MILFORD – After returning most of its 2024 roster this fall, the South Lyon volleyball team wasn’t shy when it came to one of its key goals.

That was winning the Lakes Valley Conference for the first time in program history.

While the season is still young, the Lions took a big step toward that goal on Tuesday night, besting Milford 25-20, 25-19, 25-20 to establish themselves as the lone remaining unbeaten LVC team.

“It’s something we talk about every year, but we really want it this year,” South Lyon coach Deena Maher said of the LVC title. “We are going to fight for it, and this was a big win for us toward achieving that goal. There’s a lot of matches still to play, but we are excited to see what happens.”

Milford (12-3-1, 3-1 LVC) came into the match with a win over the two-time defending conference champions, South Lyon East. The Mavericks were looking to take command of the league, but the Lions had other ideas.

Each set was competitive, but the Lions (17-5, 2-0) utilized a surge late in each set to keep the Mavericks at bay. In the first, a 6-1 rally with the score at 18-16 propelled the Lions toward the win. Junior Kennedy Duncan had three kills in the rally to start a strong night for herself.

“Kennedy is really stepping up as a leader for us this year,” Maher said of Duncan. “She continues to grow her game and is finding the open shots for us. I am really proud of her growth.”

In the second set it was another junior, Kate Sulkowski, who came through with some timely kills down the stretch to put South Lyon up two sets.

In the final set, the Lions scored five straight when the score was tied 16-16 to help themselves pull away. Duncan had another two kills and a block during the stretch.

Closing sets have been a big emphasis for South Lyon, as the Lions suffered most of their losses this year to ranked teams, coming up just a few points shy of pulling out the wins.

“We love playing top competition because it really helps us as a team,” Maher said. “We had some close losses to good teams early on and I think it showed us what we needed to work on, and we’ve been able to grow from that.”

Photo gallery of Milford vs. South Lyon in LVC volleyball action

The growth of the team also is a credit to the play of senior setter Lucy Stoll. She has over 350 assists on the season following Tuesday’s win where she spread the ball out well to the Lions’ capable hitters.

“Lucy is amazing. She’s not afraid of anything” Maher said of her senior setter. “She can handle anything that is thrown at her. She gives a good sense of calm to her teammates and she’s helped build that in our program.”

Duncan capitalized the most from Stoll’s play with 15 kills, while Sulkowski had seven kills with two blocks and two aces. Sophomore Julia Kavaliauskas added six kills.

Milford was led by junior Lexa Pierson, who had 17 kills, while junior Brynlei Gunn had six kills and a block.

South Lyon will look to maintain its hold on the LVC lead on Thursday when it hosts Walled Lake Western. The Lions still have an upcoming slate with rival South Lyon East on Oct. 7, but the team is very motivated to finish the job in the conference race after finishing second to the Cougars in 2024.

“We were really close last year, so the team has been really focused on winning the conference,” Stoll said. “We have a lot of players back from last year and we feel we are a much stronger team now. We just want to keep playing at a high level and get to that title.”

South Lyon defeated Milford in a battle of Lakes Valley Conference unbeatens on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. The Lions prevailed 25-20, 25-19, 25-20 at Milford High School.

 

UTICA — Orchard Lake St. Mary’s proved Friday night at Jimmy John’s Field that it is one of the most dominant teams in the state, earning a 49-10 Catholic League Central Division win over Warren De La Salle.

St. Mary’s — 3-0 and ranked No. 3 in The News Super 25 poll — showed it is primed to defend its Division 2 state championship, ending a five-game losing streak in the series with No. 9 De La Salle (1-2).

De La Salle sophomore quarterback Grayson Thurston looked impressive on the first drive, hitting on 5 of 7 passes for 56 yards to set up a 37-yard field goal that missed the mark.

St. Mary’s then tightened its defense to give Jabin Gonzales short fields to work with and he did the rest, leading to a 28-point second quarter and a 28-3 halftime lead.

First, Gonzales scored on a 3-yard run to cap off a 57-yard, eight-play drive which included one play where St. Mary’s offensive line helped push Jamari Givhan for a 15-yard gain.

St. Mary’s opened up a 14-3 lead when it blocked a punt and Reece Hurst scooped the ball up at the 5-yard line and ran into the end zone less than two minutes later.

St. Mary’s showed its explosive big-play offense on the next two drives, both led by Gonzales.

Gonzales showed his arm strength on St. Mary’s next drive that started at its own 25, going up top on the first play and finding Daniel Taylor for a 75-yard touchdown and a 21-3 cushion.

“D.J. can do it all. I honestly looked to the wrong side so I kind of threw it late, but D.J. ran a great route and I threw it, kind of took a hit, and he grabbed it. Big play,” Gonzales said of his long TD pass to Taylor.

St. Mary’s defense again stepped up, forcing a Thurston fumble that Gage Nessen recovered at the St. Mary’s 35-yard line. On the ensuing play, Gonzales broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run to make it 28-3 with 35 seconds remaining in the half.

“My O-line opened up the hole great for me, I ran through and made a couple of guys miss, ran somebody over and took it to the crib,” Gonzales said.

De La Salle advanced into St. Mary’s territory during the final minute, but defensive end Ryan Harrington stopped the drive with his third sack of the half.

“We were unstoppable,” Harrington said. “They couldn’t run the ball on us and when they were trying to pass, we were getting back all the time. We practiced hard all week and it paid off.”

And, on his sacks?

“I was just thinking, get off the ball and get to the QB. We hadn’t beaten these guys in five or six years and I’m sick of having that feeling of not beating them, so I’m happy to beat them 49-10, which is crazy,” Harrington said.

Thurston was 12-for-15 passing for 131 yards in the first half, but he was also sacked five times, leading to just 18 yards on the ground on 16 carries for De La Salle.

St. Mary’s received the ball to start the second half and continued its dominance, marching more than 90 yards for another score. Gonzales hit Brandon Adams for 35 yards to set up a 45-yard TD pass to Lorenzo Barber on the following play for a 35-3 lead with 10:48 left in the third quarter.

