Southfield Christian completes rally to down Southfield

By JAKE THIELEN
@MIPrepZone

Basketball – Boys – 2/24/2015

SOUTHFIELD – Southfield Christian rallied from a 15-point deficit at halftime, as the Eagles earned a 71-68 victory against Southfield in a non-league boys basketball game Tuesday night at Southfield Christian High School.

The Eagles trailed 42-27 at halftime and by as much as 17 points in the third quarter, but thanks to a 17-2 run Southfield Christian closed the gap to just two points by the end of the quarter.

Southfield Christian coach Josh Baker said his team’s ability to erase a large deficit was huge. Baker said he saw an increase in effort from his team in the second half.

“I think the biggest thing was we guarded, and we played a little bit more active (in the second half,)” Baker said. “Everyone had to pick up the intensity, and if they weren’t going hard the next guy went. That was the biggest thing the intensity and the level of play.”

Southfield Christian (14-3) took its first lead since the first quarter thanks to a basket from junior Marlo Brown with 4:45 to play in the third quarter. Brown scored a team-high 26 points in the win and added eight rebounds.

Senior Isaiah Green scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds for Southfield, but fouled out of the game with 3:31 to play. In his absence, the Bluejays (9-8) kept the game close thanks in part to the play of sophomore Michael Flowers, who scored 20 of his team-high 25 points in the second half.

A basket from Flowers gave Southfield the lead, 65-64, with 1:12 to play in the game, but the Bluejays could not hold the advantage. Sophomore Brock Washington gave Southfield Christian the lead again for good with a three-pointer with 57 seconds remaining.

Brown and Brock Washington each made a pair of free throws in the final seconds to help extend the Eagle lead to 71-68. With eight seconds left, Southfield had one final chance to tie the game, but Flowers’ attempt as time expired missed the mark.

Brock Washington said the comeback provided the team with a good learning experience as the Eagles try to follow three straight Class D championships with a Class C title this year.

“Earlier this year we lost a game by two and a game by one, so we needed to learn how to grab those wins before the state tournament,” Washington said.

The sophomore began the game wearing No. 15, but thanks to a cut ended the game wearing a No. 11 jersey. Washington said he tried to play as well down the stretch as the last person who wore No. 11 for Southfield Christian did.

“There was blood on my jersey at first, but last year if you remember that was (graduated guard) Lindsey Hunter’s number,” Washington said. “So I guess I’m using it to gain some powers.”

http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=15573

Southfield 40, Detroit Martin Luther King 12; running game powers BlueJays to a win in playoff opener

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on October 31, 2014 10:29 p.m.

Senior Jeremy Gates scored four total touchdowns and senior Adrian Carter rushed for two more as Southfield defeated Detroit Martin Luther King, 40-12, in a Division 2 pre-district football playoff game Friday night at King High School.

Southfield (7-3) was able to take control of the game early by turning its favorable field position into points. Carter got the BlueJays on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:21 remaining in the first quarter and after a short King punt, Gates extended the lead to 13-0 with a 13-yard score of his own.

The BlueJay defense kept King (8-2) off the scoreboard thanks in part to a pair of interceptions from senior Davontae Ginwright and a fumble recovery that ended a long Crusader drive. King turned the ball over four times in total, and the Crusader offense struggled to build any momentum in the cold and rainy conditions at their home field.

Southfield coach Tim Conley said the rainy weather favored his team and its style of offense.

“(King) likes to pass the ball a lot; they’re a really excellent passing team, I think better than running,” Conley said. “So I think we were very encouraged by these conditions.”

After another fumble recovery on the opening kickoff of the second half, Southfield extended its lead to 20-0 thanks to a 21-yard catch and run by Gates on a pass from senior Kanye Harris. It was the only completion on the night for the BlueJays, who ran 33 running plays and attempted just three passes.

King got on the board thanks to a 48-yard touchdown pass from junior Mikale Washington to junior Dontre Boyd. A failed extra point made the score 20-6, but the Crusaders could get no closer.

Carter answered with a 63-yard touchdown for Southfield just 12 seconds later, and Gates added touchdown runs of two and 32 yards to put the game out of reach. Southfield scored 21 points in the third quarter, which Conley said was a quarter he knew the BlueJays had to win.

