Drive for Detroit: Week 2 in Review
September 4, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
For the second year in a row, storms crashed the second week of Michigan's high school football season.
But the rain could only postpone about 70 games and some dramatic early-season finishes that surely will be difference-makers in the standings in weeks to come.
See below for our look at the most significant of the week's results from every region and our 8-player teams.
Bay & Thumb
Marlette 28, Bad Axe 27
Bad Axe (1-1) stormed into the fall with a big season-opening win over Harbor Beach, and looked like it would add a second victory over a 2014 playoff team before Marlette went ahead during the fourth quarter on a 67-yard scoring pass. Click for more from the Port Huron Times-Herald.
Also noted:
Bay City John Glenn 28, Cadillac 14 – After a nice bounce-back last season for John Glenn (2-0), the Bobcats continued to surge by avenging last season’s 31-7 loss to Cadillac (0-2).
Port Huron 28, New Baltimore Anchor Bay 26 – The Big Reds (1-1) bounced back from a tough loss in Week 1 by keeping a five-game streak going against Anchor Bay (1-1).
Byron 14, Carson City-Crystal 7 – Byron (2-0) is starting nicely after last season’s 4-5 finish, this week avenging last season’s loss to the Eagles (1-1), who are coming off three straight playoff appearances.
Clio 7, Stanton Central Montcalm 6 – The Mustangs are 2-0 for the second straight season with a second straight one-point win over Central Montcalm (0-2).
Greater Detroit
Macomb Dakota 28, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 21
One of the best football rivalries in all of the Macomb Area Conference, this annual matchup continues to meet expectations. Dakota (2-0) has won 11 straight over the Big Reds during the regular season, but was coming off a one-point loss to Chippewa Valley (1-1) in last season’s District Final. Click for more from MLive-Detroit.
Also noted:
Wyandotte Roosevelt 23, Allen Park 14 – Both of these teams are regular contenders in the Downriver Conference, with Roosevelt (2-0) now taking the upper hand after finishing third last season when Allen Park (1-1) was league runner-up.
Detroit Loyola 42, Muskegon Oakridge 13 – Reigning Division 7 champion Loyola (1-1) looks up to another run after winning big over solid Oakridge (1-1).
Farmington 20, Oak Park 19 – Farmington (2-0) had lost three straight to Oak Park (0-2), including in last season’s playoff opener.
Detroit U-D Jesuit 23, Detroit Country Day 13 – Jesuit (2-0) equaled last season’s win total by beating a second playoff team from a year ago; Country Day is 1-1.
Mid-Michigan
Mason 21, Eaton Rapids 6
The build-up made this the premier game in the Lansing area Thursday, as both teams made the playoffs the last two seasons. But the result remained the same as it's been going back to 1993, the last time Mason fell to Eaton Rapids (1-1). The teams played to only a 10-7 win for Mason last season, but the Bulldogs (2-0) broke away this time relying again on an experienced offense and stout defense. Click for more from Mason Today.
Also noted:
Portland 37, Hillsdale 14 – The Raiders (2-0) are bouncing back nicely from their first losing season since 2002, knocking off the Hornets (1-1), who had won 13 of their last 15 regular-season games.
Stockbridge 53, Sand Creek 48 – Panthers quarterback Mason Gee-Montgomery threw himself into the MHSAA record book with seven touchdown passes as Stockbridge (2-0) went over 50 points for the second time in two games in dropping Sand Creek to 1-1.
Beal City 43, Clare 36 (OT) – These two have played classics two straight seasons, with Beal City (2-0) adding to last year’s one-point win by outlasting Clare (0-2) this time.
Corunna 19, Montrose 13 (OT) – This might be the best win for the Cavaliers (2-0) since at least 2007, or longer ago, as they’ve made the playoffs just once over the last decade while the Rams (1-1) are an annual contender.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Gaylord 45, Grayling 6
These rivals took nearly 20 seasons off before reviving their annual game last fall, and it’s been all Blue Devils so far with both victories by a combined score of 80-6. The score this time wouldn’t make this seem like a big game aside from the neighborly connection, but it could have a bearing on both teams’ futures. Gaylord (2-0) is trying to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005, and this could be huge toward achieving that goal after the team started 3-0 nonleague last season but went only 2-4 in Big North Conference play. Grayling (1-1) missed the playoffs last fall for the first time in five seasons and faces a tough road ahead starting with Maple City Glen Lake this week. Click for more from the Gaylord Herald-Times.
