A Game for Every Fan: Week 8
October 11, 2012
One team more than half of the 2012 MHSAA football playoff field has been decided, with 129 teams qualified for the 256-team field with two regular-season games to play.
And each of these final weeks includes opportunities for plenty to do something they've never done before.
Over the last two weeks, Swartz Creek, Grand Rapids Northview and Detroit East English have earned their first playoff berths ever (East English in its first year as a school). Detroit Consortium, Mayville, Walled Lake Northern and Saginaw Valley Lutheran all can earn their first berths with wins this weekend.
See below for some of the best games being played in every corner of the state. And visit the MHSAA Score Center all weekend for updated scores and standings.
(All games below are tonight unless noted. Go to Score Center for additional dates and kickoff times.)
Greater Detroit
Clarkston (7-0) at Lake Orion (7-0)
These Oakland Activities Association Red rivals have two of the top three playoff point averages among potential Division 1 teams this fall, and are ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, by The Associated Press' media panel. This is as true a rivalry as they come -- the schools are nearly the same size at more than 2,500 students each, they are located only 11 miles apart, and they've split their last 10 meetings including three in the playoffs.
Others that caught my eye: Detroit Cody (5-2) vs. Detroit East English (6-1) at Detroit Northwestern, Dearborn Heights Robichaud (7-0) at Dearborn Fordson (6-1), Oak Park (7-0) at Oxford (4-3), Detroit Martin Luther King (4-3) vs. Detroit Cass Tech (6-1) at Detroit Northwestern.
Lower Up North
Traverse City St. Francis (4-3) at Maple City Glen Lake (7-0)
At stake this week and potentially next is St. Francis' 22-season playoff berth streak, the state's longest. Its losses are to teams with a combined 19-2 record, but the Gladiators took a significant step last week by beating Saginaw Nouvel. Glen Lake is much like the teams that have beaten St. Francis. The Lakers have given up only 44 points total and own a win over Kingsley, which beat the Gladiators on opening night.
Others that caught my eye: Benzie Central (3-4) at Cheboygan (5-2), Boyne City (7-0) at Elk Rapids (4-3), Lake City (6-1) at Manton (4-3), Kalkaska (5-2) at Frankfort (3-4).
Bay and Thumb
Midland (7-0) at Bay City Western (7-0)
Like some games these teams have won this season, their league race is coming right down to the final minutes. The winner claims a share of the Saginaw Valley Association North championship, with both then facing city rivalry games to finish the regular season. Western has survived three straight eight-point wins, and Midland edged two of those same opponents by seven points apiece. The Chemics have beaten the Warriors in six of their last eight meetings.
Others that caught my eye: Swartz Creek (7-0) at Fenton (6-1), Walled Lake Western (5-2) at Grand Blanc (4-3), Saginaw Valley Lutheran (5-2) at Merrill (4-3), Marine City (6-1) at St. Clair (7-0).
West Michigan
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (7-0) at Hastings (6-1)
The winner of this matchup will claim a share of the O-K Gold championship. Grand Rapids Catholic Central is the reigning champion, but Hastings can claim a league title for the first time since 2001. The Cougars have won three of the four between these two since joining the Gold, but Hastings if off to its best start since that last league championship season.
Others that caught my eye: Lowell (6-1) at Caledonia (6-1), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (4-3) at Grand Rapids Christian (6-1), Fruitport (7-0) at Muskegon Catholic Central (5-2), Grandville (4-3) at Rockford (5-2).
Mid-Michigan
Grand Ledge (5-2) at East Lansing (5-2)
This has been one of the best rivalries in mid-Michigan for more two decades. And although this game likely won't decide a league champion this time -- Lansing Everett leads both by a win in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue standings -- it's remains significant as both the Comets and Trojans' playoff hopes could hinge on which wins tonight. East Lansing might be in better shape, with one-win Okemos coming up in Week 9. But the Comets finish with Holt, 4-3 and another team playing for a postseason berth.
Others that caught my eye: DeWitt (6-1) at Portland (6-1), Walled Lake Northern (5-2) at Hartland (7-0), Williamston (4-3) at Haslett (4-3), Mason (5-2) at Lansing Waverly (4-3).
Southwest and Border
Stevensville Lakeshore (7-0) at Mattawan (7-0)
No region of the state has more big games this week, with titles being decided all over the Kalamazoo area and southwestern corner. But these are the big schools from the biggest league, and the game longest-awaited as both have navigated a tough Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West. Mattawan does have to face third-place Portage Northern next week, but the winner tonight will be riding high no matter what opponent is up next. Mattawan did win last season, breaking an eight-game losing streak against the Lancers.