So, just how impressive was St. Mary’s?

Givhan ran for 36 yards to set up Gonzales’ touchdown toss to four-star junior receiver Chad Willis, but the score was wiped out due to a penalty. Givhan took the handoff on the next play and scored on a 33-yard run for a 42-3 lead with 8:22 left, putting the running clock into play against a De La Salle team that won Division 2 state titles in 2021 and 2022 and lost in the state championship game in 2023.

De La Salle moved the ball inside St. Mary’s 40-yard line, but a fumble on the handoff exchange ended the drive as Treighjan Gibson recovered it.

St. Mary’s quickly took advantage of the turnover when Givhan broke loose for a 32-yard run to De La Salle’s 31, setting up Gonzales’ TD pass to Angelo Chapman on the next play for a 49-3 advantage.

Gonzales was 5 of 6 passing for 196 yards and three TDs and ran for two scores through three quarters.

De La Salle didn’t get into the end zone until Damion King’s 3-yard TD reception with 7:45 remaining.

OXFORD – The Birmingham Seaholm Maples dominated the Oxford Wildcats 9-1 in Oakland Activities Association Red Division action Thursday night.

It’s the most goals the Maples have scored in a match as far back as MHSAA’s online records go, which is at least a dozen complete seasons.

The Maples started hot and never looked back. Seaholm opened the scoring just under five minutes into the game when Leo Ballini Piedrahita’s corner kick found Maxwell Collins in front, and Collins powered a header home to make it 1-0. Seaholm doubled its lead on a penalty kick goal from Patrick McCarthy with 29:46 to play in the first half then added another goal when McCarthy crossed a ball that Rowan Hanoosh one-timed home. That gave the Maples a 3-0 lead at halftime.

The Maples had been in a similar position on Tuesday when they faced Berkley, only to give up the lead and lose 5-4. This game was different. Seaholm stayed focused, kept the pressure on, and kept pouring in goals. Any thought of an Oxford comeback fizzled out when Bryan Pohl tapped in a loose ball less than two minutes after halftime to extend Seaholm’s lead even further.

Oxford had flashes of offense, including hitting the inside of the post early in the second half. But outside of a late penalty kick goal from Ryan Clark, the Wildcats’ offense did not find the net as they struggled to consistently threaten the Maple goal.

Seaholm, meanwhile, was getting goals from everyone. McCarthy and Collins each added second-half goals to their first-half tallies, and Marco Rodrigues, Carson Wilner, and T. J. Kotila also scored in the second half.

“I didn’t expect that, obviously. I don’t think anybody did. We just needed a reaction because, to be quite honest, they are no worse than Berkley,” Seaholm head coach Greg Perkins said. “We talked the other day just about how anything can happen. You’re up 3-0 and end up losing 5-4, so there is never a time you can rest. It couldn’t be any better.”

With the win, Seaholm stays on the heels of division leading Troy Athens. The Maples (8-2-2 overall, 2-1-1 OAA Red) host second place Clarkston in another key league game on Tuesday.

Photo gallery of Birmingham Seaholm vs. Oxford in OAA Red boys soccer action

“We’ll go in and try to do what we can. It’s going to be a very different kind of team to play against, and we know a bit about them,” Perkins said. “We’ll be ready, and we’ve got a few days to prepare, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Oxford (5-6-1 overall, 2-2 OAA Red) will now attempt to regroup after dropping two straight league games. The Wildcats host Grand Blanc on Monday and then face Berkley on Tuesday in their next league game.

“Everything they (Seaholm) touched turned to goals. They’re a great team,” Wildcats head coach Adam Bican said. “We won’t have any problem with motivation. We’ll be alright. We’re just a brand new team figuring stuff out,” he added.

Birmingham Seaholm defeated Oxford 9-1 in the OAA Red matchup played on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 at Oxford.

WARREN – Sometimes soccer can boil down to finishing and not finishing scoring opportunities.

It’s that simple.

Novi Detroit Catholic Central only had eight shots on frame Thursday, but scored on four of them and ended up earning a 4-1 victory over host Warren De La Salle in Catholic High School League Central Division play.

The Shamrocks (7-2-2, 6-0-0), listed as honorable mention in the Division 1 polls, led 2-1 at the half before tacking on a pair of insurance tallies in the second half.

“We started off a little bit slow. But once we scored we were alright. We took advantage of a little bit of misfortune on them (with the two rebound goals). Their goalkeeper made the initial save but we followed (the shots) up and were able to score on them” noted Catholic Central coach Gene Pulice. “Thaier still has them doing a good job. And yes we did finish our opportunities tonight. I think it’s one of those things that if you can take the wind out of their sails a little. Bit. The first team to score helps you achieve that. They cut it down to 2-1 but we pulled it back a little bit in the second half with two more goals and started to get things done. “

More importantly, CC now had a two-game lead on Detroit U-D Jesuit and a three-game lead on De La Salle in the seven-school Central Division and are now comfortably in the driver’s seat in terms of winning the division and grabbing the No. 1 seed for the CHSL Bishop Tournament in October.

“We’re doing pretty good so far, and in the Catholic League they always pitch that we are one of the best leagues in the state out there. It’s a tough league and it’s a battle every game,” said Pulice. “Sometimes it’s better lucky than good. You have to respect all the teams in this league.”

Catholic Central scored the first two goals off of rebound opportunities. The first came with 24:12 still left in the first half when Luke Perry was near the doorstep to knock it home after Zachary Zahr’s first shot was knocked away by De La Salle backup goalkeeper Giovanni Vitale.

The Shamrocks scored the next goal in similar fashion when Grant Mooradian’s blast from the top of the box was knocked down by Vitale but this time it was Zahr in the right place at the right time to knock in the rebound with 19:51 remaining in the first half.

Andrew Corder finally got the Pilots untracked when he found some open real estate near the upper left corner of the box and uncorked a banger from 18 yards out with 17:27 left in the first half. It was Corder’s 21st goal of the season just one month into the campaign.

