Pivotal Week 3 Matchups in the OAA

The OAA is soon kicking off league play! This means competitive matchups, league championships, and ax-sharpening for the playoffs. This week features six games that I am quite excited for from the OAA Gold all the way up to the OAA Red.   (2-0) Avondale vs. (0-2) Berkley   The OAA Gold seems to be a lot more competitive than previously anticipated. This early-season league matchup will likely have gigantic consequences for the end-of-season league standings. Last season at this time, Avondale and Berkley were considered to be the favorites in the Gold until Ferndale came out of nowhere to shock the league. Now, Avondale is the head-to-head favorite with a few wins under their belt with an awesome group of seniors. Don't count Berkley out though, as they've handed Avondale in recent years past.   (2-0) Pontiac vs. (0-2) Ferndale   Pontiac being 2-0 is one of the biggest stories of the season so far. Honestly, I'm also surprised that Ferndale is 0-2 thus far. Still, all eyes are on Pontiac to see if they'd be able to knock off the defending league champs. I don't know either of these teams too well. So I can't comment much on potential standouts, but I'll surely have a close eye on this final score.   (1-1) Seaholm vs. (0-2) North Farmington   The Maples and The Raiders have developed somewhat of a rivalry over the past few years. Yet again, this will be a game with major league and playoff implications. Seaholm's reputation is still a bit up in the air. The win against Bloomfield Hills left no question, but their loss against an improved UD Jesuit team may have exposed some weaknesses. How will the Maples season compare to last year's regular-season success? Seniors such as [player_tooltip player_id='253296' first='Kyle' last='Robbins'], [player_tooltip player_id='252599' first='Colton' last='Kinnie'], [player_tooltip player_id='253292' first='Granden' last='Kinnie'], [player_tooltip player_id='253291' first='Sean' last='Emerson'], and Luke Thurswell will be paramount for a league victory here. As for North Farmington, they've started out the season 0-2, but they've played the D1 Runner-Up (Caledonia) and a D2 semifinalist (Groves), a grueling start. Thankfully, Cal and Groves are incredible games to get accustomed to the physicality of Seaholm. QB [player_tooltip player_id='253290' first='Ryan' last='Shelby'] will be the X-Factor in this one. I'm also looking to see DT/DE [player_tooltip player_id='899576' first='Brendon' last='Rice'] get some penetration against the Maple O-Line.   (1-1) Groves vs. (1-1) Farmington   New to the OAA White, Farmington has an infinitely more difficult road ahead than they did last season. They've started out the season 1-1, with an easy win over Ford followed by west-side loss against the ever-improving Muskegon Reeths-Puffer. This matchup against Groves serves as an opportunity to cement themselves in the White. [player_tooltip player_id='862151' first='Cameron' last='Pettaway'] is due for a sensational game, while other upper-classmen will need to step up to defeat the Falcons.   Groves on the other hand is 1-1 with a solid win against North Farmington and an expected loss to powerhouse West Bloomfield. Since Groves clawed their way to the state semifinals last season, they're the definite favorites in this one. I don't know enough about this year's Groves team, though I expect to see a strong front 7 with playmakers at DB and WR.   (0-2) Bloomfield Hills vs. (0-2) Rochester   Both of these teams are looking to get in the win column following a rough start to the season. Bloomfield Hills began the season getting outmatched by Seaholm, then went on to get pounced on by Stoney Creek. On the other side, Rochester suffered another heartbreaking loss to Utica before getting demolished by rival Adams. Both teams coming off decisive losses, the question is how each will bounce back. Backs against the wall with playoff implications, I'm curious to see how this one eventually pans out.   (0-2) Clarkston vs. (2-0) Rochester Adams   If you want to see high-level football against two great programs, you've got it here. Clarkston and Adams have been atop the OAA Red for the past few seasons, and this will no doubt have major league implications. Clarkston opened the season at The Big House when they were upset by a rowdy Northville squad, but bounced back when narrowly losing 20-17 against Southfield A&T- who just defeated Cass Tech during week 1. The Wolves of course replace many key positions due to a strong 2023 class, so it's my hope that the A&T game allowed them to get comfortable before the ever-important league matchups. Adams is a team that seems to be staying amongst the top of D1, even without several key players from their 2021 title run and their 2022 OAA Red League win. [player_tooltip player_id='566987' first='Ryland' last='Watters'] has taken the reigns to the Veer offense and he's executed tremendously. I'm also looking forward to seeing the elite TE matchup between Michigan commit [player_tooltip player_id='248962' first='Brady' last='Prieskorn'] and Indiana commit [player_tooltip player_id='248961' first='Brody' last='Kosin'].

The OAA is soon kicking off league play! This means competitive matchups, league championships, and ax-sharpening for the playoffs. This week features six games that I am quite excited for from the OAA Gold all the way up to the OAA Red.