Dan Stickradt
DAN STICKRADT | SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Palace Crowning: Grajdzik, Line, Scott, Gonzales all claim wrestling titles to gain royalty
DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com AUBURN HILLS — Standing on center stage, Nick Gajdzik accomplished something Saturday night that no one else in his school’s 10-year history had done before. The Rochester Stoney Creek senior claimed an individual state championship in wrestling. Gajdzik took down Logan Rimmer of Temperance Bedford, 2-1, in the final […]
Fellowship Baptist holds off Rochester Hills Christian for MACS state title
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com CLARKSTON — Carson City Fellowship Baptist felt the disappointment of being upset last season in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I state tournament. The Falcons more than made up for it this season. Going into the postseason with the No. 1 ranking, Fellowship Baptist put the […]
Clarkston stymies Grand Blanc for second straight district title
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com HOLLY— Like any good mentor, Clarkston girls basketball coach Tim Wasilk was concerned that his team might have an off night in the postseason and be an upset victim in the early rounds. After the Friday’s rout of Grand Blanc, those concerns have been culled for the moment. […]
AOTW: Oakland’s Hamilton putting up big numbers to keep Oakland relevant
DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER HILLS — Four years ago, Reggie Hamilton was faced with a dilemma. His playing time had dwindled and he was benched for a few games without notification of the specifics. Hamilton, then a sophomore at UMKC, asked for his release from the school and it was granted short […]
Our Lady rallies past Cardinal Mooney for district crown
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com WATERFORD — The first difficult test came across Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes Friday night and the defending Class D girls basketball champions passed with flying colors. The Lakers defeated rival Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 42-35, in a Class D district final to advance to their own […]
GIRLS BASKETBALL DISTRICT FINALS ROUNDUP: Kettering edges Avondale; Capac ousts Notre Dame Prep
AUBURN HILLS — Waterford Kettering outscored Avondale 31-23 in the second half to edge host Auburn Hills Avondale 39-32 Friday in a Class A girls basketball district final. The state-ranked Captains (21-2) advance to the Lake Orion regional Tuesday to face Southfield Lathrup. Using a stall tactic, Avondale led 9-8 at the half but couldn’t […]
FRIDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Rochester tops Lake Orion for 19th straight win
LAKE ORION — Rochester capped the regular season Friday with this 16-point road win, which is the Falcons’ 19 straight wins after a season-opening loss to Detroit Loyola. The Falcons (19-1, 10-0) also capped an unbeaten season in the OAA Blue Division with this make-up game, originally scheduled for Feb. 24. Lake Orion raced out […]
MACS: Rochester Hills Christian reaches to first D-I final; Springfield advances in D-II
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com CLARKSTON — A year ago, Rochester Hills Christian saw its season come to an end via upset. The Eagles, despite a loft No. 1 ranking all season, were upset in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I state semifinals by Davison Faith Baptist, 29-26. That was with […]
Stoney Creek claims third at D-1 state finals
Lake Orion finishes fifth, Rochester seventh; Southgate wins first state title BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com GRAND RAPIDS — A sport that was once dominated by a select few schools, competitive cheer has seen a changing of the guard in recent years. For the fourth year in a row, a different champion […]
COMPETITIVE CHEER — State Finals Scoreboard
Competitive Cheer DIVISION 1 STATE FINALS (March 2 at DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids) TOTAL TEAM SCORES — 1. Southgate Anderson, 816.6230; 2. Hudsonville, 813.2976; 3. Rochester Stoney Creek, 811.3456; 4. Hartland, 808.4680; 5. Lake Orion, 807.5440; 6. East Kentwood, 840.888; 7. Rochester, 804.8586; 8. Grandville, 801.8552. ROUND I — 1. Lake Orion, 234.8; 2. Grandville, […]
Cut ‘em down: Stoney Creek celebrates first basketball district championship
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER HILLS — Rochester accomplished a feat that no other team has been able to do in the past four years: Keep Rochester Stoney Creek’s Gabby Yurik from reaching the scoring column. Stoney Creed was still able to accomplish something Friday that no other boys basketball or […]
Something to cheer about: Brandon emerging as state power
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ORTONVILLE — It is safe to say that Ortonville Brandon’s competitive cheer team is fast rising. In only a few short years, the Blackhawks have emerged as a state powerhouse in Division 2. “I think we have come a long ways in the past few years,” admitted Brandon […]
Instant Scoop: Leonard sparks Troy past Adams for OAA-White title
BY JAKE LOURIM STUDENT CORRESPONDENT j.lourim@comcast.net ROCHESTER HILLS — Rochester Adams was focused on one thing headed into Thursday’s league title matchup against Troy: Stopping James Young. That would be the recipe in allowing Adams to gain a share of the OAA White Division boys basketball title with Troy and Ferndale. But Troy […]
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Patient Wolves emerging as one of state’s best
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com CLARKSTON — It was two years ago when Clarkston girls basketball seemingly fell off the map. The Wolves struggled to a 6-15 record, which included dead last in the OAA Red Division and a first-round loss to Rochester Stoney Creek in a Class A district basketball pre-district contest. […]
Oakland’s Watterworth earns All-Summit League First Team status
ELMHURST, Ill. — Oakland University’s Bethany Watterworth earned All-Summit League first team honors, which were announced by the league office on Thursday following a vote by the league’s coaches, sports information personnel and select media members. Watterworth ranks third in scoring in The Summit League and is 27th in the NCAA. “” think it’s a […]
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Bader, Hamilton, Petros earn Summit League honors
SIOUX FALLS, S.D – Oakland’s Reggie Hamilton was named All-Summit League First Team, while Travis Bader was honorable mention and Corey Petros was selected to the All-Newcomer Team, announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon. Hamilton earns first-team accolades for the second consecutive season after leading the nation in scoring at 25.5 points […]
Balavich, Galasso shine as Lake Orion ousts Clarkston
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — Come through in the clutch in the postseason, and the friend requests might increase through various social media networks. That could be the scenario for Nick Balavich and Drew Galasso over the next few days. Balavich scored the game-winning goal with just 5:19 left in […]
THURSDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Oxford records most wins since 1949; Clarkston goes unbeaten in OAA-Red
OXFORD — In 1949, Oxford finished 17-2 in boys basketball and won league and district championships that year. The Wildcats have not won more than 13 games in the past 62 season until now. Oxford capped the regular seasons with their 14th win in 20 starts, downing visiting Bloomfield Hills Andover, 78-72. Mark Hazelwood scored […]