But Catholic Central had four opportunities in the second half and two were converted by Mooradian. The first came with 34:58 remaining in the game when Peters found Mooradian unmarked in the middle of the box and ripped a 14-yard banger into the net.

Mooradian later converted a penalty kick with 28:06 left to cap the scoring and open up a three-goal lead.

Defensively, Catholic Central did a great job on limiting Corder’s chances, allowing him only three shots on goal. Goalkeeper Jake Sievers turned aside a laser shot by Corder midway through the second half and finished with four saves for CC.

Catholic Central held a 12-11 overall shots advantage in the somewhat evenly- game and also had a 8-5 shots on goal advantage in the contest. De La Salle held a 4-2 edge off corners.

De La Salle, ranked third in the state in Division 2, slipped to 10-3-0 overall and 3-3-0 in league play. Although the Pilots are essentially out of the Central Division race and only Detroit U-D Jesuit can possible catch the Shamrocks.

“Hats off to CC. The better team won tonight. They outplayed us and scored on their opportunities,” said Thaier Mukhtar, whose team in the defending Division 2 state champion and reached the state semifinals in 2023. “They should win the (Central) and we can’t catch him. But there is still a lot for us to play for. We have to get better and get ready for the state tournament and try to go as far as we can. The ultimate goal is to win the state championship.

“This wasn’t one of our better games,” added Mukhtar. “We just got outplayed by CC tonight. We’ll bounce back.”

Statewide boys soccer rankings from the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association

For the week of Sept. 7, 2025

 

DIVISION 1

1 Portage Central

2 Ann Arbor Huron

3 Clarkston

4 Okemos

5 Hartland

6 Holland West Ottawa

7 Hudsonville

8 Traverse City West

9 Byron Center

10 Grand Haven

11 Ann Arbor Skyline

12 Detroit U-D Jesuit

13 Royal Oak

14 Troy Athens

15 Saginaw Heritage

HONORABLE MENTION: Berkley, Detroit Catholic Central, Livonia Stevenson, Birmingham Seaholm, Troy, Utica Eisenhower

DIVISION 2

1 Hudsonville Unity Christian

2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central

3 Warren De La Salle

4 New Boston Huron

5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood

6 DeWitt

7 Holland

8 Allendale

9 Mason

10 St. Joseph

11 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

12 Dearborn Divine Child

13 Holland Christian

14 Edwardsburg

15 Marquette

HONORABLE MENTION: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, Cedar Springs, Haslett, Fruitport

 

DIVISION 3

1 Detroit Country Day

2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep

3 Flint Powers Catholic

4 Frankenmuth

5 Elk Rapids

6 Grand Rapids West Catholic

7 Paw Paw

8 Ann Arbor Greenhills

9 Williamston

10 Grosse Ile

11 Saginaw Swan Valley

12 Alma

13 Ovid-Elsie

14 Grand Rapids Catholic Central

15 Kingsford

HONORABLE MENTION: Fennville, Hartford, Milan, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, South Haven, Tawas Area

 

 

DIVISION 4

1 Plymouth Christian

2 Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett

3 Lansing Christian

4 North Muskegon

5 Grandville Calvin Christian

6 Royal Oak Shrine

7 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian

8 Wyoming Potter’s House Christian

9 Harbor Springs

10 Clarkston Everest Collegiate

11 Detroit Cristo Rey

12 Bloomfield Hills Roeper

13 Maple City Glen Lake

14 Hillsdale Academy

15 Leland

HONORABLE MENTION: Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, Kalamazoo Christian, Brighton Livingston Christian

ORCHARD LAKE – Henry Dezler won the race to a loose ball and slammed a rebound into the open net with 2:40 to play, giving the Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood Cranes a 3-2 win over the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Eaglets in a key Catholic High School League game Tuesday night.

“We knew it would be like that going in, especially after the history we had with this team last year,” said Cranes head coach Jake Nunner, referring to three one-goal games. “Keith runs a great program. They have a lot of good players.

“We prepared for that. The boys were just mentally switched on. They weren’t getting too high by the highs, too low by the lows. Then we just tried to do what we do best and enjoy it. They deserved it, and I’m really happy for them.”

Cranbrook and St. Mary’s came in occupying first and second in the CHSL Central Division. The Cranes were unbeaten and ranked No. 5 in Division 2 while St. Mary’s was unbeaten in the league and ranked No. 11. Add in a developing rivalry fueled by some close games and both teams up near the top of the division the last few years, and on paper this looked like a fantastic matchup.

The game itself lived up to the billing – and then some. Big goals, big saves, big tackles – this one had a little bit of everything.

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, St. Mary’s dominated the early part of the second half. Evan Porter tied the game for the Eaglets with 24:56 to play when he found a loose ball on the back side for a tap-in after a cross had deflected through a crowd. Barely five minutes later, St. Mary’s would take the lead when Owen Shippy’s shot from 30 yards out on the left wing hit the inside of the right post and went in.

The teams would trade chances the rest of the way, but it was Cranbrook who would find a way to convert.

Jackson Ober’s free kick with just under eleven minutes to play found its way to the back post where Wyatt Smith redirected it into the net, tying the game at 2-2.

St. Mary’s nearly scored a carbon copy of Shippy’s goal just moments later, but this time, the ball hit the post and spun along the goal line long enough for the goalkeeper to reach back and snatch it off the line, preserving the tie and setting the stage for Dezler’s game-winner.

“We played a much better second half. We weren’t passive at all. We were more aggressive,” Eaglets head coach Keith Jeffery said. “But at the end of the day, kudos to them (Cranbrook). You can’t give up goals early or late in the half, and that’s what happened.”

The Cranes had been the better team for much of the first half. In fact, Cranbrook dominated the early going, but it was to no avail as St. Mary’s goalie Mason Lafnear was outstanding, robbing Cranbrook outright on multiple occasions, including a fantastic leaping save on a shot through traffic that few goalies would have even seen in time to make a play on.

Photo gallery of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in CHSL boys soccer action

“Mason is a heck of a goalie. We’re lucky to have him. He’s only a sophomore, so he’s only going to get better,” Jeffery said.

