By Teddy Rydquist

Review Sports Contributor

In the words of head coach Bob Brydges, 2021 guard/forward Meghan Marshall established herself as the Lady Dragons’ “premier player” in 2019-20, especially during the second half of the season.

Earning All-Oakland Activities Association (OAA) White honors from the league’s coaches on March 19, Marshall received further recognition on May 15, picking up All-North Team Honorable Mention from the Detroit Free Press’ Mick McCabe.

Scoring 8.7 points per game, Marshall also played her part on the defensive end, averaging four rebounds and 1.5 steals. While physical enough to clean up on the glass, she also drew defenders away from the basket by shooting 34-percent from three-point range.

Lake Orion finished just 7-14 (2-10 OAA White) last season, but Marshall headlines a list of returnees who could give Brydges his best team since the days of 2016 graduate Evelyn Wischmeyer.

In addition to Marshall, the Lady Dragons are set to return classmates Sydney Maddox, Melissa Normand, Kendall Robertson, Claudia Staruch and Kiera Tierney, as well as 2022 graduates Kacy Lauer, Olivia Peplowski and Katlyn Van Heck and a pair of 2023 standouts, Madeleine Ebbert and Kylie Heck.

All told, that is eight of the team’s top-nine scorers in 2019-20 back for another season, with 2020 guard Grace Vukelich being the lone departure. Audrey Wischmeyer, another 2023 guard and Evelyn’s sister, is likely to work her way into the mix, too.

The Clarkston Wolves, who finished in third-place in the OAA Red a year ago at 19-5 (9-3) were represented on the All-North Team by 2020 guard Taylor Heaton (third-team) and 2022 guard Madison Skorupski (honorable mention). One of the best three-point shooters and passers in the league, Skorupski possesses as much upside as any player in the OAA.

A testament to the strength of the OAA White last season, a sentiment echoed to this reporter by Brydges and other coaches throughout the season, 12 other players in the division joined Marshall in receiving All-North Honorable Mention.

Each of the seven teams in the OAA White had at least one player make McCabe’s list, including 2021 Oxford Wildcats guard Emma Morris and a pair of Rochester Adams Highlander seniors, Nicole Claerhout and Amelia Drahnak.

With the OAA set to re-introduce the Gold division and return to four divisions in 2020-21, the Dragons will move down one level to compete in the Blue division.

The Avondale Yellowjackets, Berkley Bears, Oxford, Rochester Falcons and Troy Athens Red Hawks will make up the rest of the division.