In the aftermath of the state baseball and softball finals in Battle Creek last weekend, Kosmo found it ironic that two of the state's best programs that just can't get over the hump in a state final were on display at the same time.
They were on display because both lost yet again in a state final.
The first was the Lakeland softball team, which fell in the Division 1 state final to Hudsonville, 6-2.
The Eagles lost in the Division 1 state final for the third time in the last five years and are now 0-5 in state title games. Eventually, the Eagles will break through, but it's too bad they can't seem to get the breaks to go their way in a state final.
The same can be said for Saline's baseball team.
For the third straight year, the Hornets advanced to the Division 1 state final. For the third straight year, Saline fell short, this time suffering a 4-1 loss to Ann Arbor Pioneer.
Saline is 0-4 in state finals in school history, having lost in the 1998 state final to Midland.
Seeing those two brought to mind a couple of other snakebitten programs when it comes to state final games.
One is the Utica Eisenhower football team, which lost in the Division 1 state final three straight years from 1999-2001 and again in 2003. The Eagles lost in 2000 after failing to recover an onside kick late in the game.
Another is the Flint Powers hockey team, which has been to the state's final four 17 times and the state final seven times.
The Chargers still haven't won a state title.

Right now, if there's one high school athlete Kosmo would want to meet if he could ever venture out of his cave and also see through his paper bag, it would be Ava Doetsch of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.
Koz would want to ask her one question: "How in the world can it get any better the next three years?"
It's a facetious question of course, given I'm sure it can. But it'll certainly be hard for Doetsch to top her freshman year of athletics at WOLL.
In March, Doetsch was a starting guard on the basketball team that won a Class D state championship.
Not bad for a freshman.
That distinction was incredible enough, but Doetsch added it to it last Saturday when she scored the winning goal for the Lakers in their 2-1 win over Kalamazoo Hackett in the Division 4 state championship game.
In only its third year of existence as a program, WOLL/Clarkston Everest Collegiate is now the state's best.
Again, Doetsch wasn't some role player or freshman called up to sit on the bench for experience in either case.
She was a starter on two state championship teams in one year. As a freshman.
Wow.
Again, Kosmo would ask whether it can get any better the next three years. Of course, the answer is probably yes for Doetsch.

Kosmo and his spies have been saying this for years, but hopefully given what took place this past Saturday is further evidence of this fact: The best high school sport within Oakland County is girls soccer.
Entering this year, at least one area team had one a state championship 21 of the last 22 years.
It's now 22 of 23 following Saturday when not one, not two, but THREE area teams won state titles.
That hadn't happened since 2003.
Given there's only four divisions, that means 75 percent of the state champions this year in girls soccer reside in Oakland County.
Novi won the Division 1 crown with a 2-1 overtime victory over Plymouth, Birmingham Marian repeated as Division 2 champions with a 2-0 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, while the county's newest power, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes/Clarkston Everest Collegiate, won its first Division 4 crown with a 2-1 win over Kalamazoo Hackett.
WOLL/CE is only in its third year of existence as a program, and already it's the state's best.
Unbelievable.
That's also can be a perfect way to describe high school girls soccer within Oakland County.

Throughout the last six years, the two best softball programs in Oakland County year in and year out have been Troy and Lakeland. Each team has advanced to the state quarterfinals four years in a row and each team has been to Battle Creek for the state's final four since 2003, with Lakeland about to make its fourth trip to Cereal City since 2005.
The two teams met in the state quarterfinals in 2005 and 2007, but have never run into each other in Battle Creek.
That will change on Friday when Lakeland and Troy meet in a Division 1 state semifinal at 10:30 a.m. at Bailey Park in Battle Creek.
There simply couldn't be better dream softball semifinal in Kosmo's eyes. The game pits two of the state's best and most charismatic coaches, Joe Alsup of Lakeland and Tom Calnen of Troy, two teams that can score runs in a variety of ways and two pitchers that can shut the opponent down, Lakeland's Michelle Stiltner and Troy's Jordan Wheatley.
It's too bad the game is in the morning, because this is a game worth being on a prime time stage under the lights.
The best part is that it guarantees that there will be an Oakland County team playing in the Division 1 state final on Saturday morning.
It should be a great one, and Kosmo can't wait to find out what happens with it.

Well, here we are.
After nearly nine months of blogging and reporting, we have finally come to the last week of the high school sports season for the 2009-10 school year.
It'll all end on Saturday with the crowning of state champions in baseball, softball and girls soccer.
There are many reasons why Kosmo can't wait for this week to get going, but he'll limit this listing to five reasons why this could be an unforgettable week.

