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1st & Goal: Playoff Week 1 in Review

November 2, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This already-unusual 2020 football season introduced the first nearly all-in football playoffs this weekend with plenty of new in terms of format – but also a lot of the unpredictability we expect from this time of year.

For the first time, with fields doubled, 11-player teams were placed in eight-team Districts and 8-player teams in eight-team Regionals. And going by seeds, 35 games were upsets, including two by No. 8 seeds over No. 1s, four by seven seeds over No. 2s and 13 by six seeds over No. 3s.

There also were 66 rematches of regular-season games – with 13 different winners the second time around.

Below is a glance at results that intrigued the most from this first playoff week. Historical context is based in part on data at Michigan-football.com.

8-Player

Division 1

HEADLINER Rochester Adams 39, Rochester 7 Their Week 1 game didn’t happen, of course, and Rochester (6-1) went on to its first perfect regular season since 1993. But Adams (3-4) ran its winning streak over its rival to 23 with its best scoring output of the season. Click for more from the Oakland Press. 

District Digest Novi 41, Brighton 27 Their opening night meeting was canceled, with the Bulldogs (4-3) getting the forfeit win. Before that, Brighton had won seven of their last eight matchups with the Wildcats (3-4) – with Novi’s win during that string coming in the 2016 playoffs. Grand Blanc 28, Lake Orion 14 The Bobcats (6-1) claimed their first playoff win since 2012, guaranteeing their best record since 2017 and in three fewer games than both of the last two seasons. Dearborn 20, Monroe 15 The Pioneers (3-4) joined Novi among No. 6 seeds that upset No. 3s, giving up their fewest points since the season opener. Monroe did finish 4-3, a win better than 2019. Romeo 20, New Baltimore Anchor Bay 6 Romeo was another No. 6 seed to prevail, but Anchor Bay (4-3) still had plenty to celebrate this fall with a three-win improvement and league title.

Division 2

HEADLINER Oak Park 35, Grosse Pointe South 27 The Knights (1-6) couldn’t have picked a better moment to have their best of the season, winning their first game and scoring nearly half of their points for this fall in front of a FOX Sports Detroit audience. Oak Park was the eighth seed in the District and had put up only 45 points heading into the game. Grosse Pointe South (4-3) finished its season with two of its losses by eight points or fewer. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press and see highlights below from FSD.

District Digest Lowell 35, Byron Center 28 The Red Arrows (4-3) avenged a 14-point Week 7 loss to the Bulldogs (5-2), who went on to share the Ottawa-Kent Conference White title. Lowell also broke its three-game losing streak to close the regular season. Swartz Creek 28, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 6 The Dragons (5-2) added to a big turnaround season with their first playoff win. Dexter 56, Ypsilanti Lincoln 28 The Dreadnaughts (5-2) also earned their first playoff victory after near-misses the last two seasons. Ypsilanti Community 21, Dearborn Heights Crestwood 7 The Grizzlies (4-3) earned their first playoff victory as well and guaranteed at least their second-best season in eight as a program.

Division 3

HEADLINER Battle Creek Harper Creek 30, Parma Western 13 Their annual regular-season meeting was scheduled for Week 3, but Harper Creek (5-2) had to wait until the playoffs to break a recent two-game losing streak to the Panthers (4-3). The Beavers are now two wins better than both of the last two seasons. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer. 

District Digest Lansing Waverly 39, St. Johns 7 With their first playoff win, the Warriors (4-3) also guaranteed their best finish since at least 2012. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 38, Pinckney 14 It’s not rare for a Catholic League Central team to have a so-so record after a highly-competitive regular season and come out strong in the playoffs, and St. Mary’s (2-3) is the latest example with this win over the Pirates (4-3). River Rouge 21, Gibraltar Carlson 0 The reigning Division 3 champion Panthers (5-1) picked up their fifth shutout of the season, halting a Marauders offense that had averaged nearly 34 points per game as the team went 4-2 during the regular season. Allen Park 18, Trenton 7 The Jaguars (5-2) made it three straight seasons with playoff wins over the league rival Trojans (3-4).

