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Drive for Detroit: Week 6 in Review
October 8, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A handful of undefeated teams ended perfect seasons for others during Week 6, and a number of league races began to clear up as we finished the second third of the football regular season.
But we'll assume no team celebrated its win with more relief than the team that hadn't won in quite a while.
We don't often point to a lack of success, but Lincoln Park deserves a shout for its perseverance over the last eight seasons. The Railsplitters sit 1-5 thanks to their first win last week since the second week of 2006.
You do the math, but keep in mind the streak included four losses by five points or fewer. Lincoln Park clearly earned some fans statewide as it battled on, and they'll surely be rooting for that next win to come soon as well.
For the rest of Week 6 results of most significance all over the state, read on.
West Michigan
Shelby 22, Muskegon Oakridge 19
Thanks in part to a trick play-turned-touchdown with 25 seconds to play, Shelby ended Oakridge’s 18-game regular-season winning streak and a personal four-game losing streak against its West Michigan Conference rival. Shelby (6-0) still has a few tough games left on the league schedule, and Oakridge (5-1) will be hoping for an upset so it can claim a share of the title. Click to read more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Also noted:
Lowell 42, East Grand Rapids 39 (4 OT): This is one of those games that draws statewide eyes, and was decided in extra periods after East Grand Rapids (3-3) cut a halftime deficit before Lowell (6-0) prevailed.
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 46, Zeeland East 26: The Reeths-Puffer revival continues, with the Rockets now 5-1 – they won a combined 10 games from 2008-12 – and their win over Zeeland East (5-1) was one of their most impressive of the last decade.
Grand Rapids South Christian 35, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 29 (OT): Losing to GRCC and finished second in the O-K Gold to the Cougars (3-3) was one of South Christian’s few disappointments during its Division 4 championship season of 2012; the Sailors (5-1) look strong to claim the league title this time.
Grandville Calvin Christian 17, Hopkins 16: This turned the O-K Silver into a three-team race, with these two and NorthPointe Christian all tied for first with two league games to play (but none against each other). Calvin Christian improved to 3-3 overall and Hopkins fell to 4-2.
Lower Up North
Lincoln Alcona 63, Oscoda 10
Lincoln Alcona moved to the North Star League this fall. So far, so good. The Tigers claimed their first league title ever with this Battle of F41 trophy game win, and at 6-0 qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season – and fourth time ever. Click to read more from the Bay City Times.
Also noted:
Grayling 48, Elk Rapids 28: The Elks (4-2) were major obstacles Grayling (5-1) needed to overcome to continue surging in the Lake Michigan Conference.
Indian River Inland Lakes 56, Central Lake 30: Inland Lakes (4-2) equaled its win totals of each of the last four seasons; Central Lake fell to 2-4.
Petoskey 42, Traverse City Central 37: Neither is likely to still contend in the Big North Conference this season, but this likely will end up a key result as both are 3-3 overall.
Lake City 46, McBain 0: Wow. Lake City (6-0) has given up just six points this season, and also shut out a McBain team that at 4-2 will push for a playoff spot.
Upper Peninsula
Crystal Falls Forest Park 43, Felch North Dickinson 20
These small-school powers have faced off at least once every season (and multiple times when they've also met in the playoffs) since 1992. Forest Park (6-0) entered in first place in the Great Western Conference, and North Dickinson (5-1) is the same in the Mid-Eastern Conference. Although this helps neither’s league chances, it does give Forest Park a 16-11 edge in their 27 recent meetings. Click to read more from the Iron County Reporter.
Also noted:
Iron River West Iron County 41, Calumet 0: The Copper Kings (0-6) are having a are down season, but West Iron (6-0) appears to be building one of its best.
Marquette 24, Kingsford 0: Marquette (5-1) kept pace just one win back of Great Northern UP Conference leader Menominee with another impressive win, this one over the frequently-contending Flivvers (4-2).
Rapid River 45, Cedarville 28: Few teams have had Cedarville’s number during the three seasons of 8-player football, and only Rapid River (6-0) has beaten the Trojans (5-1) the last two seasons.
Engadine 36, Posen 20: Engadine (1-5) has had a tough couple seasons, but beating solid Posen (4-2) is something the Vikings surely enjoyed.
