1st & Goal: 2024 Week 9 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 24, 2024
Over the next 72 hours, high school football will end for many and championship hopes will restart for several, and we will honor and appreciate both.
This is the final weekend of the 2024 regular season, and just more than half of 600 varsity teams will conclude three months that for most were several years in the making. On Sunday, we’ll announce the pairings for this season’s MHSAA Playoffs, and 288 of those teams will begin another season they hope will end in late November with a Finals championship.
And here’s the best part in this moment: There’s still plenty to decide and memories to be made.
Games listed below are tonight unless noted, with results posting as they are reported all weekend on the MHSAA Scores page, and every division’s playoff points summary updating as well as scores are received. Full playoff brackets will be announced at 4:30 p.m. Sunday on FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports Detroit), with game dates and times added to MHSAA.com throughout Monday.
Bay & Thumb
Davison (6-2) at Lapeer (5-3) WATCH
Although Grand Blanc wrapped up the Saginaw Valley League Red title last week with its 55-49 win over Davison, the Cardinals can bounce back and lock down not only second place but more importantly a spot among the top half on the Division 1 playoff list. Davison is No. 13 and Lapeer is No. 24, and those two and Grand Blanc have ended up in the same District the last two seasons. Last year Davison and Lapeer played each other back-to-back in Week 9 and then a District Semifinal, with the Cardinals winning 56-55 and 76-35.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gladwin (6-2) at Frankenmuth (8-0) WATCH, Midland Dow (5-3) at Midland (7-1) WATCH, Port Huron Northern (6-2) at St. Clair (6-2), Ovid-Elsie (7-1) at Standish-Sterling (5-3) WATCH.
Greater Detroit
Detroit Martin Luther King (6-2) vs. Detroit Catholic Central (8-0) at Ford Field
This matchup will conclude a day of Catholic High School League Prep Bowl festivities at Ford Field, and it’s an incredible regular-season finale for the entire state as the 7:30 p.m. kickoff matches the CHSL Central champion Shamrocks against the Detroit Public School League Blue title-winning Crusaders. They last met in a 2019 season opener, won by DCC 24-22, but do have a common opponent this fall as King fell to Warren De La Salle Collegiate 35-13 in Week 2 and the Shamrocks doubled up the Pilots 31-14 in Week 5.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Birmingham Seaholm (6-2) at Birmingham Groves (8-0) WATCH, Saline (5-3) at Lake Orion (6-2) WATCH, Macomb Dakota (7-1) at Oxford (6-2) WATCH. SATURDAY Macomb Lutheran North (7-1) vs. Clarkston Everest Collegiate (8-0) at Ford Field.
Mid-Michigan
Belleville (8-0) at Howell (8-0) WATCH
This Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship game could be considered among Howell’s most notable opportunities in 60 years. The Highlanders are playing for a first perfect regular season since 1963 – according to Michigan-Football.com – and to achieve it they’ll have to overcome a team that has played in three straight Division 1 championship games and won them in 2021 and 2022. Every serious high school football fan in Michigan knows of Tigers four-year star quarterback Bryce Underwood, but Howell also will have to contend with a defense that hasn’t given up a point since Week 6. The Highlanders are familiar with top competition, however, opening with a win over Hudsonville before making their first undefeated league title run since 2008.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hopkins (6-2) at Belding (7-1), Lansing Everett (6-2) at DeWitt (8-0) WATCH, Petoskey (8-0) at Clare (7-1) WATCH, Fenton (7-1) at Mason (6-2).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Fowler (8-0) at McBain (8-0)
Fowler is the top-ranked team in the Division 8 coaches poll, and McBain is No. 5 in Division 7. Both will carry impressive league title runs into the playoffs, as McBain’s in the Highland Conference included a four-point victory over Division 8 No. 4 Beal City and a seven-pointer over Evart, while Fowler was challenged by Division 7 No. 6 Pewamo-Westphalia in a 14-11 win and opened this season with a 20-6 victory over No. 9 Hudson. Fowler won last year’s Week 9 meeting with McBain 40-0, but this Ramblers team has avenged all three of its other 2023 regular-season defeats.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Croswell-Lexington (6-2) at Ogemaw Heights (7-1) WATCH, Kingsley (6-2) at Charlevoix (6-2) WATCH, Traverse City West (5-3) at Traverse City Central (4-4) WATCH, Traverse City St. Francis (6-2) at Boyne City (6-2) WATCH.