“We thought that was going to be a very pivotal quarter because they had the wind in that quarter,” Conley said. “We (said) if we can make something happen here, then we’re going to win the game because going into the fourth quarter we had the wind.”

Gates ran for 85 yards on nine carries with four total touchdowns, while Carter finished with a team-high 115 yards on 15 carries and two scores. Conley said he was impressed by the play of both backs, who stepped up in the absence of junior Matt Falcon.

“(Gates) is overall our best football player this season – when you talk about who deserves to be all-state this year (it’s) Jeremy Gates,” Conley said. “He plays every special team, he’s like one of those kind of guys who plays offense and plays defense. We’re really happy with him.”

With the win, Southfield will advance to face its Oakland Activities Association White Division rival, Oak Park, in the district final. The two teams met in week 8 of the regular season with Southfield winning 20-16.

Senior Demetrius Fullilove led King with 13 carries for 80 yards, while Washington threw for 116 yards on 5-of-10 passing. The other score from King came on a 1-yard run from freshman quarterback Julian Jordan with 8:06 to play in the game.

King coach Dale Harvel said his team committed too many turnovers on its own side of the field, which created too many opportunities for Southfield.

“We turned the ball over too much, and over the last few weeks that’s been a problem,” Harvel said. “The thing that happened tonight was we turned the ball over and gave them a short field. I think four touchdowns came on short fields, 30 yards or less, so that creates problems for your defense. You can’t play good teams like that.”

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-3566846555260430720/southfield-40-detroit-martin-luther-king-12-running-game-powers-bluejays-to-a-win-in-playoff-opener/

Farmington Hills Harrison defense forces five turnovers in 34-27, triple-overtime win over Southfield

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on September 28, 2014 8 a.m.

Though the final score indicated an offensive shootout, Farmington Hills Harrison’s defense proved to be the difference maker on Saturday afternoon.

Harrison (4-1) held Southfield (3-2) to just 13 points in regulation and forced five turnovers during the Hawks’ 34-27, triple-overtime win in an Oakland Activities Association White Division football game at Southfield High School.

No drive was bigger for the Harrison defense than the final one it faced, which came in the third overtime. The Hawks forced Southfield into losing 10 yards on its first play of the overtime possession, and then forced an incomplete pass on 4^th-and-goal from the 21-yard line to seal the victory.

Senior safety and Eastern Michigan commit Devon Cook, one of three Hawks players to record an interception, said his team did a good job stepping up when it mattered.

“We just didn’t give up – you couldn’t ask for anything better from our team,” Cook said. “(We had to) basically stop the pass routes deep and contain the quarterback.”

Junior Tyrone Lyte and senior Michael Ojemudia also recorded interceptions for Harrison, and Ojemudia also recovered one of the two Blue Jay lost fumbles on the day.

Outside of a 78-yard touchdown from Blue Jay senior quarterback Kanye Harris to senior Dior Johnson on Southfield’s first play from scrimmage, Harrison was able to minimize big plays against its defense. Southfield entered the game having proved itself offensively by outscoring its previous four opponents by a 167-28 margin.

“We practiced all week for (Southfield’s) offense,” Cook said. “We knew everything that was coming; when they ran the option we were prepared for it.”

Southfield’s running game poses a major threat to any defense with athletes like Harris and running backs Matt Falcon and Adrian Carter able to break off a big run at any time. However the Hawks held Harris and Falcon to just 45 yards combined on 16 carries and kept Carter (86 yards on 18 carries) out of the end zone until overtime.

Harris was held to 17 yards on the ground, though he did score on a 5-yard touchdown run on a broken play to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Still, Harrison coach John Herrington called his team’s ability to hold Harris in check “beautiful.”

“I was happy about stopping (Harris),” Herrington said. “I don’t know if he got out of there at all. We worked on scramble drills all week because we knew he could he hurt us.”

Herrington said team speed played a major role in helping to slow down the Blue Jay playmakers.

“We didn’t let (Harris) run free on us – he’s the big threat,” Herrington said. “Falcon got out a couple times, and he was down – Adrian Carter did a nice job against us. We gave up two real long passes – other than that our defense was pretty solid.