Division 4

HEADLINER Ada Forest Hills Eastern 42, Allendale 0 The Hawks (4-3) missed the playoffs the last four seasons and hadn’t finished with a winning record since 2015. But they’ll finish at least .500 this fall thanks to their second shutout over the last four weeks, against an Allendale team that did open this season 3-0 before a tough final month. See highlights below from FOX 17.

District Digest Coopersville 26, Sparta 14 The Broncos (3-4) earned their first playoff win since 2007 as another No. 6 seed winner. Vicksburg 17, Plainwell 12 These teams didn’t get to play their Wolverine Conference game this fall, but Vicksburg (5-2) handed Plainwell (3-3) its only loss this season on the field. Madison Heights Lamphere 43, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 0 The Rams (7-0) earned their first playoff win since 2009, continuing their best run since at least that fall. Croswell-Lexington 40, Imlay City 26 The Pioneers (6-1) tied their winningest season since 2012 with their second victory this fall over Imlay City (4-3).

Division 5

HEADLINER Belding 32, Hopkins 18 The Black Knights’ surge continued as they’ve gone on to outscore three opponents by a combined 140-21 since losing to Hopkins by six in Week 7. That first-meeting win earned the Vikings (5-2) the O-K Silver championship, but this rematch allowed Belding (6-1) to move on in one of the strongest Districts in the state, regardless of division. Click for more from the Greenville Daily News.

District Digest Kingsford 13, Ogemaw Heights 6 The Flivvers (4-2) improved to 4-1 on the field, reducing their points-allowed average this fall to 12.4 per game. Howard City Tri County 33, Central Montcalm 7 All four Vikings losses this season have come by seven points or fewer, and this avenged a 7-0 defeat to the Hornets (4-3) in Week 7. Olivet 20, Hillsdale 17 The Eagles (6-1) emerged with a solid win in another strong top-to-bottom District, as the No. 6-seeded Hornets finished 4-3. Richmond 38, Macomb Lutheran North 7 Add the Blue Devils (3-4) as well to the No. 6 seeds that won over the weekend as they upset Lutheran North (4-3).

Division 6 

HEADLINER Clare 41, Kent City 6 The Pioneers moved to 7-0 by winning this matchup of league champions and added to a defensive effort that’s allowed just 8.6 points per game. Kent City (5-2) had averaged nearly 31 points per game entering the weekend. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun and see below for highlights from MI Sports Now. 

District Digest Negaunee 28, Gladstone 14 The Miners’ two losses on the field this season were by a combined four points, and with this win they avenged the first. Harrison 22, Sanford Meridian 14 Harrison (5-2) also avenged a loss after falling to Meridian (4-3) by 20 points in Week 6. Parchment 42, Coloma 40 The Panthers (3-4) started 0-4, with that fourth defeat by 11 to Coloma (4-3) in Week 7. Adrian Madison 34, Quincy 30 The Trojans (6-1) tied their most wins in a season since 2009 with their first ever in the playoffs.

Division 7

HEADLINER Evart 23, Houghton Lake 18 The Wildcats’ first playoff win since 2012 guaranteed its winningest season since 2016 and earned Evart (5-2) a rematch with Highland Conference champion McBain. Evart has won five straight since losing the first McBain game in Week 5. Houghton Lake finished 4-3, with two of those losses to the Wildcats. Click for more from the Cadillac News.

District Digest Madison Heights Bishop Foley 27, Madison Heights Madison 24 After beating Madison 34-2 in Week 9, Bishop Foley (6-1) had to rally to move on in the rematch a week later. Detroit Central 26, Detroit Community 22 The Trail Blazers (5-2) bounced back from two straight losses, while Community ended a season that saw three of its last four losses come by eight points or fewer. Bad Axe 19, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker 12 Laker (4-3) made this rematch closer than Bad Axe’s 21-point win two weeks ago, but the Hatchets (5-2) were able to get to five wins for the first time since 2014. Cass City 36, Reese 26 The Rockets had come a long way since Cass City’s 42-3 win in Week 5, but the Red Hawks (7-0) held on despite giving up a point shy of half their season total.

