Brad D. Bates: C&G Newspapers Sports Blog

All-Stars shine, sign

2009-02-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

The Michigan High School Football Coaches Association released its All-Star roster last month, and gridders form the C & G Newspapers’ coverage area dominated the East roster.

Of the East’s 44 players from Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, Monroe, St. Clair, Lapeer, Sanilac, Huron and Tuscola counties, 16 are from schools in our coverage area.

The July 11 game at Spartan Stadium will be the last time for fans to catch these players in a high school game before they make good on their Feb. 4 National Letters of Intent signing ceremonies and kick off their college careers.

The Macomb Area Conferences alone had seven players garner spots.

Red Division co-MVP Mike Laamanen, who signed with Wayne State University, was tabbed as a defensive lineman, linebackers Dan Sawicki (Clinton Township Clintondale), Kurtis Showers (Madison Heights Madison) and defensive back KyeRell Williams (Clinton Township Chippewa Valley) will accompany him.

Offensively, Utica Eisenhower’s Tyler Copacia, who signed a letter with Grand Valley State, was named one of two quarterbacks, along with Taylor Truman’s Ryan Hargraves.

Copacia and Hargraves will have Chad Allemon (Marine City High) at receiver and Warren Fitzgerald’s C. J. Carroll, an All-County 215-pound wrestler, at fullback.

Lake Orion’s Tyler Benson and Beverly Hills Detroit Country Day’s Tim McLean, both of whom led the blocking for their state runner-up rushing attacks, will serve as the centers for the East.

Rochester Adams’ Cody Wilson, another Central Michigan commitment, will be a defensive back for the East.

The Oakland Activities Association will handle all the East’s kicking duties and bring its total of players in the game to four, with Troy’s Kevin Muma, a Michigan State University commit, placekicking and Rochester Stoney Creek’s Eric Fisher, a 6-foot-7-inch, 243-pound lineman prospect who signed with Central Michigan, punting.

Including MacLean, private schools from our area accounted for six spots on the East roaster.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Gabe Charette will be on the defensive line, while Birmingham Brother Rice’s Zach Cherocci will play guard on the same offensive line as Warren De La Salle tight end Dan Sorgi.

Adding electricity to the East backfield are Royal Oak Shrine Catholic’s Anthony Cade and future Central Michigan back Zurlon Tipton of Sterling Heights Parkway Christian.

A couple notable names absent from this year’s All-Star rosters were Ohio State recruit Reid Fragel (Grosse Pointe South) and Holland Christian quarterback A. J. Westendorp.

What’s interesting about the omission of Westendorp and Fragel is that teams are allowed at most one representative in the game, but neither South nor Holland Christian had a player named to the rosters.

There could be any number of very sound reasons these two are not part of the game, and I'm not trying to place blame on anyone, but they will be missed

Fragel would have offered flexibility to the East squad with his ability to play tight end, offensive tackle or defensive end.

Westendorp would have given the game a boost of star power with the kind of athleticism that saw him lead his prep team to a Division 4 state title while rewriting the offensive record books for the title game before committing to Central Michigan.

Among royalty

2009-01-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hopefully those in the real wrestling community will allow me a quick foray into the world of make believe.

I was able to attend he WWE's Royal Rumble Jan. 25 at Joe Louis Arena, and there might be no spectacle that brings the same type of entertainment as professional "wrestling."

It's not just how huge the mountains of humanity they call "superstars" are in real life, it's more the way in which these Yetis interact with the crowds. The way the WWE faithful are part of the show with their signs and chants is something you have to see to believe. Their addition to the festivities is just as much a fixture as folding chairs and exposed turnbuckles in a no disqualification match.

A couple of my personal highlights were the way John Cena and Rob Van Dam of Battle Creek galvanized the crowd.

With simultaneous chants for and against the WWE Champion, Cena is a one-man European soccer match. And when RVD came down the ramp to join the Rumble, the local boy's ovation was as great, if not greater, than any superstar this side of the Undertaker.

So while moonsaults from atop ladders through tables may not require quite the same technical expertise as a cradle into a pin, can there really be that much wrong with anything that can bring as much excitement and joy to a city like Detroit as did the WWE.

Just can't stay away

2009-01-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Few things have made me feel as old as when I walked into De La Salle's gym and saw 2008 Warren Woods Tower grad Kyle Lowry working as a coach with the Pilots.

Then I walked into St. Clair Shores Lakeview Jan. 21 and coach Steve Nicholl told me he had two new assistants, Mike Hissong and Jake Fisher.