“We have a good defense; we have a lot of speed. You need a lot of speed to play against teams like Southfield.”

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/5758194844769637370/farmington-hills-harrison-defense-forces-five-turnovers-in-34-27-triple-overtime-win-over-southfield/

Farmington Hills Harrison outlasts Southfield, 34-27, in triple-overtime thriller

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on September 27, 2014 5:40 p.m.

Farmington Hills Harrison scored first in the third overtime and held Southfield out of the end zone on its possession in the third overtime, sealing a 34-27 win for the Hawks in an Oakland Activities Association White Division football game Saturday at Southfield High School.

Harrison (4-1, 3-1 OAA White) began the third overtime on offense, and it took the Hawks just two plays to take the lead. Senior Iwarri Smith scored his third touchdown of the game, all of which came after the end of regulation, on a 4-yard run to give Harrison a 34-27 lead.

Needing a touchdown to tie, Southfield (3-2, 3-1 OAA White) dug itself a hole with a loss of 10 yards on the first play of its possession. An incomplete pass and a loss of one yard on a run by senior quarterback Kanye Harris set up a 4^th-and-21 play with the Blue Jays needing to find the end zone to extend the game.

On the ensuing play, Harris’ pass intended for senior Ray Buford sailed out of the end zone incomplete to seal the win for Harrison.

Harrison led 13-6 at halftime thanks to a 22-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Jevon Shaw, and a pair of field goals from junior Alex Bolstrum. The Hawks’ defense frustrated the Southfield offense for most of the game, forcing five turnovers in the win.

Southfield scored on its first play from scrimmage, a 78-yard touchdown pass from Harris to senior Dior Johnson, but was unable to do much else until the final minutes of regulation. Harris scored on a 5-yard run with 1:06 left, and senior Anthony Springer tied the game with an extra point.

The Blue Jays had one final chance to win the game, set up by a long punt return by senior Ja’Mar Antwine to the 23-yard line of Harrison. However, the Hawks blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt by Springer and recovered the ball in the end zone to force overtime.

Key to the game:

Harrison’s defense stepped up when it mattered, intercepting the Blue Jays three times and recovering two fumbles in the game. The Hawks held Southfield to -11 yards of offense on the Blue Jays’ possession in the third overtime.

Harrison highlights:

Shaw threw for 119 yards and a touchdown on 7-of-17 passing and added 112 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Smith ran the ball for just 16 yards on six carries, but scored twice on the ground in overtime and caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Shaw.

Senior Michael Ojemudia recorded an interception and a fumble recovery, while junior Tyrone Lyte and senior Devon Cook each added an interception.

Southfield highlights:

Harris threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 8-of-17 passing and added 17 yards and a touchdown rushing.

Johnson caught three passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns, including a 78-yard score on the Blue Jays’ first play from scrimmage.

Senior Adrian Carter carried the ball 18 times for 86 yards and scored on a 3-yard run in the first overtime.

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/4758200844892637587/farmington-hills-harrison-outlasts-southfield-34-27-in-triple-overtime-thriller/

Clarkston defeats Southfield, 20-10, in MLive’s Metro Detroit Game of the Week

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on October 25, 2013 11:35 p.m.

Clarkston built a 17-0 lead by halftime then held off a second-half comeback attempt as the Wolves defeated Southfield, 20-10, in an Oakland Activities Association crossover game Friday night at Clarkston High School.

On the heels of last week’s 49-point effort against Lake Orion, Clarkston (8-1) found yards harder to come by against a Southfield (7-2) defense with size up front and speed on the outside. Led by senior Ian Eriksen’s 37 carries for 134 yards, Clarkston made enough plays offensively when it mattered, and on the other side of the ball the Wolves’ defense was able to keep Southfield from making big plays.

Clarkston dominated the first half, outgaining Southfield 153-42 and earning 11 first downs compared to just one for the Bluejays.

Eriksen said the Wolves came ready to play against a talented Southfield team.

“It was tough – it was a tough one because (Southfield) has some great athletes,” Eriksen said. “I did the best I could, and the o-line did great as always.”