1. Plenty of Oakland County representation in state soccer finals. It's possible, probably even, that there will be a team from the county competing in three of the four state title games for their respective divisions on Saturday. There is already guaranteed to be a county team in the Division 1 and Division 4 finals since there are a pair of all-area semifinal matchups. Novi and Rochester Adams will play in a Division 1 semifinal, while Madison Heights Bishop Foley and Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes will meet in a Division 4 semifinal. In addition, Birmingham Marian is favored to win its Division 2 semifinal.

2. Possibility of an all-Oakland County softball semifinal. If Lakeland and Troy each win their quarterfinal games on Tuesday, they would play in a Division 1 state semifinal in Battle Creek on Friday. That would be a HUGE matchup, and it could happen. Lakeland is playing Howell, a team it controlled during the regular season, while Troy will be favored to beat a Sterling Heights Stevenson team that features a freshman pitcher.

3. A chance for Rochester Adams baseball coach Chuck Van Robays to return the program back to Battle Creek. In 1995 and 1996, Van Robays was a catcher on Adams' teams that lost in the state championship game each year. If the Highlanders can beat Macomb L'Anse Creuse North in a quarterfinal on Tuesday, Van Robays can return to Cereal City as a coach and would be two wins away from getting the state title he missed out on as a player.

4. Can Madison Heights Bishop Foley baseball end a drought? It's been a long time since an area Division 3 advanced to Battle Creek in baseball, but Madison Heights Bishop Foley has a golden opportunity to do so. The Ventures have a winnable quarterfinal against Memphis on Tuesday at Flushing and seem to have a lot of momentum after pulling out a thrilling, 6-5 win over Allen Park Cabrini in a regional final. The Ventures were down to their last out, but scored two runs in the seventh to win.

5. Will Birmingham Detroit Country Day softball continue to be a Cinderella story? The Yellowjackets upset No. 6 Livonia Ladywood in a Division 2 regional final on Saturday, and have an opportunity to earn a trip to Battle Creek with a quarterfinal win against Armada. Kosmo admits he didn't think Country Day would get this far, but now that it has, the Yellowjackets might as well keep it going.

6. Summer relaxtion. OK, Kosmo lied. There are six reasons why this week will be memorable and one to look forward too. When it's all over on Saturday, it'll be a nice summer break before football starts back up. Ahhhhhhh, yes.

Glancing at the baseball regional pairings, Kosmo couldn't help but notice that the winner of the Oxford regional and the winner of the Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse regional will meet on Tuesday in the state quarterfinals at Madison Heights Bishop Foley.
Then, after looking at the teams in those regionals, Kosmo's attention really perked up.
Clarkston is in the Oxford regional, while Sterling Heights Stevenson is in the L'Anse Creuse regional.
Oh my, as legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg would say.
Sorry to stir up more emotions here, but just about everyone probably remembers the state football semifinal between Clarkston and Stevenson last November.
In an ending that drew controversy around the state and sheer outrage in Clarkston, Stevenson won the game on a last-second touchdown pass.
So, how much do you think that game will be brought up if Clarkston and Stevenson meet again in the baseball quarterfinals on Tuesday? Lo and behold, the two quarterbacks in that game, Clarkston's Tyler Scarlett and Stevenson's Jason Fracassa, are important members of the baseball teams at their schools also.
No, the baseball game obviously wouldn't draw the attention of the football game, but it still is an interesting dynamic heading into Saturday's regionals.
Stay tuned.

