A Game for Every Fan: Week 7
October 9, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
League champions will celebrate this weekend. And 88 teams have the opportunity to clinch playoff berths, joining 54 that already have qualified.
But a similar pressure rests on the 117 teams that enter this weekend 3-3 – and needing to win out to earn automatic tickets to the postseason.
It’s a group that includes Detroit Catholic Central, Lake Orion, Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Saginaw Nouvel – teams which advanced to Ford Field championship games over the last five years.
Keep that in mind when checking out the games to watch in the three weeks to come, including those listed below. As those coaches will tell you, for many the playoff begin now.
Mid-Michigan
Williamston (6-0) at Lansing Catholic (6-0)
Most would bill this as a game between a pair of talented quarterbacks – Lansing Catholic’s 6-foot-6 Tony Poljan vs. Williamston’s speedy pass/run threat Chaz Moore. But the Capital Area Activities Conference White championship could be decided tonight as well by a Cougars defense giving up only 11 points per game or a Williamston defense a smidge better on paper at 9.8 ppg.
Others that caught my eye: Grand Blanc (5-1) at Hartland (5-1), Grand Ledge (4-2) at Lansing Everett (4-2), Laingsburg (4-2) at Pewamo-Westphalia (5-1), Reed City (5-1) at Stanton Central Montcalm (4-2).
West Michigan
Whitehall (6-0) at Muskegon Oakridge (5-1)
After back-to-back losing seasons – including a 1-8 finish in 2013 – there are probably a few people surprised to be talking about Whitehall football this fall. But the Vikings can clinch their best record since 2006 and a share of the West Michigan Conference title with a win tonight. That would be an improvement on 2006, actually – Whitehall finished 9-2 that fall, but lost to Oakridge 14-6 to finish league runner-up.
Others that caught my eye: Cedar Springs (5-1) at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (6-0), Hudsonville (4-2) at East Kentwood (5-1), Muskegon Catholic Central (6-0) at Muskegon Orchard View (4-2), Caledonia (4-2) at East Grand Rapids (4-2).
Greater Detroit
Walled Lake Western (5-1) at Walled Lake Central (5-1)
These two have played each other annually – and a few seasons twice – dating to 1969. But this should be the next in a latest series of high-impact matchups. Walled Lake Central can claim the Kensington Lakes Activities Association North title outright, or share with Western and potentially Waterford Mott if the Warriors win. Western was victorious in 2011, beating Central 18-11 in the league finale to win the North title after Central did the same to Western in 2010.
Others that caught my eye: Plymouth (5-1) at Canton (5-1), Wyandotte Roosevelt (5-1) at Brownstown Woodhaven (6-0), Ida (6-0) at Hudson (5-1), Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett (5-1) at Lutheran Westland (5-1) on Saturday.
Upper Peninsula
Ishpeming (6-0) at Negaunee (4-2)
These two dominated the Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference the last two seasons – Negaunee winning the league title in 2012 and Ishpeming last fall – but the Miners are already trailing the Hematites by a win thanks to the re-emergence this fall of Iron Mountain (the Mountaineers beat Negaunee 20-17 in Week 4). Negaunee will have to break Ishpeming’s 27-game winning streak tonight to create a possible three-team shared title.
Others that caught my eye: Munising (5-1) at Bark River-Harris (5-1), Constantine (6-0) at Marquette (5-1) on Saturday, L'Anse (4-2) at Calumet (3-3), Ishpeming Westwood (4-2) at Norway (3-3).
Southwest and Border
Three Rivers (4-2) at Plainwell (5-1)
All three remaining games for Wolverine B Conference teams are league games, and the East race is down to three teams – this pair and Sturgis, with all three opening the league schedule 2-0. Three Rivers and Plainwell didn’t play in the same division of the league the last two seasons, but kept a long-standing rivalry alive with a couple of nonleague tilts won by the Trojans by eight and seven points. Plainwell’s only loss this fall is a two-pointer to Edwardsburg – which also beat Three Rivers by two on opening night.
Others that caught my eye: Saugatuck (4-2) at Fennville (4-2), Edwardsburg (5-1) at Dowagiac (3-3), Battle Creek Harper Creek (4-2) at Coldwater (5-1), Portage Central (4-1) at Portage Northern (4-2).
Lower Up North
Petoskey (5-1) at Gaylord (4-2)
The good news is Petoskey already has Big North Conference leader Cadillac out of the way – the Northmen fell in their Week 3 game, 27-7. The bad news is Petoskey now has to wait and hope either Traverse City West this week or Traverse City Central in Week 9 beats Cadillac so Petoskey can earn a share of the league title. But Petoskey also must be careful – Gaylord lost to Cadillac and Central the last two weeks by a combined 19 points and is seeking its first playoff berth since 2005.
Others that caught my eye: Kingsley (4-2) at Suttons Bay (5-1), Cadillac (6-0) at Traverse City West (3-3), Grayling (3-3) at Elk Rapids (3-3), Indian River Inland Lakes (5-1) at Central Lake (4-2).
Bay and Thumb
Harrison (6-0) at Beaverton (4-2)
Harrison already will post its best finish since 1999 and first winning record since 2000 – and is in best position to end Clare’s seven-season run atop the Jack Pine Conference. But the Hornets must be careful to not look ahead to that Week 8 matchup; Beaverton is one of three teams tied for third place and needs just one more victory to guarantee its first winning season since 2000 as well.