Also noted:
Kalkaska 40, Elk Rapids 23 – It was quite a comeback by the Blazers (1-1), who fell to Elk Rapids 48-0 only a year ago but this time dropped the Elks to 0-2.
Houghton Lake 12, Lakeview 7 – Not only did this avenge a 45-6 loss to Lakeview (1-1) last year, but it set up Houghton Lake (1-1) to surpass its one-win finishes of 2014, 2013 and 2012.
Manistee 40, Muskegon Orchard View 14 – The Chippewas are 2-0 for the first time since 2009 and after losing to Orchard View 34-7 a year ago; the Cardinals are 0-2.
Maple City Glen Lake 26, Suttons Bay 14 – Glen Lake (2-0) needs one more win to equal last season’s 3-6 finish and now has victories this fall over two 2014 playoff teams and five straight wins over Suttons Bay (0-2).
Southeast & Border
Morenci 26, Hudson 20 (3 OT)
This quickly is turning into one of the top rivalry games from this corner of the state. Morenci (2-0) now has won the last two meetings (by a combined 11 points) after losing 11 in 12 to the Tigers (1-1) from 2002-13. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.
Also noted:
Concord 44, Union City 36 – The Yellow Jackets (2-0) haven’t won two games total since 2010, and hadn’t beaten Union City (1-1) since 1988.
Napoleon 13, Grass Lake 8 – Napoleon (1-1) had lost 10 straight to Grass Lake (1-1), but now is 1-0 to start the Cascades Conference schedule for the first time since 2010.
Jackson 56, Lansing Everett 27 – Jackson (2-0) has its most win since 2010 and got there by adding a victory over Everett (0-2), a playoff team the last three seasons.
Onsted 21, Adrian Madison 20 (OT) – The Wildcats needed a little extra to survive Madison (1-1) for the second straight season and to start 2-0 for the second straight.
Southwest Corridor
Portage Central 28, Battle Creek Lakeview 21
These two may end up champions of their separate divisions of the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference, but regardless this will be remembered as one of the league’s marquee battles of 2015. Portage Central came back from a second-half touchdown deficit and now has a little more momentum to ride heading into next week’s SMAC West opener against Stevensville Lakeshore. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
Benton Harbor 14, Battle Creek Central 9 – Not only did the Tigers (1-1) break a 20-game losing streak, but they did so against a Central team that’s only a combined 15 points from being undefeated instead of 0-2.
Cassopolis 41, Mendon 6 – This has started like a rare down season for Mendon, which is 0-2 for the first time since 2006; but Cassopolis is 2-0 for the first time since 2010.
Constantine 21, Decatur 20 (OT) – The landscape this season is drastically different for the Falcons (1-1) with a new league and six new opponents, but a win over usually-powerful Decatur (1-1) is a great way to bounce back from a three-point loss on opening night.
Schoolcraft 34, Watervliet 33 – The Eagles will hop into a new league next week 2-0 after edging a Watervliet team that has started 1-1 but won 10 games each of the last two seasons.
Upper Peninsula
L’Anse 30, Iron River West Iron County 26
This was quite a reversal from last season’s 54-8 win by West Iron, with L’Anse (2-0) handing the Wykons their first loss in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference since 2012. West Iron also hadn’t started 0-2 since 2002. Click for more from the Iron Mountain Daily News.
Also noted:
Escanaba 16, Petoskey 7 – The Eskymos are 2-0 for the first time since 2011 after beating a Petoskey team that won nine game a year ago but fell to 1-1.
Newberry 47, Felch North Dickinson 36 – The Indians (2-0) got their first win in four tries against North Dickinson since joining the Nordics (1-1) in the Mid-Eastern Conference.
Lake Linden-Hubbell 35, Hurley (Wis.) 6 – The Great Western Conference is a team fewer this season, but Lake Linden-Hubbell (2-0) is a game up after avenging last season’s 28-6 loss to Hurley.
Negaunee 21, Calumet 14 – Make that three of the last four meetings between these two decided by eight points or fewer, with Negaunee (2-0) winning all four matchups and dropping Calumet this time to 1-1.
