Southfield finally gains first win over Adams
BY GARRETT SMITH
STUDENT CORRESPONDENT
SOUTHFIELD — There seems to be a first for everything.
Southfield proved just that to Rochester Adams on the football field Saturday.
The Bluejays recorded their first-ever victory over Rochester Adams, posting a 34-31 home victory over the Highlanders.
“We beat one of the better programs around,” Southfield coach Tim Conley said. “You look at how (Adams) plays every year and the coaching staff that they have. It’s an (honor) to beat a program like that.”
The win helped Southfield remain in the top half of a very deep Oakland Activities Association White Division, which has several teams fighting for the state playoffs. The Bluejays are 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the league, the same exact record as Adams.
The game featured eight lead changes. Southfield went ahead for good when Ron Thompson caught a 20-yard pass from Justin Danzy with just over five minutes left in the game.
ALL FALL DOWN: Not even the protection of David Jagow (No. 42) and Andrew McBride could help Rochester Adams quarterback Tony Annese from being hit during Saturday'as OAA White Division contest. Photo By Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com
On the game’s next possession, Southfield’s Willie Duncan picked up a fumble on the Southfield 17 with 1:25 left which gave the Bluejays possession and time to run out the clock.
Adams had four turnovers in the game.
“The turnovers killed us. It gave them 14 points and it killed some of our drives,” Adams coach Tony Patritto said. “We don’t have the turnovers, we don’t win the game.”
Southfield led 14-3 after the first quarter and with Adams scoring 14 points in the second quarter for the 17-14 lead.
There were five scoring drives in the second half.
Southfield scored first when Thompson caught a 32-yard pass from Danzy, for a 21-17 lead. Adams countered with Ben Hart returning a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to give the Highlanders back up 24-17.
Again, Southfield struck back, this time with Tre Walton catching another TD pass from Danzy (11 yards).
Adams’ Tony Annese 8-yard run put the Highlanders up one last time at 31-27 in the fourth quarter.
Southfield had the last laugh.
“There are so many good teams in our league, that every game is big,” said Conley. “We have Farmington coming up and they only have one loss and that was to Adams. Farmington Hills Harrison is loaded and Oxford appears to be very good. It’s going to be tough for everyone.”
In the first half, Leviticus Payne scored on 17-yard pass play and Thompson scored on a 12-yard pass, both from Danzy.
Ryan Cesiel’s boot of 40-yards was good for a 3-0 Adams lead. Hart and Annese also had short touchdown runs for Adams.
Danzy was all over the field for Southfield, going 22-for-32 passing for 286 yards. Thompson had nine catches for 115 yards and Brandon Watkins carried the ball 18 times for 65 yards.
(Garrett Smith is part of the AdaVan Media Group-NorthOaklandSports.com’s Student Correspondence Program and is a student at Oakland University. For information to be a student writer, e-mail Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or Marketing Manager Dennis VanWingerden at dennis@northoaklandsports.com)
Category: Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Rochester Adams, Student Columns