It took me a minute to remember why the name Jake Fisher was familiar, but soon enough I realized Jake Fisher was Jacob Fisher, the Huskies' 2005-06 Division 2 145-pound state runner-up that I had covered.

Aside from high school athletes that I covered that are now coaches making me feel every one of my 29 years, they show one of the main reasons I enjoy covering wrestling — commitment.

Unlike any other sport, wrestling brings people together who must be of a like, and sometimes skewed, mind.

These folks enjoy literally taking beatings and call it practice. As the Warren Mott team Web site boasts, "Does your sport have blood time?"

Aside from all the perceived oddities that those outside the wrestling world see, those in it see something bigger than themselves and greater then the tough times that come with losing and the rigors of things like cutting weight.

As Warren Woods Tower coach Greg Mayer said of grapplers like Lowry, "Those guys eat, breath and sleep wrestling, and it's why Fisher admitted that even if he wasn't a paid assistant on the Huskies' staff, he would have been in the practice room anyway.

Guys like Lowry and Fisher returned to the sport so soon after their graduation because it means so much to them, and even though it makes me feel old, I'm glad they're doing it and helping to introduce a new generation to a sport they just can't stay away from.

New kids on the mat

2009-01-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

Local wrestling teams would be well served to take notice of a brewing storm on Common Road in Warren.

The Warren De La Salle wrestling team, in its fourth season of existence after coach Dennis Parks started the team in 2005-06, has all the makings of what could be a major player in Macomb County.

Much like Pilots football coach Paul Verska changed the face of metro Detroit prep football when he turned the De La Salle gridiron program around, Parks seems poised to make a splash in the wrestling world.

He only has one grappler, junior 130-pounder Adam Masakowski, on his roster that had mat experience before stepping into the Pilots' wrestling room, but his team has already taken home the 2008-09 Warren City Championships and placed second in two other tournaments this year.

Because Parks pulled his team out of the county meet Dec. 20 because of a conflict with De La Salle's final exams schedule, no one will know how the Pilots measure up to the top teams in Macomb County until the Michigan High School Athletic Association team and individual district tournaments Feb. 18 and Feb. 21, respectively, but if the way wrestlers like senior 215-pounder Padriac Berlin attacks opponents is any indication, the Pilots could pull off a number of perceived upsets in districts and possibly regional tournaments.

Parks has enlisted the help of recent Warren Woods Tower grad Kyle Lowry as an assistant coach, a move that could be very shrewd.

As the Pilots fight to prove themselves in a crowded wrestling county, they could be very comparable to the Tower teams on which Lowry, his twin brother, Kenny, and current Old Dominion grappler and two-time state runner-up Brennan Brumley starred.

After all, just as coach Greg Mayer and former coach Pat Threet built the Titans from also-rans to regional champs, Parks has already built the Pilots from never-weres to city champions.

Killer crossovers

2008-10-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Week six on the Macomb Area Conference football slate is a pretty good one, with games like 4-1 Macomb Dakota traveling to 5-0 Grosse Pointe North; Warren Cousino getting reacquainted with former MAC White rival and current MAC Red leader Romeo High; and the MAC's surprise team of the season, Warren Mott, at Clinton Township Chippewa Valley's homecoming.

Week six has rivalries like Madison Heights Lamphere taking on Madison Heights Madison and St. Clair Shores Lake Shore facing St. Clair Shores South Lake. The only people who could complain are sports reporters who have to pick just one game to be at (I chose the North/Dakota showdown).

What's the cause of this excitement — crossovers.

With the MAC switching from a five-division league to six in 2008, it created four weeks for crossover games.

It's not just week six, either. With all six league titles decided heading into the final week of the regular season, week nine could make week six look boring.

In week nine, Utica Stevenson travels to Mott in a possible postseason preview. Chippewa Valley hosts Cousino — one or both teams could be fighting for a playoff berth. Roseville and Eastpointe East Detroit end their year with one of the Eastside's most underrated rivalries. Center Line High hosts Warren Lincoln, and former Macomb Oakland Athletic Conference and Oakland Activities Association foes Madison High and Clawson High meet for the first time since 2003.

Speaking of the OAA, why would a league want to miss out on all this crossover fun?

With the OAA's current format of two eight-team divisions and one nine-team division, the teams lucky enough to be in the OAA Red and White get two crossovers, and those in the Blue have their league schedule account for eight of nine regular-season games.