West Michigan
Muskegon 42, Grand Rapids Christian 14
There weren’t a lot of better ways the Big Reds (1-1) could’ve bounced back from a three-point loss to Detroit Catholic Central on opening night. Christian (1-1) itself was coming itself off a nice nail-biter win over Grand Rapids South Christian. Now Muskegon will face Grandville this week trying to become the first team in Michigan high school history to win 800 games. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Montague 70, Ravenna 48 – This goes down as one of the more interesting recent chapters in this West Michigan Conference rivalry, with Montague (2-0) scoring its most points since 2010 and Ravenna (1-1) scoring enough to beat most.
Caledonia 23, Grand Rapids South Christian 7 – The Fighting Scots (2-0) have outscored two teams that went a combined 18-7 last season by a combined score of 63-10; South Christian fell to 0-2.
Grandville 38, Lansing Sexton 25 – Grandville is 2-0 after handing reigning Division 4 runner-up Sexton its second loss, which was absolutely necessary as the Bulldogs might face the toughest schedule of any team in Michigan over the next seven weeks.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 40, Byron Center 28 – The Huskies finished last season on a 1-3 spiral, but are 2-0 after beating 2014 playoff team Byron Center (1-1) for the second straight year.
8-Player
Kingston 20, Kinde-North Huron 12 Kingston still has been outscored 54-20 after two games, but came back strong after a big opening night loss to Deckerville. North Huron entered off a big win over Carsonville-Port Sanilac; this gave Kingston a 3-2 advantage in the series since the two schools first started playing 8-player in 2012. Both are 1-1 this season. Also noted: Cedarville 34, Pickford 20 – Pickford (1-1) is new to 8-player this fall, but gave Cedarville one of its few close games since this the Trojans (2-0) made the switch in 2011. Webberville 34, Tekonsha 32 – The Spartans are 2-0 but have walked the edge, with both wins by two points; this one dropped Tekonsha to 1-1. PHOTO: Detroit East English (on offense) downed Detroit Renaissance 40-7 in their Week 2 matchup. (Photo courtesy of the Detroit Public School League.)
A Game for Every Fan: Week 6
October 1, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We’ve reached October, and that means two things – league titles and lots of numbers.
We’ll cover the former by telling you which teams are winning what in our weekly Drive for Detroit reports posted each Monday. As for those piles of numbers, here are a few: Ishpeming is the first to qualify for the 2014 MHSAA playoffs because it started 5-0 and is playing eight games this season; 66 more teams have started 5-0 and can qualify with victories this weekend.
Below are some of the best games from every corner of the state, most of which will help define those league title races while giving us more numbers to crunch with playoff selection only four weeks away. (All games are Friday unless noted.)
Greater Detroit
Detroit East English (4-1) at Detroit Cass Tech (5-0), Saturday
All 16 Detroit Public School League football teams are playing in one division this season after being split into multiple the past many years. The top six contenders have begun to separate from the pack – with East English, Cass Tech and Martin Luther King the only three with perfect league records. Because of the way the schedule fell, neither East English nor Cass Tech plays King in a league game – so whichever wins this weekend’s matchup should receive a top seed in the PSL playoffs that begin Week 8. East English is a nine-point nonleague loss to Lansing Sexton from being undefeated, but hasn’t given up a point since that opening weekend defeat.
Others that caught my eye: Waterford Mott (4-1) at Walled Lake Central (4-1) on Thursday, Orchard Lake St. Mary's (5-0) at Birmingham Brother Rice (5-0), Morenci (5-0) at Clinton (5-0), Monroe (4-1) at Saline (4-1).
Mid-Michigan
DeWitt (5-0) at St. Johns (5-0)
This feels a lot like the rivals’ matchup in 2010, when DeWitt came into Week 9 undefeated and dominating everyone and left with a 49-35 loss (the Panthers went on to make the Division 3 Semifinals). Once again, the Panthers are likely considered heavy favorites despite the teams’ matching records – but St. Johns has enough speed to try to match DeWitt’s high-octane offensive attack. There’s another big difference from 2010– this time, both are in the same league, the Capital Area Activities Conference Red.
Others that caught my eye: Coldwater (5-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (5-0) on Saturday, Stockbridge (4-1) at Olivet (4-1), Manchester (4-1) at Grass Lake (5-0), Portland (3-2) at Williamston (5-0).
