Teams juggle testing, regional preparation
Oakland County’s regionalbound prep football squads are off and running this week with COVID-19 testing procedures in place and much-anticipated matchups on the horizon come Saturday.
The MHSAA playoffs resume this weekend after an eight-week layoff related to the pandemic’s increasing numbers across the state.
West Bloomfield (8-1), the area’s No. 1 team, has a group of volunteers from the community made up of medical personnel, athletic trainers and parents, stewarding the testing regiment for the program.
“This has been a team effort for us, literally and figuratively,” West Bloomfield head coach Ron Bellamy said. “Because we have so many great people working together towards the same goal, we’ve seen a pretty smooth process of administering the tests and getting everyone cleared to hit the field. In terms of our execution on this, so far, so good.”
Bellamy estimated the testing process takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete, a time span many of the head coaches left in the playoffs contacted for this story echoed.
Oak Park (4-5) is lagging a little behind the curve in testing time due to limited resources, but has completed the process successfully.
West Bloomfield and All-American running back Donovan Edwards ( Michigan) will host upstart, and upset-minded, Romeo
(5- 4) Saturday afternoon in a Division 1 regional championship game that could be Edwards last game in Lakers gear.
Oak Park travels to Livonia Churchill (6-2) in a Division 2 regional clash.
“I think the more we go through the testing regiment, the more efficient it will get,” Oak Park head coach Greg Carter said. “It definitely is showing us how we need to maximize
our time.
“We want to find a rhythm here where the player’s health and safety needs are being adequately attended to and we’re preparing as hard and as smart as we can for our next game.”
Carter’s Knights took advantage of the adjusted playoff format allowing every team to qualify, rebounding from a winless regular season (one result later changed to a win via forfeit) to pull three straight upsets and position itself as the hottest team in Metro Detroit entering regionals.
Michigan State commit Rayshaun Benny (lineman) and MSU-signee Davion Primm (running back) are pacing Oak Park’s attack. Benny was injured for most of the regular season.
North Farmington (7-2) is returning to the regional round of the state tournament for the first time in 42 years. Raiders head coach Jon Herstein credits North Farmington boys basketball coach Todd Negoshian for organizing and running the football team’s testing regiment.
“Todd came in and put together our protocol, cre
ated the blueprint for how we’re getting things done logistically and it’s gotten off the ground without a hitch,” Herstein said.
The Raiders head up north to square off against Traverse City Central (8-1) Saturday in the Division 2 regionals. North Farmington star senior tailback Justin Whitehorn committed and signed with Saginaw Valley during the playoff pause.
Birmingham Detroit Country Day (6-2) continues it’s push for a second straight ticket to the state finals in Division 4 when
the Yellowjackets visit undefeated North Branch (90) Saturday.
Country Day’s offense unleashes shifty, strongarmed junior Brandon Mann at quarterback, who is protected by Northwestern-signed lineman Caleb Tiernan.
Longtime Yellowjackets head coach Dan MacLean is happy with how his program’s testing regiment has turned out.
“We sat down with our trainers, we got it timed and we got it tailored and we’re thrilled with the results,” he said.