Senior kicker Shane Hynes, a Kent State commit, got Clarkston on the board with a 34-yard field goal on the first drive for Clarkston, less than four minutes into the game. After a three-and-out and a short punt from Southfield, Clarkston took advantage of the short field and scored on a 1-yard run from Eriksen with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter.

The Wolves extended their lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter following a muffed punt by the Bluejays. Eriksen’s second touchdown run of the day, also from one yard out, gave Clarkston a 17-0 lead that stood until halftime.

Hynes’ second field goal of the game (40 yards) gave Clarkston a 20-0 lead with 5:34 left in the third quarter. Clarkston coach Kurt Richardson said Hynes stepped up his game this week, not only on field goals but on kickoffs as well.

“We talked all week about special teams and making them go the full length of the field, and I thought that was big,” Richardson said. “We had (favorable) field position a lot of the time, and they had to go 80 yards, so I thought that was big. That goes to our kicking game.”

A 20-point lead was more than enough for the Wolves defense, though Southfield was able to manage 10 fourth-quarter points on a 37-yard field goal from junior Anthony Springer and a 45-yard touchdown run on a reverse by senior receiver Jacob Studdard.

With one last chance to get a score, a pass from senior Jalen Brady on fourth down was broken up by the Wolves’ Jacob Armstrong. After getting the ball back, Clarkston drove to the Southfield 1-yard line before allowing time to run out and end the game.

Richardson said his team needed to play a tough game against a good opponent as it prepares to go into the playoffs.

“That wasn’t a very pretty win, and you need those kinds of wins to build character,” Richardson said. “Defensively I thought we rose to the challenge; it was a good win.”

Southfield coach Tim Conley said his team needs to improve going into the playoffs, but he was pleased that his defense played well and the Bluejays escaped without any injuries to their top players.

“That was our biggest goal – to get out healthy and two, of course we have to watch the film, but special teams wise we really put our defense in a bad spot,” Conley said.

Both teams will find out their playoff opponents Sunday at 7 p.m. during the MHSAA Selection Sunday Show. MLIve.com will be running a live chat during the show.

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/7207575545930144315/clarkston-defeats-southfield-20-10-in-mlives-metro-detroit-game-of-the-week/

Clarkston starts strong, holds off late rally to defeat Southfield, 63-57

Jake Thielen | MLive.com, January 18, 2013 8:15 p.m.

SOUTHFIELD –On the heels of what he called an “ugly win” Tuesday night against Pontiac, Clarkston coach Dan Fife was looking for a better performance from his team Friday afternoon.

That’s exactly what happened as Clarkston raced out to an early 17-2 lead, then held off a Southfield fourth quarter rally to come away with a 63-57 win in an Oakland Activities Association Red Division boys basketball game.

“The first half was probably as good as we can play,” Fife said. “That’s the best by far we’ve played all year.”

Southfield (7-2, 3-1 OAA Red) was nearly shutout in the first quarter, as Clarkston (7-2, 3-1 OAA Red) forced them to commit seven turnovers. Senior Quinton Arnold finally got the Blue Jays on the board with a jump shot with 40 seconds left in the quarter. The Wolves led 14-2 at that point and led by as many as 20 points at one point in the second quarter.

Another reason why Clarkston was able to build such a large early lead was its perimeter shooting. Junior Nick Owens made five three pointers on six attempts in the first half, and senior Jordan Dasuqi added three more three-pointers to help give Clarkston a 31-17 lead at halftime.

Dasuqi said it was huge for the Wolves to get out to such a good start, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

“We pride ourselves on defense and we really tried to come back with that tradition of Clarkston defense,” Dasuqi said. “I looked up and I saw 14-2 and I just was so happy. It was awesome going to the bench, pumped about our defense and not about our offense; we were hitting shots, but I was more excited about our defense.”

In the second half, Southfield began to chip away at the Clarkston lead, but Fife said he liked the way his team handled the Southfield run, at least early on.

“I really did think it was good that early in the second half (Southfield) started coming up and making baskets, and every time they seemed to make one we came back with one; we countered every time,” Fife said. “In the fourth it wasn’t quite like that; they made us work, they’re a scoring team and we had a tough time with it.”