Lower Up North
Ishpeming (5-0) vs. Beal City (5-0) at Gaylord
Although technically neither of these teams is from the counties of the northern Lower Peninsula, this game will be played in between them at Gaylord – and could be the most entertaining game of the weekend. Beal City has finished Division 8 runner-up the last two seasons and hasn’t given up a point in the last two games. Ishpeming has won the last two Division 7 championships and hasn’t allowed an opponent this season within 26 points.
Others that caught my eye: Gaylord (4-1) at Cadillac (5-0), Whittemore-Prescott (5-0) at Tawas (4-1), St. Ignace (5-0) at Mancelona (3-2), Petoskey (4-1) at Traverse City Central (4-1).
Southwest and Border
Niles (4-1) at Portage Central (3-1)
It’s time to give Niles a look and some credit for a solid turnaround; the Vikings are 4-1 after winning two games last season and no more than four since 2003. They did fall to Portage Northern two weeks ago – but can cement themselves as a probable playoff team and possible Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference West spoiler for some other contenders by beating reigning champion Portage Central.
Others that caught my eye: Portage Northern (4-1) at Stevensville Lakeshore (4-1), Paw Paw (3-2) at Berrien Springs (3-2), South Haven (2-3) at Edwardsburg (4-1), Buchanan (2-3) at Mendon (4-1).
West Michigan
Grand Rapids Christian (4-1) at Lowell (5-0)
The Ottawa-Kent Conference White includes these two plus a Caledonia (3-2) team that beat Rockford 42-0 last week, improved East Grand Rapids (3-2), and a Forest Hills Central team that is 1-4 but beat Caledonia and has losses to teams that are a combined 14-6. Lowell already has gotten EGR out of the way, and a win over the Eagles – 35-34 winners over the Red Arrows a year ago – would solidify its frontrunner status in arguably the state’s most competitive conference.
Others that caught my eye: East Kentwood (5-0) at Holland West Ottawa (4-1), Stanton Central Montcalm (3-2) at Remus Chippewa Hills (5-0), North Muskegon (3-2) at Ravenna (4-1), Holland Christian (2-3) at Holland (3-2).
Bay and Thumb
Saginaw Swan Valley (5-0) at Freeland (5-0)
Alex Grace is up to 994 yards rushing this fall and more than 6,100 for his three-year varsity career, and as such Swan Valley remains one of the scariest Class B teams in the state. But Freeland actually has outscored the Vikings by seven points this fall – although Swan Valley also has given up only 22 to Freeland’s 83. The last seven matchups between the two have been decided by 15 points or fewer, which could make a standout runner and his offensive line the difference-makers once again.
Others that caught my eye: Birch Run (5-0) at Frankenmuth (4-1), Warren Woods-Tower (5-0) at Marysville (3-2), Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (4-1) at St. Charles (3-2), Lake Fenton (2-3) at Flint Beecher (5-0).
Upper Peninsula
Crystal Falls Forest Park (3-1) at Felch North Dickinson (3-2)
While these two remain in different leagues, this remains one of the best annual matchups in the Upper Peninsula. Forest Park came back from a 2012 28-point loss to North Dickinson by sweeping the Nordics in two games in 2013, including 24-20 in a Regional Final. North Dickinson also is trying to avoid losing three regular-season games for the first time since 2008. Both are playing only eight games this fall, so both need only two more wins to qualify for the postseason and the potential to face off again.
Others that caught my eye: Iron River West Iron County (5-0) at Calumet (3-2), Gladstone (3-2) at Sault Ste. Marie (2-3), Marquette (4-1) at Kingsford (2-3), Rudyard (2-3) at Munising (4-1).
8-Player
Cedarville (5-0) at Rapid River (5-0)
Lawrence (5-0) at Deckerville (5-0) on Saturday
It’s impossible to separate these two – Friday’s game matches the top two 8-player programs in the Upper Peninsula, while Saturday’s matches arguably the two best from the Lower Peninsula not including reigning MHSAA champion Peck and last week’s 89-point scorer Battle Creek St. Philip. Needless to say, the results could mean a lot when playoffs are drawn up and home teams for Regionals are assigned at the end of this month.
Others that caught my eye: Battle Creek St. Philip (5-0) at Webberville (3-2), Peck (5-0) at Kingston (3-2).
PHOTO: Detroit East English (in blue) fell to Lansing Sexton during opening weekend but hasn’t given up a point since that Saturday afternoon. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com).