St. Mary’s would play better as the half wore on and started to create some chances of their own, but eventually Cranbrook found a goal late in the half. Apolo Markus fired a long switching ball from the left side of midfield near the center stripe that landed on the right wing for Charlie Gold to run onto and slot past the charging goalkeeper with just 3:59 left in the half.

With the win, Cranbrook (6-0 overall, 6-0 CHSL Central) takes firm control of the divisional race and stays unbeaten in the early season. The Cranes put their winning streak on the line Thursday when they travel to face Toledo Central Catholic in another league test. The Cranes last won the division in 2022 and finished second in each of the last two years.

“Honestly, it was a team effort from front to back. Everyone that came in, the entire program just guys were supporting each other, performing on the field,” Nunner said. “I’m really proud of everybody.”

St. Mary’s (4-3-1 overall, 3-1-1 CHSL Central) still sits in second place. The Eaglets will try to get back in the win column on Thursday in a road match against Ann Arbor Greenhills.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s stormed back in the second half to take a 2-1 lead, but Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood didn’t roll over, scoring the final two goals of the night to take home a 3-2 victory in a crucial CHSL contest Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.

Waterford Mott football dropped from 2-0 back to .500 with a change in its initial result from opening weekend.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association required the Waterford School District to forfeit the Corsairs game on Aug. 28 according to a release by the district on Tuesday.

It stated that the WSD discovered that it was provided false residency information to both its athletic and enrollment offices regarding one of its players.

“Unfortunately, the district was made aware of this falsification after the student had played in the Waterford Mott vs. Walled Lake Northern football game,” the release stated.

Committed to CMU as a WR, Mott QB Geno Seets filling his predecessor’s shoes admirably

That game was originally a 45-0 home victory in favor of the Corsairs, who had looked off to back-to-back wins to start the year after pulling out a 28-27 win over Milford in Week 2.

Tuesday's release from Mott assistant athletic director Shane Hynes via district stated that WSD notified MHSAA immediately, is fully cooperating with the investigation and is appealing the decision. It concluded, "We believe our students and athletic programs should not be penalized for the falsified actions of a third party. WSD is committed to upholding the integrity of our academic and athletic programs and will work with the MHSAA to resolve this matter."

The Corsairs will hope that regardless of the appeal's result, it won't impact postseason eligibility. When asked about the importance of starting with wins knowing its next pair of games would be against formidable opponents in Walled Lake Western and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Mott first-year head coach Tra'Jan Seay said, "We wanted to start out hot. We know who we have the next few weeks. We're just taking it one week at a time and doing what we can do."

One of the winningest coaches and most revered leaders in Michigan prep sports, former Birmingham Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa, died Sunday morning, the school announced on social media.

He was 92 years old.

Fracassa won 430 of his 554 career games at Royal Oak Shrine (1960-68) and Brother Rice (1969-2013), winning nine state titles in 13 title-game appearances. He was the winningest coach in Michigan football history at the time of his retirement, later passed by Farmington Hills Harrison’s John Herrington (443 wins).

The post from the school read:

“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Coach Al Fracassa, a legendary leader, mentor, and unwavering champion of the Brother Rice community.

For over five decades, Coach Fracassa was much more than just a coach; he was a cornerstone of our school. With a record that ranks among the best in Michigan and nationwide, he not only built winning teams but also shaped young men. His legacy is defined not just by championships, but by the character he instilled in his players.

He taught us to ‘do it better than it’s ever been done before’ and to ‘do it right all the time.’ Not because it was easy, but because excellence demands it.

May he rest in peace. Let us honor him by practicing the values he instilled in us: hard work, integrity, and faith, both on and off the field.”

An all-state football player at Detroit Northeastern, and the president of his class in 1951, Fracassa earned a scholarship to play quarterback at Michigan State University, and was a member of the Spartans’ 1952 national championship team, and 1954 Rose Bowl team.

His coaching career started in 1955 at Flint’s Mandeville High School, and was interrupted by a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1956-57). After a two-year stint as an assistant at Rochester, Fracassa took over at Shrine, going 44-19-5 in nine seasons.

He was a four-time Michigan high school coach of the year, national coach of the year in 1997, and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. He sent more than 300 players on to college football, with 13 making it to the NFL.

Kosmo isn’t getting that Arch Manning money, but he’s also looking to be a little more accurate in Week 2.

Embracing his inner-Wednesday Addams, Kosmo is brooding a bit after a very ho-hum opening weekend of prognostication. Sure, being very right about Clarkston dining in the den that is Wayne State on Belleville was spot-on, but yours truly also let it sail a bit on a few outcomes.

This ain’t baseball, but it’s a long season, so chalk it up to a little dust. Like Arch and Alabama must be saying to themselves, it’s better to stink it up now than when league play hits its peak. Like in Week 1, there’s not many of those matchups this Friday, though LVC is already in full bloom.

Without further ado, Kosmo’s pinpoint picks for the second weekend of prep football:

Friday, Sept. 5

Milford at Waterford Mott, 7 p.m. — The good news for Milford is that Hudson Smith completed over half his passes for nearly 400 yards and four TDs on opening night. Unfortunately, going down 24-0 against a team like Walled Lake Western can make for tough sledding. On offense, the Mavs should be able to maintain more balance, but Mott passed its initial test under first-year head coach Tra’Jan Seay by shutting out WL Northern, 45-0. Kosmo says: Milford

Football, Lakeland at Walled Lake Northern, 7 p.m. — Picking Lakeland to beat South Lyon last week was a take colder than the UP in mid-February. The Eagles couldn’t stop the run, allowing over 250 yards on the ground. They did manage to chunk out some yards with their own run game, but not to the same level of efficiency. After losing its LVC opener for the first time in six years, Lakeland will look to pick itself up, as will the Knights after suffering a 17th loss in a row dating back to 2023. Kosmo says: Lakeland