Greater Detroit and Southeast
Milan 21, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 14
Make that 15 straight regular-season wins for Milan (6-0) and a strong edge moving forward as it attempts to claim a second straight Huron League championship. To beat its toughest competition this season, Milan had to hold off St. Mary (5-1) after jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Click to read more from the Monroe Evening News.
Also noted:
Waterford Our Lady 21, Royal Oak Shrine 14: The Lakers (4-2) have now won four straight and have a one-game lead in the Catholic League Intersectional after handing a first loss this season to Shrine (5-1).
Manchester 29, Grass Lake 18: The Warriors (5-1) were one of two teams challenging first-place Manchester (5-1) atop the Cascades Conference; the other, Michigan Center, comes up in Week 8.
Ida 36, Hudson 28 (OT): The Bluestreaks (5-1) took a strong step toward their first Lenawee County Athletic Association championship since sharing the title in 1997 by outlasting the formerly first-place Tigers (5-1).
St. Clair 36, Marysville 13: This left St. Clair (6-0) and Marine City as the lone undefeated teams in the Macomb Area Conference Gold, with Marysville (4-2) now a game back in the league standings.
Bay and Thumb
Marlette 36, Vassar 35
Marlette (6-0) has had some solid teams over the last decade, but never one that has come out of the gate like this one. Marlette has scored at least 35 points in every game and just edged a Vassar team (3-3) contending for a playoff spot. MHSAA Student Advisory Council member Connor Thomas caught three touchdown passes for the Raiders. Click to read more from the Tuscola Advertiser.
Also noted:
Frankenmuth 21, Millington 6: The Eagles (5-1) have beaten their rivals two straight seasons and can clinch a share of the Tri-Valley Conference East title this week. Millington (4-2) must hope for a loss and then beat second-place North Branch to stay in the hunt.
Davison 35, Flint Powers Catholic 17: Ended is the rough start for Davison (3-3), which has won three straight to potentially set up a Week 9 matchup with Flint Carman-Ainsworth for the Saginaw Valley Association South title. Powers is 3-3 with losses to teams that are combined 12-6 this fall.
Fenton 30, Lapeer East 7: The Tigers (6-0) are making space atop the Flint Metro League standings, pushing the Eagles (3-3) back to fourth with Lapeer West and Swartz Creek still tied for second.
Saginaw Heritage 21, Saginaw Arthur Hill 8: These teams appear to be moving different directions – Arthur Hill (3-3) has lost three straight, and Heritage (4-2) has won its last three.
Southwest and Border
Schoolcraft 28, Battle Creek Pennfield 22
It’s possible some considered Schoolcraft (5-1) out of the Kalamazoo Valley Association race after it fell to Olivet in Week 3. Not so fast. The reigning champion is just a game back and now will be rooting for Pennfield (5-1) – which also is tied for second place and faces first-place Olivet this week. The Eagles also must face Constantine in Week 8, another matchup we’ll surely be watching. Click to read more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
Climax-Scotts 21, Pittsford 14: Climax-Scotts (6-0) has won six straight over the Wildcats (4-2), but they haven’t come easily; this was the fourth straight decided by eight points or fewer.
Bridgman 22, Cassopolis 21: This also has turned into a close one of late, with Bridgman (4-2) also beating Cassopolis (3-3) last season by only three points.
Lawton 33, Hartford 22: The Blue Devils (6-0) kept pace with Watervliet in the ultra-competitive Southwestern Athletic Conference South, with Hartford (3-3) now looking to win out to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
Lawrence 53, Deckerville 38: The move to 8-player continues to look great for Lawrence (4-1 in 8-player, 5-1 overall), which looks like a title contender after beating last season’s MHSAA champion Deckerville (3-3).
Mid-Michigan
Homer 40, Jonesville 12
Homer moved to 6-0, and in the process earned its first playoff appearance since 2006 and got within one more win of claiming at least a share of its first Big 8 Conference title since 2005. Jonesville fell to 5-1, but still looks strong to make the postseason for the second straight. Click to read more from the Jackson Citizen-Patriot.
Also noted:
Lansing Sexton 48, Holt 7: No team since Chelsea on opening night has come closer than 21 points to the Big Reds (6-0), who handed Holt (3-3) its first loss since Week 2.
