1st & Goal: 2022 Week 5 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 23, 2022
This weekend is the midpoint of this regular season, and stands to be a turning point for several teams this season.
Eight games will match teams undefeated so far this fall. A number of others will pit league title contenders against each other, with the Port Huron and Flint areas, Detroit Catholic League, Macomb County and rural Greater Lansing enjoying some of their best annual rivalry games over the next two days.
Games are Friday unless noted. Click for the full schedule from MHSAA.com and check out the broadcast schedule from MHSAA.tv.
Bay & Thumb
Frankenmuth (4-0) at Freeland (4-0)
This has become a league matchup with statewide appeal over the last few seasons. Frankenmuth has won the last three meetings, last season’s deciding the Tri-Valley Conference 10 title. But both went on to reach MHSAA Semifinals, Freeland in Division 4 and the Eagles in Division 5. Frankenmuth has handed lone losses this fall to Goodrich and Birch Run and given up only 30 points total. Freeland’s defense literally has been one better, giving up only 29 points so far.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Flint Hamady (4-0) at Flint Beecher (2-2), Port Huron Northern (4-0) at Port Huron (3-1), Sanford Meridian (3-1) at Gladwin (4-0), Millington (4-0) at Standish Sterling (4-0).
Greater Detroit
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (4-0) at Macomb Dakota (4-0)
This is the midpoint as well in the Macomb Area Conference Red schedule – and these are the two contenders left without a defeat. They are frequently at the top, although last season they tied for third in the league standings. Dakota has won the last three meetings (starting with the 2019 playoffs), and both have done the work to make this arguably the best matchup in Week 5. Chippewa Valley’s season-opening win over Detroit Catholic Central keeps looking better and better. Same scenario for the Cougars, who defeated Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in Week 1 and have given up 17 points over its four victories.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY West Bloomfield (4-0) at Rochester Adams (3-1), Detroit Catholic Central (3-1) at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (2-2), Brighton (4-0) at Northville (4-0), Detroit Central (4-0) at Detroit Southeastern (3-1).
Mid-Michigan
Bay City Western (3-1) at Mount Pleasant (4-0)
The Warriors have looked like a Saginaw Valley League North contender especially the last two weeks with 20-plus point wins over Traverse City West and Midland Dow, and was on the cusp last season while losing to Dow by a point and Mount Pleasant 31-16. Western can become the team to chase this weekend by avenging that defeat to the Oilers, who are coming off one-score wins over Cadillac and Traverse City Central. Mount Pleasant has won the last seven games in this series.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Holt (2-2) at DeWitt (2-2), Grand Blanc (2-2) at East Lansing (4-0), Pewamo-Westphalia (3-1) at Fowler (4-0), Mason (4-0) at Haslett (3-1).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Cadillac (2-2) at Gaylord (3-1)
With the Big North Conference now at four teams for football, and these two coming off wins in their league openers, this matchup will decide a share of the BNC championship. Gaylord bounced back nicely from its Week 3 loss to Marquette to defeat Petoskey last week, while Cadillac has impressive one-score losses to Midland and Mount Pleasant. The Vikings won last year’s meeting with Gaylord 22-0, their fourth-straight victory in the series.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kalkaska (2-2) at Boyne City (4-0), East Jordan (2-2) at Maple City Glen Lake (3-1), Lake City (2-2) at McBain (2-2). SATURDAY Sault Ste. Marie (4-0) at Ogemaw Heights (2-2).
Southeast & Border
Parma Western (2-2) at Jackson Northwest (3-1)
Jackson Northwest is on the rise as its third win last week guaranteed the Mounties their best finish since 2013 and equaled their number of victories the last three seasons combined. And suddenly, Northwest could figure into the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference race with four of the other top six teams in the standings coming up over the next five weeks. Western certainly can’t be overlooked among them; its losses were by seven points to Detroit Country Day and five to Jackson Lumen Christi.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grass Lake (2-2) at Michigan Center (1-3), Hanover-Horton (2-2) at Napoleon (4-0), Petersburg Summerfield (2-2) at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (4-0), Chelsea (3-1) at Adrian (3-2).
Southwest Corridor
Plainwell (3-1) at Edwardsburg (3-1)
Edwardsburg’s Wolverine Conference winning streak lives at 35, but not without two of its most significant challenges over the last six seasons. Three Rivers pushed the Eddies to within eight points in Week 2, and Edwardsburg escaped with a three-point win over Vicksburg last week thanks to a last-second field goal. Plainwell has made the playoffs nine of the last 10 seasons (plus 2020, when all teams qualified) and would be a candidate to challenge the Eddies too – although Edwardsburg won last year’s matchup 49-0.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY St. Joseph (3-1) at Portage Central (2-2), Homer (3-1) at Union City (3-1), Constantine (3-1) at Watervliet (3-1). SATURDAY South Lyon East (3-1) at Paw Paw (3-1).