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep at Jackson Lumen Christi, 7 p.m. — Last year’s game between these teams was an absolute slobberknocker. Down by 10 in the fourth quarter, the Irish rallied and played well in all three phases to complete their comeback. Gone are some of the playmakers responsible for that comeback that defined ND Prep last season — as is Lumen Christi RB Kadale Williams, though he missed the last meeting — but there’s seemingly a lot more to replace for the D6 champs than the defending D5 titlists. The Titans dropped a tough one in their opener to Lombard Montini (IL), 20-16. Pick: ND Prep

Harper Woods at Clarkston, 7 p.m. — Neither team here got tested as much in their respective openers as one might’ve thought. It’s well-documented that the Wolves wiped the floor with Belleville with Bryce Underwood in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, Harper Woods didn’t allow a single point to Redford Union, all the while averaging over seven yards per carry. Star junior receiver Dakota Guerrant managed to score twice despite a modest amount of touches. The Pioneers, however, also turned the ball over throwing the ball three times in Week 1, and everyone at Wayne State saw what Clarkston can do with a turnover. They’re going to need to minimize mistakes to win one of the best games of the second weekend. Pick: Clarkston

Detroit Catholic Central at Toledo Central Catholic, 7 p.m. — Don’t get your tongue tied with this one. Not to be confused with the Shamrocks, the Fighting Irish won a state title as champions of Division 3 in the O-H again last season. They’re also on the verge of being 0-3, and welcoming DCC into town must feel like being between a rock and a hard place. The Shamrocks also have some top-end talent like DB Victor Singleton (Texas A&M) and TE Preston Fryzel (Notre Dame), but Catholic Central, coming off a 41-7 romp, just might not allow the Shamrocks to wash away that bad taste just yet. Pick: Detroit Catholic Central

Oxford at Birmingham Groves, 7 p.m. — With most of its starters back on offense, Hartland looked to be a good test in Week 1 for Oxford, but the Wildcats kept Hartland scoreless for nearly the first three quarters for a fine performance in Trevor Potts’ head coaching debut. Groves led U-D Jesuit by three touchdowns at halftime and ended up tacking on two more from there to easily handle the Cubs in their opener. Oxford would force everyone to readjust the notion that it will be a rebuilding year for the Wildcats if they snatch one from the Falcons on the road. Pick: Groves

Saturday, Sept. 6

Detroit Country Day at Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 1 p.m. — Not the start that the Yellowjackets were looking for, one would suppose. After losing by 14 to Portland to open 2024, the Raiders handed DCD a 30-6 loss, aided by a pick-6 — one of two on the evening — in the opening half. Only a touchdown pass from junior QB James Torain to Atlas Amezcua helped Country Day avoid the shutout. Liggett has some great talent at the skill positions, including sophomore receiver Julius Barnett, and will also be looking to get on the right end of the win column following a 14-6 loss to Detroit King. Pick: GPW University Liggett

ROCHESTER HILLS – Talk about getting off on the right foot.

Defending Division 1 girls cross-country state champion Romeo opened up the 2025 campaign by winning the Golden Grizzlies Invitational Friday at Oakland University.

The Bulldogs finished ahead of multiple quality programs – several from the Macomb Area Conference and Oakland Activities Association – and many teams expected to do well this fall. Romeo collected just 66 points to finish ahead of Rochester (86), Novi (88), Utica (112), Clarkston (130), Macomb Dakota (153), Rochester Stoney Creek (159), Fraser (166), Oxford (227) and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (263) in a field that featured several returning All-State runners from Division 1 and Division 2.

The field was deep as state qualifying teams from all three of the state’s four divisions competed at the annual event. Remember, Rochester (fourth), Utica (16th), Fraser (23rd), Novi (24th) and Clarkston (27th) also competed at last year’s D1 state meet. Even D2 state qualifiers Notre Dame Prep (10th), Dearborn Division Child (20th) and Macomb Lutheran North (23rd) competed in this at the Golden Grizzlies Invite and finished in the top 20.

Romeo, Rochester and Clarkston have all won state championships over the years.

In impressive fashion, Romeo junior Annie Hrabovsky joined some elite company as she clocked 17:15.20 to win the race. Her effort ranks her inside the top 50 all-time in Michigan history – a state known for producing high-level distance runners. Hrabovsky was 11th at last November’s Division 1 state meet at Michigan Speedway near Brooklyn, Mich.

Romeo had three of the top four finishers, as Ella Goodsell was second (18:00.84) and Natalia Guaresimo fourth (18:24.43). Emmerson Clor was 11th (19:19.62) and Ella Thibodeau a distant 48th (21:25.59) to aid Romeo’s championship effort. The Bulldogs return five of its top seven runners and plenty of depth runners from last year’s roster.

Runner-up Rochester was paced by returning All-State runner Ella Abraham, who was fifth (18:36.29), while Charlotte Jones finished 10th (19:16.35). The Falcons return seven of their top 10 runners and have several key newcomers.

Oxford freshman Taryn Moore made her high school debut by finishing third (18:04.70), as the former Oakland County 1,600 and 3,200 middle school champion is expected to be one of the top ninth-graders in Michigan. Stoney Creek’s Leah Corby finished sixth (18:40.28), Novi’s Katelynn Egli seventh (19:01.14), Utica’s Siene Muraszewski (19:05.74) and Dakota’s Lidia Clancy ninth (19:16.16).

Meanwhile, Romeo’s boys team, which dipped to 24th at last season’s D1 state finals, edged Clarkston 64-71 to earn the crown Friday at OU. Macomb Dakota slipped just ahead of Rochester for third (114-115), while Macomb Lutheran North (158), Oxford (171), Utica (176), Fraser (178), Walled Lake Northern (179) and Rochester Stoney Creek followed in the top 10 of the star-studded field.

Likewise, Clarkston (12th), Oxford (13th), Utica (15th), Dakota (20th) and Romeo (24th) all competed at the D1 state meet in 2024, while Lutheran North was 22nd in Division 2.

Clarkston took the top two spots, as David Dubeck broke the tape in 15:50.81 and Ryan Barnes finished in the runner-up slot (15:55.36).

