Competitive OAA Blue sees Multiple Teams Fighting for Top Spot

We’re 5 weeks into the 2021 season and we’ve got a very competitive OAA Blue. We knew it was going to be competitive, especially with the way some young teams performed last year. Without further ado, let’s review the standings, and highlight some top players. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Standings</strong></span> <strong>(5-0) Troy: </strong>A young team last year, Troy was poised for a great year this year, and they haven’t disappointed. [player_tooltip player_id="30347" first="Darius" last="Whiteside"] II is as good as advertised, and Xavier Newell has been taking over on the defense. My only gripe about Troy is the strength of schedule, as they’ve only faced teams that are currently under .500. The final two weeks of the season against Berkley and Bloomfield Hills will be very telling. <strong>(5-1) Bloomfield Hills: </strong>After stumbling through 2020 winning just 1 of their final 5 games, Bloomfield Hills has gotten off to a fast start with a key win against Berkley, and their only loss being against Grosse Pointe South. They’ve got a WR Duo that can light it up in <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11760041">[player_tooltip player_id="103488" first="Andrew" last="Siepierski"]</a> and <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14604039/DJ-Lee">DJ Lee</a>. <strong>(4-1) Berkley: </strong>Continuing last year’s success, Berkley is off to a good start having faced decent competition. G <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11157526/Sean-McKenzie">Sean Mckenzie</a> has done a great job anchoring that offensive line for SB <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11157514/Jake-Domzalski">Jake Domzalski</a>. It’s good to see Berkley back winning consistent games as they were in a bit of a lull before 2020. <strong>(4-1) Athens: </strong>This is a young team with plenty of talent, though the strength of schedule isn’t there yet. DB <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12084994/Austin-Pokley">Austin Pokley</a> is already a strong asset as a Junior, and like I stated, they have plenty of young talent on varsity. The end of the season should be a great measuring stick for Athens as they face the top teams in this league. <strong>(2-3) Avondale: </strong>Last year, Avondale had a similar start to the season starting 0-3, then went on to end the regular season at 3-3 with a home playoff game against Groves. There’s no telling to whether Avondale will turn things around like they did last year, though the team seemed to have put things together during last weeks 21-0 win against Ferndale. In order to be successful, the offense led by [player_tooltip player_id="93689" first="Jake" last="Herzog"] needs to be balanced, disciplined, and unselfish. This weeks game against Berkley is a sure game to watch. <strong>(2-3) Royal Oak: </strong>Without a winning season since 2018, Royal Oak isn’t looking too good going forward. They have a talented running back in <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12979821">Mekhi Jenkins</a>, though the team is very young and we can hope that they’re much improved in 2022. <strong>(0-5) Farmington: </strong>This is a bit of a surprise for me. After an 8-2 2019, they went winless in 2020 and were moved from the OAA White to here in the OAA Blue. Nothing has worked for Farmington as they continue to get blown out with the exception of a 1-point loss to Athens. Though on paper the rest of the season is going to be much easier than the first half, I can honestly see them finishing winless or 4-5. <strong>(0-5) Ferndale: </strong>They haven’t played great. No way around it. With blowouts, covid issues, etc, it’s an unfortunate year for Ferndale. Hopefully this team can bounce back next season, or even better string together some wins this season. <strong>(0-5) Pontiac: </strong>I’m always really rooting for Pontiac to do well, but the reality is that they haven’t won a game since week 1 of the 2018 season. They’ve had shaky situations with coaches, players, etc over the years and I truly hope this team can turn itself around soon. It would be great if Pontiac could get to their winning ways again. &nbsp;