Random thoughts in the aftermath of Saturday's busiest high school sports day of the year.
- Kosmo had a feeling about the Rochester girls track team and Megan Goethals might be the greatest female athlete to come through Oakland County. All spring, Kosmo has been saying on this blog to look out for the Falcons girls track team. Sure, no county team had ever won a team state title in girls track, but Kosmo figured Rochester had as good of a shot as anybody, assuming the Falcons were healthy. Rochester indeed was healthy in fulfilling its season-long mission by winning the state title. In the process, Goethals might have earned a status as the greatest female high school athlete to ever come through the county. In her time at Rochester, she won two individual cross country titles, four individual track titles (2 each in the 1,600 and 3,200) and was apart of team state title teams in cross country and track. Add the fact she's the national cross country champion, and you have an athlete the county won't see for quite a while, if ever.
- Kosmo is thrilled to see an all-OAA North baseball regional at Oxford. Clarkston, Auburn Hills Avondale, Rochester Adams and Rochester all won district titles on Saturday, and the four will be paired in the same regional at Oxford this Saturday, with Clarkston facing Avondale and Rochester taking on Adams. That means there's guaranteed to be an OAA team in the state quarterfinals next Tuesday at Bishop Foley.
- The path might have gotten really clear for Troy softball. All season long, Kosmo was expecting a Troy-Clarkston showdown in a regional softball. Well, after Clarkston shockingly was upset by Hartland in districts, Troy really has an opportunity to get to Battle Creek now. The Colts are the heavy favorite in the Oxford regional and would have winnable quarterfinal.
- Troy and Novi would be a dream regional final matchup in girls soccer. Here's hoping the Colts and Wildcats win their respective semifinal games on Tuesday to create what should be a great game on Friday in a regional final at Utica Ford. First, Troy has to deal with Grosse Pointe South, while Novi has to beat Fraser.
- Clarkston girls tennis will be the team to beat next year. With all its key components back from this year's team and a terrific crop of freshman coming in, there's a good chance the Wolves will be raising the Division 1 state trophy in 2011.

Well, it's Friday in Kosmo's cave, and even he is buzzing with anticipation about how "Super Saturday" is just a day way. This clearly is the busiest day of the year for high school sports, with state finals in four divisions for track and field and girls tennis, as well as playoff games in baseball, softball, girls soccer and lacrosse, taking place.
Here are 5 things Kosmo is especially interested in on Super Saturday.

1. Can a girls track team finally break the Oakland County hex and win a state title? This year represents as good a chance for an area girls track team from the county to win a state title for the first time ever. Rochester has the best chance to win it all, since the Falcons will get major points from distance dynamo Megan Goethals and have some athletes in the sprints and field events that'll score points. Troy and Lake Orion could also contend as well.

2. Will Country Day and Marian win team state tennis titles? Birmingham Detroit Country Day fell agonizingly close to winning a state title in Division 3 last year, and have no doubt been counting down the days all year to this weekend's state tournament. Birmingham Marian also has been waiting for an opportunity to win what would be its first ever state title in girls tennis. In Division 1, look for Rochester junior Kelsey Dieters to defend her state title at No. 1 singles.

3. Will the Rochester Adams baseball team protect home turf? The Highlanders have been the county's best team so far this spring, and have been handed a nice opportunity. Instead of a district semifinal showdown with archrival Lake Orion, Adams will face Oxford at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The winner meets Stoney Creek or Romeo for a district title. Granted, Oxford is much-improved and can beat the Highlanders. Ditto for Stoney Creek or Romeo. However, the door is still open for the Highlanders to make a nice run in the state tournament. Having to beat Lake Orion a third time this year would've been difficult. With Lake Orion losing to Oxford on Tuesday, Adams is the clear favorite in the district, especially playing on its home field. Get out of this district, and Adams would also be a good bet to get out of regionals. We'll see if the Highlanders can take advantage.

4. Can Auburn Hills Avondale beat Birmingham Marian in a Division 2 girls soccer district final? Avondale certainly has the talent to beat defending state champion Marian in a district final at Lahser, but injuries have slowed the Yellow Jackets all year. If Avondale is healthy, this could be a very good game. If not, then look for Marian to advance.

5. Who will win the softball battle of Farmington Hills? It won't get much better than a district softball semifinal at 12:30 p.m. at Northville when Farmington Hills Mercy and North Farmington collide to see who advances to the district final. These teams have been two of the area's best all year, and even better, sport two sophomore pitchers that are not only a couple of the best in the state in their grade, but also best friends. Those are Mercy standout Kayce Nieto and North Farmington standout Katie Severson.

Around the fine town of Oxford, there are probably few things better than beating border town rival Lake Orion in a sport.
Unless it's beating Lake Orion in a state playoff game in two different sports within minutes of each other.
That was the case on Tuesday, as the Wildcats baseball and softball teams recorded mild upsets of the Dragons in pre-district action at Rochester Adams.
Both came in dramatic fashion as well, making the wins even better. Billy Kammerer hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh in the baseball game, while Kelly Cartner's RBI single in the seventh gave the softball team the win.
Starting in the Fall, Oxford will move from the Flint Metro conference to the Oakland Activities Association, meaning there should be even more battles with Lake Orion. Of course, the first football game in over two decades between the two schools in August will get a lot of the attention. Football and basketball will be the true barometer of whether Oxford can compete in the OAA in athletics.
But given what happened on Tuesday, it's clear the Wildcats can compete with Lake Orion and the rest of the OAA in other sports, especially baseball and softball.