Others that caught my eye: Midland (3-3) at Lapeer (6-0), Romeo (3-3) at Port Huron (5-1), Carrollton (3-3) at Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (5-1), Flint Powers Catholic (4-2) at Flint Southwestern Academy (3-3).
8-Player
Battle Creek St. Philip (6-0) at Waldron (5-1)
The Southern Central 8-Man Football League championship is on the line. St. Philip outscored Waldron by a combined 110-6 in two games last season and has scored, 55, 56, 89 and 72 points over the last four weeks, respectively. But this is a much better Waldron team than in 2013 – its lone loss is to undefeated Portland St. Patrick, and the Spartans look good to win seven games for the first time since 2007.
Others that caught my eye: Engadine (3-3) at Bellaire (6-0), Owendale-Gagetown (6-0) at Kingston (3-3).
PHOTO: Bellaire, running against Eben Junction Superior Central last week, is one of seven undefeated teams in 8-player football. Superior Central is in a tight race for the final playoff spot and must climb six to make the field of 16. (Photo courtesy of Paul Gerard.)
Much Different Story, Same Final Result as Lenawee Christian Repeats
By
Travis Nelson
Special for Second Half
November 20, 2021
MARQUETTE — It was a different stadium, but the same end result Saturday as Adrian Lenawee Christian defeated Suttons Bay for the second consecutive season, this time 31-20, to repeat as 8-player Division 1 champion.
But Saturday’s game at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome proved a much tougher test for the Cougars, who needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to finally take down the Norsemen.
Lenawee Christian had won last season’s championship game 47-0 at Legacy Center in Brighton.
“What a tremendous game; my hat’s off to Suttons Bay,” Adrian Lenawee Christian coach Bill Wilharms said. “To make it here three straight years in a row, man what an amazing program coach (Garrick) Opie has.
“To all of the fans, it was so cool in this environment. It was so loud. This is what small-town football is all about. I can’t say enough about the venue and just having the opportunity to be here. I appreciate that a great deal.”
The game couldn’t have started better for the Cougars, as on the second play, Ashur Bryja intercepted a Suttons Bay pass and returned it 22 yards for the opening score. Suttons Bay had multiple scoring chances in the first quarter with drives reaching the Lenawee Christian red zone, but the Norsemen turned the ball over on downs.
The second quarter came with better fortunes for Suttons Bay, with Hugh Periard taking a handoff 90 yards for a score. Shawn Bramer’s two-point conversion run was sniffed out by the Cougars’ defense, and Suttons Bay trailed 7-6 with 6:44 left in the half. Lenawee Christian had a nice drive going inside the Norsemen 10-yard line before a pass was tipped and intercepted at the goal line by August Schaub, and returned it 99 yards for a score. Another Suttons Bay two-point attempt was no good, but the two touchdowns built a 12-7 lead with 4:58 to go in the half.
But Adrian Lenawee Christian didn’t fold because of the momentum changes, and responded with a six play, 65-yard drive capped off with a Bryja 11-yard touchdown run to take the lead back. The Cougars led 14-12 at halftime, and responding to Suttons Bay’s punches went back to being tested throughout the season, Wilharms said.
“I think this year, we’ve been tested a couple times,” Wilharms said. “Colon did it to us at their place, we had to weather some storms there as well, so I think we were tested. BD (Britton Deerfield) on the first play of the game in Week 9 comes out and scores on us. These kids have weathered the challenge on it and they understand, they play together as a team.”
Suttons Bay had another turnover on downs in Lenawee Christian territory in the third quarter, which turned into three points for the Cougars as Brady McKelvey nailed a 28-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-12 with 2:02 remaining in the period.
Defense continued to carry the second half well into the fourth quarter, when the first touchdown of the half was scored with only 6:21 left in the game. Clay Ayers, who battled injury, ran the ball in for the Cougars to extend the lead to 24-12. Ayers was limited to only seven carries, but he showed well when it mattered most.
Suttons Bay fired back just 1:06 later with a deep pass from quarterback Dylan Barnowski to Periard for a 55-yard touchdown to cut the Cougars’ lead to 24-20 after Bramer’s ensuing two-point run. In his third consecutive Final, Periard had 209 yards from scrimmage. In also his final high school game, this loss was the most heartbreaking.
“Obviously, the previous two hurt pretty bad, but I think this one was the most because it’s my last time ever playing football and we were so close to pulling this one off,” Periard said. “So this year’s definitely the worst, in my opinion.”
Any doubt of the game’s finish was put away with a 33-yard run from Bryja to slam the door. Bryja, also Lenawee Christian’s quarterback, threw for 229 yards and ran for 161 and two touchdowns, in addition to his interception return.
At the end of the day, the Norsemen didn’t falter, but it was tough to overcome the Cougars.
“Sometimes you have the cards falling your way, and sometimes you don’t,” Suttons Bay coach Garrick Opie said. “Today was one of those days where timing mixed with lack of execution or otherwise. Or the fact that Lenawee Christian is just a very good team, was just very tough.”
The 2022 Adrian Lenawee Christian senior class finished 24-0 in leading the program’s first two seasons of 8-player football.
“They’re going to leave as the all-time winningest group in school history. They will have the single-season win record. They will have a ton of stuff,” Wilharms said. “As a collective group, oh my goodness, what a wonderful, wonderful group.”
PHOTOS (Top) Lenawee Christian’s Ashur Bryja (15) breaks into the open on the way to a second-quarter touchdown. (Middle) Suttons Bay’s Hugh Periard (1) makes a cut as the Cougars’ Clay Ayers (2) attempts to wrap him up. (Photos by Cara Kamps. Click for more.)