This one's on me

I’m going to do us all a favor and save us a lot of time.

I’m going to tell you exactly which C & G local Oakland Activities Association football teams are going to survive the first weekend of the playoffs.

Now, if you’re a fan of prep football, like myself, this is your official spoiler alert. Don’t read below. You can thank me later.

Division 1 West Bloomfield High (6-3) at Livonia Stevenson (7-2) at 7 p.m. Oct. 31
The Lakers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2000. Its reward is a trip to last year’s state runner-up Livonia Stevenson. But fear not Lakers fans, I think coach James Thomas has a good thing going over there on Orchard Lake Road. But not that good … yet. Give me the Spartans by 10.

Lake Orion High (8-1) hosts Utica Eisenhower (5-4) at 7 p.m. Oct. 31
This is Lake Orion’s eighth straight trip to the postseason, and its also won eight straight games. Coincidence? I think not. It’s a sign from the pigskin gods. The Dragons make it nine wins a row. I like Lake Orion by eight.

Troy High (6-3) at Macomb Dakota (8-1) at 1 p.m. Nov. 1
Good thing this one is on Halloween weekend, because it could be scary. I like Troy, but Dakota is huge … again. The two-time defending state champs average 275 pounds across their offensive line. In a word, "yikes." The Colts keep it close early, but the Cougars wear them down and win by 20.

Division 2 Rochester Adams (8-1) hosts Birmingham Brother Rice (6-3) at 7 p.m. Oct. 31
Lake Orion has shown that Adams is beatable with their 34-28 week eight victory, but not by the Warriors. Adams is out for redemption this time around after losing by a touchdown to eventual state champ Detroit Martin Luther King in a semifinal last season. Rice has held only three opponents to less than 20 points — yes I know the Catholic High School League is tough. The Highlanders, on the other hand, haven’t scored less than 28 in a game yet. Give me Adams by 13.

Auburn Hills Avondale (7-2) at White Lake Lakeland (7-2) at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31
Despite seemingly being the only game that starts at 7:30 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. on Friday, this game is also interesting, with Avondale bouncing back after a winless campaign last year. It’s a nice story, but it ends in the first round. No disrespect to the OAA Blue, where Avondale made a run at a championship, but the Kensington Lakes Activities Association is whole different matter. Give me the Eagles by 21.

Farmington High (6-3) at Southfield High (8-1) at 1 p.m. Nov. 1
Farmington has won six straight games to punch its ticket into the postseason; Southfield has been stellar all year, losing only to Adams by two points. These teams have met before with Southfield winning 35-20 in week one. I think Farmington makes it closer, but I still like the Blue Jays by seven.

Division 3 Bloomfield Hills Lahser (8-1) hosts Redford Thurston (6-3) at 7 p.m. Nov. 1
Finally playing against teams that they should be playing (see blog “Sacrificial lamb’), Bloomfield Hills Lahser is going to be tough for any D-3 opponent, starting with Thurston. The Knights have a balanced attack and a defense that will smack you. I think the Knights begin the smacking Saturday night and win by 14.

Ferndale High (8-1) hosts St. Clair Shores Lake Shore (6-3) at 7 p.m. Oct. 31
Ferndale has advanced to the playoffs for the third straight year, a school first. But the first time two times, the Eagles were one and done. Lake Shore has been a little hit or miss this season, beating the likes of Warren Fitzgerald (8-1), but losing to Madison Heights Madison (5-4), a team that lost to Fitzgerald by four touchdowns. Put together Lake Shore’s inconsistency, Ferndale’s drive for a playoff win, and throw in the fact that the Shorians beat my guys from Clawson High week one, that’s three strikes and they’re out. I’ll take Ferndale by 13.

So there it is.

Check back to the blog next week to see how I did with my picks. I've seen and been a part of enough high school football to realize that anything can happen. Should be fun.

Let the games begin.

A closer look at Stanley's summer

In one way or another, we all have a job somewhat unique. Our daily tasks, hours and efforts all differ.

For some, work is just that, a way to pay the bills. For others, work is a story in itself.

Which brings me to the latest installment of my series on jobs in sports, "A Chauffeur to Lord Stanley," a story that began running in most of our papers Oct. 22.

Mike Bolt is an individual you may have seen a time or two, especially this past summer. Maybe not in person, but you probably saw him on TV, in the newspaper or in any of the magazines that aptly depicted the Red Wings’ summer-long celebration with the Stanley Cup.