Southeast & Border
Dexter (8-0) at Chelsea (7-1) WATCH
This is a matchup of champions in the Southeastern Conference between the Red’s Dexter and White’s Chelsea, their second as nonleague opponents after years together in the White or the formerly one-division SEC. Chelsea won last year’s matchup 31-21 and owned this rivalry for several seasons until the Dreadnaughts claimed their 2022 contest. The Bulldogs are coming off a 21-20 win over Trenton last week but have otherwise marched through most of their schedule since a season-opening loss to still-undefeated Grand Rapids Northview. Dexter has won six straight by double digits after receiving a forfeit win from Saline in Week 2 and edging Livonia Franklin 27-26 to open the fall.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Ida (7-1) at Clinton (6-2) WATCH, Manchester (6-2) at Jonesville (5-3). SATURDAY Leslie (7-1) at Hanover-Horton (8-0), Kalamazoo United (7-1) vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (7-1) at Ford Field.
Southwest Corridor
Niles (7-1) at Paw Paw (8-0) WATCH
The Wolverine Conference championship comes down to a winner-take-all Week 9 matchup between these two for the second straight season, and with the only loss between them this time Niles’ to St. Joseph all the way back on Aug. 30. The Vikings defeated Paw Paw 56-18 to take the league title last year and again 42-13 for a District championship two weeks later. And there’s no arguing that Niles hasn’t dominated Wolverine play so far, outscoring its six league opponents by a combined 298-27 – although Paw Paw accomplished just about the same, outscoring then same teams by a combined 262-26. The Red Wolves also had early wins over eventual league champions Big Rapids and Berrien Springs before beginning the pursuit of their own.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY White Pigeon (7-1) at Bronson (6-2) WATCH, St. Joseph (7-1) at Portage Central (6-2), Constantine (6-2) at Lawton (6-2) WATCH, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix (5-3) at Kalamazoo Central (5-3) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Marquette (6-2) at Kingsford (8-0) WATCH
There are a few storylines here of note. Kingsford, coming off its first 10-win season last year since 2004, is seeking to finish off a first perfect regular season since 2002. But Marquette has a ton riding on this as well; the Sentinels, with their best record since 2021, sit three spots outside the Division 2 playoff field. They will be aiming to defeat the Flivvers for the first time since 2021, and then relying on their previous opponents from this season to have enough Week 9 success (and gain them enough bonus points) to boost them into the field.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Negaunee (6-2) at Iron Mountain (8-0) WATCH. FRIDAY Bark River-Harris (5-3) at Menominee (7-1), Houghton (3-5) at Hancock (1-7), Escanaba (4-4) at Gladstone (1-7) WATCH.
West Michigan
Cedar Springs (7-1) at Coopersville (5-3)
These two and Lowell enter the final week of the first season of the River Cities Alliance all tied for first place – meaning the winner of this game is guaranteed at least a share of the championship, and Lowell can pick up a share as well with a win over Greenville. Cedar Springs has bounced back nicely from last season’s 4-5 finish, with its only loss to Lowell in Week 5. Coopersville has guaranteed a fourth-straight winning regular season but is in league title contention this late for the first time in several. The Broncos are coming off back-to-back losses, a two-point heartbreaker against Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills and then a 24-7 defeat to a league champion in Big Rapids last week.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Grand Rapids West Catholic (6-2) at Zeeland West (7-1) WATCH. FRIDAY Rockford (6-2) at East Kentwood (5-3) WATCH, East Grand Rapids (5-3) at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (6-2), Manistee (5-3) at Mason County Central (7-1).