Others that caught my eye: Watervliet (7-0) at Decatur (6-1), Edwardsburg (6-1) at Dowagiac (7-0), Paw Paw (7-0) at Otsego (6-1), Union City (5-2) at Reading (6-1).
Upper Peninsula
L’Anse (6-1) at Eagle River Northland Pines (7-0)
Northland Pines, the only Wisconsin team in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference, leads both L'Anse and Calumet by a win with this the final weekend of the league schedule. Calumet fell to Northland Pines by two on opening night and defeated L'Anse by 20 last week, which doesn't seem to indicate good things for the latter. But a win tonight would add another huge accomplishment to the Hornets' first winning season since 2007.
Others that caught my eye: Negaunee (7-0) at Marquette (4-3), Pellston (4-3) at St. Ignace (7-0), Crystal Falls Forest Park (5-2) at Bessemer (4-2), Iron Mountain North Dickinson (7-0) at Lake Linden-Hubbell (4-3).
PHOTO: Elk Rapids' Derek Sentieri works to break away from Traverse City St. Francis tacklers during their game earlier this fall. (Click to see more at Terry McNamara Photography.)
Performance: West Bloomfield's Bryce Veasley
November 16, 2017
Bryce Veasley
West Bloomfield senior – Football
The Lakers’ quarterback led his team 80 yards over the final two minutes of Friday’s Regional Final against previously-undefeated Utica Eisenhower, completing 6 of 7 passes during the drive before running in the go-ahead score with 51 seconds to play as West Bloomfield clinched its first MHSAA Semifinal berth with a 28-25 win – clinching Veasley the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Total on Friday, Veasley connected on 23 of 37 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown and ran for two scores. This season he has completed 200 of 337 passes for 3,208 yards and 25 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions, and run for 455 yards (averaging 4.2 per carry) and 14 scores. Veasley is a two-year starter at West Bloomfield and also started as a sophomore on varsity as Southfield Lathrup in 2015 before that school closed the following spring. The Lakers went 6-5 a year ago, reaching the District Finals, but started 0-2 this fall before rattling off 10 straight wins to earn Saturday’s matchup with reigning Division 1 champion Detroit Cass Tech at Troy Athens High School.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Veasley called baseball his first love – he played first base and pitched last spring and said he throws 85 mph – but he is expecting to enroll early this winter at Bowling Green, where he’ll continue his football and academic careers. Veasley carries a 3.1 grade-point average and is considering studying business management, although he’s still solidifying his academic plans. For now, he has more high school history to help make; West Bloomfield also had never won a District football title before two weeks ago, but is aiming to finish this month with its first MHSAA Finals championship.
Coach Ron Bellamy said: “Bryce is one of the best leaders I have ever been around. What makes Veasley an exceptional leader is his ability to impact his teammates and coaches. He is very passionate about football, and making everyone step their game up a notch has been a strength of his. Veasley is a hard worker who challenges himself to be better every day. He is extremely coachable and usually doesn’t make the same mistake twice. Bryce is one of the main reasons why West Bloomfield has been able to make this amazing run.”
Performance Point: “It was just a great team win for us,” Veasley said of the Regional title victory. “It started off with the defense – they made a great stop on about the 10-yard line giving us the ball, and from there I knew I had to take it upon myself, with my O-line first, to get the ball into my receivers’ hands. … I live for that moment all the time. It was a great feeling. To be honest, every week we work on the 2-minute drill. I give it to the coaches; they prepare us well. We were prepared to go down the field and score.”
Making history, making memories: “We get recognized all the time, by the community, the alumni, the teachers and the students that go here. Everybody’s excited. … The memories, I think they will be just cherished, be just something I remember for my life. It’s more just the guys. We’re all going to keep in communication with each other. It will be memorable.”
Slow start: “We learned a lot (at 0-2). At first, it was just we knew we had to just finish games. That was one. And we just had to make sure when we come out we are ready to play. A lot of it was focus and competition.”
QB1: “I think it starts off with wanting to go out there and just win. That’s me. The other things (are) knowing coverages, knowing what defenses are trying to do, knowing what you’re trying to do as an offense to the defense, having a strong arm and being able to sometimes just know the matchups and be able to get the ball to your best player.”
Ford Field focus: “First off, it starts with preparation. I think the coaches are going to make sure (Saturday) is not just another game, but at the same time it is. We just have to come out and be ready to execute our gameplan and compete.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
November 9, Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City Central golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) West Bloomfield quarterback Bryce Veasley celebrates a touchdown Week 1 against Walled Lake Western. (Middle) Veasley enjoys a moment with teammates on the sideline. (Top photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers, middle photo by HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)