Category: Featured Articles
Dressed for success: Lake Orion slams Clarkston to become first OAA volleyball state finalist
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com BATTLE CREEK — Bob Howey almost never dresses up. In fact, he almost never tucks in his shirt on the sidelines for volleyball and softball games. The Lake Orion volleyball coach did so Thursday evening at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena — and he liked it. Dressed for a special […]
AOTW: A little Legacy … Clarkston’s Lightfoot trying to follow in her mother’s footsteps
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com CLARKSTON — A few months ago, Kristie Lightfoot dug deep for an old sweater. Once it was unearthed, she laid it out for her daughter Maddie to see. Maddie, a senior libero on Clarkston’s volleyball team, tucked the old artifact into the bottom of her sports bag. This is […]
On the big stage: No secrets between rivals Lake Orion and Clarkston in state semifinals
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com BATTLE CREEK — There will be no secrets Thursday when Clarkston and Lake Orion take the volleyball court. The two large neighboring schools, less than 15 miles apart, both play in the OAA Red Division, with Clarkston winning the division this season and the Dragons finishing second. They have […]
Long time coming: Dragons overcome slow start, Dakota to reach semifinals for first time in 23 years
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ST. CLAIR SHORES — Lake Orion has been infamous for slow starts this season on the volleyball court. Fortunately, the Dragons have the firepower to recover. That was the case Tuesday in Lake Orion’s first state quarterfinals game in 23 years. The Dragons rallied for a 3-2 victory over […]
Troy volleyball season ends at the hands of Lake Orion
BY JAKE LOURIM STUDENT CORRESPONDENT j.lourim@comcast.net LAKE ORION — It was freezing, it was snowing in early November, and the team bus was late. Even with these omens, though, nobody could have expected the Troy volleyball team’s sore spot to be in serving —14 service errors doomed Troy in a 17-25, 21-25, 21-25 loss to […]
Swinging some revenge: Dragons stun defending state champion Marian
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com LAKE ORION — More than any sport, momentum can make a major difference in volleyball. Once the pendulum swings, it’s hard to gain the momentum back. Birmingham Marian found that out the hard way Tuesday night. Regional host Lake Orion dropped Game 1 of its Class A regional semifinal […]
Youthful Notre Dame Prep back in familiar spot in regional play
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com PONTIAC — When Pontiac Notre Dame Prep walked off the volleyball court Saturday afternoon, the Fighting Irish were in a familiar position — they captured another district championship. Yet veteran coach Betty Wroubel admits that she didn’t know if this group could do it after an up-and-down regular season. […]
Reynolds’ game-winner lifts Oakland past SDSU into Summit League finals
ROCHESTER – Meghan Reynolds helped lift Oakland University one game from an NCAA berth. Reynolds scored the game-winning goal, as the fourth-seeded Oakland women’s soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over top-seeded South Dakota State in the semifinals of The Summit League Championship on Friday at the OU Soccer Field. The Golden Grizzlies (9-10-1) advance […]
CROSS COUNTRY STATE FINALS: Adams, Lake Orion pace area teams
13 local runners run to all-state honors BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com BROOKLYN — Rochester Adams saved its best for last. The Highlanders’ girls cross country team, which failed to make the state finals the past two years after a 19-year run of state-qualifying squads, capped a fine season Saturday at Michigan Speedway. Adams […]
Lake Orion wins volleyball district, earns date with Marian
(Editor’s Note: Have video or photos of this event. Contact Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com) BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER HILLS — Lake Orion may not have played its best volleyball game Saturday afternoon. It was good enough to win a district championship and earn a rematch with state powerhouse Birmingham Marian. […]
Avondale-Spring Lake finals match to showcase teams that are splitting image of one another on soccer pitch
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com TROY — When Auburn Hills Avondale and Spring Lake take the soccer pitch Saturday at Troy Athens, it will be almost like looking into a mirror. “I think they are a lot like us,” said Auburn Hills Avondale boys soccer coach Dave Muczynski. “That will make it very interesting.” […]
Port Huron rallies past Adams for district crown
PORT HURON — Behind two second-half touchdown runs, Port Huron is going to a place no other Big Reds football squad has ever gone — to the Division 2 regional finals. Port Huron scored a touchdown in both the third and fourth quarter, kept visiting Rochester Adams scoreless in the second half and staved off […]
Walled Lake Central cruises past Clarkston
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com CLARKSTON — Walled Lake Central made a run to the Final Four in Division 2 last season. The Vikings are now trying to do the same in Division 1 and they took another step in that direction Friday night. Walled Lake Central pulled another road upset for the district […]
Rochester is Stoney Creek’s postseason nightmare
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER — Rochester Stoney Creek had the dream of facing state-ranked Lake Orion in the district finals two years in a row. Both times, Rochester became such a dream wrecker. Host Rochester rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to post a 3-2 victory over Stoney Creek in a Class […]
Lake Orion drops funnel cloud on Rochester Adams
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER HILLS — Rochester Adams felt what it’s like to be in the path of a tornado Thursday night. Coming from the north, the funnel cloud left a path of destruction during a time frame of just a mere 1 hour and 3 minutes. That storm activity came from […]