OAKLAND ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION RED DIVISION
Team Capsules compiled by Dan Stickradt. Email dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or follow on twitter @LocalSportsFans
School: Clarkston
Nickname: Wolves
Coach: Kurt Richardson, 28th season
2012 record: 11-1, 7-0 OAA Red Division (first)
Players lost: Jessie Chadwell, Craig Columbo, Ben Kaminsky, Nick Azzopardi, Nathan Yeloshan, Chris Calvano, Alex Dicea, Eric Eberle
Players returning: Ian Eriksen, sr. RB; Nick Mattich, sr. OL-DL; David Beadle, sr. OL; Adam Mattich, jr. OL; Cole Shewins, sr. TE; DJ Zezula, jr. QB; Caine Watlington, sr. WR; Shane Hynes, sr. K-P; Reid Kaminski, sr. DB; Tim Cason, sr. DB-WR, Adam Kline, jr. WR; Bryce Witherspoon, jr. DT; Alex Peck, sr. LB
Coach’s comment: “We have a lot of talent, but we have a lot of work to do. We can’t rely on what we did last year or the fact that we have several Division I football players. We have to go do it on the field. We have to remember that we play for the name on the front of the jersey.”
School: Lake Orion
Nickname: Dragons
Coach: Chris Bell, 16th season (129-41)
2012 record: 11-2, 6-1 OAA Red Division (second)
Players lost: Jacob Miller, Chaz Miller, Derric Williams, Nick White, Nick Booker, Brandon Clements, Nick Vogelmeier, Derek DeLaura, Durham Basso, Travis Hill
Players returning: Zak Arnold, sr. RB-WR; Corey Ester, sr. WR-RB; Joey Friedman, sr. C; Chris Leigh, sr. RB; Trenton Elkins, sr. OL-DL; Nick Sally, sr. OL; Brennan Rourke, sr. LB; Charlie Highland, sr. DB
Coach’s comment: “We should again have a very good football team. We had a great off-season and summer, we’ve got very good team speed, we’re bigger up front than we have been the past couple of years, and we have a lot of experience back from a team that reached the state semifinals.”
School: Pontiac
Nickname: Phoenix
Coach: Damian Redmond, second season (1-8)
2012 record: 1-8, 1-6 OAA Red Division (tied-sixth)
Players lost: Jody Harrison, Blake Samuels, Trajan Seay, Roosevelt Wheeler, Blake Daniels, Charles Walker, Tavares Miles, Moses Miles
Players returning: Jalin Nealy, jr. WB; Jalen Mays, sr. OL; Dario Franklin, sr. OL-DL; Edwin Jimenez, jr. OL
Notes: Pontiac is coming off a rough campaign, and with numbers low and the fact that the district nearly became a charter district over the summer, Redmond and staff have their work cut out for them as they lead the Phoenix, who are playing in an improved OAA-Red against much bigger schools.
School: Rochester
Nickname: Falcons
Coach: Erik Vernon, fifth season (16-21)
2012 record: 5-4, 4-3 OAA Red Division (tied-third)
Players lost: Manny Mendoza, James Ward, John Doroshewitz, Peter Dusat, Miles Dale, Jimmy Harten
Players returning: Shwan Shadaia, sr. OL-DL; Shane Shadaia, sr. FB-OL-DE; Kyle Hilstead, sr. OL; Sam Figurski, sr. OL; Cameron Daniels, sr. OL; Max Biezinski, sr. OL; Gustavo Hernandez, sr. OL; Demetrius Magee, sr. CB-WR; Tyler Carten, sr. RB-DB; Julian Cutraro, sr. TE-DB; Jacob White, sr. MLB; Brad Bersbach, sr. LB; Aaron Morgan, sr. LB
Coach’s comment: “We have a lot of seniors, we are senior heavy, so we have a lot of experience. This season we want to finish games. Last season we didn’t finish well, and we ended up losing our final two games, which cost us a playoff berth.”
