison has averaged roughly 16 points and 10 boards a game the past three seasons. She's a menace in the paint and on the break. When it comes to cleaning the glass, she's a female prep version of Dennis Rodman. And she's a true winner and leader, sparking her Adams Highlanders to multiple league titles in the Oakland Activities Association.

Her father is retired NFL linebacker George Jamison (Detroit Lions, Kansas Chiefs)

The NW Wildcats play in the Big Ten Conference. The Lady 'Cats went 15-16 last year, but finished the campaign on a hot streak, winning four in a row and six of their last seven games. Jamison's Highlanders club aka TEAM SHAY are expected to be one of the top girls hoop crews in Oakland County this winter

Southfield's football team has arguably the No. 1 secondary in the state, sporting four DI college-commits in Ray Buford (Minnesota), Dior Johnson (Wake Forest), Davonte Ginwright (Western Michigan) and Jamar Antwine (Central Michigan), however the BlueJays rarely play man-to-man coverage. Normally, the squad relies on a "cover-3" formation, zone-bracketing opposing receivers in its defensive assault.  

That all changed in their playoff-opener last week against a favored Detroit King club where they unleashed an oppressive mono-o-mono attack and rolled to an authoritative 40-12 beat-down of the high-octane Crusaders and their Blue Chip wide out, junior Donnie Corley (owner of a myriad of FBS college scholarship offers).

Friends and family call Antwine 'Snoop.' Against PSL-power King you saw the reason why. This kid is a DAWG!! 'Jays head coach Tim Conley let him loose last week, lining him up one-on-one with Corley the entire game.

He responded by going all NEON DEION SANDERS. He went into airtight lockdown mode, blanketing Corley the whole way, holding him to just one catch for negative five yards.

So let's do a quick recap of my main man and Gridiron Gladiator Homeboy Snoop Antwine's current resume. Not only could he be the most dangerous return man on special teams in the area, he also might be the OC's top cover corner. Wow, that's a true BALLER & SHOT CALLER if I've ever seen one!!