Drive for Detroit: Week 6 in Review
October 5, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A dramatic event like an emotion-sapping comeback often will steer a team to greater heights as it moves toward the most important games of the season.
That would be good news for some of this week's most impressive football winners.
Traverse City Central trailed 21-0 before beating Petoskey in overtime; Grand Rapids Christian was down 26-0 before winning in OT as well. Calumet trailed Iron River West Iron County 22-0 at halftime before unloading 40 unanswered points, while Northville came back from 14-0 and Muskegon Catholic Central 13-0 to win their likely league title-deciding games.
Those five and a number of others are discussed below – as are a large handful of the 56 11-player teams that have clinched spots in this season's playoff field.
Bay & Thumb
Flint Beecher 27, Lake Fenton 26 (OT)
While a 20-8 Week 5 loss to upstart Corunna no doubt stunned Beecher a bit, the reigning champ Buccaneers came right back to edge Lake Fenton to remain a half-win ahead of the pack in the Genesee Area Conference Red. Beecher is 4-1 in the league with rival Montrose remaining; Corunna, Goodrich and Lake Fenton all are 3-1 in league play with two more games. Beecher made a two-point conversion in overtime, then stopped Lake Fenton’s conversion attempt. Click for more from the Flint Journal.
Also noted:
Algonac 33, Croswell-Lexington 21 – The Muskrats (6-0) gave up their first points since Week 2, but stayed on pace to face Almont this week to decide the Blue Water Area Conference title while dropping Croswell-Lexington (4-2) to fourth place.
Sandusky 48, Marlette 6 – The Redskins (6-0) remained a game ahead of the pack in the Greater Thumb Conference East while putting Marlette (3-3) in a must-win situation to make the playoffs.
Vassar 56, Cass City 21 – The Vulcans (5-1) will face Unionville-Sebewaing this week for first place in the GTC West, but Cass City (4-2) still looks good to make the playoffs for the second straight season.
Burton Bendle 34, Flint Hamady 26 – The Tigers (5-1) pulled within a win of qualifying for the playoffs after going 3-6 a year ago, handing Hamady (5-1) the only loss during what has been its best season since 2012.
Greater Detroit
Northville 24, Livonia Stevenson 14
Since the formation of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association in 2008, Northville is 32-6 in league games – with half of those losses coming to Stevenson. This avenging of last season’s 46-21 loss to the Spartans gave Northville (6-0) a share of the KLAA Central title, although Stevenson (5-1) can still hope for a claim with the Mustangs needing to beat also second-place Novi this week to finish an outright title run. Click for more from MLive-Detroit.
Also noted:
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 14, Riverview Gabriel Richard 13 – The Cranes (6-0) have equaled their most wins in a season since 2005 and remain tied with Waterford Our Lady atop the Detroit Catholic League C-D standings after pushing Gabriel Richard (5-1) to third.
Allen Park 23, Trenton 13 – The Downriver League is back to a three-team race, with this result bringing Trenton (5-1) back into a tie with Allen Park (5-1) and Wyandotte Roosevelt for first.
Walled Lake Western 34, Walled Lake Northern 31 – The Warriors (6-0) clinched a share of the KLAA North title but not before the Knights (4-2) provided their toughest test since opening night.
Sterling Heights 25, Marine City 19 – In three seasons as a league opponent, the closest Sterling Heights (5-1) had come to Marine City (3-3) was 24 points before claiming this victory to take a one-game lead over three teams in the Macomb Area Conference Gold.
Mid-Michigan
Hartland 14, Brighton 7
The KLAA West title will come down to this week thanks to the Eagles’ win over Brighton (5-1), which created a three-way tie atop the division standings with Howell. Hartland (4-2) shared the league title a year ago, but fell to Howell in this season’s West opener. Brighton gets Howell this week, while Hartland takes on reigning co-champion Grand Blanc. Click for more from the Livingston Daily.
Also noted:
Fowlerville 31, Williamston 28 – The Gladiators’ upset of the Hornets pushed them to 3-3, guaranteeing their most wins in a season since 2010, while putting Williamston (4-2) in a tougher spot with Portland, Haslett and Lake Fenton to finish.
Holt 14, Lansing Sexton 13 – The Rams’ resurgence continued as they moved to 4-2, but it’s hard to not feel for the Big Reds, who are 1-5 but with two one-point losses and a third by two points.