To say nothing of fan interest, these schedules have teams starting their league play in week one, giving them no time to get rosters in order or account for any of the many inevitable early season roadblocks before competing for a league title.

I propose the OAA follow the MAC's lead (they've already switched from numbered divisions to colors) and move to five, five-team divisions. With five crossovers, the OAA could open it's league slate in week three, have an open date in the middle of the season for rivalries or other crossovers, and still have their final two weeks open for rivalries — games with champions playing other champs in a format like the Catholic League's Prep Bowl. Maybe they could go completely outside the league and play against corresponding champs from a rival league that may or may not have most of its constituency east of Dequindre.

Also, aligning a five-of-five format could take into account any number of factors, be they competitive balance or geography.

Here are two of a great many possibilities that might be fun. The first is the "geographic alignment."

OAA White: Rochester Adams, Rochester High, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy High and Troy Athens.

OAA Red: Lake Orion High, Clarkston High, Farmington Hills Harrison, Farmington High and North Farmington.

OAA Blue: Bloomfield Hills Lahser, Bloomfield Hills Andover, Southfield High, Southfield-Lathrup and West Bloomfield High.

OAA Gold: Royal Oak High, Ferndale High, Berkly High, Birmingham Seaholm and Birmingham Groves.

OAA Silver: Auburn Hills Avondale, Pontiac Northern, Pontiac Central, Hazel Park and Oak Park

Now comes the fun one, the "competitive alignment."

OAA White: Adams, Lake Orion, Clarkston, Harrison and Lathrup.

OAA Red: Lahser, Southfield, Groves, Rochester and Stoney Creek.

OAA Blue: Troy, Athens, West Bloomfield, Seaholm and Oak Park.

OAA Gold: Ferndale, Berkley, Farmington, Pontiac Northern and Royal Oak.

OAA Silver: Pontiac Central, Andover, North Farmington, Hazel Park and Avondale.

The Pointe of rivalries

2008-09-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

I covered my first Grosse Pointe North/Grosse Pointe South football game Sept. 5 at North.

I've been to Brother Rice/Catholic Central games, once in Pontiac and once in Hamtramck. Both of those trips were amazing exploits in preps athletics and seemed more like a Big 10 rivalry than a prep showdown.

I've also covered Macomb Dakota and Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, once in the regular season and once in the playoffs, and I could not get over how large of an event these games were. There were more people at those games than many of the Central Michigan University games I went to in college.

This weekend, though, I experienced something a little different from all the other rivalries I've seen, all the North and South fans were literally sitting next to each other.

I sat in the crowd between North and South fans, and I didn't even get a whiff of animosity.

I know there are probably stories of crowds getting out of hand in the past, all schools have a troublemaker or dark day in their history, but this experience was as much fun as I can ever remember seeing such a large group of rival fans have together.

With both sides sharing the same set of bleachers at North, there wasn't even a whisper of foul tempers in a game that was closely contested for over three quarters before the veteran Norsemen wore down a young Blue Devils squad.

Just as was the case with the vast majority of people at the Rice/CC and Chippewa/Dakota games, the GPN and GPS teams acted with as much class on the field as the fans did off it.

In today's age, where we are led to believe community camaraderie and goodwill toward our neighbors have eroded, it's nice to see parents and youths in a community prove all that wrong for a night and actually enjoy something as simple as a high school football game.

Down at 'The Corner'

2008-07-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

The seemingly endless "efforts" to save Tiger Stadium have seemingly ended.

Barring a multi-million-dollar miracle before the end of July, Detroit will be a lesser city with the total destruction of the old ball park.

With that in mind, a handful of friends and I went down to The Corner July 14 to soak in the nostalgia.

I snapped some pictures and marvelled at how well-kept the field seemed to be from behind the security fencing. But the best part was being there with my high school friends Doug Belles, Mike Weathers and Dave Luedtke.

They are just a few of the friends who shuffled down to Tiger Stadium in the lean years, when we were in high school and college.

From when we got our driver's licenses in 1995 to the parks closing in 1999, we went to what at the time seemed like too many games and now feels like not enough.

Those years, while we complained about the team, were amazing. It sounds sappy, but I fell in love with baseball in those four years.

I had played Little League, but growing up the Lions and Pistons were my teams. I cared little for the Dead Wings of my youth, and beyond 1987 never really paid much attention to the Tigers.

From seeing the Tigers take on the NL East in the first years of inter-league play with (hot dog) vendors selling fresh, hot "Bobby Bonilla's" as the Tigers played the would-be World Series champion Florida Marlins, I found an experience at the ball park rivaled by few things in the world and grew to appreciate seeing a home-team win.

