OAA Teams Ready to Take a Step Forward

The OAA is one of the largest, most expansive conferences in the entire state spanning much of Metro Detroit and Oakland County. This is a talented league made up mostly of teams from Divisions 1-3 which provides balanced leagues and great competition. Last season we saw many teams take a step back, and many take a step forward. In this article, I’ll be discussing 5 teams in the OAA that I could see taking a step forward! <strong>Troy</strong> Being a Division 1 program in the OAA, Troy has been a consistently improving team with the talent needed to take another step forward. <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12842167">[player_tooltip player_id="30347" first="Darius" last="Whiteside"] II</a> is a gamechanger on both sides of the ball and is a D1 talent, while <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16325583">[player_tooltip player_id="274668" first="Jaielen" last="Peacock"]</a> is a promising young DB. Troy went 8-2 last season, being humbled by Chippewa Valley in the playoffs. Now, they hope to with the revamped OAA Blue with a few unfamiliar opponents at their doorstep. As long as this team has good chemistry, they can go far. <strong>Birmingham Seaholm</strong> A program that always seems to rise and fall like a wave in the ocean, I see the water rising for Seaholm this season. Last season was one to forget, going 1-8 with a grueling schedule and very few close games. Despite their record, Seaholm has loads of young talent improving this offseason. These names include <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13210687">[player_tooltip player_id="232205" first="John" last="Jokisch"]</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15041634">[player_tooltip player_id="253296" first="Kyle" last="Robbins"]</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10344897">[player_tooltip player_id="253292" first="Granden" last="Kinnie"]</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15041690">[player_tooltip player_id="252599" first="Colton" last="Kinnie"], </a>and <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/8036203">[player_tooltip player_id="253291" first="Sean" last="Emerson"]</a>, among others. Seaholm will be great in the skill positions in 2022, but the area I know very little about is the state of their offensive line. Nevertheless, this team is coached by Jim DeWald, one of the longest-tenured coaches in the state, alongside Jason Bazner, a long-standing offensive line coach who brings the energy. <strong>Berkley</strong> My biases toward specific teams in the Gold aside, Berkley is the heavy favorite to run away with the Gold in what is honestly a two-horse race. When I look up and down the OAA Gold, Berkley makes the most sense to win the division and continue improving. They played a very impressive game against Waterford Mott last season in the playoffs, losing in overtime. In addition, they handily beat all fellow OAA Gold teams last season. <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14265699">[player_tooltip player_id="216984" first="Sunny" last="Kadlitz"]</a> is a young QB that gained some vital experience last season though he honestly looked rough at times, but his social media is telling he’s working hard and ready to take a big jump. Also, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12542030">[player_tooltip player_id="300658" first="Savod" last="Daniels"]</a> is a great RB that could lead a very balanced offense for Berkley. <strong>Rochester</strong> This is the team I’m least confident of, but Rochester could take a leap. Last year it was Rochester Adams. Could this year be Rochester’s? Up and down, this is an experienced team that has been steadily improving every season. [player_tooltip player_id="216997" first="Alex" last="Bueno"] has done nothing but impress and turn heads this winter, and they won some good games last season. The talent at the top is there, but it’s all about the rest of the team and how everyone molds together as a collective group. The Falcons 2022 schedule is looking awfully grueling, but <strong>if this team can make the postseason, they will be dangerous.</strong> <strong>West Bloomfield</strong> I know, I know. West Bloomfield, per usual, was one of the top teams in the state last season. However, they got knocked out midway through the playoffs against a historic Rochester Adams team and generally had some hiccups throughout the season. What I mean by West Bloomfield taking a leap is making another State Championship. At the top of the bracket, I love their odds. Region 1 (West Michigan) has some good, even great D1 programs, but Grand Blanc/Rockford won’t be the same teams; while Region 2 is more robust, West Bloomfield is the strongest in that group. I expect [player_tooltip player_id="249012" first="Reqez" last="Nance"] to continue improving, with the elite supporting cast to absolutely ball out. I can surely see Adams being a formidable opponent again, but I see the Lakers getting their revenge.