Four on the Floor: OAA Red Division bolsters four ranked cheer teams
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
There’s no secret that the Oakland Activities Association is high on talent. With 25 schools, the odds are pretty good that some teams, if not multiple, will stack up against the best in the state.
Pick your sport, and that’s true.
In recent years, the OAA has produced state champions and state runners up in almost every sport — some multiple. Standout individuals…they are in the hundreds.
It’s safe to say that the OAA is a power conference.
\
So when the OAA’s top division, the OAA Red Division, landed four schools in the Division 1 top10 last week in the sport of competitive cheer, that is still somewhat of a rare tale, regardless of sport.
Four schools from one conference ranked. This doesn’t happen very often — in any sport.
Anywhere in Michigan.
“It almost never happens,” offered Susan Wood, head competitive cheer coach at Rochester High since 1982. “We’ve always had some good teams from our league. But four in the top 10? I know our league has never had four in the top 10 at one time.
“I think the (Ottawa-Kent Conference Red Division) has always been the strongest league in the state over the years, but I don’t know if they have ever had four ranked teams at the same time,” continued Wood. “They have had 2-3 several times. That is such a strong league for cheerleading.”
In the past decade, all six cheer teams that are currently in the OAA-Red have cracked the top 10 and four currently reside there right now. Rochester, Rochester Stoney Creek, Rochester Adams and Lake Orion are all amongst the state’s elite, although the top 10 has become a revolving door of teams based on performances.
Rochester, Stoney Creek and Adams have all won at least one invitational this season while all four including Lake Orion have recorded multiple top-five or top-10 finishes. Lake Orion has a couple of runner-up showings on its resume.
“I think there is great competition (in our league),” said Tricia Williams, Stoney Creek’s head coach who led her team to its first state championship in 2010. “We have a great support system in our league and there is great competition. I think that really helps us all each week. We have a chance to have four teams in the state finals. Although that will be very hard to do because there will be a couple of other very good teams in our region.
TOP 10 TERRITORY: Rochester Stoney Creek's competitive cheer team is one of four ranked teams from the OAA Red Division this week. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
The strength of schedule will be an aid, not a hindrance, down the stretch.
“It helps us all,” said Wood. “It keeps everyone on their toes. Plus, I think we all enter a lot of very good competitions every year. It’s scary because it helps every team, but you can’t really have an off day in our division.”
Adams is the team that has made the biggest improvement the past couple of years, returning to the top 10 for the first time since the 1990s. The Highlanders competed in the MHSAA state tournaments briefly during the mid-1990s before leaving to compete in the MCAA competition. Since that tournament was folded four years ago, Adams has made a steady climb up in the MHSAA-sanctioned field and was moved up to the OAA Red Division two years ago for league competition.
POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: Rochester ADams has returned to the top 10 and has made the OAA Red Division even stronger the past two seasons. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
“I think the girls have realized that it’s really difficult, knowing how good (a lot of) these teams are out there, and that you have to put in the extra work to be amongst the top teams,” said Adams coach Courtney Kezlarian-Abela.
On Jan. 28, Stoney Creek, Rochester, Adams and Lake Orion will be in the star-studded field at the Lake Orion Invitational, which will welcome in several ranked schools from all four divisions.
“I think that will be another chance for our league to do well,” said Kezlarian-Abela.
The league tournaments in each of the OAA’s three divisions are set for Feb. 4 at Oxford High School. The state tournament will begin Feb. 17-18 with the district round.
RISING UP: Lake Orion's cheer team has not won an invitational this season, but has several top-10 showings to bolster their ranking. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
JANUARY 23 STATE RANKINGS:
Competitive Cheer
(By the coaches association)
Division 1 — 1. Rochester; 2. Sterling Heights Stevenson; 3. Grandville; 4. Hudsonville; 5. Hartland; 6. East Kentwood; 7. Rochester Adams; 8. (tie) Holland West Ottawa, Rochester Stoney Creek; 10. Lake Orion.
Division 2 — 1. Gibraltar Carlson; 2. Dearborn Divine Child; 3. Ortonville Brandon; 4. Allen Park; 5. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills; 6. Holland Christian; 7. Wyandotte Roosevelt; 8. Portage Northern; 9. DeWitt; 10. Mt. Pleasant.
Division 3 —1. Richmond; 2. Comstock Park; 3. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; 4. Armada; 5. Paw Paw; 6. Otsego; 7. Grosse Ile; 8. Midland Bullock Creek; 9. Gladstone; 10. Brooklyn Columbia Central.
BACK ON TOP: After winning last Saturday's Royal Rumble, Rochester regained the top spot in the Division 1 rankings, although the top teams could shufle this week as the rankings have become a revolving door. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
Division 4 — 1. Michigan Center 2. Merrill 3. Pewamo-Westphalia; 4. Laingsburg; 5. Iron Mountain; 6. Gobles; 7. Hudson; 8. Shelby; 9. Hart; 10. Munising.
To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com . Follow us on Twitter @LocalSportsFans and more than a dozen other social media networks.
FOR MORE CHEER COVERAGE:
http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Competitive+Cheer&x=10&y=11
* Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com.
Category: Featured Articles, High School, Lake Orion, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Stoney Creek