Lansing Everett 25, East Lansing 17: This left Everett (5-1) with Grand Ledge and Holt as one of three teams one game back of Sexton in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue, but the only one of the three still to face the Big Reds; East Lansing (3-3) has dropped two straight and faces Sexton this week.
Jackson Lumen Christi 35, Mason 0: This should sew up the CAAC Gold title for the Titans (6-0), with Mason (4-2) still looking great to qualify for the playoffs.
Portland 43, Williamston 22: This gave Portland (6-0) at least a share of the CAAC White title, with Williamston (4-2) and Lansing Catholic a game back and facing each other this week.
Trophy games
Each week, the MHSAA highlights trophy games around the state. Here are a few in addition to the one mentioned above:
County Line Trophy: Bath vs. Laingsburg. These two renewed this rivalry in 1986 and have played annually since, with the Bees last weekend ending a two-game losing streak to their rival. Final: Bath 20, Laingsburg 19.
Old US 131 Trophy: Big Rapids vs. Morley-Stanwood. Big Rapids has followed up three straight losses to this rival with two straight wins. Final: Big Rapids 30, Morley-Stanwood 9.
Friendship Trophy: Coopersville vs. Sparta. These two have played every season since 1966, most recently as members of the O-K Blue. Final: Sparta 41, Coopersville 14.
Hinker Bell Game: Escanaba vs. Menominee. These two continue to face off annually in a game that recalls this trophy although it disappeared a number of years ago. Final: Menominee 44, Escanaba 0.
PHOTO: Lowell (on offense) needed four overtimes to hold off East Grand Rapids on the Pioneers' Homecoming night.
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1st & Goal: Playoff Week 2 Preview
November 6, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The summery weather may make this weekend feel like mid-September in much of Michigan.
And this weekend certainly has the feeling of playoff football as we move to 256 teams in 11-player and 32 in 8, with matchups toughening and urgency rising.
Read on for a glance at 11-player District Semifinals and 8-player Regional Semifinals of particular note in each division. Spectator limits are again in effect (check with your local school for purchasing information), but there’s an opportunity to watch one or more of 53 games being broadcast on MHSAA.tv or FOX Sports Detroit.
Games below are Friday unless noted. Historical context is based in part on data at Michigan-football.com.
11-Player
Division 1
Grand Blanc (6-1) at Clarkston (7-0)
This will be the fourth playoff meeting of these teams over the last 11 seasons, and Grand Blanc is seeking its first win over the Wolves since 2010. The Bobcats’ offense is averaging nearly 40 points per game – and the key matchup will be how it contends with a Clarkston defense that hasn’t given up more than seven in a game in a month.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hudsonville (5-2) at Rockford (5-0), Traverse City West (6-1) at Grandville (6-1), Howell (4-3) at White Lake Lakeland (6-0), Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (3-3) at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (6-0).
Division 2
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (6-1) at Muskegon Mona Shores (7-0)
These two are meeting in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons – they didn’t see each other last year when Mona Shores made its run to the Division 2 championship. The Sailors haven’t slowed since, putting up nearly 48 points per game with their most impressive wins over Muskegon early and Detroit Martin Luther King two weeks ago. Forest Hills Central has allowed only one opponent to score more than 14 points – Byron Center, which handed the Rangers’ their lone defeat.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Battle Creek Lakeview (5-2) at Portage Northern (6-1), Midland Dow (5-2) at Midland (7-0), Birmingham Groves (4-3) at Birmingham Seaholm (5-2), Swartz Creek (5-2) at Traverse City Central (6-1).
Division 3
River Rouge (5-1) at Riverview (7-0)
The reigning champion Panthers are riding a four-shutout streak since an open date Week 6, but will get their strongest test since a Week 5 loss to East Lansing. The Riverview scoring machine over six games has put up just eight points fewer than it scored over 11 games in 2019. The Pirates are scoring 44.5 per game and have broken 40 in four straight.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Marysville (6-1) at Detroit Martin Luther King (4-3), Battle Creek Harper Creek (5-2) at St. Joseph (6-1). SATURDAY Cedar Springs (5-2) at Muskegon (6-1), Marquette (6-1) at Mount Pleasant (6-1).