Those years of 'Fan Stand' tickets and 'Dollar Day' smorgasbords made experiences like seeing Magglio Ordonez's pennant-winning home run all the more exciting. Knowing I was one of the fans who had truly been there when it was the worst made the best times amazing.

Even beyond that, though, the memories I have with friends — like Andy Melitz, who I will forever be grateful to for getting me a ticket to the final game at the Corner — are of the most value.

Whether it was sitting in the bleachers as Mark McGwire shelled the left-field roof in batting practice, or sitting in the right- field overhang to see the eternally-expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays, those memories are where Tiger Stadium will always stand, and there's nothing the Detroit City Council can do about it.

Don't miss the boat

2008-07-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Every summer I hang up my prep sports pass and head to the lakes and rivers. After the baseball and softball state champs are crowned, writing stories on the Bayview Mackinac and the Gold Cup races are a nice summer home away from home in regards to my high school sports beats.

This year, I got to write a feature on the Simon family and their connection to the Gold Cup races on the Detroit River. It all started with George Simon Sr. racing his boat, the Miss U.S. in 1953. As President and founder of U.S. Equipment, Simon was a quintessential American industrialist.

Fresh out of service in WWII, Simon started a business buying and selling machinery. He started buying the equipment from his mother's home and storing it under the bleachers at the old De La Salle High in Detroit. He and his brother made a name for their company throwing live turkey's into purchasers homes for Thanksgiving and buzzing an office full of buyers with a plane at Willow Run.

After all that established his business, Simon took up racing boats — powered by airplane engines situated mere inches from the driver's seat — at speeds approaching 200 mph.

Needless to say, George Simon was an interesting person. For his full story, check out the history of U.S. Equipment on its Web site at:

http://www.usequipment.com/story.htm

That's what makes these stories about boats, whether powered by sail or airplane engine, so interesting - the people. The nautical types are always willing to talk with you and always have interesting stories to tell. Go down and check out Gold Cup races on the Detroit River July 11-13 and the Bayview Mackinac Race when the yachts leave Port Huron July 12. Get there early and you might even hear a boat story of your own.

Feed the need

2008-06-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

They say youth is wasted on the young.

Whether it's because kids don't know how good they have "it" or don't appreciate how fleeting "it" might be, the young don't always take full advantage of the opportunities afforded them as much as those who have come before them.

That's what makes "recreational" adult sports leagues so intriguing. If its a midnight drop-in hockey session or a group of past-their-prime hard ballers behind an elementary school, what drives these athletes is something equal parts pure and fanatical. That's why my summer series will focus on local teams and athletes who can't say enough is enough. They're the ones you see risking torn knees and wrenched backs for nothing more than competition. So if you play on or know of a team that exemplifies these qualities let me know.

You can reach me at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1029.

Local Lions

2008-04-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Bob Lantzy, Mike Giannone, Mike Carr and Rick Bye can fix the Detroit Lions.

That may be a tall order for the football coaches at the Macomb Area Conference Red Division's four premiere programs, but after speaking with Buffalo Bills linebacker John DiGiorgio April 18 at St. Mary’s School in Mount Clemens, maybe these four can help the much-maligned Leos.

Accounting for 13 trips to state title games in the past 10 years, these four coaches know what makes a good football player great, and they know how to get the most out of marginal players.

Getting marginal players to play above their talent level is key to the success of high school program, and from the Lions' recent run, that could be an invaluable skill for them as well.

Not to say DiGiorgio was a marginal talent under Lantzy at Utica Eisenhower, but for him to climb his way to start 13 games and record 137 tackles in 2007-08, he had to overcome several roadblocks — starting with a broken leg in the final game of his high school career, the 1999 Class A state title game.

With resilience like that, you would think DiGiorgio grew up watching players like Chris Spielman and Stephen Boyd play linebacker.

That’s the other way local prep and college products can help the Lions.

We have heard all too often how Lions coach Rod Marinelli wants to build an atmosphere of pride, so why not start with players who already have pride in playing for the Lions.

DiGiorgio said he would have loved to play in front of a Detroit crowd while speaking to the student body at St. Mary’s, and given the Lions woes at the linebacker position, I’m sure they would’ve loved it too.

So let’s look at how the 2008 draft’s metro Detroit talent can help the Lions.

Granted with the No. 15 pick in the first round, the Lions won’t have a shot at top prospects like Jake Long of Lapeer and Vernon Gholston of Detroit, but that’s not to say there aren’t prospects to be had.