Division 8

HEADLINER Gwinn 24, East Jordan 20 The Modeltowners earned their first playoff victory since 1999, improving to 4-3 after winning just a game a year ago – another wonderful tribute to late coach Dion Brown, who died unexpectedly in January. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

District Digest Unionville-Sebewaing 57, Marlette 14 The Patriots (5-2) are 12 points over two games from being undefeated and went over 50 points for the second time this fall. Detroit Leadership 8, Melvindale Academy of Business & Tech 6 The Cougars (4-3) earned the first playoff win in their five years as a program. Bark River-Harris 54, St. Ignace 20 The Broncos (4-2) opened this fall with two losses but haven’t lost since, in this win putting up one-third of their points for the entire season. Saranac 14, Potterville 0 After not winning since opening night, Saranac picked up its first playoff victory since 2011.

8-Player

Division 1 

HEADLINER Indian River Inland Lakes 34, Munising 22 After two straight winless seasons in 11-player, and three over its final four, Inland Lakes improved to 6-1 this fall by ending Munising’s first 8-player season at 4-3. This also was Inland Lakes’ first win in the playoffs since 1995. Click for more from the Cheboygan News.

Regional Roundup Merrill 66, Deckerville 22 The Vandals (6-1) opened their first 8-player playoffs with their highest-scoring game of the season, ending Deckerville’s season at 4-3. Gaylord St. Mary 86, Central Lake 54 By combining for 140 points, these teams earned a record book entry for fourth-highest scoring game in MHSAA 8-player history. Mesick 34, Vestaburg 0 The Bulldogs (5-2) won their first playoff game ever with their first shutout since last season. Mayville 48, Genesee 20 The Wildcats’ best season since at least the 1980s will continue as they earned a matchup with also-undefeated Adrian Lenawee Christian this week.  

Division 2 

HEADLINER Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 59, Burr Oak 18 The Bobcats (5-2) have to celebrate a season during which they tied their most wins since 1974. But the Defenders’ offense remains potent scoring nearly 43 points per game despite the team being only 3-4. And note, all four of those defeats came to teams in Division 1 or too large for the 8-player playoffs. Click for more from JoeInsider.com. 

Regional Roundup Lake Linden-Hubbell 48, Crystal Falls Forest Park 8 The Lakes (4-3) have gotten on the field for only five games, but they’ve made them count including with this big win over old rival Forest Park (4-2). Peck 30, Ashley 0 After losing 30-22 to the Bears (3-4) in Week 9, Peck (4-3) came back big a week later in the rematch. Colon 52, Climax-Scotts 14 The Magi (6-1) may have suffered a loss this season after a perfect 2019, but that hasn’t meant they’re done – especially considering that defeat came to Division 1 Lenawee Christian. Waldron 30, Tekonsha 6 The Spartans (5-2) nearly reversed a 28-point loss to Tekonsha (4-3) only three weeks ago. 

PHOTO: Marquette's Kameron Karp (23) is able to get by Muskegon Reeths-Puffer's Caden Brainard (8) but is taken down by Landon Mechem (32) at the 4-yard line during their Saturday matchup. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)

Concord’s Mekhi Wingfield breaks away from a Britton Deerfield defender during last season’s matchup.

Wingfield's Fame as Gamebreaker Grows after Record-Setting Junior Season

By Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com

August 30, 2023

Mekhi Wingfield’s journey to becoming one of the most dynamic football players in all of 8-player football in Michigan began in Detroit and is continuing today at Jackson County’s Concord High School.  

Southeast & BorderWingfield moved to the Concord area when he was in the sixth grade. He was still two years away from playing football for the first time. Basketball was his thing. And meeting people.   

“The first day of school I made friends,” Wingfield said. “I’m one of those guys who like to talk. I’ll go up to anybody and try and talk to them. I like to hear different perspectives in life.”  

Wingfield doesn’t need any introduction in 8-player football. Last season, the 6-foot-3 receiver had a record-setting season for the Yellow Jackets, making a name for himself across the state.

In nine games, he had 76 catches for 1,035 yards and 16 touchdowns. He set an 8-player record with 17 receptions in a game and moved to the top or close to the top of the charts in numerous other categories, including career touchdowns (26) and career receptions (139).   

Britton Deerfield head coach Erik Johnson saw firsthand what Wingfield can do on the football field.  