The Wolves still led by 17, 47-30, after three quarters but Southfield refused to go away. Led by Arnold and senior Jeff Greear, Southfield scored 27 points in the fourth quarter. Arnold finished the game with 17 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point range and Greear finished with a team-high 19 points.

A pair of baskets by Greear cut the Clarkston lead to 59-55 with 1:41 remaining, but Southfield could not get any closer.

On its next possession, Clarkston ran 42 seconds off the clock before Southfield was forced to foul the Wolves’ Andrew Myers. Myers made both free throws to extend the lead back to six points.

Another Greear basket cut the lead back to four, but after forcing a Clarkston turnover the Blue Jays could not convert on their next possession.  Two more free throws from Myers and one from Dasuqi sealed the game for Clarkston.

Dasuqi finished the game with 21 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Owens led the Wolves with 22 points (6-9 3-pt), while Myers finished with 12 points.

Fife said Owens has stepped up his game this year to become a bigger contributor to the team.

“I don’t question Owens; he was that kind of shooter last year, he just wouldn’t guard like the players ahead of him,” Fife said. “He’s really, really worked hard in the offseason.”

Dasuqi said he and Owens have been able to develop chemistry on the floor since Dasuqi returned from an arm injury earlier this month that has enabled the Wolves to be so successful.

“I think we had a couple of extra passes, and (Owens) was coming off screens, getting open and knocking down shots,” Dasuqi said. “I think a couple times in transition, I would have a wide open one, kick it right to him and he did the same with me too. We bounce off each other, we feed off each other and I love playing with him so it’s just awesome when he’s hitting shots like that.”

For Southfield, the loss was the second in three games after the team started out 6-0.

Blue Jays’ coach Gary Teasley said he plans to use the game as a learning experience for his team.

“It’s something we can benefit from,” Teasley said. “When those things happen the only thing we can do is look at the tape, evaluate where we are and try to get our offense going.”

Teasley said he saw some things Southfield can build on including the fact he was able to get more players some game experience.

“We went deeper into our bench today,” Teasley said. “It gives us an opportunity to learn more about our program going forward.”

Clarkston will look to continue its winning streak Tuesday at Oxford, while Southfield will look to rebound against Westside Christian at home Tuesday afternoon.

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-2828668915055668817/clarkston-starts-strong-holds-off-late-rally-to-defeat-southfield-63-57/

Week 6 games to watch

1. Auburn Hills Avondale (5-0, 4-0 OAA Blue) at Birmingham Seaholm (4-1, 4-0 OAA Blue) – A matchup between two of the three teams with undefeated conference records in the OAA Blue (Lahser being the other.) Seaholm has had two weeks to prepare for this game as the Maples won by forfeit last week. The Seaholm defense has only allowed more than nine points once this season, but it will be tested by an Avondale team that can move the ball offensively and score a ton of points in a hurry. Avondale QB Spencer Smith and the Yellow Jackets’ RB tandem of Michael Johnson and Joshuwa Holloman have been almost unstoppable but this will be their biggest challenge so far. Expect a close game with the home team doing just enough to come out on top.

Pick – Seaholm

2. Berkley (2-3, 2-2 OAA Blue) at Bloomfield Hills Lahser (4-1, 4-0 OAA Blue) – Coming off a blowout non-conference loss at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Lahser must win this game to keep pace in the OAA Blue. Berkley is no pushover, losing by just two points to Avondale last week. However, I expected Lahser to play like a team with something to prove. Expect Lahser QB Spencer McCourt to bounce back and for the Knights to win this one at home.

Pick – Lahser

3. Detroit Country Day (4-1) at Hazel Park (4-1, 4-1 OAA Blue) – After being blown out by Avondale in Week 1, Hazel Park has rattled off four straight impressive wins. Last week against Royal Oak the Vikings rushed for 700 yards as a team in a 58-47 shootout win. Raeshaun Campbell, Gary Tyner and Deonte Bynum each had more than 200 yards on the ground for Hazel Park in that game and that trio will need to come up big again for the Vikings to have a chance to beat Country Day. In the end though the Country Day offense, which looked very impressive two weeks ago in a 35-21 win over Seaholm,  may prove to be too difficult for the Hazel Park defense to slow down.