With the departure of former second-round pick Kalimba Edwards, the Lions again have a hole at defensive end — there lies Eastern Michigan University’s Jason Jones of Southfield.

The Former Southfield-Lathrup Charger posted 174 tackles in his three years on the Eastern Michigan defensive line. He recorded 70 tackles and 3.5 sacks playing at defensive tackle as a 6-5, 237-pound senior despite giving up plenty of weight to larger interior offensive linemen.

Jones could provide versatility across the Lions defensive front at tackle, end or even linebacker. That’s versatility that gurus like Marinelli and defensive coordinator Joe Barry should covet.

Next on the Lions "need" list is linebacker, where they’ve parted with former second-round picks Boss Bailey and Teddy Lehman, who combined for roughly half as many tackles as DiGiorgio last year.

The current field of middle linebackers is thin, so a first-round pick of someone like Tennessee’s Jerod Mayo would be understandable, but why not take a late flyer on Central Michigan University’s Red Keith.

Keith may be from Georgia, but he has excelled on the Ford Field surface. In two Motor City Bowls, two Mid-American Conference championship games and one regular-season contest, Keith recorded 48 of his 455 career tackles.

NFLDraftCountdown.com’s scouting report says Keith doesn’t have the ideal size or speed for the next level, but he excels in intangibles as a team leader.

He also sported a 3.24 GPA with a major in Math, but who wants a middle linebacker with leadership, smarts and a nose for the ball in big games.

Also a constant on the Lions’ need list is offensive-line depth — a position that could be helped late in the draft with the acquisition of Western Michigan University offensive tackle James Blair.

At 6 feet 5 inches, Blair played tackle for three years with the Broncos, but he could move to guard, both positions of need for the Lions since Blair was in grade school before starring at Detroit Pershing.

Early bird gets the ice time

2008-01-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

While most hockey fans are still dreaming of owning their very own Don Cherry suit, the Utica High boys squad is lacing up its skates for another of coach Kevin Nye's 5:20 a.m. practices.

In the wee hours of the morning Jan. 17, I pulled into Macomb Suburban Ice Arena for interviews with the Chieftains' players and coaches. As I entered the building at 6 a.m., they were already well into their practice — with smiles on the coaches' faces and no sign of the hour in the players' strides — in a session Nye described as being, "... nice to get out there and skate a little."

I am always impressed by the early morning habits of high school coaches and athletes. Whether it's swimmers, hockey players or any of the athletes who forgo extra hours of sleep for time in the weight room or on the ice, it's just one more sacrifice they make for a game.

I know its cliché to knock the "spoiled" professional athlete, but next time you here millionaires griping about whether or not they're being respected, remember the Chieftains and the countless other local athletes who roll out of bed at 4 a.m. to practice and are just happy to get the ice time.

Another classic Thanksgiving

2007-11-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Football has always been associated with Thanksgiving in Detroit, but
lately the Thursday afternoon affair seems to leave fans hungry
compared to the weekend feast.

A little of the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day sheen has dissipated ever since the retirement of one Barry Sanders, but after the past two years of high school finals, even No. 20 himself would be hard-pressed to provide a better show.

Many assumed the 2006 Division 2 championship between Warren De La Salle and Muskegon
High could not be topped. But as is the case with most things, if you
wait long enough, you’ll be proved wrong as the 2007 Orchard Lake St.
Mary’s/East Grand Rapids Division 3 championship came very close.

Where all of last year’s dramatics were contained to regulation, you may have
read that the Eaglets one-upped their league rival Pilots and extended
their game to five overtimes.

Just like last year, the most exciting game of the weekend pitted a team from the Catholic High School League against the OK Conference with plenty of bragging rights
between public and private andEastside versus Westside at stake.

Again, the OK won as East Grand Rapids outlasted the Eaglets in a marathon just as narrowly as Muskegon’s Ronald Johnson outraced De La Salle's Don Fowler in a sprint last year.

Of course, talk to people in Macomb County and they’ll tell you the OK and Catholic League are playing for second place.

Macomb Dakota from the Mac Red Division took home its second straight Division
1 championship and Marine City High topped Detroit Country Day for the
Division 4 crown.

The Cougars put together the first Division 1 14-0 season since 1999, and answered every question and doubt they had coming into this year.

When the final game was played, Dakota was arguably more dominant than last year’s team, which was an overtime away from also being undefeated.