Romeo’s depth was a little better, as Owen Perry was fifth (16:10.50), Rio Hrabovsky 12th (16:32.26), Luke Allen 14th (16:35.12), James Brickel 16th (16:36.82) and Carson Hlavin 17th (16:39.58), which helped the Bulldogs land all five of their point-scorers inside the top 20.

Clarkston had three other finishers in the top 30, as Vern Clyne (19th, 16:49.20), Miles Foster (21st, 16:52.73) and Anthony Dubeck (28th, 17:06.27) helped the Wolves contend.

Rochester’s Dylan Pascoe was third (16:06.19), Lutheran North’s Joshua Macri fourth (16:08.18), Rochester’s Owen Owczarek sixth (16:14.03), Walled Lake Northern’s Finn Gammerath seventh (16:16.83), Lutheran North’s Xavier Roman eighth (16:18.30), Dakota’s Joseph Kaleto ninth (16:21.22) and Utica’s Harper Wesley 10th (16:23.40) in the deep field of over 130 runners.

ROCHESTER HILLS – This time around there was no drama for Rochester Adams.

After defeating Romeo in overtime in the season opener last season, 22-21 — the winning points were scored courtesy of a 2-point conversion toss — Rochester Adams picked up little resistance Thursday with a resounding 39-7 victory over visiting Romeo in the season opener for both teams.

Adams never trailed and picked up great balance offensively. The Highlanders racked up 403 yards of offense while allowing Romeo to amass just 231 yards on the night.

Three players did a lot of the damage, with senior quarterback Ryland Watters finishing a perfect 5-for-5 passing for 112 yards with two touchdown passes while rushing for 67 yards on 11 carries with two more touchdowns. Senior Matt Toeppner had six carries for 35 yards and hauled in three catches for 87 yards and two scores, and junior Lorenzo Sartor rushed for 118 yards on 11 carries to go along with a catch for 15 yards.

The Highlanders, state semifinalists last season, racked up 127 passing yards and 276 rushing yards using a wide variety of ball carriers (seven) and receivers (three) on the night.

The early lead set the tone and the Highlanders picked up steam.

“A thousand percent,” said veteran Adams coach Tony Patritto of his team’s start. “Toeppner has always been a great player for us. He emerged during the second half of last season for us. He had a great camp. He a tough kid — he has a great burst running. He never takes a down off. He’s a throwback.

“But we have a lot of kids who can makes players. That’s who we are. It could be someone different each game,” added Patritto.

Romeo graduated all of its defensive starters and brought back just four players that started games last year on the offensive side of the ball. The inexperience showed against a state powerhouse program in Rochester Adams.

“We don’t return much in terms of starters,” admitted Romeo coach Curt Rienas. “We don’t have any defensive starters back and just four players that started some games for us last season on offense. We have a lot of new players in there tonight. It showed. We fell behind early.

“And no, we did not recover,” added Rienas. “We replaced a lot of guys and we played very hesitant tonight. And Adams is a very good football team with a lot of experience and it showed. We can’t play hesitant against a team with that type of caliber like Adams. We have lots of room for improvement.”

Senior quarterback Sammy Nepa finished 10-for-15 passing for 115 yards for Romeo before exiting the game late in the second quarter. Junior running back Troy Smith had two catches for 59 yards and also rushed for 20 yards on seven carries and scored the lone touchdown on the ground for the Bulldogs (0-1).

Junior Brady Lindstrom and senior Liam Bullock had fumble recoveries for Adams, with Bullock’s strip and recovery helping set up the Highlanders’ second touchdown that gave them a 17-0 advantage three plays later. Defensively, the Highlanders dominated while offensively Adams controlled the line of scrimmage despite having just three starters check in at over 200 pounds and having just one returning offensive lineman back in uniform from the Division 1 Final Four team.

“We’re not very big, but we make up for it,” said Patritto. “I remember in 2005 a long time ago our biggest player was our quarterback but we were still able to win a lot of games that season. He weighed 205 pounds.”

After forcing Romeo to punt on its first series, Toeppner hauled in a short pass from Watters and raced 60 yards on Adams’ first play from scrimmage for the 7-0 lead with 8:39 still to go in the first quarter. Junior Nolan Grahn nailed the extra point and also booted a 24-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining in the first quarter for a 10-0 advantage.

Watters, a Ferris State University commit, scored on a 16-yard sweep with 3:20 left in the half to move the lead up to 17-0.

Romeo finally got untracked late in the second quarter when Smith scored on a 3-yard run with 45 seconds remaining in the half to trim the deficit down to 17-7.

Adams responded in a flash, putting together a swift three-play drive that was capped by a Watters 25-yard TD strike to Toeppner with 19 ticks left in the half to push the advantage up to 24-7 by the break.

In the second half, Adams controlled the clock and picked up two more scoring drives. Watters scored on a 1-yard plunge and Watters hit Jesse Geottes with a 2-point conversion pass for a 32-7 lead with 6:18 still left in the third stanza. Lindstrom, the backup quarterback, capped the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown run up the middle with 4:40 to play. Grahn added four extra points.

 

 

DETROIT – A missed extra point and a last-second interception prevented Lake Orion from opening football season with a victory over Northville for the second year in a row.

The Mustangs fended off a wild comeback by the Dragons in the final minute of Thursday night’s Amazon Prep Kickoff Classic contest at Wayne State University to win 14-13.

Trailing 14-7, the Dragons’ defense provided hope by forcing several incompletions to stop the clock before a fourth-down sack by senior Nicholas Frantz for a huge loss gave the offense the ball at midfield with just under four minutes to go.

The comeback only ramped up from there. Ryan Rocheleau’s 11-yard catch over the middle on fourth-and-5 followed by a 26-yard draw several plays later from running back James Bambard got the Dragons to the 3-yard line with under two minutes to go, and Bambard would take it right of center from a yard out for the touchdown with 47 seconds left.

 

But despite punching it in, the extra point that would have tied the game was driven low of the goalposts.