Pick – Detroit Country Day

4. Rochester (4-1, 3-1 OAA Red) at Lake Orion (5-0, 4-0 OAA Red) – After last week’s dominant 38-0 win over Troy (and Detroit Cass Tech’s loss to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Lake Orion is now ranked No. 2 in the state for Division 1 behind Clarkston. The Dragons’ RB trio of Jacob Miller, Cory Ester and Zak Arnold once again proved to be unstoppable as all three had long touchdown runs in the win. Perhaps equally as impressive is the Lake Orion defense, which shut out a Troy team with a lot of weapons on offense. Rochester at 4-1 is having a nice season and looks like a good bet to make the playoffs, but the Falcons may simply be over matched in this one.

Pick – Lake Orion

5. Oxford (3-2, 3-1 OAA White) at Southfield (3-2, 2-2 OAA White) – Things looked bleak for Southfield at halftime of last week’s game at Farmington Hills Harrison. Down 17-0 going into the third quarter, the Bluejays needed to rally to stay alive in the OAA White race, and that’s exactly what they did. Southfield outscored Harrison 27-3 in the second half for a huge 27-20 comeback victory. Can the Bluejays keep that momentum going at home this week against a tough Oxford team that also beat Harrison and nearly knocked off Lake Orion? Yes they can.

Pick – Southfield

Week 5 games to watch

I’ll be on assignment at a MAC game this week (Clawson at Clintondale) but I’ll try to do a recap of the best OAA games on Friday night. Here’s what to look forward to:

1. Farmington (4-0, 3-0 OAA White) at Oak Park (4-0, 3-0 OAA White) – First place in the OAA White will be on the line. The Falcons suffered some key injuries last week – can they overcome that and find a way to slow down RB Malik Washington and the Oak Park offense?

Pick – Oak Park

2. Troy (3-1, 2-1 OAA Red) at Lake Orion (4-0, 3-0 OAA Red) – Lake Orion has looked very impressive in winning its first four games, while Troy has overcome the injury bug and looks poised to make a run at a playoff berth. Both teams are great at running the ball – the question is which team can get the most defensive stops?

Pick – Lake Orion

3. Rochester Adams (1-3, 1-2 OAA White) at Oxford (2-2, 2-1 OAA White) – It’s desperation time for Adams as the Highlanders can’t afford another loss. Oxford has played like a top 10 team in the OAA and should have an advantage at home.

Pick – Oxford

4. Southfield (2-2, 1-2 OAA White) at Farmington Hills Harrison (3-1, 2-1 OAA White) – Southfield is in danger of falling below .500 as it faces a tough Harrison team on the heels of an OT loss at home against Oak Park. The Bluejay offense has struggled at times and it won’t get any easier against a Harrison team coming off a 50-point win against North Farmington.

Pick – Harrison

5. Auburn Hills Avondale (4-0, 3-0 OAA Blue) at Berkley (2-2, 2-1 OAA Blue) – Berkley is off to a nice 2-2 start, but it’s at the point in its schedule where it will start to face better competition. Avondale shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Pick – Avondale

Game of the week: Oak Park defeats Southfield in OT

SOUTHFIELD — Given the way Mario Morris played for Oak Park in crucial moments, it was only fitting that the Knights called his number with the game on the line.

Morris scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal in overtime to give Oak Park a 24-18 win over Southfield in an Oakland Activities Association White Division game Friday afternoon. The victory gave Knights their first 4-0 start since 1998 when they won their first eight games.

The fourth-and-goal carry was Morris’ only carry of the game, but it came after the senior linebacker made some big plays on defense. Morris recovered a fumble late in the fourth quarter and broke up a Southfield pass on fourth-and-goal on the first possession of overtime to give the Knights a chance to win the game.

Morris gave the credit for the winning play to his coaching staff and blockers after the game.

“The line blocked perfectly, the hole was wide open and I just ran in there,” Morris said. ” The line won the game.”

Oak Park coach Greg Carter said he thought the final play would be for running back Malik Washington, but he believed that his team would score no matter which running back got the ball. Morris said after the game that he asked for the final carry, and Carter said he was impressed with the confidence his team showed in that situation.

“We were only a couple inches away, but you have to make that play when it’s there for you because you never know if there’s a second overtime what’s going to happen,” Carter said.