The Cougars won their 22nd consecutive game against Livonia Stevenson, but take into account that streak started after an overtime loss to Utica Ford II Sept. 22, and if one or two bounces went the other way, we’d be talking about a 28-game streak.

But that would be impossible ...

Given the one loss that Dakota’s JV and two freshmen teams combined for in
2007, maybe I should wait till next year before saying that.

Districts, districts and more districts

2007-11-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

No better way to enjoy the last weekend of reasonable temperatures than catching a local district championship football game. Winter always seems to roll in the weekend of regional title games and seemingly hangs around until baseball and softball kick of their district tournaments, so be sure to get out and enjoy the brisk Friday night and Saturday afternoon at one of many local matchups.

No. 2 Rochester Adams (9-1) hosts No. 2 Birmingham Brother Rice (8-2) at 7 p.m. Nov. 2.

A lot of metro Detroit pride is on the line with this game. Both squads are ranked second in Division 2 by the Associated Press, both squads have won Division 2 state titles in the last five years, and both squads might represent the metro area’s best chance of knocking off defending Division 2 state champ No. 1 Muskegon High or their rival No. 4 Hudsonville High Nov. 23 at Ford Field.

Rice brings a rejuvenated offense, led by senior running back Caulton Ray IV and senior quarterback Andy Lentz, up against an Adams defense that has so much speed Rice coach Al Fracassa believes it to be better than the defense that beat him in the 2003 state title game.

No. 1 Macomb Dakota (10-0) hosts Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (7-3) at 7 p.m. Nov. 2.

The buzz saw that is the Dakota football team hasn’t let up on anyone since an early season 29-22 scare from Utica Eisenhower Sept. 7. Since then, the Cougars have outscored opponents 282-71, including a 39-0 win against the Big Reds Sept. 21. Of course, that was with Chippewa Valley senior quarterback Tyler Alwardt severely hampered with a leg injury. After the Big Reds fell to Dakota, they also dropped their next game, 21-14, to Utica Eisenhower, but have since rattled off four straight wins and outscored opponents 139-58 in that span.

No. 5 Warren Cousino (10-0) hosts Detroit Denby (7-3) at 7 p.m. Nov. 2.

The Patriots are following much the same path that put them in the Division 1 state semifinal a year ago. After beating a Macomb Area Conference rival in the first round — this year it was Warren Mott; last year it was Utica Stevenson — Cousino now faces Denby from the Detroit Public School League, the same team it beat a year ago to win the program’s first regional title and one of the three teams the Patriots scrimmaged during the 2007 preseason.

The major difference in Cousino’s postseason road map would come if the Patriots were to win another regional title and return to the semifinals. There they would face a team from the group headed by unbeaten No. 4 Livonia Stevenson instead of Dakota — which they wouldn’t face until Nov. 24 at Ford Field in the Division 1 title game.

No. 9* Beverly Hills Detroit Country Day (8-2) hosts Detroit Crockett (6-4) at 1 p.m. Nov. 3.

The Yellowjackets’ ranking gets an asterisk because the Associated Press ranked it among the top 10 in Division 5. Country Day qualified for the Division 4 playoff bracket, and after topping one PSL foe — Detroit Douglass — in the first round, it gets another with the Rockets. Where Douglass was making its first trip to the postseason, Crockett is slightly more seasoned with this being its eighth appearance since 1997. With Crockett’s in-state losses coming against Denby (Division 1), Detroit King (Division 2) and Detroit Southeastern (Division 1), Country Day is going to need another big day from senior running back Jonas "The Benz" Gray, who in committing to Notre Dame is following in the footsteps of former Detroit MacKenzie star Jerome "the Bus" Bettis.

Get ready for some football

2007-10-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

The air is colder, and it’s October, which means football playoffs are almost upon us.

The regular season has given us a lot of great games , but there is something really special about a chilly October night leading into even colder November days as 256 teams vie for the 16 spots at Ford Field on Thanksgiving weekend.

So why not catch one of the season’s final regular-season matchups as a primer. If you’re still not convinced to brave the elements this weekend, consult my top 10 reasons for leaving the house on Friday or Saturday and checking out your local football teams.

No. 10: The Trojan War: Clawson High plays at Livonia Clarenceville at 7 p.m. Oct. 19

The Trojans of Clawson take on the Trojans of Livonia for the final time as Metro Conference rivals. Even though Clawson’s stay in the Metro wasn’t long, the two squads developed a rivalry playing for the Trojan Horse trophy constructed by Clawson High coach Jim Sparks. While this game would not impact Metro standings in the future, rumors circulate that Clawson’s move to the Macomb Area Conference will not be the end of this budding tradition.