“He is a very talented football player,” said Johnson, who competes against Concord in the Tri-River 8 Conference. “Last year he almost singlehandedly beat us with big play after big play.  

“They run a lot of jet sweep action with him where they toss it to him … but he has the size, speed, and athletic ability to hurt your defense with the short passing game and then just running right by you for the deep ball.”  

Johnson has watched Wingfield for a couple of seasons now. This year, BD plays Concord twice.  

“In the 8-player game, it is really tough to dedicate two defensive players to one offensive player, but Mekhi's ability almost makes you have to that,” he said.   

Wingfield says his best game came against BD.  

“There is a small little rivalry with them,” he said. “When they came to our place last year, I had like three touchdowns on them. That was so fun. Best game of my high school career.”  

Wingfield’s family moved to south central Michigan to help care for his grandmother, who lived in Albion, when he was about 10. His older siblings went to Marshall, but he enrolled at Concord.  

He and his twin sister are the youngest of seven in the family.  

Wingfield is a senior this fall.He was introduced to football in the eighth grade and played some that season, but not the full year. By his freshman year, his athletic ability blossomed.   

“When I got to the ninth grade is when I got into Coach (Max) Clark’s program, and I started being dedicated to football and sports,” Wingfield said. “I got in the weight room and just became a field rat.”  

Clark has had an impact on his life, Wingfield noted: “Football with Coach Clark – I can’t say it was always easy, but he’s helped me and guided me and took me under his wing. I had to work for my spot. I was the underdog coming in. I didn’t have football under my belt. I had to learn. I sat back and learned until it was my time to shine.”  

Wingfield, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, picked up football rather quickly.  

“I used to watch it on TV, but I never played it,” he said. “When I got onto the field, it was like second nature. My coach loved me, so he got me the ball so much. It was just a lot of fun to me.”  

Wingfield’s athletic ability is why he touches the ball so much.  

“I like to classify myself as a route runner,” he said. “I can run routes, I can get open, I can create space and catch those 50-50 balls. I’m hoping the defensive backs have a long night when they face me.”  

Clark said Wingfield was a great athlete even as a freshman.  

“He’s a relentless worker,” Clark said. “You can tell he wants to be good. We took him to Albion, and he was learning some track technique, long jump. Even on his warm-up laps, he had to be first.”  

Last season’s surge in receptions, yards, and touchdowns surprised Wingfield.  

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “We had a new quarterback. We had played basketball together, but I didn’t even know he could sling it like that. We just went out and had fun. My goal was to have a better year than my sophomore year. I didn’t know I was going to go quote-unquote ‘crazy’ like that.”  

While Wingfield said basketball is still his favorite sport, football is gaining ground. He spent much of this past summer at football camps, fine-tuning his game. He received an offer to play football at Grand Valley State University.  

He’s also an outstanding track athlete. Last season he helped Concord’s 400 relay win a Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals title. The relay units he was on also finished second in the 800 and 1,600, and he was second in the long jump.   

Concord opened the season last week with a loss to Bridgman. Wingfield said the team has already moved on from that defeat and is geared up for a chance to make the playoffs. Concord wasn’t eligible last season due to its enrollment but is under the threshold this season and could qualify.   

“We’re just moving forward week by week,” he said. “I think that helped us to see a good team early. We know how to handle getting punched in the mouth. That is a good team we played. We’ve got to just keep on going. This is like the first year that we could get to go to the playoffs. I’m very excited about that.”  

Clark is a social studies teacher at Concord and has Wingfield in one of his classes.  

“This week we were doing an activity where we asked the students if they would rather live in a city or the country,” Clark said. “Mekhi said country. I was surprised, knowing he grew up in a big city. He just said, ‘I’d rather live in the country, because that’s where Concord is.’” 

“It was huge difference coming here,” Wingfield noted. “Culture shock, you might say. I went to Concord and have loved it ever since. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

Doug DonnellyDoug 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) Concord’s Mekhi Wingfield breaks away from a Britton Deerfield defender during last season’s matchup. (Middle) Wingfield is a senior this fall. (Action photo by Madisyn Barrett/Concord Chronicle. Posed photo courtesy of the Concord athletic department.)