Division 4
Croswell-Lexington (6-1) at North Branch (7-0)
These two decided the Blue Water Area Conference championship in Week 5, when the Broncos emerged with a 27-20 victory. Both won rematches by double digits last week, Croswell-Lexington over Imlay City and North Branch over Yale, and it’s fair to anticipate this rematch will be one of the headliners of this playoff round.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Paw Paw (5-2) at Hastings (6-1), Detroit Country Day (4-2) at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (6-1), Goodrich (6-1) at Ortonville Brandon (6-1). SATURDAY Livonia Clarenceville (5-2) at Redford Union (6-1).
Division 5
Portland (6-1) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (6-1)
A strong playoff rivalry over the last decade will be renewed as these two meet in the postseason for the first time since 2017 and sixth time in 11 years. They’ve gotten here by similar roads this fall, both mostly dominating aside from lone losses to contenders in bigger divisions, Portland to Division 3 DeWitt and West Catholic to Division 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Saginaw Swan Valley (4-3) at Essexville Garber (6-1), Belding (6-1) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (6-0), Olivet (6-1) at Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (6-1), Almont (3-2) at Frankenmuth (7-0).
Division 6
Clare (7-0) at Montague (7-0), Saturday
Clare’s road has been one of the toughest from the start, even given last week’s score over another league champion. The Pioneers defeated Kent City 41-6 but now must travel to take on a Montague team that annually is in the title mix and missed out on Ford Field last year by a one-point Semifinal loss.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Boyne City (5-2) at Maple City Glen Lake (5-2), Adrian Madison (6-1) at Michigan Center (4-1), Erie Mason (7-0) at Clinton (6-1). SATURDAY Durand (5-2) at Detroit Edison (5-2).
Division 7
Sandusky (7-0) at Cass City (7-0)
These two have met the last two playoffs, Cass City winning by four points in 2018 and then 40 a year ago. This rematch should be much more like the first, in part because Sandusky’s defense is nearly matching its more impressive 2018 by giving up just under 14 points per game. Both also played Reese to nearly identical scores over the last two weeks (Cass City winning 36-26, Sandusky 36-28), perhaps a better indicator of how they might match up.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Oscoda (7-0) at Beaverton (6-1), Grass Lake (5-2) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (5-2). SATURDAY Detroit Central (5-2) at Madison Heights Bishop Foley (6-1), Homer (5-2) at Lawton (6-1).
Division 8
Breckenridge (6-1) at Beal City (6-1)
Despite their proximity, these two haven’t met during the last five years of both being championship contenders. But they have taken similar paths to get here. The Huskies have gotten a good look at solid competition this fall, handing Carson City-Crystal its only loss and losing only to reigning Division 8 champion Reading. After losing to Reading in last year’s championship game, Beal City’s only defeat was by four this fall to still-undefeated McBain.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Unionville-Sebewaing (5-2) at Ubly (5-2), Mendon (6-1) at Reading (6-1), Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (5-2) at Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (6-1), Gwinn (4-3) at Iron Mountain (6-1).
8-Player
Division 1
Mayville (7-0) at Adrian Lenawee Christian (7-0)
Both are nearing relatively uncharted territory for their programs – in fact, Mayville has its most wins since 1987. This should be Lenawee Christian’s strongest challenge since handing Colon its only loss, 24-6 in Week 5. The Wildcats have been tested by tougher competition lately, but telling could be how both defeated International Academy of Flint by nearly identical scores over the last three weeks.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Indian River Inland Lakes (6-1) at Pellston (7-0), Whittemore-Prescott (5-2) at Suttons Bay (7-0), Mesick (5-2) at Gaylord St. Mary (6-1), Merrill (6-1) at Morrice (7-0).
Division 2
Rapid River (6-1) at Cedarville (6-1)
In Week 6, Cedarville broke a four-game losing streak against the Rockets with a 32-20 win. That was Rapid River’s only loss this season; Cedarville’s had come the week before to Division 1 contender (and last season’s Division 2 champion) Pickford. The key in this rematch could be the Trojans’ continuing defensive strength; they’ve kept four opponents to single digits and haven’t allowed more than 20 points this fall.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Bay City All Saints (4-2) at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (6-1). SATURDAY Brethren (5-2) at Hale (6-1), Peck (4-3) at Kinde North Huron (6-1), Lake Linden-Hubbell (4-3) at Powers North Central (7-0).
PHOTO: Fenton, here against Walled Lake Central last week, faces North Farmington tonight in a District Semifinal. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)