Ithaca 38, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 0 – The challenge didn’t come as expected, with Ithaca (6-0) handing MLS (5-1) its first loss and pulling within a win of clinching another Tri-Valley Conference West title.
DeWitt 27, Haslett 10 – The Panthers (6-0) have yet to give up more than 14 points this season, although Haslett (3-3) did hold DeWitt to its season low on offense.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Traverse City Central 28, Petoskey 27 (OT)
The Trojans (6-0) came all the way back from three scores down and stopped a two-point conversion run in overtime to remain atop the Big North Conference, one game ahead of three teams including Petoskey (4-2). Traverse City Central’s last four wins have come by seven points or fewer, and it had lost to the Northmen the last two seasons. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Beal City 42, McBain 22 – The Aggies (5-1) bounced back from last week’s shocking loss to Evart to stay tied for first with McBain (4-2) in the Highland Conference with one league game left for both.
Traverse City St. Francis 63, Grayling 28 – The Gladiators (6-0) all but locked up the Northern Michigan Football Conference Leaders title with their win over Grayling (4-2) giving them victories over both second-place teams.
Reed City 22, Big Rapids 7 – The Coyotes (6-0) remain tied for first in the Central State Activities Association Gold, while Big Rapids (4-2) moved to third but with a chance to stay in the hunt this week against co-leader Remus Chippewa Hills.
Johannesburg-Lewiston 58, Detroit Consortium 30 – Logan Huff did a lot of everything for the Cardinals (5-1), running eight times for 245 yards and three touchdowns, leading the team with 11 tackles and grabbing an interception against Consortium (2-4).
Southeast & Border
Saline 37, Ann Arbor Pioneer 21
Saline remained in control of the Southeastern Conference Red winning a game that played much closer than the final 16-point margin. Pioneer (5-1) scored the first points the Hornets had given up since Week 3. But Saline (6-0) took advantage of a few key Pioneer errors to clinch a share of the league title with third-place Monroe the last team on the league schedule. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.
Also noted:
Temperance Bedford 34, Monroe 28 – If the Mules (2-4) get into the playoffs with an at-large bid, edging the Trojans (3-3) might be a big reason why.
Parma Western 28, Battle Creek Harper Creek 25 – Defeating Harper Creek (3-3) could go down as the key victory of a milestone season for the Panthers; Western (4-2) needs two more wins to qualify for the playoffs for the first time, and its Week 8 and 9 opponents are a combined 0-12.
Homer 46, Springport 0 – The Trojans (5-1) pulled to within a win of clinching a share of the Big Eight Conference title, while putting Springport (3-3) into a must-win situation the rest of the way.
Ypsilanti Community 30, Ypsilanti Lincoln 12 – The Grizzlies (3-3) won their third straight and get a shot at first-place Chelsea this week to earn a share of the Southwestern Conference White championship; Lincoln (2-4) must win out to have a slim shot at making the playoffs for the third straight season.
Southwest Corridor
Coldwater 26, Jackson Lumen Christi 7
The Cardinals (6-0) had lost at least 27 straight to Lumen Christi (4-2) and including the game that decided last season’s inaugural Interstate 8 Athletic Conference championship. But this historical win puts Coldwater only one from clinching a share of the league title and in the playoffs for the third straight season; the Cardinals only qualified for the first time in 2013. Click for more from the Coldwater Daily Reporter.
Also noted:
Climax-Scotts 36, Pittsford 0 – Make that 43 straight in the Southern Central Athletic Association for Climax-Scotts (6-0), plus a share of the league title with Pittsford (5-1) one of two teams in second place.
Watervliet 55, Constantine 34 – The Panthers (5-1) kept pace with Delton Kellogg atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference Division 1 while knocking Constantine (3-3) out of the title race.
Plainwell 17, Dowagiac 8 – The Trojans (4-2) have stayed in the upper half of a tough Wolverine B Conference that combined two divisions into one this fall, with Dowagiac (3-3) tied for fifth of 10 teams.
Schoolcraft 47, Lawton 0 – Schoolcraft (6-0) earned a second straight shutout, but this week's much more significant as Lawton (5-1) also entered undefeated and tied for first in the SAC Division 2.