Upper Peninsula
Bark River-Harris (3-1) at Iron Mountain (3-1)
Iron Mountain has won all six recent meetings, including one in the playoffs. But Bark River-Harris gave the Mountaineers their best matchup of those six last season, falling only 28-22. They play in different divisions of the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference, and both are championship contenders in their respective divisions – plus Bark River-Harris is ranked No. 6 and Iron Mountain No. 10 in Division 8 by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Negaunee (4-0) at Ishpeming (2-2), Houghton (3-1) at Hancock (1-3), Gladstone (4-0) at Marquette (1-3), Escanaba (1-3) at Kingsford (2-2).
West Michigan
Caledonia (4-0) at Grandville (4-0)
This, along with Rockford/East Kentwood matchup below, will bring the number of teams leading the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red from four to two by Friday night’s end. The intrigue here is both are undefeated overall – plus Grandville sees Rockford next week, and Caledonia sees East Kentwood. Grandville owns a 4-2 edge in this series since Caledonia moved to the Red in 2016, but Caledonia has won two of the last three including 24-14 last fall. The Fighting Scots are stoppers; they’ve given up 28 points total so far. But opening wins over Grand Blanc and Byron Center put Grandville into the spotlight quickly this season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Rockford (4-0) at East Kentwood (3-1), Beal City (4-0) at Evart (4-0), Ada Forest Hills Eastern (4-0) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-0), Zeeland West (4-0) at Muskegon (3-1).
8-Player
Brown City (4-0) at Martin (4-0)
Brown City is playing 8-player this fall for the first time and showed the fast start isn’t beginners’ luck again last week with a 58-40 win over perennial Finals contender Suttons Bay. Defeating Martin would be a similar if not more substantial accomplishment. The Clippers haven’t given up a point since Week 2 and moved up to No. 1 in Division 1 this week, while Brown City is No. 5.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Climax-Scotts (4-0) at Athens (3-1), Eau Claire (3-1) at Bridgman (4-0), Breckenridge (3-1) at Morrice (4-0). SATURDAY Merrill (4-0) at Portland St. Patrick (3-1).
Second Half’s weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO Detroit Cass Tech quarterback Leeshaun Mumpfield drops back to pass against Detroit Renaissance during a Week 3 win. (Photo by Chardonne’ U of Olivia B. Photography.)
Marckel Supplies Marketing Magic to Hunter's Heisman-Winning Campaign
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
July 29, 2025
When he was hired at the University of Toledo in 2016 as assistant director of creative services, Derek Marckel thought he had found his dream job only a few months after graduating from college.
Then he became Colorado University’s graphic designer for football in 2019 and thought he had finally landed the job he’s always wanted.
After stops at the Michigan State University to work with former football coach Mel Tucker, and University of Southern California to work with Lincoln Riley, Marckel, 32, is back in Colorado and certain he’s living the dream.
“This was the stuff I thought about doing when I was a kid,” said Marckel, who graduated from Ottawa Lake Whiteford High School in 2011. “I used to sit and draw pictures of all of my favorite University of Toledo football players, and then I’d take them and give them to the players or have them sign them. This is definitely what I’ve dreamed of doing someday.”
Last winter, Marckel was in New York City when his favorite subject – Colorado football player Travis Hunter – won the Heisman Trophy. It was a surreal moment for Marckel, who led a team of creative content makers who spent months last fall promoting Hunter for the biggest prize in all of college football.
“Going into the season, we knew he was going to have a pretty good chance,” Marckel said. “Once the games started playing out, we knew he had a legitimate shot.”
As senior art director at Colorado, Marckel led the Hunter-for-Heisman campaign. He was on the sidelines of every game, home and away, documenting Hunter and the rest of the Buffaloes. He designed billboards that were strategically placed around Denver and one in Times Square in New York City. Marckel’s team met weekly to plan a regular dose of social media posts and content promoting Hunter’s candidacy.
Heisman Trophy candidates emerge based on their on-field performances. But, behind the scenes, winning the trophy has long taken some pushing by colleges and universities.
“There’s a lot that goes into a campaign,” Marckel said. “You have to work with sponsors and donors who helped fund all of that. It’s a lengthy operation.”
As the season drew to a close, Colorado published a packet of information that Marckel designed and sent it to Heisman Trophy voters and the media. ESPN showcased his work.
“Almost everything we were doing was going viral,” Marckel said.
When it became clear Hunter was going to be a finalist for the award, Marckel was called upon to document the entire process. He and a member of his team went to New York City two days ahead of Hunter to be prepared when he landed in the city. Next were Heisman Trophy promotional appearances, photoshoots and the Heisman ceremony itself, and Marckel was there for all of it.
