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.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Oh, Brother
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."
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."
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Stick-to-itiveness
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.
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.
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