Upper Peninsula
Calumet 40, Iron River West Iron County 22
Reigning Western Peninsula Athletic Conference champion West Iron (1-5) is not the same team this fall. But the Wykons still gave Calumet (4-2) all it could handle as the Copper Kings came back to give themselves a chance to claim the league title this week against co-leader L’Anse. Click for more from the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette.
Also noted:
Sault Ste. Marie 37, Gladstone 27 – The Blue Devils (4-2) continue to line themselves up to return to the playoffs, while Gladstone (2-4) must end a four-game slide to have an at-large shot.
Kingsford 49, Marquette 7 – The Flivvers (4-2) ended a two-game losing streak to Marquette, and may have ended any hope of the Redmen (2-4) returning to the playoffs.
Newberry 50, Gaylord St. Mary 26 – The Indians pulled within a win of tying last season’s total and two from its highest victory count since going 6-3 in 2005.
Hurley, Wis. 52, Bark River-Harris 34 – This didn’t have league implications, but was the first loss of an otherwise stellar season so far for the Broncos (5-1).
West Michigan
Muskegon Catholic Central 29, Fruitport 26
The Lakes 8 Conference championship will belong at least in part to MCC (4-1), which claimed a share against second-place Fruitport (3-3) on a go-ahead touchdown pass with less than a minute to play. The Crusaders have earned at least a share of the league title both seasons in the conference. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Also noted:
Grand Rapids Christian 39, East Grand Rapids 33 (OT) – The Eagles (4-2) made the biggest comeback of all teams mentioned above, and with it retained a first-place tie with Lowell while East Grand Rapids (4-2) fell into a tie for third in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White.
Hudsonville 22, East Kentwood 13 – Four teams including both of these still have a shot in the O-K Red, but sharing first with Rockford is a nice spot for Hudsonville (5-1), especially if East Kentwood (4-2) can help with the Rams this week.
Scottville Mason County Central 39, Manistee 6 – The Spartans (4-2) get overlooked a bit in the strong West Michigan Conference, but handing Manistee (5-1) its first loss is headline-worthy.
Cedar Springs 34, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 8 – The reigning O-K Bronze champion Red Hawks (4-2) are again tied with Forest Hills Eastern for first after delivering the first loss this fall to Forest Hills Northern (5-1), which was emerging as the favorite.
8-Player
Posen 28, Cedarville 26
This is more than just the best win of Posen’s six-year 8-player history; it’s arguably the most momentous victory for the Vikings (6-0) in some time. Posen is 6-0, tying its most wins in a season total since going 8-4 in 2004, and joined Rapid River as the only teams to defeat reigning MHSAA runner-up Cedarville (4-2) during the regular season since 2011. Click for more from the Alpena News.
Also noted:
Battle Creek St. Philip 49, Webberville 0 – Webberville (4-2) continues to improve, but St. Philip (6-0) remains among a handful of championship contenders.
Morrice 34, Deckerville 30 – This definitely is the most impressive win in two seasons of 8-player for the Orioles (5-1), as no opponent had come within 20 points of the Eagles (5-1) this fall.
PHOTO: Ithaca, in yellow, won a battle of undefeated teams by downing Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary on Friday. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Three Rivers Takes Run at District Together
October 31, 2017
By Wes Morgan
Special for Second Half
J.J. Wagner is economical with his words, stoic on the sideline, and not preoccupied with statistical trends. All he really asks of his Three Rivers football players is to play and sacrifice for one another.
It’s been a pretty good recipe throughout his 13-year tenure as the head varsity coach of the Wildcats, at least in the years when the players truly held up their end of the bargain. With an 82-50 career record since 2005, Wagner has seen what can happen when everyone is pulling in the same direction, like a 13-0 run that ended with a loss in the 2009 Division 4 Final.
He’s also witnessed how complacency can cut a program right back down, as was the case in 2010 when an experienced Three Rivers squad went 4-5 and missed the postseason.
The Wildcats have been noticeably hungrier the last two years, with a 7-3 mark in 2016 and an 8-2 record this year as they prepare for Friday’s Division 4 District championship game against Edwardsburg.
Eleven games into the year, Three Rivers has been unable to break out of a Wolverine Conference bubble. The Wildcats went 7-2 in the league, with losses to Dowagiac (Week 2) and Vicksburg (Week 9). Revenge was sweet last Friday as Three Rivers beat Vicksburg in the Pre-District game (20-10).
