OAA BLUE DIVISION
— Team capsules compiled by Daniel Stickradt. Email dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com Follow on Twitter @HSSportsScene and @LocalSportsFans
SCHOOL: Auburn Hills Avondale Yellowjackets
LEAGUE: OAA Blue Division
HEAD COACH: Ed Couturier second season
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 3-6, 2-4 OAA-Blue (fifth)
KEY RETURNEES: Adam Mather, sr. QB/FB/OLB; Josh Mosier, sr. OG/MLB; Ryan Grosz, sr. SE/OLB; Trevor Groz, sr. SE/OLB; Joey Hawkins, sr. OT/DE; Isiah Lane, sr. FB/SB/OLB; Anthony Moran, sr. FB/NG; Kyle Strong, sr. SB/CB; Nick Whiteside, sr. SE/DB; Kobe Anthony, jr. SB/DB
KEY NEWCOMERS: Catlin Coleman, jr. OT/DL; Baba Conate, jr. RB/TE/OLB; Derrick Hinton, jr. SS/SE/KR; Ethan Jewell, jr. QB/RB; Vincent Johns, jr. SB/DB; Zeke Ringstff, jr. SB/CB; Chris Sawyers, jr. C/MLB
OUTLOOK: Coach Couturier inherited a team just three weeks before practices began last August and the inexperienced Yellowjackets struggled to a 3-6 record. Now there are eight starters back on both sides of the football and ample experience that are accustomed to Couturier’s system. This team should move up in a wide-open OAA-Blue race this season.
SCHOOL: Farmington Falcons
LEAGUE: OAA Blue Division
HEAD COACH: Kory Cioroch, first season
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 2-7, 1-6 OAA-White (sixth)
KEY RETURNEES: Calvin Withlow, sr. DL/LB; Oscar Glenn, sr. RB/DB; Kendall Williams, jr. RB/DB; Donovan King, jr. OL/DL; Chandler Coultrip, sr. QB; Roger Motley, jr. WR/DB
KEY NEWCOMERS: Delman Sewell, jr. FB/DE; Jared Anderson, jr. WR/DB; Jordan Turner, soph. TE/LB
OUTLOOK: After reaching the postseason in eight of the previous 10 seasons, Farmington dropped to 2-7 last year and down to the OAA-Blue this season. A new coaching staff will have the task of righting the ship quickly.
SCHOOL: Ferndale Eagles
LEAGUE: OAA Blue Division
HEAD COACH: Eric Royal
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 7-3, 4-2 OAA-Blue (tied-second)
KEY RETURNEES: Keshawn Smith, sr. QB; Zoser Little, sr. RB/LB (1,541 yards, 21 TDs); Torian Belton, jr. OT/DT; Trey Merian, sr. WR/SE; Delrice Davis, sr. HB/LB:Ethan Simpson, sr. P; John Stellers, sr. K
KEY NEWCOMERS: Donovan Pitts, jr. OL/DL; John Thompson, sr. RB/WR/SE; Angel Defay-Marrero, jr. Ol/DL; James Darby, sr. WR/CB (transfer from Detroit King)
OUTLOOK: With the OAA realigning and with the Eagles returning a quality amount of talent from a playoffs team, expect Ferndale to be one of the better teams in the OAA-Blue this season.
SCHOOL: Hazel Park Vikings
LEAGUE: OAA Blue Division
HEAD COACH: Kyle Rowley, fourth season (3-24)
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 2-7, 2-4 OAA-Blue (tied-fifth)
KEY RETURNEES: Damien Ewald, sr. QB; Logan Hamilton-Mathy, sr. DB/WR; Mason young, sr. DL/FB; Caleb Roggenbuck, sr. OL/DL; Isaac Manier, sr. WR/OLB; Cameron Wyatt, jr. WR/S
OUTLOOK: Kyle Rowley has done an admirable job building back numbers at Hazel Park over the past three years. With a large senior class, perhaps the labor will pay off with a winning record and a postseason-caliber squad. This could be Hazel Park’s best team since the Vikings last made the postseason in 2010. There are several third- and fourth-year varsity veterans on the roster.
SCHOOL: North Farmington Raiders
LEAGUE: OAA Blue Division
HEAD COACH: Robert Chiesa first season
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 0-9, 0-6 OAA-White (seventh)
KEY RETURNEES: Dylan Gordon, sr. RB; Lamar Pope, sr. LB; Justin Mayes, sr. OL; Ivory Fuller, jr. OLB; Matt Coleman, jr. FS
KEY NEWCOMERS: Myles Gresham, soph. TB; Taj Cheathem, soph. DB; Clark Crockett, sop. OLB/WR; Jon Brunette, soph. OLB
OUTLOOK: The Raiders suffered through only their second winless season in their 56-year history. North Farmington ended last season with only 22 players on varsity, but have already climbed up to 50 to start under new coach Robert Chiesa.
SCHOOL: Pontiac Phoenix
LEAGUE: OAA Blue Division
HEAD COACH: Alan Margrif, first season
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 0-9, 0-6 OAA-Blue (eighth)
OUTLOOK: Since Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central merged in 2009, the city has seen a steady decline in enrollment and the school’s athletics teams have taken a massive hit. A postseason team six years ago, Pontiac is just 2-42 over the past six years with a different coaching staff each season. Alan Margrif takes over and hopes to ild not only the football program, but try to work with others to rejuvenate the entire athletics department.
SCHOOL: Royal Oak Ravens
LEAGUE: OAA Blue Division
HEAD COACH: Ray McMann, third season (6-12)
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 2-7, 2-4 OAA-Blue (sixth)
KEY RETURNEES: Patrick Tesho, sr. RB/DB; Carter Ellis, sr. QB/DB; Dane Collins, sr. C; Joe Binkowski, jr. WR/DB; Cody Remick, jr. Ol/DL
KEY NEWCOMERS: Bryan DeGroot, sr. WR/DB
OUTLOOK: Since the merger of Dondero and Kimball in 2006, the Ravens have struggled as a program. After going 8-3 in 2006 and 5-4 in 2007, Royal Oak has suffered through nine straight losing campaigns and only a combined 12 wins in that span. Six of those wins have come the past two seasons and in a year where there will be a wide-open OAA-Blue race, perhaps Coach McMann can quickly change a culture and bring Royal Oak back to prominence.