A Game for Every Fan: Week 6
September 27, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Time isn't running out yet on the 2012 MHSAA football season.
But for those with high aspirations, the time has come to make months of preparation pay off.
Four weeks remain in the regular season, meaning every team with at least two wins still has a shot to qualify for the playoffs automatically. It also means most league titles are still in play – although a lot of those opportunities will be lost by the time Saturday's games are done.
Following are this week's best matchups from your corner of the state. And remember to visit the MHSAA Score Center all weekend for updated scores and standings.
(All are tonight unless noted. Go to Score Center for additional dates and kickoff times.)
Mid-Michigan
Carrollton (5-0) at Ithaca (5-0)
It’s not that Ithaca has laid low during this season’s extension to its 33-game winning streak. It’s just that before this week, none of the games was an intriguing enough matchup to mention here – the Yellowjackets beat their strongest opponents so far, Williamston and Saginaw Valley Lutheran, 46-0 and 55-0, respectively. Quarterback Travis Smith, a hero from last season’s Division 6 Final win, has completed 66 percent of his passes for 865 yards and 12 touchdowns and run for eight scores. He’s tough to stop, but Ithaca’s defense might have the bigger challenge this time – Carrollton running back Derrick Nash, who has committed to Central Michigan, is averaging 10 yards per carry with 1,048 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing this fall.
Others that caught my eye: Manchester (4-1) at Grass Lake (4-1), Lake City (5-0) at Beal City (5-0), Lansing Waverly (4-1) at Charlotte (3-2), East Lansing (4-1) at Lansing Everett (5-0).
Southwest and Border
Battle Creek Pennfield (5-0) at Schoolcraft (5-0)
These two have taken slightly different routes to this point, making this game a true test for both. Pennfield has beaten five of the bottom six teams in the Kalamazoo Valley Association standings (two are among three tied for fifth), and those opponents have combined for five wins so far this season. But the Panthers also are the reigning league champions. Schoolcraft owns wins over likely playoff qualifiers Olivet and Constantine, but hasn’t beaten Pennfield since 2009.
Others that caught my eye: Niles Brandywine (4-1) at Buchanan (4-1), Mattawan (5-0) at St. Joseph (3-2), Climax-Scotts (5-0) at Pittsford (4-1), Marcellus (5-0) at Watervliet (5-0).
Greater Detroit
Orchard Lake St. Mary (4-1) at Birmingham Brother Rice (4-1), Saturday
Of all the great matchups that take place in the Detroit Catholic League Central every season, this one might be the best of 2012. Both still must face Detroit Catholic Central – the reigning MHSAA Division 1 runner-up. But so far, thes Eaglets and the Warriors have made the biggest waves and done so coming off MHSAA championships last fall – St. Mary in Division 3 and Brother Rice in Division 2. The Warriors fell to reigning Division 1 champ Detroit Cass Tech 25-18 on opening night in what looked then like the potential game of 2012 in the Detroit area. Then St. Mary beat Cass Tech 13-6 last week. If all of that doesn’t provide enough hype, there’s always the result of last season’s game – a 10-9 Eaglets victory.
Others that caught my eye: Rochester (4-1) at Lake Orion (5-0), Allen Park Cabrini (4-1) at Royal Oak Shrine (4-1), Detroit Central Collegiate (3-2) at Detroit East English (4-1), Ottawa Lake Whiteford (4-1) at Petersburg-Summerfield (4-1).
West Michigan
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (4-1) at Lowell (4-1)
Wins over traditional powers Zeeland West (59-58) and East Grand Rapids (43-17) have made this a solid season so far for Forest Hills Central – but this week, the Rangers can take it up another level. Lowell continues to be Lowell – its only loss was to Muskegon, arguably the best team in the state regardless of division, and no other opponent has scored more than seven points. Standout linebackers Colin Schlosser and Nick Lamica may need to come up big again for Forest Hills Central to break an eight-game losing streak against the Red Arrows.
Others that caught my eye: Grand Rapids Christian (4-1) at East Grand Rapids (2-3), Shelby (5-0) at Montague (4-1), Grandville Calvin Christian (4-1) at Hopkins (5-0), Muskegon Mona Shores (4-1) at Muskegon (5-0).
Lower Up North
Traverse City West (4-1) at Traverse City Central (4-1)
West owns an 11-4 edge in this series since the schools split in 1997. But a Central win this time would erase some of those memories – or at least push the one-sidedness out of the conversation for a while. The Trojans’ only loss this season was by three to Grand Haven on opening night, and they’ve already equaled last season’s win total with only two more needed for their most since 1991. This also could eventually decide the Big North Conference title – West has been a power since two divisions combined in 2000, but Central hasn’t won a league title since the schools were still one, in 1996. West’s only loss this season was by four to Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, also on opening night.
Others that caught my eye: Grayling (5-0) at Elk Rapids (3-2), Pickford (5-0) at Mancelona (5-0), Kingsley (4-1) at Maple City Glen Lake (5-0), Onaway (4-1) at Pellston (4-1).
Upper Peninsula
Crystal Falls Forest Park (5-0) at Iron Mountain North Dickinson (5-0)
North Dickinson, playing only eight regular-season games this season, became the first team in 2012 to qualify for the playoffs. Now Forest Park can do the same by beating the Nordics for a ninth straight time, a streak that has included two playoff victories. This is a clash of likely eventual league champions – North Dickinson needs only a win over Powers North Central next week to claim the Mid-Eastern Football Conference title, while the Trojans already own a win over 2011 Great Western Conference champion Hurley, Wis., and have a one-game lead on two teams in that league.