No. 9: Sterling Heights Parkway Christian hosts Hamtramck High at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Fraser High.

The Parkway Christian Eagles might be the best team you know nothing about, and its junior star, Zurlon Tipton, might be the best player you know nothing about — and football isn’t even his No. 1 sport. Tipton, who also excels for the Eagles’ basketball team, is almost too fast for the competition he faces weekly in the Southern Michigan Football Conference, and chances are, he’ll be just as dominant against the Cosmos.

No. 8: Grosse Pointe South travels to Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse at 7 p.m. Oct. 19

Coach Tim Brandon has the Blue Devils on the verge of their first winning season since 2003, and this game is even more intriguing given that it’s South senior Jimmy Saros’ last chance to set the state record for career receptions. Granted, Saros needs 26 catches against the Lancers to tie the mark, but it’s still a chance to see one of the area’s great players of the last four years.

No. 7 & 6: St. Clair Shores Lake Shore hosts Warren Woods Tower at 7 p.m. Oct. 19; Warren Fitzgerald hosts Madison Heights Madison at 7 p.m. Oct. 19; Macomb L’Anse Creuse North hosts New Baltimore Anchor Bay at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 and Clinton Township Chippewa Valley travels to Port Huron High at 7 p.m. Oct. 19

These games are so big they count twice. The Shorians, Spartans, Crusaders and Big Reds all need one win to assure themselves a spot in the playoffs. All three face MAC rivals in the final week, making these, in essence, the first playoff games of the season.

Lake Shore faces a Woods Tower squad that clinched its spot in the second season with a 19-13 overtime win against Fitzgerald Oct. 12, and the Spartans have to go through the 2006 Division 5 state runner-up Eagles to punch their ticket under first-year coach Jason Byers.

The Crusaders face rival and MAC Red Division member Tars in their crossover after clinching a share of the Blue Division title. The Big Reds are hoping to extend coach Mike Carr’s return to the sideline for at least one more week at the co-Blue champion Port Huron Big Reds.

No. 5: Madison Heights Madison travels to Warren Fitzgerald at 7 p.m. Oct. 19

By all means, if you have a chance to go see the Eagles play this week, or in a playoff game, take it. Go see senior Deandre Johnson before he takes his game to such collegiate possibilities as the University of Florida or the University of Southern California. See this kid play on Friday before you see him on Saturday.

No. 4: Harper Woods High hosts Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood at 7 p.m. Oct. 19

The Pioneers are trying to win their first Metro Conference title under coach Heath Filber. A year ago, the Pioneers surprised many by qualifying for the playoffs, and this year they’re pushing toward their second appearance and hoping to bring home sole possession of the league title. They clinched a share of it last week beating Macomb Lutheran North, 30-28, for the first time since 2000, but are looking for the outright title and a home playoff game against the Cranes.

No. 3: Macomb Dakota hosts Grosse Pointe North at 7 p.m. Oct. 19

The only thing more shocking than the way the 2006 Cougars handle Rockford High in the 2006 Division 1 title game may be that the 2007 Cougars seem to be even better. No one in the area plays at such a high skill level and as physical as the Cougars, who are simply as dangerous a high school football team as I have ever seen and must be seen to be believed.

No. 2: Warren Cousino travels to Utica Stevenson at 7 p.m. Oct. 19

Years down the line, a Cousino victory against Stevenson may be the game Patriots fans point to as the game where it all started. While it won’t be this one — the Patriots topped the Titans in last year's playoffs en route to the programs first regional title — Cousino is making its second trip in as many weeks to Runkle Field to face a MAC Red opponent after beating Utica Ford II, 24-17, there a week ago. With the MAC realigning its divisions next year, this could be an intriguing league matchup for years.

No. 1: Catholic League Prep Bowl at 1 p.m. Oct. 20 at Ford Field

Since 1998, one of the four programs slated to play in the Prep Bowl — Warren De La Salle, Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Birmingham Brother Rice — have appeared in at last one of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s championship games. With the Warriors (No. 3 in Division 2) playing the Eaglets (No. 1 in Division 3) at 7 p.m. and the Pilots (No. 9 in Division 2) facing the Shamrocks (No. 7 in Division 1), that streak looks like it is bound to continue, and you can see them face each other for $8 on the same field they are likely to play on for a title Nov. 23-24.