“It was Travis from sun-up to sun-down,” Marckel said. “We’d have little breaks during the day. I designed the billboard for him in Times Square. We had a photo shoot there.”
Helpfully, Hunter was a wonderful participant.
“We put a lot of work into it,” Marckel said. “Obviously it was his award, and he earned it, but it was very rewarding to us, too, to see our hard work pay off. I’ve been around thousands of athletes, and he’s probably my favorite one. He doesn’t necessarily love doing all of the media stuff, but he was comfortable around us.”
Marckel was born in Toledo but grew up in southeast Michigan. He was football team captain for the Bobcats as a senior and began his interest in design, art and photography during his time at Whiteford.
“I knew from a young age that I wanted to work professionally in sports,” Marckel said. “During my time at Whiteford, I spent a lot of my high school career around the football program. I was lucky to have my first two years of varsity with Coach (Jack) Luettke and my senior year with Coach (Matt) Garno, who had a background in graphic design. This ended up being a great foundation for me to combine my passion for football and graphic design as I was heading into the real world.”
Marckel graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in technology & visual communication technology. He landed an internship with the University of Toledo where he started designing team schedule posters, pocket schedules and souvenir tickets. That’s when social media started revolutionizing the industry, especially college football.
“Social media was kind of secondary to everything else when I started there,” he said. “It started to shift. I got in at the perfect time. Things were really starting to pick up. That’s when I knew sports was going to be what I wanted to do.”
After getting a full-time job at Toledo, his work caught the eye of someone at Colorado, and Marckel went west to become a graphic designer with the Buffaloes. When Tucker left Colorado for Michigan State, Marckel followed him to East Lansing.
At first, he missed Colorado.
“Even on the drive to East Lansing, I was thinking, ‘Why am I leaving Colorado?’” Marckel said.
He stayed two years, then landed the role as director of creative media at USC, working sun-up to sun-down in Los Angeles. When the opportunity came to return to Boulder, he jumped at it, becoming senior art director.
The Buffaloes went 1-11 his first season back at Colorado. The entire football coaching staff was let go.
That’s when Marckel’s world took another big turn.
“The rumors started flying about Coach Prime,” Marckel said, referring to Deion Sanders. “There are always these theoretical situations about who the coach is going to be. We found out about 8 p.m. that it was Coach Prime. We had to be on the tarmac at 1:30 a.m. I don’t get starstruck anymore just because of what I’ve been able to do and who I’ve been able to be around, but as soon as he stepped off the plane, I realized I was getting myself into something huge.”
Pro football hall of famers regularly makes stops at Colorado practices. Warren Sapp joined the Colorado staff. Terrell Owens stops by regularly. A steady wave of Sanders’ former teammates from the Dallas Cowboys attended practices as well.
Marckel documents it all, through his camera – a skill he’s honed along the way.
“When I started at Toledo, I would shoot all of those games, but I wasn’t a great photographer,” he said. “As time has gone on, it’s become such an emphasis. I’ve really had to refine everything I do to become the best at it.”
Initially he had to win the trust of Sanders, who brought some of his own content creators with him to Colorado.
“It took a little while to get us into a groove,” Marckel said. “Now we work side by side every day. It’s a smooth operation now. We bounce ideas off of each other.”
Day to day, Marckel works on social media, marketing, photoshoots of recruits and documents workouts and practices for Colorado social media channels.
He works with the football team exclusively, sometimes long hours during the season.
“You get kind of get burned out by end-of-season, but it's worth it,” Marckel said. “You are on the field every day with Heisman Trophy winners, hall of famers and first-round picks. It’s a cool job when you step back and look at it. This is most fun I’ve had working in college football in 10 years.”
2025 Made In Michigan
July 28: Union City to Omaha: Skirka Takes Murray State Baseball to 1st College World Series - Report
July 22: TC West's Wheelock Still 'Living My Dreams' as CMU Assistant Soccer Coach - Report
July 17: Stevenson's Travels Following Lake Orion Success Include Space Force, Penn, NYC - Report
July 15: 'Who Will Cheer for the Nimrods?' Peterson IV, Watersmeet Found Fans Worldwide - Report
July 10: Feeding 'Drive to Win,' Loy Norrix Grad Morgan Impresses with Strong USBC Showing - Report
July 9: After Blazing Multiple Volleyball Trails, Bastianelli Charting Next Career Path - Report
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Whiteford's Derek Marckel takes the field as a senior in 2010. At right, Marckel poses for a photo this year in front of the Times Square display he designed to promote Colorado's Travis Hunter. (Middle) Marckel stands for a photo with Hunter during the Heisman Trophy ceremony. (Photos courtesy of Derek Marckel.)