Others that caught my eye: Menominee (4-1) at Escanaba (2-3), Marquette (4-1) at Kingsford (4-1), Powers North Central (3-2) at Newberry (3-2), Cedarville (5-0) at Rapid River (5-0).
Thumb and Bay
Goodrich (4-1) at Lake Fenton (4-1)
The Blue Devils are tied with Montrose atop the Genesee Area Conference Red standings and playing for their first league title since sharing with the Rams in 2007. They’ve outscored their last four opponents 203-20 since opening this season with a 42-39 loss to Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. Goodrich fell to Montrose by a point two weeks ago, and would love to jump back into this race with a third-straight win over Lake Fenton – the Martians won last season 27-7.
Others that caught my eye: Midland Dow (3-2) at Bay City Western (5-0), Lapeer East (3-2) at Fenton (4-1), Davison (4-1) at Flint Powers Catholic (5-0), Hemlock (4-1) at Saginaw Swan Valley (4-1).
PHOTO: Ithaca quarterback Travis Smith focuses in on a target during last week's win at Merrill. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com).
Everyone Knows Riverview's ID: Pirates Bringing Full House with Powerful T
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
September 5, 2024
Several years ago, Riverview football coach Derek McLaughlin was talking to a colleague about his football team when something he said struck a chord.
“I was talking to a coach that I had coached against when I was struggling, and he said something to the effect of we didn’t have an identity,” McLaughlin said.
Those days are long gone.
The Pirates and their full-house T rushing attack have become one of the most identifiable football programs in southeast Michigan. They have won or shared four straight Huron League titles, haven’t lost more than three games in a season since 2015 and are hoping for an eighth-straight playoff appearance this year.
McLaughlin said he learned by making mistakes.
“We really like the full-house T, and we went all in,” he said. “It wasn’t good the first year. It wasn’t good at all. We’ve gotten better coaching it. There is still stuff that we need to learn, but that’s what we are. We have an identity. “
Riverview has built its team around the full-house T. Opponents know what they are going to face – they just have to line up and defend it. The deeper the Pirates go into running the same system year-after-year, the harder it seems to stop.
“The kids come into our program or to the varsity and have a basic idea of what they need to do,” McLaughlin said. “It comes down to technique. You can hone in on your craft and get more reps. That’s the mindset that we have. It doesn’t always go perfectly. There are things you must do to get better.”
McLaughlin feels with the offense being so consistent from week-to-week and year-to-year, the coaches can spend more time in practice on teaching technique and, more importantly, focusing on defense.
“You really don’t get the kids that long during a day,” he said. “We try to be consistent with our reps. We are all about limiting the mistakes.”
The Pirates have a host of returning players from last season’s 9-2 team that lost in the second round of the playoffs, including leading rusher Ian Adams, who ran for more than 1,500 yards and was one of the top tacklers on the team.
In the season opener against Detroit Renaissance, Adams carried the ball only four times but had 136 yards and two touchdowns. Another back, Nathan Pinkava, also had two touchdowns and more than 100 yards rushing.
Pinkava is one of the four team captains this season along with center/defensive lineman Garrett Timmerman, quarterback and safety Lucas Thompson, and linebacker and tight end Chris Sarnacki.
When the team voted to select them during the preseason, Timmerman was nearly unanimous.
“He’s a great kid who works really hard,” McLaughlin said.
There are 47 players total. Several will get a chance to carry the ball at some point.
“A lot of different backs carry the ball,” McLaughlin said. “In our offense, we’re trying to hide the ball and those four guys in the backfield all get touches at one time or another. We have plays for each of them in the system. There’s a fairly good distribution of who gets the ball.”
McLaughlin is 77-24 in 10 seasons at Riverview. In 2017 and 2022, the Pirates reached the MHSAA Semifinals.
The 2017 team rebounded from a 2-7 season the year before with a remarkable turnaround of nine wins.
As the Pirates’ legend grows, opponents tend to circle the Riverview game on their schedule. Everyone wants to knock off the team on top of the mountain.
“Because of the success we have had – a lot of teams will come to play against us,” McLaughlin said. “They play us tough. We must be ready each week. Some of these kids have never played varsity before, and they do not quite understand yet that every week is a rivalry game. We get the kitchen sink thrown at us. It is great. I think our league prepares us well.”
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central coach Adam Kipf is one of the league coaches who has to prepare every season for Riverview’s full-house T.
“I have a lot of respect for Coach McLaughlin,” Kipf said. “He does things the right way and demands a lot of his players. We know that when we play them, the pads are strapped tight and to be ready for a long, physical game. I think their style of play reflects him as a leader. It's nothing flashy, just hard-nosed football, gritty football, which resonates with those kids and the Riverview community.”
Riverview went 9-2 last season and shared the league title with Carleton Airport. The Jets defeated Riverview in Week 2, stopping Riverview’s 22-game Huron League win streak.
McLaughlin is not out for revenge this week when Riverview hosts Airport to start the conference schedule.
“None of that matters when you start a new year,” he said. “Nothing you’ve done in the past really matters. You have to make a difference now.
“It starts in the offseason and goes on through the summer. That is what we preach to the kids. It doesn’t make any difference if you had a bad season the year before or a great season the year before; you have to come to work. You have to make yourself better physically and be prepared.
“We focus entirely on one game at a time. That’s how we are always going to do it as long as I’m here.”
It’s an identity thing.
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Riverview’s Nathan Pinkava carries the ball and eludes a Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central defender during their 2023 matchup. (Middle) Pirates coach Derek McLaughlin shares a moment with his team. (Below) Ian Adams (15) attempts to break a tackle. (Pinkava photo by Stephanie Hawkins; McLaughlin and Adams photos courtesy of the Riverview athletic department.)