8-Player
Alcona (8-0) at Deckerville (8-0) WATCH
The 8-player slate this week has multiple league-title deciders – but this one could impact the pursuit of the Division 1 championship over the next month. Deckerville is No. 1 in 8-player Division 1 playoff-point average at 37.750, and Alcona is just behind at No. 2 and 37.542. Of course other numbers come into play, both will be need to win their first three playoff games, and maps aren’t even drawn yet – but if they end up on the same side of the bracket, tonight’s matchup could end up determining which teams hosts a Semifinal rematch if that becomes reality.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Powers North Central (7-1) at Crystal Falls Forest Park (8-0), Gaylord St. Mary (7-1) at Indian River Inland Lakes (8-0), Pittsford (7-1) at Climax-Scotts (7-1), Munising (6-2) at Pickford (8-0).
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PHOTO A pair of Ovid-Elsie defenders close in on New Lothrop’s Michael Schachter (9) during the Marauders’ 42-0 Week 8 victory. (Photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)
In the Long Run: Only 15 Rushers Share State Record with 99-Yard Scoring Sprint
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
August 26, 2024
Jakob Price remembers the defense forcing him into a subtle change of plans at the line of scrimmage, then about a dozen seconds later finishing his run into the MHSAA record book.
It's a rare story that only 15 football players in MHSAA history can tell, most involving similar circumstances. A couple of key blocks, the opening of but a sliver of a hole, a fortuitous breakdown on defense including a broken tackle or two, capped, in many cases, by simple luck.
When it comes to a rusher busting loose on a 99-yard run, there is much that has to fall into place. In the case of Price, a sophomore at Muskegon when he became the last player to make that rare record-tying dash on Oct. 8, 2021, it was all the above.
"I remember we ran what we called a "power 6" and I hit the line hard," Price said. "I saw that the hole off the center was clogged, and I thought I was going to get hit, but I made a move. Three guys had a shot at me, but someone took out the tackle with a block and I saw nothing but green. It was almost a safety, but then this hole opened up and I was gone."
In comparison, for instance, there have been 81 players who've thrown for at least six touchdowns in a game. But only 15 players in Michigan history have snatched a handoff and sped 99 yards to pay dirt. It's a wide cast of characters that stretches from one player who has played in 12 major league baseball games to another who collected three times as many receiving yards as rushing and whose previous longest run had been a modest 25.
The first 99-yard run chronicled in the MHSAA record book was by James Edington of Morrice, who raced 99 yards against Kingston on Oct. 29, 1999. Edington's run was one of his last during an outstanding four-year career that included being named all-state three times. He remembers the play, which came late in a playoff game, being an inside trap where he broke at least two tackles. Edington said the play wasn't designed for anything more than to keep the defense from notching a safety.
"I was just trying to get out of the end zone, get us some room," said Edington, who remembers having 4.7 speed in the 40-yard dash. "I remember it was at the end of the game and I was so tired. I was a two-way player who rarely came off the field. I know that in a 99-yard run the blocks have got to be there when the defense hits the box. I knew if I could just get past this linebacker, there was a lot of green grass in front of me."
Morrice, coincidentally, also is the only program to have a 99-yard runner in 8-player football. Morrice switched from 11 to 8-player with the start of the 2014 season, and Jake Rivers made the 99-yard sprint twice in 2015.
Saugatuck coach Bill Dunn is the only coach to have two players on the list, including his son Blake, on Sept. 25, 2015, against Decatur.
From a coaching standpoint, Bill Dunn said there is nothing like a crushing 99-yard burst to change a game's momentum. When a team is clinging to the ball at its 1-yard line, the possible outcomes are seemingly dark – from surrendering a safety to a punt that puts the opposition in prime position to score.
"A lot of things have to happen in a 99-yard run," Dunn said. "There can absolutely be luck. And it can be a backbreaker. You got a team at the 1-yard line, and the defense knows it's going to get good field position with a punt. But instead you get a guy who breaks one for 99."