Bolt works at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but he also has the distinct honor (called his job) to travel everywhere the Stanley Cup goes.

This job is detailed in the story, but if you want another look at just where the Cup has been and who has had the chance to see it, visit the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Web site at www.hhof.com and click on the Stanley Cup Journal link on the right side of the page.

The journey details a month-to-month and player-to-player schedule the Cup (and Bolt) endured over the summer.

Some of the entries will leave you shaking your head (Kris Draper), while others will show just how much of a celebrity the Cup really is.

Pitch problems and rank rankings

It’s been a busy month for me in and out of the office with soccer playoffs under way and the volleyball season wrapping up.

But here are a couple quick observations I’ve recently made:

First: Home-field advantage has taken on a new meaning in the boys soccer playoffs.

Imagine going to a volleyball playoff game only to find that your team has to play on sand.

Sure, the difference between sand and a high school gym floor may be a bit more dramatic than the difference of natural grass and the turf surfaces that have been popping up more and more steadily, but there still is a significant difference.

Soccer teams that are used to playing on natural grass for most of the season (which a little more than half of the teams I cover in the Macomb Area Conference do) often find themselves at a distinct disadvantage when they play a team that’s been on turf all year in a postseason game played on turf. And vice versa.

While I understand not every school and playoff host can have the exact some playing surface, it’s just too bad and a bit unfair when a team’s season comes to an end on a surface that they’re playing on for the first time.

Most coaches don’t like to use that as an excuse, but I know that was a key factor in the outcomes in a few district games in the area.

Second: I just saw the most recent volleyball rankings from the coaches association — and not a single MAC team (and just one OAA squad – Clarkston) is ranked. Not even an honorable mention.

Granted, I know there are some talented teams across the state, and more often than not those schools a bit closer to Lake Michigan tend to enjoy some decent success in the state tournament.

Apparently the MAC Red being even more competitive and balanced than maybe ever before — with five teams out of six still in the running for the division title with two games to go — is a negative for what many would consider the top division in the state.

I have a feeling that beating up on each other and facing top-caliber competition (whether other coaches around the state feel that way or not) all season long will pay off for teams such as Fraser High, Grosse Pointe North, Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse, Macomb Dakota and Marysville High once the playoffs roll around.

Planning, preparation pays off

Once the referee’s whistle blows and a soccer game gets under way, coaches are essentially left to watch their teams until halftime.

The sport offers few opportunities for change during a game, which is why the business conducted off the field — training and scheming — is so vital.

Preparation and the ability to improvise and adapt to opponents are especially key skills when it comes to the one-and-done postseason — you can’t go back and fix things if you weren’t prepared the first time.

During the recent Catholic High School League varsity boys soccer tournament, Madison Heights Bishop Foley’s John Pisacreta and Warren De La Salle’s Thaier Mukhtar proved they were more than up to the challenge of some late-season improv.

Pisacreta got two key goals from Foley forward Alan Wisniewski in the Ventures’ two CHSL Division CD tournament games – a 2-1 win over rival Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and a 2-0 decision against Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in the final.

The Foley coach moved the towering Wisniewski, who literally stands heads and shoulders above the competition at 6 foot 5 inches, up from the JV team late in the season. Pisacreta’s move and Wisniewski’s patience and hard work paid off for Foley when it needed it most.

The Ventures also decided to move one of their top players, Derek Rosiek, into a more complete defensive role. While Pisacreta noted Rosiek has solid playmaking skills, the need for his defensive abilities led the coach to move the player from the stopper position into the sweeper spot.

“I prefer not to play him back there, but because of the opponents that we play, that’s what we decided to do,” Pisacreta said. “And he was fine with that, as long as we win. And so far, we’ve won with him back there.

“I pride my coaching staff on scouting teams and determining what their best attributes are and what they do well, and us countering that with what we do well.”

Defensive changes also affected the Pilots of De La Salle, which won its second straight CHSL Division AB title over Novi Detroit Catholic Central.

Injuries kept a few key De La Salle defensive players off the field, yet Mukhtar and his staff had the reserves ready and more than willing to stand up to the challenge of keeping the Shamrocks' offense in check during a 2-1 win.

Catholic Central’s lone goal came on a long free kick from standout Josh Gatt. The Shamrocks' star forward was otherwise shut out against the Pilots in three games this season.

De La Salle’s defense has been impressive this season, holding opponents to just nine goals (including three penalty kicks) all season (20 games).

Killer crossovers

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.