The Oak Park running game was effective all game as the Knights relied on Washington, sophomore John Kelly and a mix of lateral passes to get the ball to the outside and break down the Southfield defense. Washington finished the game with 26 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown.

Carter said he was particularly impressed with Washington, who was recovering from a back injury suffered earlier in the season.

“When (Washington) gets the ball in his hands, from anywhere on the field there’s a possibility that he can go the distance,” Carter said. “That’s what’s special about him.”

The first half gave little indication of the exciting game that was to follow as Southfield tallied just 33 yards and no points, while Oak Park tallied a single score – a 5-yard pass from De’llontae Johnson to Brandon Harding. A missed extra point meant Oak Park took a 6-0 lead into the break.

Things began to change in the second half after Southfield switched to an option attack and started to move the chains a bit. Bluejays quarterback Tre Walton was stopped on fourth-and-goal late in the third quarter, but Southfield sacked Johnson in the end zone on the next play for a safety.

Southfield took the lead just four minutes into the final quarter as Walton found Brandon Bean for an 8-yard touchdown pass and then ran for a two-point conversion.

Washington ran back the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but the score was nullified by a penalty. However, the Knights scored a few plays later as Drewe Jackson caught a lateral pass from Johnson and raced 38 yards up the right sideline for a touchdown to make it 12-10 Oak Park.

Southfield would regain the lead just over a minute later as Walton and Bean connected for another 8-yard touchdown and the Bluejays converted another two-point conversion.

Oak Park got the ball back with a chance to tie and it did just that. Washington scored on a 20-yard run on fourth down to tie the game, but with the kicking game not clicking the Knights went for two and were stopped.

Morris’ fumble recovery on the ensuing Southfield drive helped send the game to overtime and set the stage for the final play.

Oak Park (4-0, 3-0 OAA White) will travel to undefeated Farmington next week with first place in the White Division on the line. Southfield (2-2, 1-2 OAA White) will travel to face Farmington Hills Harrison. Kickoff for both games is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Football: Week 2 – Games to watch

1. Birmingham Groves (0-1) at Auburn Hills Avondale (1-0) (Thursday) – Avondale cruised past Hazel Park, 42-6, in its season opener, while Groves fell to Berkley 40-22. A win would put Avondale in the driver’s seat in the OAA Blue, while a loss for Groves would be a huge setback towards its goal of returning to the playoffs for the second straight year.

Pick – Avondale

2. Lake Orion (1-0) vs. Troy Athens (0-1) (at Ford Field) – Athens was stunned last week, 41-6, by Warren Mott. The Red Hawks will have to step up defensively against Lake Orion, particularly against the run, to avoid an 0-2 start. Lake Orion trailed 10-0 against Oxford in Week 1 before rallying in the second half to win 17-10. This is technically a home game for Athens, but it will be played at Ford Field in Detroit.

Pick – Lake Orion

3. Troy (1-0) at Rochester (1-0) – Both teams are coming off impressive wins in Week 1; Troy held on to beat Romeo 24-20 and Rochester cruised by Utica, 38-7. The Troy offense will be tough to stop, regardless of who is playing QB this week, thanks to Terrance Chery’s emergence last week and the Colts’ powerful offensive line. I think that gives them the slight edge in what should be a close game.

Pick – Troy

4. Farmington Hills Harrison (1-0) at Rochester Adams (0-1) – Rochester Adams probably has the most difficult opening two games of any team in the state. The Highlanders opened the year at Clarkston, a 42-28 loss, and now draw Harrison in their home opener. The Adams defense struggled against Clarkston’s run game in Week 1, and they will be tested again this week by Harrison’s Lorenzo Collins. Call me crazy, but I think the Highlanders will learn a lot from that Clarkston game and rise to the occasion this week.

Pick – Rochester Adams

5. Farmington (1-0) at Southfield (1-0) – Southfield rallied late and won in overtime in its season opener against Detroit Martin Luther King. The Bluejays will look to start 2-0 against Farmington, which defeated Westland John Glenn 32-14 in its opener. Both teams have a lot of talent and this game could really go either way. I’ll give the edge to Southfield because they’re at home.

Pick – Southfield