However, hope was not lost for Lake Orion. Kicker Sam Powers redeemed himself with a well-executed onside kick that took a bounce under a Northville player’s hands at the 50-yard line, then jumped over another before being gathered by Lake Orion senior Max Neering, leaving the Dragons just 38 yards to go with 42 ticks remaining.

Bambard did pick up two first downs that got Lake Orion inside the red zone, but the Dragons were called for a hold on a rollout by junior quarterback Anderson Adams, backing them up to the 26-yard line with seven seconds to go.

Following an incompletion on third down, Lake Orion was left with one play left and four seconds, but Anderson’s end-zone attempt to the 6-foot-5 Rocheleau, who was double-covered, resulted in a pick by Austin McGarrow, who ran it the opposite way some way before being brought down with time expired.

And with that, the comeback fell short.

Lake Orion head coach Chris Bell discussed his thought process on electing not to kick a potential game-winning field goal on the final play.

“Our kicker is a first-year guy, and even then, at the end of the game, that missed extra point is completely on me,” Bell said. “I should have went for two instead of putting a first-year guy in that situation. By then, I felt like after we had just missed one, so I’m just thinking, ‘You know what, let’s just throw it up to Ryan and see if we can come down with one.’ That was the plan.”

As to whether the missed extra point factored into the decision, Bell replied, “A little bit, (but) we would have been pushing his limits (as to whether) he could have hit it that far. It would have been about a 42-yarder.”

Northville, who had lost 21-13 at home to Lake Orion in last season’s debut, took the lead for the second time on the evening earlier in the fourth quarter. A drive that started at its own 32-yard line was capped off by a one-yard keeper from senior quarterback Cooper Derkach with 7:55 remaining – roughly the length of the possession itself.

Derkach was part of a two-horse tandem with running back Max DeFore that Lake Orion had issues slowing at times. The senior QB had a 22-yard keeper for the biggest gain on Northville’s first drive, which resulted in DeFore’s five-yard run to the outside that put the Mustangs up 7-0 with 5:27 left in the first.

Lake Orion senior Malek Pulford ensured it remained a one-score game when he blocked what would have been a 40-yard field goal with 6:30 left in the first half, and the Dragons took advantage on the ensuing drive. A pass interference call, then a 19-yard run by Brody Thompson set up paved the way for Adams’ seven-yard play-action keeper that knotted the game at 7-7 with 3:29 to go in the opening half.

Photo gallery of Lake Orion vs. Northville football in the 20th Amazon Prep Kickoff Classic

Each team had good chances at tacking on a second score both before the intermission and in the third quarter. A deflection near the goal line nearly led to a TD catch deep in the end zone with a second left in the first half for Northville, and after the break, Bambard and fellow running back Jayden Borrero were responsible for big gains on Lake Orion's first drive post-half that sputtered at the Mustangs' 32-yard line.

"I think we were able to mix up our front enough and our blitzes were able to get home a handful of times," Northville head coach Brent Luplow said. "I thought our safeties filled the alley really well in the run game, especially McGarrow. We were worried coming in because they were all over the place running the ball (from different formations), but I think our kids settled in, and I think our experience of 14 starters coming back paid off in this one."

Bell, meanwhile, said, "We're a young football team, they were playing a lot of guys in the box and we didn't take advantage of it, so that's just areas we've got to get better in. It was tough sledding there with nine guys (in the box), and we did a good job running the ball, but we just had missed opportunities. Little plays here and there -- it might have been a receiver screen where we missed one block, and we missed some easy throws earlier -- and against a good team, you can't miss opportunities."

Lake Orion aims to get its first win at home in Week 2 against Stoney Creek, while Northville begins KLAA West play on its own soil versus Plymouth.

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Photo gallery of Clarkston vs. Belleville football in the 20th Amazon Prep Kickoff Classic

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Lake Orion scored a touchdown in the final minute, but came short of tying Northville, who beat the Dragons 14-13 at Wayne State University on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.

DETROIT – Clarkston’s defense made a Belleville offense that had been a five-star handful in recent seasons look ordinary on Thursday afternoon as the teams ran back last year’s season opener.

The Wolves took down Belleville, sans the nation’s top QB in now-graduated Bryce Underwood, in a 38-7 victory at Wayne State University.

Junior Geonte Morris caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Kendall Franklin, Underwood’s successor, with 29 seconds left that kept the Tigers from suffering their first shutout since a 15-0 loss to Dearborn on Sept. 1, 2016.

“We had pressure on him all day and our guys just made plays,” Clarkston head coach Justin Pintar said.

The biggest of those plays came with just under five minutes left and the Wolves already up by three scores. Lukas Boman hit Franklin from his blind side and forced a fumble, allowing senior defensive end Gabe Mansour to scoop it and run 56 yards to the house, making it 24-0.

“I was right there in that moment and just picked it up and went to the end zone,” Mansour said. “The Boman boys (Lukas and Griffin), they were trailing, so I definitely knew I was safe with the Bash Brothers behind me.”

Adding to that, Pintar said, “It was a heckuva play, and our defense was flying around and making plays. And offensively, I thought we did a really good job of controlling the game, hitting some passes and some shots when we had the opportunity to. And we got the ground game going, so yeah, I was really proud.”

Lukas and the Wolves weren’t deterred by his fumble in the red zone that derailed the Wolves’ first drive. Junior Alex Waszczenko, whose first start came in last year’s 35-28 loss to the Tigers, connected down the left side with a wide-open Hank Hornung for a 55-yard TD on the first play of Clarkston’s second drive to get on the board with 5:20 left in the opening quarter.

A 27-yard screen pass by Waszczenko to Griffin Boman got Clarkston in the red zone for a third time and Waszczenko finished off the drive with a six-yard keeper that made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.

The Wolves showed their ability in the third phase, too. Senior Aidan O’Neil booted a 49-yard field goal with 5:44 left in the first half that probably could have gone at least another 10 yards prior to Mansour’s scoop and score.

After stopping Belleville on its drive that opened the second half, a 23-yard reverse to junior receiver Wendall Childs set up Griffin Boman’s five-yard rushing TD, extending Clarkston’s lead to 31-0 just 2:12 into the third quarter.