Now, the difficult task of beating the league’s most dominant team for the second time in one year is what’s required to move on in the playoffs. If Three Rivers can beat the Eddies (after also doing so 21-18 in Week 7), there’s a chance they’ll face Wolverine Conference member Plainwell in the Regional Round.
“You get through the Wolverine (schedule) and then you’re suddenly in a mini Wolverine tournament,” Wagner joked.
There are no secrets in terms of playoff prep against such familiar foes, so it’s all about the basics.
“Our offense has been moving the sticks, our defense has been playing well, our special teams have played well and we play well when we don’t turn the ball over,” he said.
Having played for perennial power Mendon, where he registered 253 tackles as an outside linebacker during the 1987-89 seasons, Wagners’ emphasis on that side of the ball has been a hallmark of the 2017 campaign. Three Rivers has only allowed 11.7 points and 203 yards per game. The Wildcats have stopped opponents on third down 79.8 percent of the time.
A lot of that has to do with big and athletic senior defensive end Tirrell Hausmanis (6-foot-4, 245 pounds), senior defensive tackle Tyler Moore (5-11, 235) and the linebacker duo of senior Chris Morrill (5-10, 160) and Traven Van Oss (6-1, 165). That group alone has accounted for 34.5 tackles for loss this season. Morrill and Van Oss are tied for a team-best 61 tackles.
“Anytime you’re playing good defense, you can take a few more chances on offense,” Wagner said. “I don’t know how many times we’ve gone for it on fourth down this year, but it’s probably more than most (years). You can take a chance at midfield or the 40 that maybe you wouldn’t normally.”
Perhaps no player has embraced Wagner’s rule of doing what’s best for the team more than Hausmanis, who likely would have garnered a lot more attention from college coaches had he stayed at tight end. Instead, he’s anchored both lines the past two seasons.
“We all just do our jobs,” he said. “This happened and we weren’t big enough (on the offensive line) for me to play tight end. They needed me at tackle. At first I didn’t really like it, but I had to get used to it because it was what was best for the team. It helped us succeed and win, so I had to do it.”
His defensive stats might not seem that impressive — 30 tackles with two sacks — but it’s what he’s capable of that impacts the game so severely.
“It helps when you know people are going to run away from (Hausmanis), so you can stunt and play games on the other side that can mess with their protections and blocking schemes,” Wagner said.
Wagner admitted he’s not big on stats, but for those who were wondering about how many times the offense has felt comfortable gambling on fourth down because of a belief in the defense, it’s 27. The Wildcats have converted 15 times (55.6 percent).
Other than knowing the defense could likely bail it out if needed, there’s been plenty of confidence in the offense under the leadership of junior quarterback Jalen Heivilin.
With a 22-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio, an average of 214.6 passing yards per game and a completion rate of 61 percent, the first-year starter has settled in nicely. Classmate Gavin Charvat has been Heivilin’s favorite target as the two have connected 42 times for 562 yards and six touchdowns. Bryce Morlan was next in line with 32 receptions for 549 yards and a team-high 11 TDs, but the senior went down in Week 9 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Fortunately for the Wildcats they also have reliable receivers in Jett Haifley and Zac Meyer; each has hauled in 23 passes for around 400 yards.
“When we play mistake-free, which is what we harp on, and eliminate pre- and post-snap penalties, you can win a lot of games,” Wagner said. “That’s what we focus on every week. If you can do that, you’re going to keep yourself in a lot of games.”
That was exactly the difference in Three Rivers’ home win against Edwardsburg on Oct. 6, which snapped a 34-game Wolverine Conference winning streak by the Eddies.
“We have to play with that same energy and effort (against Edwardsburg),” Wagner added. “In both of our losses, we came out kind of flat. If I knew why, we wouldn’t do it. We think we can go in there (at Edwardsburg) and play them tough again. It boiled down to mistakes in that (first meeting). We made our extra points, and we held them on all theirs. If we go in there with the same discipline, there’s no reason we can’t beat them again.”
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Three Rivers’ defense lines up for a play; it’s been stifling this season giving up only 11.7 points per game. (Middle) Receiver Nolan Mark and quarterback Jalen Heivilin (4) talk things over against Edwardsburg. (Photos courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)