School: Rochester Stoney Creek
Nickname: Cougars
Coach: Brad Zube, second season (5-4)
2012 record: 5-4, 4-3 OAA (tied-third)
Players lost: Jack Stablien, Sam Clayman, Kyle Bricknell, JaQuis Jamison, Stu Gadigan
Players returning: Sean Scullen, sr. RB-QB-DB; David Kerr, sr. OL; Justin Allor, sr. QB-RB-DB; Noah Beck, sr. RB; Alex Schnurr, sr. WR-K; Jack Van Almen, sr. LB; Peter Price, sr. DE; Brandon Ballard, sr. DB-LB; Joe Cox, jr. RB-SS-P; Joe Platz, jr. DL; Ben Kast, sr. DB; Ryan Andrusz, sr. DE
Coach’s comment: “We have a lot of experience, and I know expectations are high. But we want to keep improving and hopefully make the playoffs. We would love to challenge Clarkston and Lake Orion, but since they formed the (OAA) Red, nobody else in our league has beaten them. You have to respect them. We hope to give them a challenge.”
School: Troy
Nickname: Colts
Coach: Gary Griffith, 30th season
2012 record: 5-4, 4-3 OAA Red Division (tied-third)
Players lost: Justin Losey, Thomas Richardson, Greg Webber, Brian Johnson, Connor Hayden, Joe Leonard, Torrence Cherry, Terrance Cherry, Quincy Walker, Eric Hagen
Players returning: Jay Darrish, sr. QB; Justice Bigelow, sr. DB; Danny Wunderlich, sr. P-WR-FS; Davis Strobridge, sr. LB-RB-SS; Damian Howard-Doney, sr. OG
Notes: Troy is coming off its third straight season without a playoff berth, during which time it compiled a record of 13-14. The Colts lost their final game last season to Oxford in a must-win situation. Troy has several fine athletes who could keep them in the top half of the OAA-Red and hopefully in contention for a playoff berth.
School: Troy Athens
Nickname: Red Hawks
Coach: Josh Heppner, fourth season
2012 record: 2-7, 1-6 OAA Red Division (tied-sixth)
Players lost: Joe Shields, Sam Haskell, Lonnie Jaynes, Jalen Thomas, Grant LaBeau, Max Blank, Andrew Hazen, Ivan Kharcenko, James Ortmann
Players returning: Luca Bezerra, sr. TE-DE; Thomas Lance, sr. DT-TE-OT; Craig Bazen, sr. RB-DB; Jake Nelson, sr. QB-DB-LB; Jake York, sr. OL-DL; Brandon Elliott, jr. K; Ryan Ruckensfuss, jr. OL; Luke Spinek, sr. DL
Coach’s comment: “With the Red Hawks coming off of an extremely disappointing 2012 football season, we are looking to bounce back with the same kind of presence we had regarding our 2011 team. Overall size in numbers will be low for us this year at all levels, but much of the off-season has been spent building relationships with our players and coaches that will carry us back to the level of play expected of championship football teams.”
School: West Bloomfield
Nickname: Lakers
Coach: Ron Bellamy, fourth season (7-20)
2012 record: 2-7, 1-6 OAA Red Division (tied-sixth)
Players lost: Matt Farrow, Keith Love, John Hubbard, Jeff Poole, Chaz Monarch
Players returning: JJ Blom, sr. ILB-TE; Austin Vance, sr. OG; Obbie Jackson, jr. CB-WR; Brighton Unaegbu, sr. WR-FS; Michael King, jr. RB-CB; Trishton Jackson, soph. QB-DB; Robert Powell, sr. QB-DB; Eddy Wilson, jr. DT-OT; Justin Hollins, jr. DT; Matthew Curtis, sr. FS-WR; Connor Genryh, sr. K
Notes: “Last season we were very young, starting six sophomores and a freshman in a lot of games. We had a couple of close losses where we held leads in the first half. We hope to turn those games into wins this season and finish above five hundred. The ultimate goal is to make the playoffs.”