Less than three minutes later, Lukas Boman added to the Wolves’ highlight reel of scores, scampering 58 yards for his team’s fifth and final TD of the afternoon.

Photo gallery of Clarkston vs. Belleville football in the 20th Amazon Prep Kickoff Classic

Voted the game's Most Outstanding Player for Clarkston, Lukas finished with 11 carries for 146 yards.

"The blocking was great," Lukas said. "Our O-line did awesome today. We've been working in practice on our reads, and our scout team does a great job giving us a good look, just making sure we're ready for any game we play."

Belleville's biggest threat, junior receiver Charles Britton, who holds a number of D1 offers, looked to grab a 10-yard TD pass in the left corner of the end zone on the final play of the first half. Rightly or not, it was ruled incomplete by officials, though he still nearly hit the century mark in receiving yards.

Asked whether Clarkston was more motivated by last year's narrow defeat to the Tigers or a 41-0 district loss to Rochester Adams, Lukas Boman, "Obviously, we've still got that taste in our mouth from last year. Those playoff games hit hard because you've got to think about them all year, and I mean, it could have been any team we played (today), we were coming out with the same intensity. We've been working on it all offseason, every single day. We took all that grit and now we're gonna ride with it and take it one game at a time."

The Wolves have one more week after this before getting their OAA Red portion of the schedule underway. Next Friday they'll host White Division favorite Harper Woods. The Pioneers open up at Redford Union.

Belleville didn’t score until the final minute and Clarkston started off the football season with a 38-7 victory over the Tigers on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Wayne State University.

Leave your GPT nonsense at home, for no AI model can duplicate the pigskin picks of the great Kosmo.

Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again. The wizard of wide receivers, wing-T, Walled Lake and all things Oakland County football is ready to forecast via the crystal ball for another fall. Not that Kosmo could figure out any of this artificial intelligence stuff if he tried, but who needs that fancy pants tech when it’s all up in this ol’ noggin for your consumption.

The 2024 season was another heckuva year for footballing in the OC, and this looks like it’ll be no different. While some will kick it off on Friday, plenty of programs will find out if all the hard work they put in over the dog days of summer paid off on Thursday night.

Here’s a heavenly seven games that will be part of the Week 1 slate.

Thursday, Aug. 28

Clarkston vs. Belleville (at Wayne State), 4 p.m. — Right up there with Rockford and Saline, it may not have Bryce Underwood, but this remains one of the state’s best games of the opening week, and that’s the bottom line, ‘cuz Kosmo says so. Seriously, though, the Tigers remain more than formidable with Tre Britton at receiver and Kendall Franklin stepping up into Underwood’s shoes. Your wise one also hears Belleville’s next batch of beasts are in the oven, but Clarkston QB Alex Waszczenko isn’t so green for this one. If it was later in the year, it might be the Tigers’ game, but Kosmo really believes this one can go the way of the Wolves. Kosmo says: Clarkston

Lake Orion vs. Northville (at Wayne State), 7 p.m. — Two years ago, Northville defeated Clarkston by two scores in the Battle at the Big House to start the year, then Lake Orion exacted some OAA revenge in the season opener in 2024, beating the Mustangs 21-13. After playing in Northville last season, the teams will go toe-to-toe on neutral turf. Veteran coach Chris Bell felt he caught a young Northville at a good time by facing them so early last season. With some talent back along the lines, the Dragons are capable of grinding out another low-scoring victory again. Kosmo says: Lake Orion

South Lyon at Lakeland, 7 p.m. — The Lions are going to be determined to get revenge from last year’s meeting. Lakeland put up four TDs in a row to put a damper on homecoming festivities for South Lyon, with credit to running back Sam Broome for laying it on. Don’t expect a South Lyon team with some key linemen back to lay down, either. It should be a close game, but the Eagles should pull it out if they can avoid early mistakes at home. The way Walled Lake Western is expected to be strong again, it’s hard to afford losing a game like this to open the year in the LVC. Kosmo says: Lakeland

Bloomfield Hills at Troy, 7 p.m. — Scott Merchant looks to begin shaping Bloomfield Hills into a winner beginning Thursday. And there might be some bumps along the way this season. Troy will have a student section loud and ready to greet them, but this is a good draw for the Black Hawks getting a team that’s turning the page at QB and graduated its best WR, too. Kosmo says: Bloomfield Hills

Friday, Aug. 29

Farmington at Oak Park, 7 p.m. — Similar to Bloomfield Hills and Troy, this is one of the few OAA league games to start the season. This one, though, is more likely to involve teams in the hunt for the Blue Division title, with the teams doing battle in Oak Park picked to finish third (Farmington) and fourth. The Knights’ offense sputtered in last year’s 17-6 loss, but yours truly is under the impression there will be more scoring in this one. Kosmo says: Oak Park

Football, Warren Michigan Collegiate at Clarkston Everest, 7 p.m. — Everest might not have gotten deep into the playoffs last season, but it did win a bunch of games handily throughout its 9-0 start to 2024. The exception was its season opener in Warren, a 27-24 victory. Now, the Mountaineers will again face WMC. Kosmo expects Everest to have another winning season, make no mistake, but the Cougars bring back something like 15 starters from a team that, after the loss to the Mountaineers, didn’t taste defeat again until Marine City in the playoffs. Kosmo says: Warren Michigan Collegiate

Football, Chippewa Valley at Detroit Catholic Central, 7 p.m. — OAA vs. MAC games often litter the lineup of Week 1 and 2 games, but here’s a MAC/CHSL crossover for the masses. The Reds have some college-bound talent, like sophomore receivers Jude Tyler and (small but speedy) Joel Williams, as well as some quality players in the front seven of the defense like Dominik Kosznicki. It’ll provide the Shamrocks’ secondary a fun test before getting into the league portion of the schedule the following weekend, but this is likely to be no more than a flex of what other teams are in for from CC. Kosmo says: Detroit Catholic Central