Blake Dunn, now a prospect in the Cincinnati Reds system, was an all-state sprinter in high school as part of earning 16 varsity letters across four sports. Dunn said he made a "mid-line read" after the fullback dove into the line. The defense collapsed on him, Dunn cut back against the grain and was off to the races.
"Our fullback dove down the mid-line, and my read crashed down to him," said Dunn, whose 101 career touchdowns are fourth in state history while his 6,954 rushing yards rank eighth.
"When I followed my blocks through the hole, there was a bunch of open grass. I think there might have been a linebacker that almost tripped me up from the backside, but nobody was able to get me and then 99 yards later it ended in a touchdown. It was pretty cool fun in the moment and fun to look back on it now."
Kyle Raycraft of Frankenmuth made his 99-yard run against Caro on Sept. 5, 2003. Like many of his brethren’s stories, Raycraft, who remembers running for more than 200 yards and three or four touchdowns in the game, said the play came down to a couple of blocks, shaking off potential tacklers, and having daylight in front of him.
"I went up the middle and got good blocking at the line and broke a couple tackles," said Raycraft, also an all-state sprinter and currently an emergency room doctor in Sault Ste. Marie. "I really didn't think that much of it at the time. I think it got us the lead at a key time and that was exciting, but I didn't think it was so rare. There's been a lot of high school football and only (15) kids have done this, so that's a pretty short list."
Matthew Hoffman of Sanford Meridian, by his own admission, wasn't particularly fast. So speed played a minimal part in his run Sept. 11, 2015, against Beaverton.
Hoffman ran track in the spring, but not as a sprinter; he ran distances. His piece of football history was more a result of getting a couple of key blocks, breaking through the line, making a cut and finding running room along the sideline.
"I broke to the line and swerved to the left to the sidelines," said Hoffman, now a certified rescue boat operator working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge for the Bridging North America company. "I was quick and shifty and I'd get a few breakaways, but I wasn't fast. I think the defense was looking for me on the right side, and it was a counterplay to the left. The offensive line did a great job on that play.
"It was exciting, but (instead of records) it was more it just happened so quickly. People met me in the end zone after the play was over, but then we were just focused on defense and the next play."
Coleman's Mitch Franklin has another different slant on his 99-yard story. He was primarily a receiver who recorded 1,014 yards at that position as opposed to around 300 as a running back. But on Sept. 13, 2014, against Charlevoix, Franklin took advantage of a rare handoff after a quarterback sneak had netted virtually no gain on first down.
"Best blocking we had all year. A hole opened up, I stiff-armed a guy and just ran," said Franklin, a former Gladwin County sheriff’s deputy. "I remember I was fortunate to run on our right side where we had bigger guys. It was fortunate that we caught the defense off guard. I think it was about our first power run that game and a lot of fortunate things had to happen.
"One of the things I remember is our principal patting me on the back and telling me what a good run it was."
While the members of the select 99-Yard Club may have different memories as to how they successfully dashed from their team's 1-yard line into the other team's end zone, their goals were the same: Just somehow move their team from the shadow of their own goalposts into more favorable territory.
And one last goal, recalled Franklin.
"Hey, you just don't want to make that long drive home with a big, fat ‘L,’” he said. "You want to win the game. That's what was important."
The MHSAA is continuously adding to its record books, and there is no deadline for an accomplishment to be submitted. Find directions to do so and the football record books in full at this link.
PHOTOS (Top) Coleman's Mitch Franklin (right) turns upfield during a 99-yard scoring run against Charlevoix on Sept. 13, 2014. (Middle) Muskegon's Jakob Price (left) makes a move on the way to a 99-yard touchdown run against Muskegon Mona Shores in 2021. (Below) Saugatuck's Nick Stanberry breaks away for a 99-yard TD run against Kent City in 2018. (Photos provided by Franklin, Price and the Saugatuck football program.)