OAA/MAC W6 Games of the Week

Things are beginning to heat up in the OAA and MAC leagues. We're just beyond the midway point of the 2022 season, and the playoff picture is beginning to take shape. In addition to the playoff picture, league titles are developing. This week, we have multiple games featuring teams fighting to make the postseason, and teams fighting for league titles. If I were living on the East Side, I'd have to attend one of these games, and I hope to spot one of these teams in person in the postseason! So, here are 5 amazing games in the OAA/MAC!   OAA   Harper Woods @ Groves   Here's an OAA White matchup featuring two teams fighting for a playoff spot. Currently, Groves is one of the last 3 teams in, while Harper Woods is the 4th team out.   Groves is an interesting team. Sitting at 3-2, the Falcons have won the games they should have and lost the games they should have. They have good talent, headlined by Joshua Woods and Zach Rogers, but they're an overall young team. A few years ago, it seemed like Groves was an up-and-coming program destined for a State-Championship, but they've been on a decline lately. With their experienced coaching staff and young talent, I expect Groves to be competitive in this game.   Harper Woods sits at 2-3, having played an extremely difficult schedule. Their losses to West Bloomfield and Southfield A&T were expected, though last week's loss to Rochester was more of an upset. Most people know [player_tooltip player_id='77223' first='Jacob' last='Oden'] as the face of this team, though they have plenty of talent, and some great young talent with [player_tooltip player_id='247683' first='Cailin' last='Scott'] and Johnny Nelson.   Troy @ Seaholm   It's homecoming for Seaholm, who currently holds the #1 spot in Division 2 with 67.4 Playoff Points, while Troy its comfortably in Division 1 with 52.2 Playoff Points.   Seaholm is the clear favorite in this one, as they're 5-0 with a win against a common opponent, North Farmington (Troy lost 9-0). The Maples are on the upswing with an all-around experienced team, with most of their skill position players being juniors with most of their O-Line being seniors. This is a physical team that I've seen wear defenses out while being happy with few chunk plays.   I wouldn't list this as a game of the week if I didn't think Troy had a chance. The Colts are 4-1, with a below-average strength of schedule, especially for a D1 program. Nevertheless, they have talent, headlined by GVSU Commit [player_tooltip player_id='30347' first='Darius' last='Whiteside'] II. If they come in with a sound defensive game plan and lean on their athletes on offense, they have a great shot.   Rochester @ Oak Park   These are two teams currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Oak Park has little hope sitting at 0-5, but they've been competitive against good teams; this isn't a bad program. Rochester, on the other hand, sits at 2-3 and they currently sit 10 points out of the playoffs. Needless to say, they need to win this game, and they need to win at least 2, probably 3 more games to qualify.   At this point, Rochester is battle-tested, and I think they're ready for this matchup. [player_tooltip player_id='216997' first='Alex' last='Bueno'] is a great QB, bordering on D2 offers, while Jaiden Bolden, [player_tooltip player_id='407399' first='Grant' last='Calcagno'], and Noah Putrus are all college talents. This team needs a balanced performance from all parties in order to win this game and make the postseason.   Oak Park is a mysterious team. It's not a secret that Oak Park has immense talent, but it's rare that they actually show it. They always play a difficult schedule, and I wouldn't count them out of any game.   MAC   Dakota @ Romeo   This game is consistently great and will undoubtedly play a major role in both playoff seeding and MAC Red standings. Since 2015, Romeo is 5-5 against Dakota, while Dakota is 5-5 against Romeo. Here's the rubber match.   Romeo was the #1 playoff-point team last season, and they're a sure playoff team this season as well. This team reloads and currently holds great wins against Oxford, Roseville, Stevenson, and Anchor Bay with an upset loss to Eisenhower. This program holds its defense to a high standard, and that unit is led by linebackers [player_tooltip player_id='275079' first='Anthony' last='Lomakoski'], [player_tooltip player_id='248788' first='Ryan' last='Relyea'], and [player_tooltip player_id='248789' first='Victor' last='Earl'].   Dakota is one of the hottest teams in the state and hasn't lost a game by under 11 points. Better yet, they have three A-Tier victories against Brother Rice, Stevenson, and Chippewa Valley. Somehow, Dakota looks better than they were last season, and they seem to be a serious contender in the ultra-talented Michigan Division 1. Loaded with experience, [player_tooltip player_id='409670' first='Ethan' last='Hamby'], Michael Pittigilo, [player_tooltip player_id='409661' first='Owen' last='Colpaert'], and others lead this extremely successful team.   Anchor Bay @ Utica Eisenhower   These two teams must treat this matchup as must-win for postseason contention. Eisenhower is in good standing at 4-1, currently placed 11th in Division 1 with 61 playoff points, but they have a grueling schedule ahead. Their upset win over Romeo has turned some heads, but its crucial they find a way to stay consistent. Their defense has really stepped up this season, while they have a good mix of juniors and seniors.   Anchor Bay is honestly a team I don't check up on too often, but when I do I'm usually impressed by aspects of their game. This season, its their offense, averaging just over 28PPG. And although their defense started strong, they're averaging 30.5PAPG against teams with a winning record. Just going off the stats, Anchor Bay is the underdog here, but a win is 100% possible.

Things are beginning to heat up in the OAA and MAC leagues. We're just beyond the midway point of the 2022 season, and the playoff picture is beginning to take shape. In addition to the playoff picture, league titles are developing. This week, we have multiple games featuring teams fighting to make the postseason, and teams fighting for league titles. If I were living on the East Side, I'd have to attend one of these games, and I hope to spot one of these teams in person in the postseason! So, here are 5 amazing games in the OAA/MAC!