Positive-ly Cheer-ful

2007-09-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about my job is that it never ceases to surprise me.

With slightly less than five years covering preps under my belt, there are plenty of folks who have been involved in high school athletics longer than myself, but every once in a while I fall into the trap of thinking I’ve seen it all. That is until something like the Sept. 19 Oakland Activities Association Division I volleyball match between host Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Birmingham Seaholm.

Knowing it was a match that could help decide the regular-season league title, I decided to cover it for our Web site as well as a feature for the Sept. 27 issue of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle, but what I didn't expect was a number of firsts, including an atmosphere that lent itself more toward a playoff basketball game than a regular-season volleyball match.

Never had I seen an official ask an athletic director to quiet down a volleyball crowd, but the Lahser gym was plenty raucous as the fans' section called "The Positive Cheer" made sure everyone knew they were there. That, coupled with the strong play by both teams in five games, gave the match a postseason feel. The Positive Cheer fans even rushed the court following the Knights' 25-15, 25-22, 12-25, 12-25, 15-9 win.

Oh, Brother

2007-09-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

In the final leg of my Catholic League Central Division football preview tour, I stopped in and spoke with Birmingham Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa Sept. 6. With the Warriors coming off an 11-1 2006 seasn and having to replace seven players currently on Division I college rosters, the 2007 season should be interesting for Rice.

A few notes from my time spent with the Warriors:

Michigan State University fans will be happy to know that even though they missed out on Beverly Hills Detroit Country Day running back Jonas Gray, who chose the Nebraska Cornhuskers instead of the Spartans, coach Mark Dantonio and the Spartans received a verbal commitment from Warriors running back Caulton Ray IV.

According to Rivals.com, Ray is the second-ranked running back in the state behind Gray. While he's a little smaller than Gray, Ray is very quick, and at 5 feet 9 inches with moves in the mold of Barry Sanders, he can be a very tough man to tackle.

"I found out Michigan State offered him a full scholarship, so he’s going to Michigan State," Fracassa, a Spartan alum, said. "He doesn’t have to worry about where he’s going, so hopefully he’s settled and he’s just now focused on football.

"He’s a smaller type of runner. This guy likes to do a few juking moves before he gets some yardage, and he’s very good at it."

The Warriors are also welcoming back a familiar name to the roster as freshman Jimmy Pickens joins the varsity ranks.

He's the youngest of the group of three Pickens brothers. The eldest brother, Doug, is currently the catcher for the University of Michigan baseball team. The middle brother, Matt, was a key piece of the Warriors' 2005 Division 2 state title winning defense and is currently on the Western Michigan University football roster. Jimmy Pickens is the first-ever freshman to start for Fracassa.

"Jimmy Pickens is good enough to be on the varsity," Fracassa said. "Physically, he looks a little older than the other guys. He runs better than most upperclassmen. He’s a good baseball player, and I think he plays basketball, but he plays football and does a great job for us."

Stick-to-itiveness

2007-09-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

As volleyball teams across the state continue to make adjustments from competing in winter to fall, interesting little tidbits pop up here and there.

At a recent Clawson High practice, coach Jenny Brown talked about adjusting to humid gyms and the unfortunate times when her players are forced to dive for balls with what she called, "a little bit of burnt skin."

Diving on the hardcourt has always been something that made me cringe, and is probably part of the reason playing basketball never crossed my mind, but to hear Brown and players like Clawson senior Sarah Edwards describe the difference between a summer volleyball practice and a summer basketball practice by saying, "(The floor is) harder to slide on because instead of sliding, you stick," put things in context.

While volleyball players adjust to playing and conditioning during a Michigan summer, it begs to question what it's going to be like as girls basketball coaches and players have to adjust to the winter and its long, break-filled schedule. You can only imagine what kind of practices and drills veteran coaches like Grosse Pointe North's Gary Bennett will be able to come up with to fill those long winter breaks.

Blogging along

2007-08-29T08:35:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my high school sports blog.

This is the space where there will normally be random ramblings and noticings from the high school and community sports I cover here at C&G Newspapers. In the fall, I cover Macomb Area Conference and Catholic High School League football, along with Oakland Activities Association volleyball.

With all of the changes in the 2007 fall sports seasons, we felt it necessary to revamp our Web site. Be sure to check out www.candgnews.com/Sports-Update.asp for new features, including
stories from all 18 of our publications, blogs, increased coverage of games, and the "Where we'll be" box, which will inform readers which games our staff writers and photographers will be covering that week.

Hope you enjoy the new features, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

Brad